Canadian Small Business Women

Connection, Synergy, Community

Develop your brand now to avoid disappointment later

It’s not uncommon for businesses to push through their initial launch only to realize that they haven’t really done any foundational brand work. In the long-run, this can actually have a negative effect on your overall business growth. After all, if you don’t figure out exactly who you are, how are your customers supposed to know? But, what does branding even mean? And how much work do you need to do to develop it? Some business owners feel like they just need to develop a product or a logo and it will all magically fall into place. It’s not quite that simple.

Not only does creating a strong brand help you stand out among your competitors, but it also allows your audience to connect with you on a more personal level. A stronger connection to your audience generally means better revenues and long-term loyalty.

Skipping over the brand development phase, you run the risk of no one knowing who you are and an inconsistent marketing and communications strategy that will confuse your target audience. And remember… branding is not just logo development. Your logo is just a visual representation of the brand you have developed.

Brand Factors

When it comes to brand development, certain factors like industry, audience, and geography will affect your approach, however, below are brand factors that you will always need to address for your own brand development:

  • Audience Segmentation: Figure out who they are, what they want, what they need, and how they want to get it.
  • Value proposition: Decide what value you bring to your target audience and how is it different than your competitors.
  • Brand messaging: These are the main points that you can use to talk about your brand. It will form the base for all marketing and communications content you put out there.
  • Brand identity/personality: Your messaging shows what you are about, and your brand identity showcases your values, ethics, and the characteristics that really make you you.
  • Brand story: Take your messaging and brand identity one step further by crafting your organizational story. Focus on the people and the things that are most important to you.

After you have gone through all of these things, you are well-equipped to create your logo and build your website and web content based on what would appeal to your audience and showcase your brand story.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Now that you have this great brand developed, you need to think about how you can establish a long-term presence with it based on three things:

  1. Consistency: Maintaining consistency when it comes to colours, messaging, tone, and all of your brand’s defining factors is important so your audience knows what to expect from you. It also helps with brand recall (your audience will remember and recognize you based on your marketing efforts).
  2. Adaptability: While you need consistency, you also have to be adaptable when it comes to evolving your brand over time. Your audience and their needs will likely evolve over time and it’s important that you don’t get left behind because you haven’t kept up.
  3. Storytelling: Weaving storytelling through everything you do will allow you to better connect over a long period of time with your audience. You took the time to develop your brand storytelling based on what your audience might want, so use it!

Brand development, while often overlooked, is an important part of the process when you are starting a business or when you are going through organizational change. It will set you up for future business success.

Candace Huntly is Founder and Partner at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/email/Website

Easy Summer Marketing Cheat Sheet

Now that the weather has us all hoping that the sunny, warm days will stay, you have some decisions to make when it comes to your summer marketing strategy. While it might be tempting to slow things down for the summer in favour of vacation time because “business slows down anyways,” you should consider kicking things up a notch for the summer or at least maintaining the momentum you have already built throughout the year. I could give you a million reasons why keeping up with your marketing is important throughout the summer months, but you can check out my top 5 reasons here.

What I want to focus on is how you can make the most of your summer marketing strategy by following this cheat sheet as you build out your strategy over the next month or so.

Here is an easy cheat sheet for your summer marketing strategy building – all of the nitty gritty details that you can check off your list on your way to success.

  • Status check: Figure out what you’re currently doing that is working and the things that just aren’t. Create a spreadsheet where you can list your metrics for success for each marketing tactic you have tried in 2018. Once you have it written down it makes it easier to see the big picture.
  • Review your goals/objectives: What were you looking to accomplish when you started your current strategy and how does it relate to your results? Did you reach your goals? If not, what held you back? Have your business priorities shifted?
  • Look ahead: What big announcements/milestones do you have coming up for the second half of the year?
  • What’s trending in your industry: Do an audit of social conversations, pop culture, and other channels to figure out what’s trending in your industry (and for your audience as a whole). How do these topics relate to your brand?
  • Identify unique summer opportunities: There are a lot of events and social activities that go on in the summer. List potential opportunities for you to get involved as a brand and/or organization. Some things to consider are: Partner with a non-competing business to offer summer promos that sweeten the deal; or get involved as a sponsor for a summer event to get your brand in front of your target audience. These types of opportunities are a great way to generate buzz in the media.
  • What’s on your wish list: Are there any marketing tactics that you haven’t ever implemented but you wish you could? For example: video marketing; experiential marketing; mobile tactics; etc.
  • Set your budget: Carve out a budget for summer-specific marketing initiatives – be realisitic.
  • Write it down: Build a document that outlines everything you are going to do this summer when it comes to your marketing. This includes tactics you are continuing from the first half of the year as well as anything new you want to try.
  • Identify milestones: Once you have decided on what you are doing, figure out when you will implement everything.
  • Think beyond summer: You should look to build momentum beyond your summer marketing strategy. Look at summer as a jumping off point for future success in the year.

Summer marketing doesn’t have to be expensive, and it shouldn’t be ignored. Shake off that sudden urge to slow down when it gets hot and sunny and use the summer to your advantage.

 

Candace Huntly is Founder and Partner at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/email/Website

5 Big Marketing Mistakes for Small Business

As a small business owner, you need to make sure that you are using your resources in the best way possible. It can be easy to let things fall through the cracks, but you need to make sure that your marketing strategy is on track otherwise, it will be hard for you to succeed.

Here are six big marketing mistakes many small business owners make, whether they are just starting out or they have been in a business for a while and have hit a plateau in growth.

Targeting too broad an audience

As a small business owner, if your audience is too broad you will find that you go through your budget quickly and you won’t see great results because you are trying to reach too many people. Instead, conquer your audiences one niche at a time and let your reputation spread organically. If you do it right, your loyal customers will do your marketing for you. Focus on more grassroots and targeted initiatives to stretch your budget while getting bigger results. For example, you could run an influencer campaign to reach a small group of bloggers or other “celebrity” type influencers who will share your brand story with their audience. This helps you to amplify your marketing message while only marketing directly to a smaller group.

Not knowing where you fit into the competitive landscape

I have run into countless business owners (or those at the idea stage) that truly believe that they are the only one out there selling their product or service. While that might be true, chances are, you’re not first to the market with a product or service that is similar. And just because a company isn’t offering the exact same thing as you doesn’t mean that their similar product doesn’t have some of the same benefits. They may not be a direct competitor, but they are a competitor. Do your research before launching your business to see what else is out there that is similar. To ensure that you stay on top of industry developments, you should be constantly looking for new players in your market to see where your product fits into the industry and why your customers and target audience should buy what you are selling over your competitors.

No big picture strategy

Your marketing strategy needs to be carefully planned out in advance so you can see how all of the elements fit together. You can set yourself up for success better if your marketing objectives tie directly into your business objectives. Develop detailed timelines for each tactic you are looking to implement over the next year and set milestones to measure your success by. Keep in mind that this doesn’t have to be a rigid planning document. You can adjust your timelines and the overall strategy as you go as needed. But it will act as a guide to keep your marketing strategy moving in the right direction.

Not starting early enough

A common mistake many small business owners make is not starting early enough. This has to do with both planning and marketing for specific initiatives. Unless you have an unlimited budget that will allow for you to create a massive spectacle that can’t be missed (ie. Public stunts in multiple cities, or one major public stunt that is larger than life) you want to make sure people know what’s coming so they can get excited for it and start helping you build buzz. For example, if you are planning your product launch for September, you need to start planning in detail in June (at least!) and start talking about it publicly – even as a teaser at least a month in advance. Another example would be if you plan to run a holiday gift guide campaign where you intend to be included in media gift guides. For certain media, you need to start that in August.

If you are bringing in a third party to execute your strategy (like an agency), bring them in at the beginning and figure out the best timeline for success. You might think you are saving money by bringing them in later, but in reality, you are just cutting your success short.

Starting out free gets your name out there

This is a highly discussed topic. Sometimes people think that giving away your products/services for free in the beginning will mean that you will gain more exposure. While you might get more exposure, it’s not generally the kind you should be looking for because you are severely undervaluing yourself. In many cases, once people get something for free, they will continue to expect free, which doesn’t help you in growing your revenues. The first thing I tell brands/experts is to stop working for free just for exposure.

The only time giving your product/services away for free is acceptable is if it is part of a larger media strategy where you will get third party reviews from credible sources. This type of exposure can be very helpful in amplifying your brand message because you are tapping into their networks and building trust. It is also ok to choose a small test group of customers at the beginning for market research to get feedback on your product/service, but it should end there. Giving severe discounts and freebies to everyone in the beginning is going to make it difficult to start charging what you’re actually worth.

 

Candace Huntly is Founder and Partner at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/email/Website

5 Tips For Getting More From Your PR Efforts

Whether you have competition or not, you need to figure out how to generate buzz about your brand. If no one is talking about you, then your target audience won’t be able to find you very easily.

Your PR strategy could include a variety of different tactics. Once you have your strategy in place, here are 5 tips on how you can make the most of your efforts.

  1. Think long-term, not individual opportunities

You might be looking for media coverage for your brand or product launch, or to be included in holiday gift guides, but what happens next? Your goal should be to aim for sustained buzz, and to do that you have to look at building relationships with your media contacts. If you make meaningful connections with the media, you may find that they are more receptive to your pitching down the line. Build relationships with the media like you build relationships with your customers. You may even find they take interest in what’s happening with your brand and reach out to you.

  1. Get to know the media

Using a blanket approach where you pitch every media contact you can think of is not a great idea. Build a list thoughtfully and get to know who your media and influencers are. What do they write about? What stories seem to grab them the most? Most importantly, what is the connection between your pitch and them? You will have a higher success rate if you approach your outreach in this way because you will make a connection with your contacts.

  1. Match your pitching schedule to the media’s schedule

If you try to pitch your contact and they are on air, in an editorial meeting, or producing a show, they likely won’t respond to you. Your pitch also might then get lost in the shuffle. Try to learn your contacts’ schedules. Maybe they have a 9 AM production meeting, or their monthly editorial planning meeting happens the second week of the month. You can adjust the way you pitch based on what you have learned. In many cases learning this type of information will take time and you will pick up on patterns based on when your contacts respond to you.

  1. Keep your promises

If you say you are going to provide your contact with information by a certain deadline, then do it. Also, if you promise an exclusive to one publication, don’t do the same to another. It breaks down trust and they will likely just delete your email next time you try to pitch them.

  1. Use social media to your advantage

If you are having trouble getting through to the media, try to generate buzz using your own tools. Keep up with your social media efforts as a way to attract media attention while connecting with your target audience directly. Many of your media contacts often find their story angles from scanning social media for interesting topics.

Candace Huntly is Founder and Partner at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/email/Website

Setting New Year’s Marketing Goals You Can Actually Accomplish

A new year means a fresh a start, right? When it comes to your business, December is a perfect time to strategize for the year ahead, especially for your marketing strategy. The problem is, it’s really hard to set marketing goals that make sense for your business while driving it forward to help you grow throughout the year.

Before you can strategize for the year ahead, it’s always best to look back to see what you have accomplished in the past year. Using simple metrics, you can track your progress. Reflect on what worked, what didn’t work, and what your best marketing moments were for the year. That will shape how you move forward in this process. You should always focus on whether your marketing strategy in the past year helped you reach your business objectives for the year. If it didn’t, then setting your goals for 2018 will be especially important.

To help you follow through, your marketing goals for 2018 should:

  • Reflect on your overall business objectives – you are building your business through marketing.
  • Be measurable – you won’t know if you have achieved your goal if you can’t measure it.

Here are a few goals to consider as you are preparing your 2018 marketing strategy.

Cut the fluff from your strategy

Build a solid strategic foundation by figuring out what’s working and what’s not. If something isn’t working, set it aside. You can always revisit a strategy later if the timing is better. By eliminating tactics that don’t work you’re freeing up resources (time and money) to invest in other tactics. Cutting things from your marketing strategy might be the easiest thing to accomplish because you are saving time and money rather than spending it!

Identify the time and budget resources you can allocate to other marketing projects throughout the year.

Engage daily on social media

Social media isn’t something you say you are going to do and then log in once per week. It takes commitment, but you should be engaging with your followers and potential follower on a daily basis. This is how you will build relationships with customers and potential customers online. If you can’t commit the time to social media (at least 15 minutes per day), consider hiring a third party to build your social media strategy. Your success depends largely on your ability to create dialogue among your community, and social media is a great way to connect with large numbers of people at once.

Make sure you track your increasing engagement through specific and measurable metrics such as brand mentions, retweets/shares, Likes, Review ratings, etc.

Drive traffic to your website

Your website should be an information hub for your brand, and if you are selling products on your website, then traffic is even more important. Customers should be able to navigate across your online channels easily, and all roads should lead back to your website. Post new content regularly to your social channels (ie. Blogs, product reviews) that links back to your website. If you are running a sale, change the link in your Instagram profile and drive people to that link in your promo posts.

Track metrics such as website traffic numbers and your click through rate.

Try something you haven’t tried before

It’s easy to get stuck in a marketing rut. Maybe you’re afraid of change, or perhaps you were just burnt out, but success usually lives outside of your comfort zone. Sometimes that means learning about something new or really getting to know what your audience likes. You will start to see business growth when you push your own personal boundaries as a business owner. This will also help to create new touchpoints for your customers to experience your brand. For example, if you have focused a lot of your energy on social media and digital marketing tactics, try something experiential to hit a targeted geographical group.

Make sure you choose metrics to measure the success of your new tactic. If it is successful, continue doing it, if not, there is no point in wasting the resources.

Your marketing goals for 2018 should make you feel a little uncomfortable, but they should also excite you. It is a good combination when you are building your strategy. Your audience will appreciate you taking the time to see your relationship with them through a fresh perspective and it gives you the opportunity to stay on your toes in business.

Candace Huntly is Founder and Partner at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/email/Website

How can entrepreneurs break through the media barrier?

There are 400 million entrepreneurs in the world. That’s a lot of people competing for attention, especially from the media. Whether you’re in the beginning launch stages of your small business, or you have been operating for some time and you’re looking for a brand awareness boost, getting media coverage in the right places can build some serious buzz around your brand. But how do you get the media to notice you among the sea of entrepreneurs?

The answer is simple: Give them something to be interested in.

The three areas to focus on to make sure you stand out among the thousands of media pitches from entrepreneurs are story, strategy, and execution.

1: Story

You need to be about so much more than just your business and what you have to offer. Look beyond the features of your business to see all of the benefits. Once you have identified the benefits, create a human-interest story that relates. Then you can have fun with showcasing the story.

A few ways to showcase your story are:

  • Social Media: Easily the most accessible means to tell your story to a wide-reaching audience, social media is something you generally have control over when it comes to the messaging. Create a content campaign and engage your audience on each platform.
  • Public Stunt: While public stunts often require a higher budget and a creative mind to plan something unique, they are meant to be memorable and shareable. Remember, anything that happens in real time can be shared on social media.
  • VIP Event: A great VIP event can double as a connector with your consumer audience as well as a targeted list of media. When planning your event, make sure the objectives are in line with the story you want to tell. For example, a circus theme might not necessarily create the best atmosphere for a sombre story.

2: Strategy

After your story has been developed, you need to figure out how to get in front of the media and to make yourself heard. Remember that depending on your media contact, they get hundreds of pitches daily. So, before you send that email, make sure you are ready to fight for your story.

Here are three things to consider:

  • Targeting: Build a smart media list. Your story won’t appeal to every outlet/reporter. Figure out what the best media targets are for you and focus on those. This will be the most important thing you can do to work towards media coverage success.
  • Timing: It’s always best to start early. You will have to work around their editorial requirements. For some print magazines, that means 6 months in advance! Do your research on individual outlet requirements.
  • Availability: Don’t pitch the media if you won’t be available for an interview. If you are planning a vacation in a couple of days, wait until you get back. You might be quite upset if your favourite morning show called to have you on air, but you weren’t available!

3: Execution

A great strategy can fall flat if you don’t follow through on it 100%. It might take some time. Keep in mind that the media hasn’t ever heard of you or your business before, so they will need to do some research before getting back to you. That means learning patience and knowing when to pressure and when to back off.

These three things will help you carry through on your strategic media objectives:

  • The Pitch: It’s important to get your pitch right the first time. Keep it short and to the point, focusing only on important details. And always find a way to tie your story into your contact’s work – that means reading articles they have done previously! If building a targeted list is the most important thing you can do, then this is the second-most important thing you can do. The media wants to know that you are paying attention to what they have to say.
  • Following up: Don’t be too aggressive with your follow ups, and unless you have a great relationship with your media contact (or you know they prefer otherwise), stick to email. After the initial pitch wait a couple of days before following up, then about a week if you still haven’t heard.
  • Moving on: While some media will respond to you either way, you may not hear back at all. It can be understandably frustrating, but there are a number of unknown factors you’re up against. You could have just pitched on a really busy day. It’s time to move on. You can regroup and try again with another story angle at a later date.

 

Candace Huntly is Founder and Partner at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/email/Website

 

Giving Up Control During PR

Learn to Give Up Control When Working With the Media

Whether you are looking to be included in gift guides or you are looking for media features and a thought leadership strategy, the way you work with your media and influencer contacts won’t change. The reality is that you are going to have to give up a little bit of control if you want your media and influencer relations strategy to be successful.

You can’t control all variables when it comes to marketing your business – will your post go viral? Will anyone see it at all? Will the media say yes? Once you involve a third party such as your customers or the media, they ultimately have control over how they feel about your brand and your products. That being said, there are a few things to consider when it comes to giving up the reins for your media and influencer relations strategy.

You are working on their time, not yours.

The hardest part about media and influencer relations is waiting to see if anyone will even be interested in telling your story. Once you send off your email pitch your contact needs to sift through hundreds of emails to find stories they might be interested in, then they need to do a bit of research, then often they need to run things by their editors. Give them time to do what they do best.

If you haven’t heard back in a couple of days, follow up with a quick and short email. Keep in mind that sometimes your contacts will be too busy to tell you if they decided to scrap your pitch. There comes a point where you should just move on.

They’re thinking about their own brand voice, not yours.

While you are concerned with how your brand will appear, your media and influencer contacts also have their own brands to consider. This is especially true about influencers who most often build their fan base based on a personal brand. Let them talk about your brand in their own way.

The more they can put their stamp on it, the more excited they will be.

Think about how excited you get to talk about your brand. The more leeway you give to tell your story, the better. They will actually enjoy writing about your brand. If someone enjoys talking about you, they will talk about you more. Not only that, if you have ten people cover your story in the exact same way, it could get pretty boring.

Mistakes happen. Don’t freak out.

We’re all human, and we all make mistakes. Rather than panic about it, assess whether it is actually detrimental to your brand. If it is, then politely ask that it be fixed. Don’t accuse and demand. Things that are important to change are facts that affect the story. For example, if your spokesperson’s name is misspelled, or the brand or product name has an error. If you don’t feel like your brand was represented the way you wanted it to be, sometimes you have to suck it up and move on.

Working with media and influencers means working with people – building relationships. These relationships can teach you a lot about your own brand and how your customers might perceive you. So, while you might not always have complete control once you ask someone to tell your story for you, you have an incredible learning opportunity as a business owner and a brand.

Candace Huntly is Founder and Partner at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/email/Website

Step by Step Guide to Getting Your Brand included in Gift Guides

You may not want to think about the holiday season quite yet, but with the introduction of Pumpkin Spice Lattes, you know it’s coming. That means you should be in holiday planning mode for your marketing strategy. What are you doing with your media relations? Being included in holiday gift guides can be a great thing for your business, but you need to do it right.

While you can take any approach and make it your own, here is a basic step by step guide to help you get your brand included in holiday gift guides.

Step 1: Plan your timing

Media outlets are in three general groupings when it comes to the lead time required. Lead time simply means how much time they need between when they decide to feature you to when the article gets published. The three groups are:

  • Long Lead: This usually includes magazines that are printed monthly or less. The lead time is generally 3 – 6 months in advance. If you do the math, you are already almost too late to hit up this group for their holiday gift guides if you want to see your brand in a print magazine. Keep in mind that a lot of publications are also shutting down their print publications and moving online exclusively.
  • Medium Lead: This includes publications that are printed weekly or every other week. They usually require 1 – 3 weeks lead time.
  • Short Lead: Short lead publications like daily newspapers, commuter papers, and online publications have a short turn around time. When it comes to gift guides, you can get away with pitching the same week, although giving more time is still advisable. They still have to work with an editorial team and an approvals process.

Step 2: Choose your featured product(s)

While you may love everything you sell, pitching too many products at once will get cluttered and confusing. Pick one to three products that you see as the best gifts to give. Ask yourself two questions:

  1. What type of gifts are they? (Eco-friendly, pampering, last-minute, stocking stuffers, under $20, etc)
  2. Who are they for? (For her, For him, your friend who has everything, the person who wants to save the world, etc.)

Get creative with your answers. It will help you make your products stand out more.

Once you have selected your featured products gather materials you may need for media. In particular, you will need high resolution product images. Your images should be on a white background. You can also have lifestyle shots as well, but the product images will be requested. In some cases, the publications will take their own pictures, but you should be prepared.

Step 3: Update your website

You don’t need a full overhaul of your website to get this type of campaign done, but you should make sure that your content and images are up to date, especially the pages with the featured products on them. If you are using the proper keywords on your site (ie. Eco-friendly, stocking stuffer, etc), there is also a good chance the media will find you if they are doing research for their gift guides (but you can’t rely on this hope, which is why you are creating a proactive outreach strategy!).

Step 4: Build your gift guide list

Create a list of at least 15 to 20 outlets that you want to target for your gift guide outreach. Indicate which ones are on the top of your wish list so you can give them extra attention if needed. Once you have your list, figure out the best person to reach out to. This requires a bit of internet digging or a media database like Cision to help you out. Larger publications will likely have a dedicated gift guide editor, otherwise it could be a section editor or a specific journalist.

After building your list of targets, look at their websites to see if they have an editorial calendar you can download. An editorial calendar is a planning tool for outlets. It lays out their topical publication schedule. Sometimes it is quite detailed and may give you insight into the types of products they are looking for for their gift guides.

You should also look at past gift guides to give you a sense of what types of products catch their eye and the language they use to showcase the products.

Step 5: Build your own buzz

The media likes to feature products that may already be getting some traction, so you should start pushing your product(s) out on social media more frequently. That way, when they see your pitch email, they can see some action happening and build on that momentum. Also keep in mind that the media does a lot of research on social media and they may come across your product without your pitch email if you are using the right hashtags.

Step 6: Pitch your product

Your pitch can make or break you regardless of how amazing your product is. To start, be specific with your subject line – not just that you have a great new product. Talk about a “great gift for a last-minute holiday gift guide” or “Eco-friendly gifts for your holiday gift guide.” Tailor your pitch emails and subject lines to each outlet to match the tone and topical focus for each audience.

In terms of your email, keep it short and stick to the benefits your product/service has rather than the features. Your email shouldn’t be longer than 4 short paragraphs at most (8 – 10 sentences). Utilize bullet points to help keep an easy reading flow (and to keep it short!). And make sure you include the price, where it can be purchases, and a link to your website.

Step 7: Follow up

You have three options here based on the response you get. If they said:

  1. Yes: Send samples, images requested, and any further information they need. Get it done as fast as possible (think same day!).
  2. No: Move on and don’t take it personally. Depending on the exchange, if you feel comfortable, you can ask for a reason (so you can learn for next time), otherwise, just cross them off your list.
  3. Nothing: Wait 3 to 5 days and send a follow up email. This is just a quick reminder, so keep it to one or two sentences long indicating you wanted to make sure they received your email and see if they were interested.

Step 8: Talk it up

You can get be included in 10 gift guides, but if you don’t make the most of the opportunity, you may not see the kind of return on your effort that you would like to see. Once the gift guide is published, it’s up to you to help spread the word and use it as an opportunity to build your own brand credibility. Some ideas are:

  • Put a link to the coverage on your website – create a “press” or “in the news” section
  • Share the link on social media – a lot
  • Scan a printed article and add the image to your website
  • Share the scanned image on social media

Doing gift guide outreach isn’t easy. It requires work and dedication to get it done, but it can help you increase your revenues and your overall brand visibility throughout the holiday season.

Candace Huntly is Founder and Partner at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

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To Blog or Not To Blog?

Do you blog for business? Many businesses feel that blogging isn’t worth the time it takes to draft articles and post them on the website. I get it. Blogging can be time consuming. It is even worse if you have writer’s block. That being said, writing a blog for your business can have extremely positive effects on your success.

Here are four things that should convince you that writing a blog is in your best interest.

#1: Establish yourself as the go-to expert

Your customers want to know that you know what you are doing. Writing a blog is a great way to showcase your knowledge in a customer-accessible way. The more useful content you produce, the more your community of customers and prospects will turn to you for questions and purchases.

In reality, you have competitors who will likely also have a blog. To set yourself apart from them, figure out how to differentiate your content from theirs. Sometimes it even comes down to the style of writing that draws in your readers from your competitors.

While you will focus on your area of expertise, you need to keep your blog topically fresh so you aren’t recycling the same tired subject over and over. Sitting down with a colleague or even just a pen and paper and doing some brainstorming will help you come up with a number of great ideas and fresh perspectives. A steady stream of well-written content showcasing your expertise will help you build authority and trust.

#2: Increased website traffic

Your customers won’t keep revisiting your website unless you give them a reason to. Creating well-informed, engaging content also gives your audience something to share that links back to your website. This can expose your business to new audiences through direct website traffic. Time to make sure your website is up to date and effective!

#3: Increased opportunity for calls-to-action

Each blog post should include at least one call-to-action. A call-to-action simply asks your reader to do something. While your reader may be interested in the topic you have written about, they may not think about what to do with it once they are done reading. Your call-to-action is the nudge they will need to step in the right direction. Here are a few examples:

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#4: Connect people to your brand

Blogging is your chance to showcase your brand personality using more than 140 characters. You should already have figured out your brand voice and your blog is a great opportunity to put it into play. How your write – the tone, the language, the subject matter – all says something about who you are as a brand. Using your brand voice in this way allows you to humanize your brand even more by creating strong community connections, building relationships based on your brand personality, vision, and ethics.

Candace Huntly is Founder and Partner at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

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3 Ways To Keep Media Interested In Your Brand

Your company or product launch was a month ago, and you managed to connect with a few media outlets to get coverage. Now what?

It is a challenge most business owners face consistently when it comes to generating buzz about their brand. While you may not notice the lull in buzz generated for a couple of months because you are on a high from your successful launch, you are going to have to figure out how to create new opportunities for your business to garner media and influencer attention when life gets “back to normal.”

Here are three ways to create great media opportunities if you have hit a brand buzz rut.

Get involved with a charitable organization or a cause

A business that stands for something is a very powerful thing. Customers want to buy from brands that have the same values and belief system as they do. Your involvement with a charitable organization or with a cause allows you to tell your brand story in a different way as it relates to a cause. The media is looking for interesting human interest stories to tell, so you need to give them a story to tell that is unique to you.

Find creative ways to get your refreshed story angle out there, whether it is something experiential, guerrilla, or even a unique digital campaign.

Sponsor a community event

Community involvement is a great way to draw attention from local and regional media outlets. Find a community event that is in line with what you have to offer, or one that is of personal interest to you and your team. A personal connection will make the involvement more meaningful to both you and your target audience. If your connection to the event seems inauthentic, the media will likely not be interested because it just looks like you are faking your way to media coverage.

Plan a giveaway/contest

If you would like to run an influencer campaign with bloggers, setting up a series of contests is an effective way to connect with them. If you have product (or a service) that can be gifted then get them to review the product along with a giveaway specifically for their readers. Depending on how the contest is structured, you can create great opportunities for your brand visibility.

Your media and influencer buzz doesn’t have to end with your launch. When you sit down to create your launch strategy, think ahead to what happens next and try to incorporate it into your timeline. That way you won’t be left thinking “now what?”

Candace Huntly is Founder and Partner at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

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What happens to your marketing in the summer?

For most, summer is a time where you cut out of work early, take Fridays off, and just generally slow down. For business owners, summer is a time to find the perfect work-life balance so you can still hustle your way to success while getting a taste of what everyone else is enjoying about summer. The reality is you can’t really take a break from your marketing and PR strategy because it will undo all of the great things you have already started.

Enjoy your summer by finding new ways to reach your target audience. Here are five ways for you to boost your summer marketing strategy.

Audit your PR strategy

Sometimes you have to look back to move forward. It is almost half way through the year and you’ve had six months of outreach to media and influencers. Figuring out what worked and what didn’t will allow you to create an even better strategy for the second half of 2017. Check out my Summer PR Cheat Sheet to figure out how you can prepare yourself for an amped up strategy.

Make it personal

Your existing customers have already shown brand support, why not focus on making those relationships stronger. Summer is a great time to start a loyalty program and drive traffic to your business in an otherwise slow time (unless you sell ice cream!). If you show your appreciation for each of your customers, they will more likely recommend you to their friends.

Keep it exciting and relevant

The content you post during the summer should be on-topic. Capitalize on weather patterns and local holidays to connect with your audience. And don’t forget that everyone loves a great sale. It’s a good way to draw people in, but it can also be an efficient way to get rid of older stock to make way for new stock coming in. Have fun with it and, for example, set up a discount that goes up as the temperature goes up. It gets people to interact with your brand in fun ways while encouraging purchases.

Take the show to the customer

When the weather is nice, people go outside. It makes sense to meet your customers where they are. Find creative ways to set up experiential events for your target audience so they can interact with your brand. It’s also a great way to get out into your neighbourhood and introduce yourself. The biggest challenge is keeping it on-brand. It has to make sense with what you offer as a brand.

Think ahead

You should always be two steps ahead with your marketing strategy. Media and influencers often work on a 6 week turnaround (or more!). For gift guides, you should already be thinking about pitching media in August/September! That means preparing for what’s to come and creating great content for all of your marketing channels so you aren’t scrambling when the time comes to execute.

Candace Huntly is Founder and Partner at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

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9 Ways To Get Comfortable on Camera

Video is becoming an essential tactic in any marketing strategy. The great thing for small businesses with smaller budgets is that you don’t need an overly produced video to get great results. However, you do need to be able to present yourself and your brand well on camera.

The key thing to remember is that MOST people feel weird or awkward at first on camera. You may not notice because some people deal with it better than others, but everyone has their own challenges to overcome when they are stepping in front of the camera.

Here are nine tips to help you get better on camera:

Tip #1: Ease into it

If you are uncomfortable appearing on camera, then start by doing voice over work with images or slides running on the screen. Once you have mastered creating a voice narrative and you are comfortable with that, then move on to being in front of the camera.

Tip #2: Imagine a dialogue

Imaging you are having a dialogue with either the camera, or someone just off camera to the side. Pretend it’s your best friend or someone you are extremely comfortable with. If you’re having a hard time imagining someone reacting to what you are saying, have a friend actually sit in front of you while you are talking on camera. That way you can get the visual interaction you are looking for. You will find that after the first couple of times you will feel more comfortable doing it on your own.

Tip #3: Ditch the script

No, I’m not talking about winging it. Preparing in advance what you are going to say is great, but reading a script or holding yourself captive with exact wording isn’t so great. What works best for my clients, whether it is for a media appearance or a branded video, is to create a key messaging document and possibly cue cards with some keywords on them to jog your memory if you forget something. If someone is interviewing you, also create a sample Q&A document where you prepare for the questions you think you may receive. In most cases, you can also ask to get a sense of the questions ahead of time.

Tip #5: Keep energy in your body movement

Sometimes standing is the best way to go. It forces you to engage your entire body (so you don’t fall over). If you do choose to sit down, make sure you sit tall so that you can breathe properly and so you look actively engaged with what you are discussing. If it is on brand for you to be relaxed and chill out on a couch, that is great! Just make sure you don’t fall asleep. The important thing is to keep your energy up. If you are a hand talker, let your hands fly. If you don’t know what to do with your hands, then let them fall loosely to your sides if you are standing or let them rest on the table if you are sitting. Crossing your arms or contorting yourself in an odd stance will make you seem closed off or will just be distracting.

Tip #6: Keep eye contact natural

On one end of the spectrum, you may stare down the camera without blinking or looking away the whole time. On the other end of the spectrum, you never look at your designated spot (either the camera or the person who is interviewing you), letting your eyes wander and/or stare at your lap. You need to find a happy medium. Make eye contact but allow for natural breaks and allow yourself to blink regularly as you would.

Tip #7: Breathe… Just breathe

Remember to breathe throughout your video. If you are speaking too fast or without the natural speech pauses you would normally take, take a pause and a deep breathe to calm your nerves.

Tip #8: Be yourself

Unless you are playing a character role, just be yourself. Your personality and drive have gotten you this far so why not let it shine, especially if you are using this to market yourself or to establish yourself as the face behind your brand. Being yourself also extends to what you are wearing. You should feel comfortable and not out of character in what you choose to wear on camera.

Tip #9: Practise, practise, practise

Practise in front of a mirror so you can see your facial expressions and body language. To get used to the topic and tone, don’t be afraid to also practise while you are doing everyday tasks. You are going to put a lot into your video work, so go easy on yourself. Don’t be overly critical in the beginning. We all have to start somewhere, but chances are the video you have just created is much better than you are willing to give yourself credit for.

Candace Huntly is Founder and Partner at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

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6 ways to make your brand stand out in the crowd

One of the biggest challenges small businesses face is standing out among a sea of other small businesses… Don’t even get us started on stepping out of the shadow of the industry giants! As a small business owner, whether you are a solopreneur or you have a team working with you, you need to have a strategy in place to create a strong brand foundation so you can enjoy business success.

Here are six thoughts to consider to help your brand stand out in the crowd.

Showcase your brand personality

Brand personality gives your audience something they can relate to – that is what they will buy into, not just your products and services. You should take the time to define your brand personality at the beginning before you launch. If you never did, it’s ok, better late than never. Do this brand personality exercise!

Understand your audience

Once you know who you are as a brand, make sure you get to know who your audience is. After taking an in depth look at who you think your target audience is, you might realize that they don’t exactly match your brand personality, so you should consider reaching out to a different group of people that has the same values and interests your brand supports. The more connected your target audience feels to your brand, the more you will stand out. And don’t forget to treat them like VIPs!

Consider your brand integrity

Brand integrity has everything to do with your audience and how they perceive you. However, its defining factor is whether you deliver on your brand promise. When an organization is driven by their brand promise, and they deliver on it consistently, they will create loyalty among their audiences.

Be consistent

Brand consistency is the key to building awareness and long term recognition. Make sure to keep your visual style and message consistent across all platforms and outreach channels.

Build relationships

You will be more memorable if people feel you are invested in them long term. If you are only talking at people there is no way you will get to know them. Build relationships with your customers like you would with your best friend. Create meaningful dialogue and listen to what they have to say.

Don’t be blind to your weak points

It’s very easy to “wing it” because you don’t put in the work in advance to plan your branding out. However, you won’t see the results you want. Constantly revisit your strategy to make sure that you are on track. Ask yourself the tough questions about your brand and marketing outreach that need to be answered.

Remember, like anything, your brand is only as good as the work you put into it. If you hope to remain memorable in the long term among your target audience, you need to make sure you build a strong foundation in the beginning.

Candace Huntly is the Founder and Principal at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

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7 Easy Ways to Tap into the Power of Mobile Marketing

As a business owner, it’s your job to find ways to connect with your customers. We live in a mobile world where 73% of people have their phone on them at all times. If you are targeting Millennials, that number goes up to 87%! Are you doing enough to connect with your audience on the small screen?

A lot of business owners feel that mobile marketing is too complicated and too expensive. While there are some tactics that are more costly, there are a lot of things you can be doing as a small business owner to enhance your marketing strategy that is already in place. The reality is, your customers are likely multitasking with their phones throughout the day, so your marketing strategy should reflect that behaviour.

Here are 7 ways you can integrate mobile into your strategy while not breaking the budget.

  1. Have an event hashtag: While this might seem obvious, a lot of event organizers don’t use this in the best way. You need to make sure your hashtag is:
    • Unique: It’s hard to track the conversation if your hashtag is used for other things.
    • Not too long: Ease of sharing should be the goal and if your guests have to type in 14 characters each time they use it, it won’t get used as often as you’d like.
    • Clear: If your hashtag doesn’t make sense, you’ll likely see a lot of errors.
    • Active: Encourage the dialogue by assigning someone from your business to use it actively throughout the event.

And once you set it up, make sure you track it!

  1. Livestream content at an event: Who doesn’t want to see their name in lights? Set up screens around your event and show a stream of Tweets from attendees. It encourages more participation using your event hashtag.
  2. Post live from events: While you want your audience to engage with you, you also want to show that you are active. Posting to social throughout an industry or client event you are attending shows you are tapped into the latest trends in what you do.
  3. Run a social media contest: People are constantly on their phones and a contest encourages them to share content with you in mind. Either set up a photo contest or a scavenger hunt type of contest where users share a picture to their account and tag you in it and/or use a dedicated hashtag (see #1 for tips!).
  4. Have customers check in at your business or event: This one is great because it has a lasting impact when potential customers see how many people have checked in at your business. You can provide incentive in the form of a loyalty program or contest as well.
  5. Use text and other messenger apps: Text is a great way to communicate with your engaged customers by having them opt in to receive messages. Send special deals, new product information, announce contests, etc.
  6. Have a mobile-friendly site: this should be obvious by now, but many businesses don’t have a mobile-friendly site. Make it easy for your customers to browse using their smartphone.

As with any marketing strategy, you need to set out your objectives and goals before you choose what’s right for you.

Candace Huntly is the Founder and Principal at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

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Put Some Emotion Into Your Marketing

Emotions can be a powerful thing in business when it comes to marketing. Think about it. If you feel emotionally connected to something or someone, you invest more time and money into that thing or person. Why wouldn’t you want to tap into that power when it comes to your brand?

Everything you do when it comes to selling your brand story should be tapped into emotion to make a stronger connection with your audience.

Here are 5 ways to use emotions to build out your marketing and PR strategy:

Focus on the human aspect of your story

The media hears about so many different businesses, big and small, new and established. You have to set yourself apart from everyone else. Find a human interest story to focus on when you are pitching the media. All of a sudden the story becomes more than a business pitch – you have a living, breathing, feeling focus that your audiences can relate to and become invested in.

Be human

You do so much work to build your brand character so you can’t forget that you should interact with your audience like you’re interacting with a friend.

When in doubt, think nostalgia

Nostalgia will always be a good thing to tap into when you are trying to emotionally connect with your audience. The notion of the “good old days” brings on an array of emotions, and if you have done your homework on your target audience, then you will know what they are nostalgic about. Whether it’s Toys R Us getting their audience to think about never growing up or Tim Horton’s nostalgia over national pride, those are the campaigns that stand out.

Avoid fear

While “prankvertising” and other public stunts that invoke fear in audiences have become popular over the past few years, you have to stop and think how it will affect your brand. For some, playing on the negative side of emotions is great – if your audience is into that sort of thing. Fear as part of a marketing strategy works if you are launching a horror movie, an exhilarating extreme sports campaign, or a provocative public safety ad (PSA). Before having someone dressed as a demon jump out of a TV screen or have someone free fall towards earth from space, think long and hard whether it a) fits within your brand story and messaging and b) will draw people into your brand rather than repel it.

Think Seasonally

Throughout the year, there are holidays and special celebrations that are focused on specific emotions. Why not join in the discussion that is already happening and tap into those emotions people are already feeling. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so you can focus on love and how that would fit into your brand story.

Candace Huntly is the Founder and Principal at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

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