It happens to the best of us when it comes to business. Sometimes we over think and over analyze situations, issues and courses of action. I can remember wasting my time, a full three weeks to be exact, trying to find the very best planner and organizational system. I’m extremely organized. However, I was sure that another organizational method, another way of plotting out my day, could result in even more efficient use of my time. I asked other women how they kept track of their days, downloaded different templates and experimented with different organizational calendars. Yes, seriously.
A really good friend of mine (who ignored all of my reasoning and research) finally told me, “Just pick one already.” I was making a rather simple task which basically equated to picking a calendar, become this huge ordeal. I just needed to apply some KISS, keep it simple sister, and keep it moving already! (By the way, I stuck with a simple, vertically lined day calendar in print as a back-up to my online calendar.)
The same mulling over and contemplation happens when it comes to drumming up some press for yourself. Indeed, typically the more interesting and creative your story, the better. Sometimes though, in our quest for uniqueness, we can become a little unnecessarily flamboyant. While fun and super entertaining, you don’t always need a Lady Gaga-style PR stunt (a la birthing your way out of an egg) to generate publicity for your business. Start with some basics: inform, inspire and include.
Inform
What is your product and/or service and why did you develop it? Could it be as simple as you were looking for a special organizer that [insert feature], and when you couldn’t find one, you created your own? Maybe your business offering makes life easier, saves time or helps us to become enlightened. These are all reasons that are press-worthy and it is the media’s job to “inform” the public. Find out what key piece of information your business shares with the world.
Inspire
Has something cool happened in your business? Or maybe to you, the business owner? The launch of your business or longevity can be an inspiration to others. With all of the bad news in the media (world chaos, crime, tragedies, etc.), people like to read and watch those uplifting stories, those that bring a little bit of hope and joy. Perhaps your clients are sharing how your product/service has helped them or changed their lives. Take those quotes and add them to a testimonials page on your website, share them on your Facebook wall or plug them into a press release.
Include
Do you have a unique partnership within your business? Are you active in the community and donating your product/services to others? If you’re incorporating your business into the day-to-day lives of others, perhaps you have a story to share. Or maybe you’re including the community into your business, providing jobs or launching a new program that helps at-risk teens or offers part-time stay-at-home moms a flexible schedule.
Occasionally going back to the basics and looking at the simple aspects of your business, you will find a story that is worth sharing with the world. So remember to just keep it simple, sister…sweetheart…sexy…smarty pants…silly chick. Whatever you prefer to sign off your last “s” with, seal it with a kiss and keep it seriously simple.
Nancy Vaughn is the principal, PR & Marketing Director at White Book Agency, a public relations, marketing and special events firm providing cost-effective communication strategies for entrepreneurs and businesses across the country.
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March 1st, 2011 at 5:17 pm
Great post! I think over analyzing is something many of us can have issues with. Thanks for the reminder!