Gail Martin - 30 Days to Online PR and Marketing Success

It takes a village to create a book. Thanks first of all to my husband, Larry, and my three children, Kyrie, Chandler, and Cody. They graciously support my writing, and cope with the travel required by speaking engagements based on the books. Thanks also to the amazing crew at Career Press for excellent editing and production. And of course, thanks also to my agent, John Willig, and to Randy Peyser at AuthorOneStop, who helped to make the connection.

A word about the way this book works: If you read 30 Days to Social Media Success or other books in this series, you may find the first six chapters to be familiar. That’s because they lay the groundwork for the rest of the advice in the book. If you’re a new reader, these chapters are essential to get the maximum value from the book. If you’re a returning reader, feel free to review these chapters so that the information is fresh in your mind; you’ll need it going forward.

Though the author and editors have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy, fitness, applicability, or completeness of the contents of this book, and specifically disclaim any implied warranties, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the editor nor authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or any commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, direct, indirect, punitive, consequential, or other damages arising directly or indirectly from any mentioned product, service, or Website, or from the use of this material, which is provided “as is.” Nothing in this book should be construed as a guarantee of results or earnings. Your results depend on many factors, including your effort and skill. No warranty is made by either the author or the publisher for the performance, effectiveness, or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this book. The Websites cited in the book and all associated trademarks are the property of their rightful owners. Neither the author nor the publisher control the content on any third-party sites mentioned in the book, and no warranty or guarantee of results is made regarding the products or services offered by third-party sites mentioned in the book. All brand names are the property of their rightful owners.

There is some really good news today for small businesses and solo professionals: online marketing and public relations (PR) have changed the way the promotion game is played, and it’s leveled the playing field for small organizations. Just think, before the advent of the Internet, even local marketing required a fairly large budget for postage, printing, and advertising. And forget about trying to compete with bigger companies, because it was nearly impossible for a small, local company to extend its reach beyond its immediate community.

Thanks to the Internet, small businesses and organizations now have access to tools and resources that not only let them look as professional as the “big guys,” but are easy to use and, even more important for small businesses, incredibly affordable. The Internet has made do-it-yourself, template-driven tools, such as Constant Contact’s e-mail marketing, social media marketing, event marketing, and online survey tools, possible. These tools give small businesses the power to not only build strong relationships with current customers but also drive those oh-so-important word-of-mouth recommendations that bring new customers to the table. Furthermore, the Internet has opened global markets for local companies and enabled entrepreneurs to reach larger markets than ever before.

Engaging the customer to build relationships remains at the heart of good online marketing for two simple reasons. First, consumers like to do business with people they’ve gotten to know. Second, we’re a recommendation-based society, and today, getting recommendations from friends, friends of friends, and total strangers is as easy as the click of a button via social networks and ratings/review sites. Online marketing tools make it easy for companies to engage with customers, build relationships, promote their brand, increase their visibility, and position themselves for success.

Here at Constant Contact, we work with more than 450,000 small businesses and organizations, so if there is one thing we know, it’s what small businesses need. I can tell you that Gail Martin has her finger on the small-business pulse. I love 30 Days to Online Marketing and PR Success , because it clearly articulates what small businesses need to know to grasp essential Internet marketing ideas and quickly put them into action. It shows you how to incorporate techniques such as e-mail marketing with other tools, such as social media marketing, mobile advertising, online PR, and search engine optimization, to help your organization succeed. If you want a step-by-step guide to getting started with online marketing, this is the book for you.

Marketing horror stories. You’ve probably heard them. You may have one yourself. These are the stories about how someone tried a marketing technique, sent out a press release, or ran an ad, and “it didn’t work.”

I’ve heard plenty of these stories. And as with most urban legends, there’s usually more to the story than meets the eye. If you’re reading this book, you’re a coach, consultant, speaker, author, or owner of a small business, and you want more from your marketing than you’re currently getting. You may not be marketing at all because your business is new, or because you’re afraid to fail. Or it may be that your marketing is chugging along with mediocre returns or muddled measurement.

Take heart. Marketing isn’t mysterious, and once you understand how the pieces fit together, you’ll be in a better position to market your own company or to oversee someone to handle marketing for you. Let’s start by looking at the seven most common reasons that marketing plans fail.

1. No planning. Many marketing efforts fail because there is no link between the marketing actions and the bottom-line business plan goals that drive revenue. Decision makers get caught up with a vivid, creative idea that isn’t accountable to the bottom line, or because they take a “great deal” offered by a salesperson for a media buy. Marketing without a plan is a disaster waiting to happen.

2. Inappropriate actions. If there is no plan, then marketing actions may conflict with each other. It’s unlikely that scatter-shot actions will support a business plan goal. Disappointing results come about because of a “ready, fire, aim” approach where actions aren’t anchored to business objectives and target audiences. Attempts to copy what a successful competitor is doing without understanding why (or whether) the action is working for them is also a dangerous approach.

3. Lack of clarity about the target market. Blasting out marketing without a clear target is wasteful and unsuccessful. You can’t hit a target if you haven’t identified it. There is a “sweet spot” of potential customers who could become your ideal clients. You’ll need to get to know them to win them.