Avoid Costly Advertising

Advertising ... cheap is not always good. I have had many non-clients tell me they have found a great deal on advertising with blah blah blah publication and have just signed a contract without doing their homework. There are a lot of great deals out there right now, it is true. The problem to their detriment is some people have repeat-bad-behavior syndrome and willingly sign up for the next good deal, and then the next good deal. And all of a sudden they have completely pissed away (for lack of a better word) their marketing budget with nothing to show for it because they did not take the initial research steps.

1. Is advertising a good fit for your business? Not all businesses benefit from ads - and if you do not know ask a marketing professional. I hear more often boo-hoo, "I wasted my money on X publication" than not.

2. Ask the publication for a media kit and rate card. The media kit will cover demographics (circulation, numbers, male/female readership, age, etc.). Demographics are key to determining if the publication is even a good fit for your business. Keep in mind cheap/expensive needs to result in results period. Please do not make me call you a "whambulance." Wha wha wha ( I am probably spelling this wrong).

Atrocious Advertising

At M Communications - we recommend avoiding the following:

Size Matters. It really does. It never fails to amaze me that some people take a business card-sized ad and attempt to tell their whole life story on in minuscule writing. Come on people, as far as I am concerned, business card means business card. One other thing, if your marketing professional is not doing the research before recommending you buy the Wall Street Journal spread, you need to ask the "why's" behind it before agreeing to the purchase. Keep in mind who your audience is before advertising in a publication and ensure you have a tracking method, special offer, and/or discounted service. You will most likely be able to track results that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside because you know your ad is working ... or not!

Paint by numbers - Oh NO. Please do not attempt to scare off your potential clients by designing your own ad. We all have our strengths and weaknesses ... please do not fool yourself into thinking you are a graphic designer. It will reflect poorly on your whole company. I have seen the whole glaring mess including bad fonts, bad colors, wrong fonts, day-glow pink (they still make that???). Hire a professional!

Tacky graphics! Please don't go with cheap, cheesy or tacky. Hire a graphic designer with class. Unless you're selling gumball machines to five-year-olds, please avoid bright colors, in-your-face star bursts, and ugly fonts.

The LOUD and obnoxious pitch!! Gosh is this a "Sham-whammy" advertisement on the Shopping Channel? If not, tone down the pitch (copy). A loud, infomercial ad appeals to a small segment of your audience and will turnoff others. Now if this is YOUR segment, go ahead and create one of those "only-scene-on TV" advertisements. If not, please go with the nice, descriptive and information-based copy.

Confessions from a Hot Sauce Addict

I have a confession to make ... I am addicted to hot sauce. Each time I travel, I not only bring home hot sauce for myself, but as souvenirs for others (whether or not they even like hot sauce). Over the years, my favorites have included a habanero 3 pack from Playa Del Karmen and the Red Rectum hot sauce (mainly for the funny bottle) from New Orleans. My favorite hot sauce to date (and I am really wondering what this is doing to my stomach), happens to be the Baron hot sauce from the West Indies (see photo). I left this hot sauce on my counter for a month (as a reminder I was out) debating about ordering more, but I really couldn't stomach ordering a hot sauce from St. Lucia when shipping costs about the same as the bottle. Guess what? I caved. Not only did I order this particular sauce, I happened accidentally-on-purpose order the 28 oz. bottle. My thoughts? Yummy.

Just Because it Looks Pretty ...

At M Communications we are constantly noticing the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to marketing. And, one thing I have noticed is that just because a marketing piece looks pretty it doesn't mean it is functional. It's kind of like those really cool nail files that are pretty to look at, but the don't really file your nails. Below is an a example of recent "No-No's":

Wonderful websites gone wrong. There are sites out there that are wonderfully designed and very esthetically pleasing. It is obvious that someone was smart enough to hire a professional graphic designer. The big oops here is that when it came to the navigation and someone decided to create a labyrinth. You have seconds to grab a visitor's attention when they stumble on their website and the more they have to click, the more likely they are going to go "bye-bye." Also, don't get me started on slow loading websites, even if the flash presentation is pretty cool. In both cases, you lose customers.

Time Out

Hello M Com Blog followers -

We are giving ourselves a timeout until 5/32/11 and will chat with you then. In the meantime, sign up for the M-Dash by clicking here for extra funnies.

Cheers!

The M Communications Team

Fake Camping

There are many signs you are a fake camping. Since I grew up with this type of camping, I took it for granted that was how everyone camped ... until I was thrown in a tent. Here are a couple of signs:

1. You are not staying a tent, but in a RV which has an ice maker, washer & dryer and stand alone shower.

2. Champagne is a staple during lunch.

3. Theme nights come with required theme attire and themed appetizers. A pig is buried in the ground during Hawaiian night (just kidding, but pineapples are cored out for the Mai Tais).

4. Televisions are present inside and outside the RV.

What can I say? I like fake camping.

Perception is Everything

Perception always fascinates me. Last night I asked a friend to bring me a stack of business cards. She brought two. Maybe she forgot I asked for a stack, but two is not a stack. (From a marketing standpoint, the cards looked great so I will not be shredding her marketing material this morning.)The same situation normally occurs when I go through a Taco Bell drive thru and ask for extra hot sauce. The Taco Bell employee will give me three, so I have one and a half for each soft taco. To me, three does not mean extra - more like 6 - 8 so I can add to my stash at home. What can I say, I have a thing for hot sauce. My real point? When you figure out what your clients and potential clients perceive you will be able to put together great proposals and deliver great service. For example, some clients who are not so tech savvy think a blog is a website, confuse media relations with written releases and so on. I recommend always over explaining and always asking the "right" questions so both parties have the same expectations.

Down With Minivan Drivers

I can't stand minivan drivers and think they are more pretentious than drivers with luxury cars. Below a couple of reasons why.

1. Minivan drivers feel the need to take over the whole road. I am not sure why this is, but I am pretty sure you should share the road and not drive down the middle. Oh, and they do not care if they are inconveniencing you and having you stop dead in their tracks with their bad driving behavior.

2. Minivan drivers brag non stop. Everyone that I know who owns a minivan brags nonstop on how it is the safest, best vehicle on the planet. Attention all minivan drivers: stop bragging, there are other cars out there with televisions for the little kiddos to watch.

3. Minivan drivers drive too slow. Now, I am all for driving the speed limit (kind of), but I firmly believe these drivers are driving 10 mph under the speed limit because they are too busy playing with all of the buttons in their vehicle. In general, I think they should all get tickets for driving too slow. Or, maybe just for owning a minivan in general.

I will never drive a minivan.

Think Big With Your PR Campaign

Most of the time at M Communications we are educating our clients on what public relations is and what it does. And, most of the time clients get fixated on the small picture, not the big picture. For example, one client recently was obsessed with a certain local radio station because it was in her backyard. What do you think will get your product more exposure, local radio or national radio?? The obvious answer here people is national. My advice for this morning? Think Big with your PR campaign and think national. You will thank us for it later.

Putrid PR Campaigns

Putrid PR campaigns stink. You may have hired the wrong publicist if you witness the following:

1. Your press release is not "newsworthy". If you are bored reading your own release, that is a really bad sign. Your release should have a hook and should be "new" information. Media typically does not want to report on "old" news.

2. You publicist has disappeared. This is also very bad. You need to have some form of contact weekly and know exactly what publications (or genre) are being contacted. Oh, and coverage is great too - be sure to put this on your website. Also, if something is not working ... you should be contacted immediately.

3. The media outlets being contacted have nothing to do with your product. If you have a make up product and you are being cc'd on emails to Sports Illustrated editors that's a big red flag.

Stay away from putrid PR campaigns.

You Know When You Are A Mom When ...

Hello M Com Blog followers - this one is in honor of Mother's Day. Here are a couple funnies for all of the moms out there. You know you are a mom when ...

1. You are on Facebook at 5 a.m.You know you are a mom when you post a message on Facebook that you are awake and drinking coffee. Or ... why, why, why, is he not sleeping. Yes, you are a mom.

2. You are playing "Words with Friends" on your iPhone at 6 a.m. Yes, you have a baby and you are up.

3. Throw up is no longer a problem. Your child eats a bunch of gummy worms and gets sick. Your first thought is that you are not upset with cleaning up the vomit, because it smells like gummy products.

Happy Mother's Day!

Tillamook Cheese "The World's Best Cheddar"

We specialize in marketing at M Communications as a result our marketing eyes and ears are always open. Recently, I watched a commercial for Tillamook Cheese and the tagline was "The World's Best Cheddar". Now, Tillamook is a good every day cheese, but the world's best? I think not. Especially if you have had smoked cheddar in the deli section - mmmmm. My point? Chances are if you have to announce you are the "World's Best" ... you are not.

I Love Neurotic

People are interesting, and at M Communications we only take on the interesting and different. Why? These people, products and ideas are totally marketable. It is really a publicists dream. For example, I think most people should start eating ice cream with a fork. Why? It was recently pointed out to me if you eat ice cream with a fork the ice cream melts less than with a spoon. How marketable is that concept? My point? In the end with the neurotic you have a fun client and a fun product to promote.

Why state the obvious?

I love it when people tell you something so darn obvious that you want to roll your eyes and give them a profound response such as "Really?". Chances are that if it is that obvious and you are speaking with someone who is clueless, they probably already have a pretty good idea and know. My favorites are:

1. You look tired. This is usually told to someone who has been up with a family member overnight in the hospital for two days. I am sure they did not notice the dark bags under their eyes when they got up in the morning.

2. I think you gained some weight. The person you just told this too probably steps on the scale every morning and also knows. P.S. Don't tell people this. I personally have a relative who is obsessed with weight gain and weight loss. She will tell you who has gained weight and who has lost weight. I keep telling her that it is not very nice, but she is elderly and I am thinking when you get to a certain age you can say what you think at all times. Oh, but I do that now.

My point? Don't state the super obvious.

From New York to Chico

At M Communications (a California based company), we have clients from coast to coast. I had a meeting go over this AM, and the day plummeting on itself. Great new project in New York and now all I have is Chico on the brain. I am on aiport shuttle duty tomorrow as well. Any marketing advice in this blog? No. My only point is as an entreprenur you can play with clients in one state and stay in the next.

Hang Loose!

I had to share this picture - I am guessing his future office will be on the islands.

Good Questions to Ask a Publicist

Most people in general are clueless when it comes to hiring the "right" publicist for them. Many people do not even know what a publicist does and most people assume they are going to be put on Oprah (not happening). Here are a couple of key questions to ask when you are looking to hire someone to publicize your book/product/company.

1. What is your area of expertise? A PR company who says they specialize in everything most likely does not have coverage for every product and every start up. Also, you do not want to hire a PR company to promote your health product if they specialize in the automotive industry. Make sure you find the best fit for you.

2. What actual media coverage have you gotten for your clients? PR coverage is never guaranteed, but a PR company should be able to provide coverage lists, as well as references.

3. What does PR mean to your company? Do you want speaking gigs, book signings, social media marketing or just media relations? Look at how you want to promote your product or service and make sure the company you hire can incorporate all areas of interest.

4. Where do you get your media contact lists? Now, most people can boast they are friends with every media personality on the planet, but that is truly not the case. Most PR companies have to buy lists, and buy new ones the following year so they are updated or fresh. The best type of list subscription a PR firm can have goes by the name of Vocus and is one of the most extensive & targeted database that exists. What does that mean? I can plug in a term like "senior" and have every relative producer, editor, and online website come up in a search with contacts who cover anything pertaining to seniors. The results speak for themselves with actual media requests.

My point? Don't be afraid to ask away.

Caveat Emptor - "Let the Buyer Beware"

This is one legal definition all my fellow entrepreneurs should be aware of and I was reminded of this one while at a very nice restaurant over the weekend, specifically over what I would describe as some very overpriced shrimp. Did I mention the food server had to show me how to eat it? You have to laugh and I normally do not play with other people's food. The lesson learned here is if the product or service does not have a price tag you might just want to ask. My advice is as follows:

1. Get everything in writing.

2. Never be afraid to ask questions.

3. A signed contract is always a nice one as well.

Happy Monday!

Why Doesn't the Easter Bunny Hand out Adult Easter Baskets?

I think it would be really cool for the Easter bunny to drop of some goodies for the adults as well as for the kids. Here is what I would like to see in mine. I would like two airline tickets to travel anywhere in the world I want to go ... first class of course. I would also like ear plugs - an unlimited supply for sleeping and blocked out unwanted noise such as Scooby Doo marathons and annoying people. I would also like an I-Tunes gift card that doesn't run out ... ever. You can never have too many I-Tunes. Last, I would really like it if you could include a lobster - a live one. I haven't had surf & turf in awhile. OK that's it. And, if you want to set up an Easter Egg hunt with eggs stuffed with $100 bills ... that is fine too.

Happy Easter!

My Cheerleading Squad

You need a cheerleading squad as an entrepreneur especially if you are not a self-motivated nutcase such as I. And, even more especially if you get the real idea of having a support team behind you. Without further adieu ... meet my cheer leading squad.

Editor Extraordinaire: Editor extraordinaire is not only super-duper talented from an editorial/ghost writing perspective, she is truly an outside-the-box thinker. I hate that phrase too ... it is way overused. I love the fact I can say what I think, and she tells me should would like to take a vacation in my brain to truly understand my attention deficit disorder in the nicest way possible. I am not being sarcastic either. She very nicely says slow down, you are all over the place and in the same breath asks me what the status of my next book is. The editor extraordinaire is friend status just like the rest of my cheerleadling team. I think if I referred to her as a cheerleader she would also vomit ... a lot.

The coachess with the mostess. I have a gal pal kicking it on the beach in Hawaii right now and she is one of the most inspirational people I know. I feel warm and fuzzy inside each time I talk to her and most conversations are coupled with phenomenal business ideas, even while she is diving for lobster and barbecuing them on the beach. I seriously think that is why she needed to get off of the phone yesterday. Anyway, if you need a truly transformational coach and there are a ton out there and all have their strenghs ... I know one for you. And, I am going to send you information her next event ... and I do not even care if my flight is at 5 a.m. and that is saying ... A LOT. I will be there or be square.

Last but not least, the terrific trainer. Personal training is almost a therapy session combined with someone royally kicking your ass. I am not kidding. I normally babble through training sessions in order to not die on my carpet in my house. Talking helps. Maybe that is an Italian thing? I am not sure. Anyway, 4 dress sizes later, great business conversations and said terric trainer on her way to being super-duper famous due to upcoming new book and all over awesome national personal training (in-home) company, well friend staus too. Today we broke into an abandoned house after working out. Am I kidding? No. Scary. I need to get the scoop from my neighbor who feels it is OK to talk to me over the fence.

My point? Have a cheerleading squad to motivate you when you are down, kick you in the butt when you are being lazy and inspire you to recycle a bad investment.