It’s Not Ego, Its Survival…Start Marketing

A while back my friend and marketing expert Joel Kweskin of JDK Marketing wrote an interesting segment in his email newsletter about how the perception of egotism prevents some business owners and managers from fully marketing their businesses.  This is a behavior  that holds back many of our non-profit clients so I thought it appropriate to probe a bit further with Joel.  Below is a recap of our discussion.

How do you help clients  overcome their pride and begin marketing their businesses?

Sometimes it’s just a matter of a little “tough love.”  After all, I point out; you may be waiting a long time before anyone else offers to sing your praises.  Its one thing to bore everyone at a cocktail party regarding your exploits…it’s another thing in the arena of the marketplace, where it’s expected that businesses point out their virtues in reasonable fashion.

Who do you think are the worst offenders?

Small businesses – sole proprietors – are often reluctant to self-promote.  They’ll network at venues and through networking groups where these “insular” milieus allow for a greater comfort level to talk up their business.  But getting outside those comfort zones is another matter.

I would throw in non-profits as these organizations are started with the most altruistic intentions and promoting anything other than the needs of those they serve is almost unthinkable.
 

What baseline tools do you recommend businesses have in their marketing toolkit?

One of the simplest, more effective “tools” – and certainly least expensive because it appears for free – is the press release.  Written in a compelling manner, its role is to spark interest in the media to look further into the subject and, hopefully, either run it as is or develop their own bylined story.  And, best yet, with accompanying photos, film or sound bites.  Clients reluctant to even do this can put their own altruistic spin on things by reminding themselves that they’re doing the publication (or website or TV or radio station) a favor as well, by providing them with the very lifeblood of their existence – a news story.  Once that story appears as “news” it may be then perceived as less crass or commercial, simply because it has been “legitimized” as a news story.

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1. Court the Press: Your Online Newsroom
2. The Power of Your Press
3. Helping Big Brothers Big Sisters
4. The PR Refresh Video
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