In a recent post, Bob refers to a local church and a bar (two types of establishments in no short supply in our home town) that entertain the community with their signage, and he highlights how effective meaningful content can be in gaining visibility and recognition for your brand. (“Your Call Is Important To Us” (NOT!!))
I recently came across “Vince the Sign Guy” on facebook and felt compelled to share some of his signs as a very public and entertaining example for you.
Colorado native Vince Rozmiarek, a volunteer for the Indian Hills Community Center, did his first sign on April Fools in 2013, making a joke about the local police department. Him and his community were hooked, and he’s been at it ever since.
Ranked as a top ten Colorado destination, his signage has become famous far beyond the city limits of the small town of Indian Hills.
Recently, a customer of mine who had purchased a social media sign for her business asked if I could add an icon for TikTok. My immediate reaction was surprise. Yet upon further consideration, I was actually surprised I hadn’t gotten a request for an update sooner. TikTok, a social media platform that was once exclusively young people lip syncing, has seen a huge surge in businesses utilizing the platform (. . . despite consistently being on the verge of being banned in the United States for individual and national security concerns).
According to Hootsuite, “[Our] 2022 Social Trends Survey found that 24% of marketers considered TikTok effective for reaching their business goals, compared to just 3% in the previous year— a 700% increase.” Meanwhile, Facebook and Instagram have been losing traction. “Both platforms saw a significant decrease in perceived effectiveness between 2020 and 2021: Facebook fell by 25%, and Instagram by a hefty 40%,” Hootsuite reported.
TikTok’s time has come (at least for now).
Unfortunately, my research found that TikTok is extremely strict in their brand guidelines.
Below are the rules for referencing TikTok, and our Collection of Social Media Icons now includes this information (though is a little light on an actual TikTok icon; more on that below).
Disclaimer: While we only recommend products we know and love, we want to note we use affiliate links and may earn a commission for purchases made through those links.
About Corel Draw: If you’re a graphic designer by trade, Corel Draw may not be your graphics editor of choice. If you’re a small business owner without a lot of graphic design experience choosing to do your branding in-house, Corel Draw is a great choice. You can pretty much address all your web and print graphics needs for a fraction of the price of the typical designer preference, Adobe. Since you’ve landed on this page in your travels, you probably already know that. If, however, buying a copy has been on your to do list for a while, there’s no time like the present. You can buy yours here and support this blog in the process.
A Quick Note About Versions: I’m using Corel Draw 18. As long as you’re using a version in that same vicinity (i.e., 16, 17, 19, or 20), your view should look pretty similar to the screenshots included throughout these directions.
You’ve created your social media pages to reinforce and promote your brand, and you regularly dedicate your time to adding content, so you want to be sure you’re taking every opportunity to properly promote your social media presence. If your small business has a physical location (office, retail store, etc.), hanging a sign in a high-traffic area is a great option and relatively quick and easy. I’ll show you the steps to create such sign in Corel Draw.
1. From within Corel Draw, go to File > New. You want an 8.5 x 11” portrait page that’s RGB and 300 dpi:
2. Select the Rectangle Tool:
Draw a rectangle in any size and then make sure the Lock Ratio is unlocked:
Then switch to the Pick tool:
Change the size of the rectangle to 8” wide x 10” high and then press ‘p’ to center the object on the page:
Double click the Outline Pen at the bottom right of the screen and change the color to dark gray, the width to hairline, and the style to dashed:
3. With the outline of your sign ready, next you can include the social media logos of your choosing. Since potential legal issues associated with using other companies’ logos can be daunting, we’ve done the legwork for you and compiled the logos that the major social media outlet wants you to use along with the rules for each. Visit our post, A “Legal-Approved” Free Collection of Social Media Icons, and simply copy a logo you would like to use from the post and paste the graphic into your Corel Draw file. Repeat the process for each logo you would like to use. I’ve selected three and each image is on top of the other at this point:
With one of the logos selected, lock the Lock Ratio and change the height of each logo to about 1.4”. You may need to move the logos around using the Pick tool so you can access each of them.
4. Next, select the Text tool so you could begin adding content:
Click anywhere on the page and type your business’s information for one of your chosen social media outlets. Then, set the alignment of the text to centered and choose your font and font size. I’m going to use Calibri in size 20:
Repeat that process for the remainder of your social media outlets:
Now let’s add the heading. I’m going to do “follow us” and “on social media” in two different fonts so I will create them as two separate text objects. Using the Text tool, click anywhere on the page and type “follow us.” I’m going to use the Candelion font at 160 pts in size and center the alignment. Repeat the process for “on social media”, which I’m going to type in all caps, add a space between each character, and set the font properties to Calibri, 25 pts, and centered.
5. You’ll see your sign is starting to come to life. Now you just need to clean it up. Press Ctrl + A, which will select all the objects in your document and then press ‘c’ to horizontally center them all:
Then, move the objects around using the Pick tool till everything seems vertically balanced. (Once you select an object, press Ctrl and continue to hold the key down while you move the object to retain its horizontal placement.)
6. Save your file, print (be sure to set your printer Print Quality to the best available option), cut (on the dotted line, which is 8×10”), and frame!
A Note About Fonts and Colors: While the instructions described above will achieve the simple and modern design pictured, you can (and should) customize the look for your business. If you’ve been brand building from the start, you already have a Style Guide in place, and everything you create for your business should reflect the guidelines you’ve set for your logo usage, fonts, and colors. If you’re new to branding, be sure to review our story on The Role of a Brand Style Guide.
In November, we published a story on the benefits of sending holiday cards to your customers (read that story here). If you haven’t had a chance to design your own yet, we figured we would make the process incredibly easy for you. Available below, you can download a free customizable template.
In a recent post on Approaching Social Influencers (read that story here), I laid out components for drafting a pitch to your influencer of choice and said that I would provide some sample text going forward. Today, I’m making good on that promise. Below, you’ll find a quick reminder of the recommended components side by side with the corresponding fleshed out sample pitch. . . .
Hope you’ve found this helpful! (And in case you were wondering, the Daily Deal group admin did feature the product, so . . . SUCCESS! I hope you find an opportunity that’s perfect for you and your product as well!)
If this sample pitch does prove useful for you guys, one or two additional samples will follow (I’m currently working on a pitch for a couple products for Christmas time). Let me know of any questions or comments in the “Leave a Reply” section below.
Nevertheless, we realize that many of you may still be sitting staring at a blank page after having crumpled up a dozen failed efforts.
In this article, I’m hoping to help you get started writing by encouraging you to identify and assemble the content you need to include to attract the attention of the media and (ultimately) your audience . . . while successfully communicating your message about your brand.
First, ask yourself whether your proposed topic is of general interest to the public and not simply a self-serving grab for attention. If you are convinced you have the right kind of subject (i.e., a message that’s unique and has a potential impact upon others), then you need to gather up the specific details to include.
The 5 W’s (Who, What, When, Where, and Why . . . PLUS How)
Answer each of these questions in terms of your press release.
Who
Identify those individuals and/or organizations who are involved . . . as well as people likely to be affected by the outcome. As you perform this step, consider possible prospects to provide you with a quote. (In the case of a groundbreaking or Grand Opening, the “who” might be the founder of the business. Or, perhaps the “who” is the individual behind a new product or key enhancement . . . as well as the consumers likely to benefit. In the case of an employee being featured to acknowledge an award?, the “who” would be the recipient and maybe the judges (assuming they are well-known public figures).
What
This description should address the unique and special nature of the topic being publicized. For an employee feature, the “what” might be the winner of an “Employee of the Month” contest and a discussion of the habits and accomplishments being recognized. In other cases, your “what” could be the description of a new product or service, announcement of a Grand Opening or Employee Recognition Day, or perhaps the explanation of an award won by you.
When
The date and time associated with your topic should always be included. While this piece of information is very obvious in some cases such as a Grand Opening, others might be a bit more ambiguous such as the anticipated date a new product or service will be introduced. Occasionally, your “when” could be a timeframe such as “income tax season” or “early this summer,” etc.
Where
“Where” identifies the location in which the topic under discussion is taking place. In a press release, inclusion of an actual address might be appropriate, but a more general reference such as “at the corporate headquarters” or “in Washington” or “at the satellite location of the store” would suffice to provide the reader with adequate context.
Why
This piece of information in very important because you are highlighting “why” the press release matters. In some cases, the “why” gives you the opportunity to outline the criteria for an award while explaining the reason you were chosen as winner – one of the rare opportunities to be totally self-congratulatory in an acceptable objective way. “Why” might be your opportunity to explain the reason a new product or enhancement matters to consumers. “Why” could be the reason an “Employee of the Year” plaque is given, which offers you an opportunity to expand upon your company’s brand while highlighting the ways in which the recognized person embodies those desired characteristics . . . while also calling attention to the ways in which the consumer benefits.
How
“How” (like “why”) often gives you a bit more opportunity to expand upon the branding of your business. This information can range from “how” the winner of an award was determined to “how” a company has elected to participate in some national holiday such as Small Business Week. In crafting this piece of information, remain very sensitive to opportunities to highlight the company’s brand characteristics and the way those qualities made the “how” possible.
So, You Have Your 5 W’s . . .
So, you’ve dutifully filled in the blanks for each of those categories. (Please note that we have provided a Word template with each of these components laid out to help make that process easier.) Next, actually write down the two or three quotes you plan to use. At least one of those sources will typically be from a high-ranking company official and the other should be a person with some recognizable expertise in the subject. Similarly, one of the quotes should be devoted to the main theme of the press release while the other can merely mention the topic while making remarks that reinforce the general branding of the company. If you can get a consumer to make a statement, that content can be very effective. Government officials can also be useful, especially for items like awards and Grand Openings.
Next, locate or create any needed photographic artwork, being sure to supply an appropriate caption and perhaps citation. If you do not have the necessary images, you can take the pictures.
The final preliminary content to highlight in this collection of information is the “branding boilerplate” language you want to include. For instance, we chose the following message for our blog:
“Produced by two experienced communication professionals, Brand Building for Small Business is a blog that aims to provide practical, do-it-yourself advice about creating a brand identity from the bottom up. Expect, simple, straightforward tips that can be executed by a single person or a small group on a very tight budget.”
As a result, we try to incorporate at least the substance of this message (if not the exact words) into any press release, knowing such content is the most likely to get cut by an editor.
Finding Your Lead . . . and Shuffling Content in Order of Importance
Now that you have assembled all of your content, you must begin to incorporate the elements into a cohesive story. The first step is to identify your lead. Specifically, read through the 5 W’s you’ve collected and decide which one is the most important.
For instance, “what” and “who” would probably be the elements you introduce first for an employee press release with “when” and “where” being secondary. For example . . .
“The ABC company recently named Mrs. Mary Smith (your “who”) the “Employee of the month” (your “what”). She will receive her official reward on June 14th (your “when”) at the annual company meeting at the ABC corporate headquarters (your “where”). She is being recognized for outstanding customer service (“why”), which reflects ABC’s philosophy of putting the customer first (using this portion of the “why” to tie back very directly to the company’s branding statement).
Once this lead is in place, I’d include a paragraph of biographical detail about Mary’s background and history with ABC. I’d add a quote from Mary about being surprised and honored as well as another from her supervisor about the reasons Mary is worthy and reflects those qualities that are part of the ABC brand. Information about past recipients might also be included.
Finally, I’d explain the process of selecting the Employee of the Month (the “how” in this case), which could create a further branding opportunity by indicating the choice was made by fellow employees or perhaps the company’s customers.
Then, I would insert a paragraph that describes ABC and highlights some of the company’s accomplishments. Within this section, I’d include the quote from the high-ranking company official that is pretty much exclusively about the organization. (The inclusion of this statement will probably increase the chances of the company information surviving the final cut.) Very often, a paragraph such as this one would reflect your company’s boilerplate. If not, I’d incorporate that as part of my closing.
For this particular story, I’d be sure to include a photo of Mary and/or the award ceremony as well as photos of other quoted parties and perhaps an image of the ABC corporate headquarters (assuming the place is closely associated with the company and perhaps a bit iconic).
As I hope this one example above suggests, each collection of details will have an intrinsic order of importance that hopefully makes the progression of the press release both obvious and easy to write. For instance, “what,” “when,” and “where” would probably be the lead of a “Grand Opening” with “who” being used to mention the dignitaries expected to attend. “Why” would almost certainly incorporate some statement about customer convenience that would provide a point of entry into a recap about branding. An image of the new location would be essential.
For a press release about a new product, “what” and “when” would probably provide the essence of your lead with “who” being secondary unless a specific individual was instrumental in developing the new product. Once again, “why” would provide an opportunity to expound upon branding and the ways in which customer needs were being better served. The “how” in this case could talk about the process of development and perhaps incorporate some discussion about the ways in which customer feedback came into play.
As you can see, the 5 W’s are pretty much a part of any press release you’d choose to create. By using these elements to gather and organize your content, your narrative will be half written – you’ll just need to figure out the correct order for presenting the information for maximum effect. Generally speaking, most press releases will be less than 500 words, so taking this approach should be very useful in getting you close to a finished product.
To make sure no information is overlooked, we’ve created a template listing all the important components from this post to help you put together your content. You will ALWAYS have some details to plug into each section. Once gathered, the ultimate order will most often become fairly obvious.
Note: In a future article, we plan to create examples of simple common press releases such as the kinds mentioned in this article (i.e., Grand Opening, New Product Rollout, Employee of the Month Award, etc.).
As I shared with you in a recent article, I have learned that social influencers rule the world . . . or at least the small piece of the world in which they reign (read that story here). My goal now is to harness this great power – for the benefit of my small business as well as yours.
Replicating Success
My direct experience with social influencers was limited to one feature in which I had no impact on the course of events. (In other words, I had absolutely nothing to do with the success I reaped.)
A social influencer made a video showing her followers how to create and package vanilla extract (using my label template) as a suggested Christmas gift (watch the full video here).
However, my logic in formulating an approach to being featured by another social influencer is to try to repeat (as closely as possible) this past success. I have a play book so to speak, but I need to do all the work this time to get the players in place. . . .
STEP ONE : Make sure your product or service is set up for affiliate marketing.
Since paid placements with social influencers can get pretty pricey, my route of choice is affiliate marketing, in which “an online retailer pays commission to an external website for traffic or sales generated from its referrals” (Oxford Languages). Make sure whatever venue you use for sales supports affiliate marketing. All of the big ones (like Amazon, Walmart, Etsy) do. If you sell your products or services through your own channel and don’t already have an automated commission structure in place, you may want to consider utilizing a popular third-party for that purpose. (The reason the third-party should be a popular one becomes clear in step four.)
STEP TWO : Decide on the right product or service for the time period.
Given our current, heightened focus on hygiene (which I think will last for years to come), I’m thinking DIY hand soap might be an equally popular Christmas gift for neighbors, teachers, mail carriers, etc.
Always think about holidays. Of course, Christmas is an obvious one (and you can’t start your planning too early), but lots of other holidays have great potential. Last week’s Super Bowl Sunday (whether people are quarantining or not) increased sales for many different types of businesses, and this week’s Valentine’s Day is another cause for lots and lots of cha chings.
Relating your product or service to current events is another boon.
STEP THREE : Seek out a social influencer who is a good fit for your product or service.
A social influencer typically has a brand all of their own, and you want to be sure your two brands are a good match for one another. For instance, my son’s favorite social influencer plays Roblox on YouTube. I have an in-depth knowledge of this individual (having overheard many hours of his videos, getting to know him and his favorite games), which is a great bonus, but he unfortunately would not be a good fit for my hand soap labels. Don’t get me wrong; he’s a resourceful guy, and I’m sure he could make it work, but I’m also sure he gets heaps of partnership offers and would be apt to pick a more ideal choice.
I focused my search by narrowing in on the related item. I searched google for “diy hand soap recipe” and found a number of influencers who had posted one. I looked for one that had a good following and had posted the story a while ago . . . and, therefore, could justify re-posting the story in the fall with a Christmas tilt.
STEP FOUR : Make sure they’ve used affiliate links for your platform before.
Since you’re approaching a quasi-celebrity, you want your proposal to be as easy for them as possible. Therefore, scan through their previous posts, videos, etc. Do they ever include affiliate links? If not, they’re probably not going to start doing so for you. If they do, what types of sites do they promote? Have they worked with your third-party before? If so, you have a much greater likelihood they’ll consider your product or service.
STEP FIVE : Temper your expectations based on the individual’s following.
The problem with the truly famous social influencers is that they are most likely not going to respond to unsolicited proposals. They already get a ton from big brands, so your average small business isn’t going to be able to influence them. However, the possibility always exists that you will just happen to be suggesting a product that they were planning to promote in the near future. Kismet. Probably not . . . but never entirely dismiss good old fashioned luck working in your favor. If you’re dying to work with a certain famous someone, give it a go; just don’t get your hopes up.
If you can get a macro or mega influencer to include your affiliate link, you’ve hit the jackpot . . . though your likelihood of doing so could be just as slim unfortunately.
The mid-tier is your sweet spot. You want the person to have enough followers that your product or service will have a substantial audience but not so many that they’re completely inundated with requests just like yours.
I certainly wouldn’t disregard micro or nano influencers, but you’ll need to focus on quantity in order to get a similar bang for your buck (in this situation, your effort being your “buck”).
STEP SIX : Spend some time getting to know your chosen influencer.
Once you’ve set your sights on your target (or targets), it’s time to become his or her biggest fan. Get to know the influencer better. I wouldn’t just recommend spending a concentrated period scanning previous posts, though that is a good idea, too. You need to become a follower and immerse yourself in their world for a period of time.
STEP SEVEN : Plan how you will send your pitch.
Instagram messages are the worst as they limit your number of characters per message and automatically insert pictures for any links. Facebook messages and e-mail are good. You also want to be sure you’re using a venue in which your message will actually be received.
STEP EIGHT : Create your pitch.
You have your strategy and you personally (kinda) know your social influencer(s) of choice. Now the time has come to draft your case.
Introduce yourself.
Give a specific and thoughtful compliment – what exactly do you love about their personality, blog posts, videos, etc.? (Bonus if you can tell them that you’ve actually purchased something based on their recommendation.)
Introduce your business and your product or service and explain why you think it’s a match for this individual.
Include pictures – two should do the trick; maybe a high-quality close-up photo as well as another of your product or service in use.
Describe any tie-ins to an upcoming holiday or current events.
Highlight the benefits for them. You can include the affiliate commission rate and any sales expectations (based on how well the product has does in similar or even very different promotions).
Give you and your product credibility – include company AND product ratings.
Offer a coupon code or some type of discount specifically for this influencer, if possible.
Make yourself available for follow-up questions.
Thank them for their consideration.
In the near future, I’ll be putting together a couple proposals so you can see a few real-life examples in action. Stay tuned!
The camera zooms in . . . as the couple begins a long-delayed (at least two hours) passionate kiss.
The movie ends – HAPPILY, of course – with the pair united just in time for the Christmas holiday but clearly destined to live happily ever after.
For millions of people, December (which now starts on November 1st) means decorations, presents, Santa Claus, reindeer, AND Hallmark!! The company has become (through years of careful brand building effort) inextricably associated with the warmth, cheerfulness, and good feelings of Christmas – not a bad set of qualities to have linked with your name and your brand. In fact, so many people have found so much comfort from Hallmark Christmas movies, the company tried to ease the burden of the 2020 pandemic by providing around-the-clock Christmas fare outside the season during a period of heightened restrictions on normal, daily activities.
Clearly, Hallmark is a company that has learned an important truth – linking your brand to a holiday and feelings associated with that time can be a useful tool in your branding arsenal.
Other successful examples?
Do you happen to know someone who is a Dunkin’ spiced pumpkin latte fanatic? (While not exactly tied to a specific holiday, the annual reintroduction of this special is invariably associated with the feelings of fall . . . and Halloween . . . and Thanksgiving.)
The Cadbury Candy company makes special Easter eggs, taking advantage of the natural and favorite tie-ins between Easter, the bunny, and candy.
Hershey (and the company’s signature kisses) are a Valentine’s Day tradition.
To some degree, you have to rely upon luck – recognizing an early connection to a holiday that you see has potential and can build upon. However, some basic steps can be taken.
Most holidays have some familiar sentiments and iconography associated with them. Try making a list of those attributes and a list of the attributes and iconography already associated with your brand. A sufficient number of matches between the two lists suggests you may have a likely candidate for brand building. Starting with some basis for the connection (which is the point of this exercise) should increase your likelihood of success and reduce the amount of time required. Once you have a candidate, some of the activities that can be used to build the connection between your brand and the holiday are:
Become involved with the community during that time of the year. Linking yourself to charitable causes helps build goodwill and links your product or service to an activity associated with the season.
Plan to conduct your periods of heightened sales and marketing activities in conjunction with the holiday, including advertising and special promotions (budget permitting).
Do slight variations of your visual branding that encompass those of the holiday without sacrificing the continuity of your basic elements.
By consistently promoting the ties between you and your chosen holiday over time, you can gradually build a brand identity that assumes some of the characteristics of that celebration. (Even Hallmark’s special relationship with Christmas did not happen overnight!!)
Don’t Overlook Opportunities Presented by Lesser-Known Holidays
While you were certainly aware that Christmas and Hannukah were linked to December, were you also aware that these additional special observances existed?
National Tie Month
National Write a Business Plan Month
Bingo Month
Write a Friend Month
Above and beyond those monthly celebrations, you have special days (examples cited below are from 2020):
Giving Tuesday, December 1
International Day of Persons with Disabilities, December 3
Cookie Day, December 4
Volunteer Day, December 5
Aviation Day, December 7
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, December 7
Start of Hanukkah, December 10
Human Rights Day, December 10
International Mountain Day, December 11
Green Monday, December 14
Wright Brothers Day, December 17
Winter Solstice, December 21
Festivus, December 23
Christmas Eve, December 24
Christmas, December 25
National Thank You Note Day, December 26
Boxing Day (Canada), December 26
Start of Kwanzaa, December 26
No Interruptions Day, December 27
Tick Tock Day, December 29
Bacon Day, December 30
Make Up Your Mind Day, December 31
New Year’s Eve, December 31
(As I sit and write this draft, I now realize I should be planning my International Mountain Day Celebration!!)
Dozens of such occasions occur throughout the year that could provide special marketing opportunities for small businesses. For a complete list, see Anita Campbell’s article in Small Business Trends“Huge List of National Holidays for Marketing in a Small Business”; you just might find a number of events already exist that are inherently symbiotic with your operations.
Regardless of whether you decide the time is right for you to act on the advice in today’s article, my blogging partner and I would like to wish you a safe and happy holiday season, being sure to tune into a Hallmark Christmas movie or two while filling out your Hallmark Christmas cards to send to family and friends . . . to show you care.
Last year, we published a Small Business Saturday article that provided an overview of the history of the event as well as the potential importance, offering a glimpse at some of the strategies that could be used by small businesses to link this celebration to their brand.
That was last year, which now seems like a decade ago!
Over 50 million confirmed Covid-19 global cases later, including over 10 million in the United States (see data), most small businesses have had to face incredible challenges as many countries closed down their economies in order to slow the progress of the pandemic.
While a truly unfortunate number of smaller operations have now permanently closed their doors, we need to take a moment this Small Business Saturday to celebrate the survivors . . . and support them in whatever means are available to us.
Expanded Internet activities. Free delivery. New products (maybe even including personal protective gear). Go Fund Me initiatives. Special Governmental programs. All of these strategies and so many more have been essential to the continued existence of the survivors.
While statistics clearly indicate that a second wave of the pandemic is upon us and caution that the upcoming holidays will require us to practice some self-restraint, we feel confident that small businesses will survive while still managing to practice governmental safety standards. Hopefully, by Small Business Saturday 2021 on November 27th, one or more vaccines will have been released and administered to a sufficiently large number of people to put this pandemic behind us for once and for all.
In the meantime, we will not use this article to do more than serve as a cheerleader for small businesses (including that of my blogging partner – Instant Invitation). Instead, we will invite you to reread our story from last year and to check out some other valuable repositories of information and strategies.
Nicolas Straut, a contributing writer at Fundera, has put together an overview of Small Business Saturday:
Similarly, American Express, which founded the day and holds the registered trademark, makes a wide variety of useful resources available, including a Shop Small campaign:
Nestled between Black Friday (a tradition which also appears to be undergoing transformations during this time of social distancing) and Cyber Monday, which continues to grow in size and significance, the role and importance of Small Business Saturday cannot be lost.
In an earlier article (Press Releases as Another Opportunity for Branding), we promised to do our first press release on Brand Building for Small Business, using the occasion of National Small Business Week May 3rd through May 9th to formally announce our blog – believing we now have enough content across many basic business areas to warrant introducing ourselves.
With the dual hook of this national celebration plus the rollout of our site as a free resource to the targeted audience, we believe we have enough substance to interest an editor.
Selecting our media targets on a budget was not easy. For this initial round, we have contacted about a dozen business journals (all of which serve a substantial small business readership) and an inexpensive distribution channel – IssueWire.com – that also circulates the first press release free. Clearinghouses such as this one can be very useful in getting the message out to a broader audience, though in a less targeted way than developing your own list of carefully selected publications. That said, this approach makes the processing of releases much easier, and feedback about the distribution is tracked and easily accessible. In addition to the most basic level of distribution, several special promotions can be added (at an extra cost) that target social media connections and Google search.
Our goal – we hope to gradually increase the readership of our blog and gain some valuable reader insights.
We will keep you posted about our results . . . and will write a follow-up article on the analysis of the results. Until then, feel free to review our press release piece and provide us with any feedback in the comment section below.
Special Note: Brand Building for Small Business has been identified by Feedspot (www.Feedspot.com) as one of the Top 100 Branding Blogs. Feedspot provides “the most comprehensive list of branding blogs on the Internet” so we are pleased to be part of that group. To learn more, visit https://blog.feedspot.com/branding_blogs/.
Brand Building for Small Business 