Category: Business Tips

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10 Killer Ways To Generate Publicity For Your Brand

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Are you getting enough publicity for your business?

Let’s face it; if your business is not getting any publicity at all then it will never survive. Publicity is spreading the word about what your business is all about and what it can offer.

Although it’s ideal to have your business featured regularly in magazines, newspaper, radio, and television, the problem is, this can cost you a fortune especially if you’re aiming for a TV ad. The production cost alone is enough to make you broke if your financial situation is tight.

The good news for frugal entrepreneurs like myself is that getting media coverage for your business for a slight fee or even for free is not that hard if you know what you’re doing.

If you’re interested in generating publicity for your business, then here are 10 effective tips to attract media:

1. Make HARO a part of your marketing plan

If you haven’t heard of HARO then you are seriously missing out. HARO (Help A Reporter Out) is an awesome website that connects reporters who are looking for experts in a variety of industries with people who are an authority in their field.

You can be an entrepreneur, a therapist or even a financial adviser – if the reporter wants a story, you just need to put your hands up and you get free publicity. All you have to do is go to HelpaReporter.com, sign up for a free account and once you’d done that you’ll start receiving queries directly to your email from various reporters. Just go through the queries and respond to the ones that are suited to your business or your area of expertise and if the reporter likes your response voila! Free publicity.

2. Try to win an award

Award-winning businesses are always a target for the press, so if you want the press to come to you then submit your business to as many award-giving bodies as you possibly can. If you end up winning an award at some point then the press itself will come knocking on your door.

3. React to a trending topic

If there’s a trending topic that everyone is talking about then it’s a good idea to react to the story and make sure your opinion is all over your website and social media channels. Of course, you have to make sure that your reaction is of value and highly engaging, chances are, journalists will be searching the internet for reactions about the trending topic and if your reaction is controversial or valuable they’ll quote you in their article.

4. Offer free valuable information

Everyone loves free stuff, you do, I do and I’m pretty sure all the reporters do. If you’re an expert in your niche then why don’t you blog on your website and promote it all over your social media platforms? Most of the time if the reporters are doing a story on a specific topic they’ll start looking for quotes from experts so if your posts are incredibly detailed and valuable you’ll get quoted by various journalists so you’ll drum up publicity for your business. There are probably millions of experts all over the world who know what you know or who know more about you in a certain subject matter so you might as well be known as the person who revealed the information and gets the better out of everyone else.

5. Use Fiverr to generate publicity

If you have a slight marketing budget then Fiverr is just the website for you. For as little as $5 you will find a number of bloggers and reporters looking to exchange a story in exchange for payment. The bigger the website they are writing for the more expensive the fee, but if you want to kick things off with five bucks then why not right?

6. Get involved with charity organizations

Getting involved with charity organizations is always good publicity because it helps with your brand’s image, especially the high profile ones like Cancer Council or Save the Children Foundation. Instead of handing out cash which doesn’t do much for your image, why don’t you try to organize an event and raise funds for a worthy charity organization? Not only will you be helping other people out, you’ll also be raising your brand’s image. Most publications would willingly go to a fundraising event if it’s supporting a notable charity organization.

7. Organize an ex-deal with bloggers

If you want to generate publicity for your business then you need to start small and work your way up. First, try to get bloggers to take notice of you and then reporters from much bigger publications will follow. Try to offer your products for free to a blogger in exchange for a write-up. I doubt the less popular bloggers would say no to you.

8. Offer your expertise to media outlets

A great way to generate publicity for your business is to share your expertise to magazines and publications. Try to reach out to publications, magazines, and authoritative media outlets and explain your expertise. Or better yet, try to get someone you know to pretend to be your secretary to make you seem a lot more successful and bigger – get that person to reach out and email the media. A Free insight from an expert is very helpful since publications are always looking for new content on their websites.

9. Try to solve a trending problem

If you’re an entrepreneur then you need to be up to date with the most trending topic so that you can use it to generate publicity for your business. If there’s a trending topic like “how to keep up with the rising costs of housing” then why don’t you offer a solution to this problem? Write a solution on your blog and make sure the article gets out especially social media. if you’re confident that your solution is authoritative enough try to post it on Facebook and then boost your post. if you can get Facebook users to like it and share it then it might get picked up by a reporter looking to make a story on that trending topic. If you can position yourself as an expert when it comes to solving problems then the media themselves will be clamouring for an interview.

10. Try to beat a world record

Everyone loves a world record holder so if you can be a world record holder then you’re well on your way of getting free publicity from the all over the world. Someone I know hired a really young person to be the editor-in-chief of one of his magazines. Eventually, the kid was named as the younger editor-in-chief ever and you can only imagine how much free publicity that garnered.

In conclusion

Getting the word about your business can be extremely hard especially when you are working with little, or no marketing budget. That’s why you have to work smarter not harder to get the media to pay attention. If you can follow the tips above then you’re guaranteed to get publicity for your business.

AItools

3 Ways to Think Like A Self-Made Millionaire

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There is nothing worse than being a loser trapped in a job that you don’t like. It’s a known fact that most people want to actually break free from the rut of a nine-to-five job and start their own businesses. Why? Because with most nine-to-five jobs the pay is sh*t, the hours are annoyingly long and for some, the work environment is bloody ridiculous. Now if you are one of these people that want to finally resign from your jobs and start a new life as an entrepreneur or possibly a millionaire in the near future, then good on you for having the balls to do it.

Here’s what a lot of people don’t realize; crossing over from a typical day job to a full-time business is not just a physical move – it requires a complete change in your state of mind because you will be crossing over to a completely different world from what you were used to. You have to dump the old job mentality, and instead, you have to develop an entrepreneurial outlook. If you want to be a big shot millionaire one day then you have to THINK like one.

Now if you want to cross over to the entrepreneurial world, you need to embrace the following three ways of thinking:

1. Networking is essential

As an entrepreneur, you have to realize that most of the time ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.’ You have to interact and build relationships with like-minded individuals and business contacts that you can trust and whom you feel can help you grow your business. It’s a simple formula, people do business with people they like and trust, just as they are friends with those they like and trust. If you want your business to succeed then you have to realize that networking is not just about what others can do for you, it’s also about what you can also do for others. Being an entrepreneur actually means helping out others and providing value when you can, not taking others down. It means creating a mastermind group of individuals you can share and discuss ideas with. You shouldn’t be afraid of losing out and having others rise above you.

2. Learn from other successful people

As an entrepreneur, it’s second nature to be competitive because you want to be on top. But even though you have to think big and be the best in what you do, you don’t have to go as low as destroy other people in the process. You have to understand that we each have a unique outlook and value that we can offer. To get to the top you have to learn from others who are already sitting at the top. You don’t look at the person in their fancy house and feel envious of what that person has, instead, find out who this person is and tell them that you admire what they have achieved and want to learn from them – usually, that successful entrepreneur would agree to give some tips. Entrepreneurs understand the notion of profusion. They know what it takes to get to the top and most of them are more than happy to take the time to help someone get to the top as well.

3. You have to think BIG

As Donald Trump would say, “If you are going to be thinking anyway, you might as well be thinking big.’ It’s true, if you are thinking small time then you’ll always be small, if you can’t even think of doing something big then you will never do anything big in life. There is no cost in dreaming so you might as well dream big.”

As an entrepreneur, you have to realize that that the road to eventual prosperity and success can be a very long and tough one. Many losers start with huge goals but then the moment they run into some unexpected hiccups, they get distracted and they lose sight of their goals. Keep in mind that you always have to focus on the ultimate vision. In saying that, you also have to be different from the rest of the pack – you have to think outside the square and find new and unique ways to be make money and be successful. You always have to say to yourself, ‘How can I make this better? How can I be unique? How can I do this in a much bigger way?’

A typical nine-to-five job employee only focuses on the task provided to them by their boss, they follow what most people are doing so they are not used to looking at the bigger picture because that vision is for someone else to worry about. Bringing this limited mindset over to the entrepreneurial world is dangerous because it can restrain your creativity and hold back your ability to cope with and solve the many challenges that will come your way. When you think outside the square, you also create things that make you move above the rest of the pack.

If you currently have a business and you haven’t made much money yet, that is okay. As long as you keep your eye on the prize, focus on the bigger picture, build your brand, and network with the right people then later on you will reap the rewards. You also have to be HUNGRY for success. Hungry people are motivated people, if you are currently satisfied with what you’re earning then what will motivate you to be wealthy and successful? To get to the top you should always set a higher goal for yourself.

AItools

Six Brilliant Ways To Keep Yourself Motivated For Entrepreneurial Success

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If you’re someone who works freelance or has a small business, you would know that there’s a fair bit of work involved in “keeping the dream alive”. There are unique challenges that come with this approach to creating a living.

It’s a lot like building your own empire. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is your freelance or small business success. If you are working on your dream there is no off button and no downtime. It takes a lot of dedication, and most importantly, it’s about keeping your motivation levels replenished. If you’re not prepared for the challenges that come with working for yourself then you might as well quit now and go back to a 9 to 5 job punching numbers like a mindless loser.

It’s quite possible that when you initially conceptualised the idea to ‘break out on your own’ with stars in your eyes – you probably had the dumbass idea that working for yourself would mean an easy lifestyle. If this was the case then you might as well pack your bags now and head back to La La Land because this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Working on your own business often becomes a harsh reality when you’re finally on your own looking for the next big payday to help you get by. When everyone is leaving the office to have after-work drinks or chilling on the weekend with family and friends, you are often stuck fielding phone calls, catching up on invoicing and trying to ramp up your marketing efforts to get you through the lean patches.

It’s often the case that you end up far too busy than you can comfortably handle, just to make sure you have enough momentum to keep you going during the quieter periods (they are inevitable). It’s all about sacrifice really.

However, that’s not to say that it’s all not worth the steep incline that you tread. But, the goal is always ‘to stay the course’ – with a dogged determination that is stronger than any of the tough times that you might encounter.

Warning: when you are forging your own path you will find that some unintentional side-effects can arise. When you are subject to the unyielding and time-consuming commercial realities that are unavoidable factors in the pursuit of success, it is somewhat likely that those who are only around for the fun times will drop out of your life. It’s often a practical reality and one of the bitter-sweet indicators that you are, in fact, on the right path.

Set a daily reminder deep within your psyche to stay true to your goals. You may have heard the idiom: surround yourself with those on the same mission as you. This rings true. Also, you might find this quote from Will Smith increasingly pertinent – “If you’re absent during my struggle, don’t expect to be present during my success.” That said, you need to say goodbye to friends who bring you down and annoy the crap out of you!

Another tip for sustaining self-motivation is to look back on the road that you have already traveled and at what you have invested. Sure, this means coin, but never forget the blood, sweat, and tears. Realising how far you have come is the key to moving forward.

Keeping yourself motivated is also about making consistent progress. It doesn’t always matter if this is just a small win each day, or even each week. It’s about moving forward. What if you could generate even just an extra 50 dollars a week profit?

Always think about pushing the envelope just that little bit more – what more can you squeeze out? Could you be doing more on social media to attract leads and conversions? Is there scope in your budget to cut back on expenditure? These are just a couple of the questions that you could ask yourself. Always think about your next move. It’s very easy to get caught up in the daily grind, in the operations of your tasks – to forget about the bigger picture. That’s an easy trap to fall into. Remember that it’s crucial to keep evolving and expanding. And yes, sometimes this might get a little overwhelming. Do you sometimes feel like there are periods where you flounder? What can you do to overcome this phenomenon?

Sit back and refocus. Review your business plan. A lack of structure is enemy number one when it comes to productivity. Also, think about your daily routine. You need to create a schedule and stick to it. Wake up early and set a start time. You will be more motivated to work harder and to finish tasks quicker when you have the luxury of more time set aside to do so. This produces a more manageable (and less stressful) workload.

Sure, being regimented can be a challenge. It’s a brutal fact that when you work for yourself, the only one who will keep you accountable is you. Without a boss to keep tabs on you, and without rigid working hours, you are responsible for managing yourself and your business. You are ultimately responsible for its success or failure.

Be mindful of the challenging aspects of working from home/running your own business. It can be a very isolating experience and there are some things that you do have to compensate for. Sure, it’s great that you can work in your PJs if you want to – but, you don’t necessarily get the benefit of bouncing ideas off people and the support of a team environment.

Sometimes it helps to take your work to a place where people congregate with some purpose– like a café or library. The effect of having people nearby might just trick your brain into a more productive gear. Take a small break when you are feeling stymied. Go for a walk. Fresh air often goes hand in hand with a fresh perspective. Then, begin your task anew.

Keeping the dream alive when it comes to working freelance or in your own business is often about your internal thought process. Also, it’s got quite a bit to do with your heart and soul. More than anything – it’s about refreshing your point of view on a regular basis. Building your ‘business empire’ is a day-by-day task and every single brick in the wall counts. I’ll leave you with one last quote on the topic to consider…“ people often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing, that’s why we recommend it daily” – Zig Ziglar.