Publicity Is Free, Right?

You pay for advertising. Press is free. Right? Kind of. The reality is that if you are reaching out to gain your own press, then yes, it is free. Unless you look at your time as money, in which case then you may be spending a lot of time trying to gain press that could be spent making you more money doing whatever it is that you do best (design, sell, merchandise, etc.). But you can’t just drop the ball on publicity if it isn’t your thing in regards to trying to gain it. You should be working with a PR rep that can position you to gain the press you deserve. PR reps are often independent or work within an agency. Sometimes they work within large companies, other times they work within small companies. All of these scenarios can prove successful, but it is up to you to decide what may be best for you, your budget, and your press goals.

Considering Your Options

If you are a small business, then it’s likely your budget is small, too. But that does not mean you need to ignore the option of having a PR rep or PR support.

PR reps typically will want a designated amount of time to represent you in order to best represent you and your business. This time frame can range from 6 months to 2 years. Of course, this varies according to the rep, business and press goals. It’s likely that you will also be charged a retainer to cover their time and expenses while supporting you. This can be very expensive, possibly in the thousands per month, so here are a few things to ask your PR rep to ensure you are getting the best reprensentation possible.

1. What other products or businesses do you currently represent?

2. What are some press examples from current and past clients? Make sure that some of these examples are in similiar targeted outlets as you hope to be in, as well.

3. What contacts, both editorial and media, do you have contacts with? Are there any outlets you want to be in that they don’t have contacts with? Be specific in your question to tailor your needs.

4. Are there any other fees in addition to the retainer fee?

5. Do you guarantee press? Explain your specific guarantees, if any.

Now for those of you not looking to spend thousands per month to possibly gain press (not all agencies or reps charge thousands, though many do), there are some PR reps who offer less expensive monthly retainer fees and then charge commission once press is received. This can be viewed as a more ground up, non-traditional approach but appeals to small business owners since the initial investment is not as high.

If you are still looking to save a few bucks in your press plans, consider having  a professional write a press release for you and then send it out yourself. ou can also have an entire press kit put together by a professional. A well written release and polished press kit is very important, so this may be a great option for you if writing isn’t your thing. PR pros know what and how to capture the media’s attention, so don’t underestimate their services. On average, you should be able to get a professionally written release for $150 to $500. Press kits typically range from $500 and up. However, you will use them often if you take the time to, so the investment is worth it should you decide to have one made. As always, consider all your options and ask for examples!

Whatever you do, don’t ignore that you need to be gaining press! So what are you waiting for… get started!

Did you know Retail Minded offers professional press release writing services and press kit development? Contact  Retail Minded nicole@retailminded.com to learn more.

Shopping With Visual Aides

Magazines. Celeberties. Coupons. Friends. The influence of consumer purchases can go on and on and on and on. You get the idea! Outside of needing something, one of the primary reasons people shop is influenced by visual stimulation outside of themselves. Maybe they like how something looked on their friend – now they want it. Maybe they saw a great purse in a magazine – now they dream about it. Maybe they received a coupon and it is burning a hole in their purse! Whatever the reason, visual aides literally influence why people shop. So rather than ignore this, jump on the band wagon. So what can you do?

Press

Want press? Of course you do. Have press? I hope so! If not, try and get some. By gaining press, potential consumers will learn about your product and ideally, buy your product. Not everyone who sees you or your product in the press will be a customer, but it can lead to conversations with others that may lead to sales as a result. In addition, one press piece can help encourage another press piece and so on. Press helps you. It’s your friend. It’s a visual aide that you can’t buy but will make people want to buy. And consumers? Whether they like the media or not, they are influenced by it. So if youcan, be a part of it.

Store Displays

What are the trends in your area? What is your target market doing for fun? What does your store do to capture all that and more? Using your store to create  visual stimulation through displays can attract new customers and keep old customers coming back. Make sure you keep your store front windows alive and fresh so that customers can be drawn into your store and more importantly, stay in your store. Capture them and keep them engaged visually. Merchandising is a challenge for some and a passion for others. If it isn’t your thing, get help from someone who is good at it because it can make a difference in your sales! Remember, the visual aides in this scenario are your store and your product – make them want what you have to sell.

Employees

While this isn’t true for all stores, the visual impact of your associates often influence your customers. Now don’t get me wrong - I don’t expect beautiful models working in your stores. But I do think well groomed, well taken care of individuals that represent the product you sell will make a difference. Customers see the associates and like it or not, are visually influenced. If you sell clothes and your associates wear your clothes, this is especially the case. Sell art? Your associates need to capture a sense of knowlege and be open for communication. Sell a service? Your associates should be easy to approach. And yes, looks do make a difference here. Visually, consumers will respond to people in different ways. Are your associates visually complimenting your store? If not, have a chat with all of your associates and see what you can do together to make this visual difference. Uniforms, dress codes, body gestures – this will all impact visual perceptions that WILL be made by customers or potential customers… It’s just the way it is.

Don’t ignore the many layers involved in how consumers shop. Visual impressions surround each of us everyday and ultimately will influence purrchases. Make them work in your favor!

Using Press in Store Displays

Communicating with your customers can come in a variety of forms, including actual converstaion, through signage and visual displays, advertising, and more. One of these ways includes press, which is an amazing way to communicate with your customers - even after it’s already been received.

If your store has been fortunate enough to receive any press, whether online, in a local publication, on TV or in a national placement, make sure that you are telling your customers about it! A great way to do this is by using frames to showcase the press you recieved next to the product it highlights. If the press is specific to your store or general assortment of products, highlight this in an area in which your customers will notice. You can also create a brag book of your press that is accessible for  customers to flip through. Not only does this make you look great, but it often gets your customers excited for you, as well. Some customers love the idea that where they shop and what they buy has had some buzz in the press, so this gives you one more reason to brag about your press, also.

In addition, if you are a store carrying a product that has received press on it’s own, seperate from your store, consider sharing these details, as well. Customers respond to all sorts of impressions, including celebrity photos with specific products, so make sure that any press showcasing product sold in your store is shared. For example, if you sell a handbag that was featured in In Style magasine, make sure your customers know this. Not only will it help increase the sell thru of your bag, but it will also make you look like a rock star buyer!

Finally, if you are a wholesaler who is gaining press, let the retailers who carry your product know about it!!! Send them an email update or better yet, send them photo copies or actual copies of the press recieved and encourage them to share this news with their customers. They will appreciate your support as well as it opens up the door for another conversation about placing orders… which is always a good thing!

And if you don’t have press yet? Make sure to review my blog on how to write a press release and start to try and get some! http://retailminded.com/blog/2009/01/gaining-publicity-writing-a-press-release/

Ways To Market Your Independent Retail Business

Unlike sales, marketing can’t be measured quantitatively. Because of this, independent retail and wholesale business owners often ignore the impact marketing can have on their businesses. The reality is, however, that customers won’t buy from you, not to mention even know you exist, unless you successfully market yourself. In today’s world, this takes more than just attending local of Chamber of Commerce meetings and telling friends to tell their friends about your store or product. It takes time. It takes strategy. It takes effort.

Below is a list of some ways to consider marketing your business. Make sure to evaluate how each of these marketing steps will benefit your individual business, but be careful not to overlook any simply because you are unfamiliar with it or find it easier to do something else. To be successful at marketing you will sometimes need to step out of your comfort zone. In addition, make sure to find a balance of marketing strategies in an effort to find the right marketing mix for your business.

Advertising – If you have the finances to pay for exposure of your store or product, then advertising should be considered as part of your marketing mix. Consider where you advertise, though, and who the audience is that will most likely see your ad. Make sure it’s the same audience that may want to shop your store or buy your product.

Website – If you don’t have one, get one. Plain and simple, having an online presence is essential in marketing your services. Customers today use the internet to research their purchases as well as plan their shopping destinations. Even if you don’t plan to sell online, you should still have a website that outlines what your business offers. Consider including photos, testimonials, directions, how to purchase details, press details, and any other information that may be relevant.

Trade Shows – Either as an attendee or an exhibitor, trade shows are a great way to market your business. They provide insight regarding both customers and competition, as well as offer a great excuse to make friends in your industry since they are very interactive. The cost of trade shows will vary so make sure to research all your options and determine which shows are best for you business.  The largest retail based trade show is MAGIC, which takes place in Las Vegas twice a year and offers apparel, footwear, and accessories for men and women. You can also attend regional trade shows, as well it is a good idea to attend both national and regional shows if possible.

Internet Media – Gaining customers through an online presence is more influential than ever before. Sites such as Twitter, Facebook, My Space, and Linked In are great online spots to gain awareness for your business. You need to understand each of these sites in order for them to work for you, though, so take the time to research how each of them can impact your specific business. Some involve more time than others, such as Twitter which is very interactive, while others, such as Linked In, can be effective by simply having a profile created. That said, updating each of these sites with news about your business, such as sales or newly arrived product, is the only way to continually create a buzz about your business. I often suggest to my clients that interns or part time associates can help dedicate time to these sites if they don’t want to – this is better than being dismissed entirely. If you use the these sites effectively will increase your website presence and ultimately your sales.

To help get you started, below is a link to PC Mag’s website that outlines how Twitter works for beginners. I personally use Twitter and find that this gives me the most professional return of any of the internet media sites, however each business and each site will work differently for everyone.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2341095,00.asp

Blogs - Whether you have a blog or comment on blogs, make sure to be a part of blogs! Blogging is quickly becoming one of the top ways for businesses to showcase their value. It takes time to dedicate yourself to building a blog that readers will want to read again and again, so before you dive into this make sure it’s right for you. If blogging isn’t your thing, consider commenting on other people’s blogs.  When commenting on blogs, make sure to reference your business, which will ultimately link people back to your site.

Networking – Whether you live in an urban city or a suburban neighborhood or a small town, networking is key to putting your business on your local map. Make sure you are a part of your local Chamber of Commerce as well as other networking groups. There are groups for small business owners, women business owners, specific to your trade, and more. Research what is available in your area and get involved. Once you are a part of the group, let your voice be heard and participate. Don’t just show up for the meetings but actually be a part of the meetings and events. This is how people will respond to you and ultimately your business.

There are many ways to market small businesses, however these are some basic and easy to obtain strategies that can help launch your business to make a name for itself. If you have other ideas that have been successful for you, we’ love to hear from you! Please consider leaving a comment on our blog. Thank you!

How Consumers Perceive, Learn, and Remember

Retailers often neglect at least one and often two of our five senses when creating their shopping environment. However, all retailers should consider each sense in an effort to provide the best shopping experience possible for their customers.

Through our five senses, consumers react based on their experiences of:

1.    Vision
2.    Touch
3.    Sound
4.    Smell
5.    Taste

Stimuli such as loud pop music playing in the background of a store or the aroma of your favorite scent in a bath and body shop constantly influence consumers in their shopping habits and ultimately in their purchases.  The process of interpreting our surroundings through our senses is called perception. This process includes attention and interpretation that is unique to each individual. Attention is when we apply our minds to stimuli, therefore creating thoughts on a certain stimulus. Interpretation is the unique understanding of something based on your initial perception and overall attention to the subject or object. The word shopping won’t sound so simple anymore when you reflect on each of the steps that consumers process while making their shopping choices!

Think of the last time you walked into a store and were captivated by something. Don’t think about Target or some other big box store, but rather think about a boutique or store similar to yours or similar to stores that sell product like yours. What was it that awed you? Was it the smell of candle burning in the background? Or maybe the sound of subtle jazz playing? Possibly it was an exciting visual merchandising display that lured you into the store from the front window. Then again, maybe something captivated you in a bad way, distracting you from shopping rather than encouraging you to linger longer in that store. A bad smell, loud music, a kid crying – whatever it was, it made an impact for you to remember. Your store makes the same impacts on your customers, so make sure you are in control of what these impacts are. Consider each of the five senses and determine how you are using them and if possible, how you can use them better.

Overdosing on Email Campaigns

Are you obsessed with sending out mass emails to your customer list or subscriber list? If you are, you aren’t alone. If you aren’t, thank you.

Using email as a tool for marketing is a great way to communicate with your customer base. Commonly referred to as email blasts, which are emails sent to a large group of people, customers and subscribers of websites and businesses today are often bombarded with an overload of emails. Email blasts are being sent from every direction to consumers today – for advertising, customer feedback, events, special announcements, and more. Small business owners tend to love email blasts because it is a cheap yet often effective way to communicate what is going on with their business. However, too many retailers and wholesalers are abusing this luxury by overdosing their use of email blasts.

Here are a few things to consider next time you plan to send an email marketing campaign out to your email list.

1. Why are you sending out an email?
2. what is the purpose of the message in the email?
3. When was the last time you sent out an email blast?
4. When do you plan to send out an email blast again?
5. Is the email you plan to create going to excite your audience? How?

These five simple questions can help keep you in check with why your email blast is worth sending out or not. By answering these questions, you are able to really evaluate how you are using emails to communicate with your audience. Remember to always consider when the last time and the next time you think you will send an email out because if you are doing it too often, your audience may not take your emails very seriously. Just ask yourself the last time you deleted an email without opening it because you knew there was nothing of value in it for you. Or was there? Unfortunately, if you overdose on your email privleges, your audience may not take your emails seriously and begin deleting them without ever reading them.

It’s impossible for me to tell you exactly how often is too much or too little for you to use emails as part of your marketing strategy, however I would definitely recommend no more than once a week and ideally no more than twice a month. These details should ultimately be a reflection of what is going on with your business at any particular time, though. It’s always a good idea to get customer feedback on any marketing approach, so in your next email blast you may want to ask your audience how often they’d like to get emails from you. This is a great opportunity to gain other insightful information, as well, such as what products they love or hated in 2009, what is motivating them to shop, and more.

Please note that email blasts can often be used for blogs, which allow the subsribers to know there is an updated post. When you receive an email that lets you know there is an updated post, there is a quick and simple purpose to this email that seperates this from the email blasts I was referring to above. Email campaigns are used to highlight details that are not part of your normal outreach. For bloggers, normal outreach would be emails notifying your subscribers of new posts. So if this is something you do, your subscribers should be comfortable with the amount of emails they get as a direct connection to the blogs you are posting.

Remember that each business is unique in itself, therefore your email marketing strategies must be unique, as well. Use the ideas mentioned above as support in your own marketing initiatives to help make your individual retail or wholesale business as successful as it can be.

Gaining Publicity – Writing a Press Release

Many retailers maintain their business because their location, among other things, is so ideal that they can’t keep up with the foot traffic. Others find that while their location is good, they still aren’t getting the foot traffic they believe they deserve. Whatever your situation is, most likely some publicity would help you out.

Gaining publicity does not have to be challenging. Without hiring a PR firm or independent publicist, you can take steps towards gaining some press for your store or wholesale business. While it isn’t entirely difficult to do, it does take dedication of time. And like it or not, who you know can help you gain the press you believe you deserve. But just in case you don’t know anyone that may help these matters, there are still easy steps to get you started in generating your business publicity.

To get started, you need to understand how the basic outreach for publicity works. It’s very simple, actually. The press and media, including magazine publications, newspapers, online networks, news channels, and television shows, need to know who you are. While there are various PR agencies, independent publicists, online publicity sources, and more that you could pay to help you do this, the oldie but goodie way of sending out press releases still works wonders.

Simply put, a press release is a statement prepared for distribution to the media. To help explain this, a press release can also be described as a story that is written to share with the media from a third person point of view that seeks to demonstrate to an editor or reporter newsworthy information of a particular store, service, product, or person. While press releases are often part of a press kit or media pitch, they are more often sent out individually. For most of you, this is an effective way to communicate to the media without investing too much time or too much money. That said, I do encourage some businesses, particularly wholesalers showcasing a new product, to prepare a press kit to communicate with the media when they first launch their product. I definitely do not encourage anyone to dismiss professional PR help if they can afford this or feel that they would benefit from this if PR is not up their alley or they don’t have time for it. If you don’t have the option of outsourcing this support, though, then I definitely encourage you to do it on your own.

Although press releases may seem intimidating to construct, they are actually quite easy and can be considered “cookie cutter” from a format perspective. The information shared within a press release should cover a few basic points as well as include all necessary information that will make the media want to respond to it. The basic points that must be included are referred to as the 5 W’s. They are:

1. Who
2. What
3. When
4. Where
5. Why

When writing your press release, you need to make sure and answer each of the above points within your release. In addition, all critical information should be within the first paragraph. This is simply because by including this information right away, your audience will quickly know if they are interested. The reality is that the media receives a lot of press releases, so your goal should be to capture your audience’s attention as quickly as possible. You want to make your point quick, clear, and concise while also making it exciting and captivating to your audience.

Read more

« Previous Page