Canadian Small Business Women

Connection, Synergy, Community

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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9 Tips For Writing a Better Media Release

CHuntly

While media relations is only one part of your overall PR campaign, being able to write a great media release (also known as Press Release) can make or break the success of your outreach. There is a lot of a competition out there and your release has to be relevant and timely. Done well, it can be a great way of getting information to media outlets about your announcement.

Here are a few tips to consider when writing your upcoming media release:

  1. Develop strong messaging

This means writing down all of the most defining points about your brand, organization, and announcement. You have to be able to identify which are the most important and which are the least important so you know which information to include in the media release.

  1. Find a relevant hook

The hook is meant to capture interest – it’s what makes your announcement unique. Just because something is happening with you doesn’t mean it’s going to mean anything to anyone else. You have to make the story interesting to a wide range of people (especially your target audience). You could include statistical research on a topic that people want to hear about or even a human interest aspect to the story. For example, you could be partnering up with a charity or community group.

  1. Use a killer headline

Put yourself in the mindset of a journalist and develop a headline that could work as a great news article headline. Keep it short and attention-grabbing. You want people to read beyond the headline.

  1. Get to the point

This is the most important aspect of your content and you shouldn’t wait to get it out. By the end of the first paragraph who, what, when, where, why, and how should be answered. Any more than this is just fluff, any less and you haven’t included enough information. The rest of the release is there as supporting information.

  1. Include an enticing quote

You should have a spokesperson that is ready to speak to the media should they call. The media often use quotes when they are covering a story and if you give them a great quote as part of your release it makes it easier for them. This means your quote should use some of your key messages and they should not be background or what I like to call “fluff” information.

  1. Keep it short

A media release should be easy to read and quick. Media outlets often get hundreds of releases daily, so you need to make it easy for them to get through yours. If you can keep it to one page that’s best.

  1. Revise, revise, revise

You should never send out a release without reviewing it first. Make sure you have no spelling or grammar errors and that the flow of the release makes sense. Any time you can get someone else to review the content for you is even better!

  1. Include contact information

Make sure the media has some way to reach you. It’s best to include more than one way for them to get a hold of you. Include the name of the contact person and their phone number and email.

  1. Watch your tone

This isn’t a marketing sales piece, so avoid the hype and jargon you would include when selling your products and services. Write in the present tense and focus on the facts of the story you are telling rather than a sales pitch.

Still have questions about your media release? Don’t be afraid to give me a call!

Candace Huntly is the Founder and Principal at SongBird Marketing Communications, an 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 it unique to you.

Connect with Candace

Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/email/Website

Grant Misconceptions

Aviary Photo_130605261112039905

Are you a business looking to apply for grants and a bit confused about the process? Well, we’re here to help you demystify some general misconceptions about grant funding and applications.

Misconception #1: Anyone can apply for a grant

The majority of grantmakers narrow the pool of grant applicants to registered charitable organizations and nonprofits. Incorporated businesses and startups are usually left out of the grant equation because, unlike nonprofits, they have the ability to sell a product or service for a profit. That’s why it’s important to be 100% sure your organization is eligible for funding before starting the grant-writing process.

This is not to say that there is no funding out there for small businesses and startups. It is just unlikely it will be in the form of grants, and rather in the form of tax incentives, hiring credits, and when possible, venture capital funding.

Misconception #2: Grant applications consist only of ‘writing’ and ‘submitting’

Grantwriting is based less on your style of writing and more on your capacity to plan a detailed project successfully. Forget flowery language, and focus on the content.

For first-time grant applicants, it is important to research grantmakers’ mandates, as well as their previously funded initiatives. Grantmakers want to make sure your organization is accountable for the funds they distribute to you.

Seeing as they don’t know you personally (yet), the onus is on you to make your case, and back it up with targeted research, data, and information. Take time to prepare grant applications. Make sure you are able to thoroughly analyze your project’s strengths and provide tangible solutions to mitigate any weaknesses.

Misconception #3: If your project is good, you’ll receive funding

This is by far the biggest misconception of all. In fact, there are a lot of great projects out there, created by trustworthy organizations, that will never receive funding.

Grantmakers tend to award funds based on a project’s expected impact in the community. Because grantmakers tend to receive a lot of applications during any given grant cycle, it’s their responsibility to find the ‘best’ projects within very large pools of applicants. They do this by reviewing applicants’:

  • Existing partnerships with community organizations and stakeholders
  • Social media networks and reach
  • Past organizational successes

If you are a new organization, it is likely you won’t have this information yet. To make it easier for your project to receive grant funding consider collaborating directly with a partner organization to build a track record for your project, as well as expand support for it in the community.

Misconception #4: Receiving grant money is easy and quick

The task of the grant reviewing committee is to thoroughly assess hundreds, if not thousands of applications per grant. Of course, this takes a lot of time and patience. That’s why grant funding decisions often take anywhere between 3-8 months, depending on the size of the grant (the bigger the dollar amount, the longer you are likely to wait).

So, if you are counting on a particular grant to fund your latest project, make sure you have alternative funding options at your disposal just in case grant funding is delayed, or doesn’t come through.

Some Final Questions    

Want to know how to avoid unnecessary pain when applying for grants? Prepare answers to the following questions before starting the application process:

  • Which community members and stakeholders will benefit the most from your project?
  • How will you involve participants during the planning and execution phases?
  • How will you measure or evaluate the impact of your project?
  • Do you have a workplan outlining all project steps, timeline, and resources?
  • What experience and/or qualifications does your organization have to carry out this project?
  • If activities continue beyond the term of the grant, how will they be sustained?

Written by Marisol and Silvia Fornoni, Founders of JDC.

JDC supports socially conscious organizations with finding sustainable ways to tell their stories using visual design, engaging content and non-traditional media. We help you with anything from organizing fundraising campaigns to web design and social media management.

http://www.joint-development.com

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Mentoring Girls

Sheralyn

 

You may have read two books that have received plenty of press: “Thrive” and “Lean In.” Both addressed the importance of creating space at the boardroom table for females in a leadership role. Programs and organizations like “Girls on the Run,” “Because I am a Girl,” The Girl Guides of Canada and even companies like General Mills (who together with Big Brothers and Big Sisters created the  “Go Girls” initiative) promote specific, forward thinking opportunities to include, mentor, support, engage and foster positive body image and the success of women and girls.  While we may wish it to be faster, women in politics, business and in positions of power are growing.  Yes, it’s about time but there is still significant room for improvement.  How can you play a role?

Get together with your favourite networking group and choose to support a charitable agency that promotes and educates women and girls.  Women lending a hand to other women will empower women around the world. Through The Leadership Forum, a group located in Caledon Ontario, I have been lucky enough to be involved in an initiative where empowerment is the long – term goal. Can you do the same? “Strength in numbers” as the saying goes, the more women working together toward the common goal of female success, the more likely we are to achieve it.

Steps such as these are important and necessary but true female empowerment starts at birth. Literally.  Parents need to read books to their daughters like “The Paper Bag Princess” and “The Princess Knight.”  Yes they are “princess” stories but these girls rock! They are empowered Princesses making their own choices and enabling their own future through determination and resolve.  Next, we have to educate our daughters. Sounds like a simple concept as we have access to free education in Canada and it’s a great system too.  But are we doing well enough?  Do we encourage our daughters to strive for success in fields like science and math? Do we encourage “non-traditional” careers in engineering, rocket science or technology? For that matter, why are we still referring to these careers as ‘non-traditional?”  Queen Rania, of Jordan (a somewhat traditional and male dominated society) is known for using her position to speak out about the empowerment of girls and women.  She states: “When you educate a girl, she becomes a woman who lifts herself and her family out of poverty.” So educate girls and you also empower them to choose WHATEVER direction they wish. If you are going to take the time to open one door, why not open ALL of them.

While educating your daughters, lift them up emotionally, nurture their inner strength and foster in them a spirit of confidence and “can do” ability – that they are capable of anything. Encourage healthy eating and healthy body image and expose them to appropriately sized role models, not the artificial “Barbie” doll airbrushed images that exist in media today. This means closely monitoring their access to social media and taking the time to discuss what they see while there.  Do you work for an organization that uses and promotes technology or work independently in that field?  If so, perhaps you could volunteer your time and talents to a local community organization that is working to support young women to use social media in a positive way. Help that organization to get their message out into the world.

From a career perspective Moms, it’s time to get real with your girls. By this I mean, establish clear and realistic goals for yourself so that you are modeling SMART goals for your daughters.  Women, it’s time we stopped trying to “do it all.”  If you are working outside of the home, you likely don’t also have time to be the perfect housekeeper, the chauffeur or the “Martha Stewart” of the kitchen.  In trying to be all things to all people you are setting yourself up for failure and sending a message to your girls that they too must strive to multi-task themselves to death.  You’re suggesting it isn’t just a career that defines them but their ability to be “perfect mom and wife” too.  It’s unrealistic. Admit it. Once you do so, figure out ways for everyone to share in the workload, establish daily routines where everyone contributes to the care and keeping of the house and your daughter will learn that SHE is important, her CONTRIBUTIONS are important but that EVERYONE is responsible for the successful operation of a smooth running home.

If you are working from home or support your family by staying at home, model that not as the “second choice,” “being stuck at home” or that “it doesn’t really count as a job” but treat this too with dignity, value and as having importance.  It IS the most important job in the world if it is done with care, consideration and with proper reverence attached to the “value add” you are bringing to your family.  Teach your daughter (and let’s face it ladies, each other) to respect and value the contributions of any choice a woman makes in helping this world run smoothly. We need the SAHM’s just as much as the work outside the home mother. Each makes a valuable contribution to our society and each, in a different way, acts as a role model.

So, whether you are a small, solo entrepreneur or working for a large company, join organizations that promote and foster girl empowerment.  In your community embrace opportunities to interact with young women, act as role models or contribute to causes that support them.  Bring your daughter to work and if you can’t, find places where they can be accommodated. If your daughter wants to be a firefighter, go find a female firefighter and ask her to walk your daughter through the station, talk about the challenges she faced and how she overcame them.  If you can contribute time to an organization that promotes girls, do so.  We all have different expertise, share some of yours with others. Join in the Junior Achievement “Economics of Staying in School” program and teach it at local elementary schools sending a strong message about staying in school and about women in business. If you belong to any networking or community organizations, use those too as an opportunity to get out into the community fostering and encouraging young women to be successful in whatever way they define it. BE the woman you want your daughter, niece or granddaughter to be. Respect the choice they make – then go out of your way to help them achieve it!

As Owner and Principal partner of “Writing Right For You” Sheralyn is a Communications Strategist – working together with entrepreneurs to maximize profit through effective use of the written word. Looking for web content that works, blog articles that engage or communications strategies that help you get noticed?  Contact Sheralyn today. Sheralyn is also the mother of two children now entering the “terrible and terrific teens” and spends her free time volunteering for several non-profit organizations.

Sheralyn Roman B.A., B.Ed.

Writing Right For You

Communications Strategies that help you GET TO THE POINT!

416-420-9415 Cell/Business

writingrightforyou@gmail.com

LinkedIn / Facebook / www.writingrightforyou.weebly.com

Managing Information Overload

Tamara high res 1

Whatever stage your business is in, I can guarantee that you are managing a lot of information. It may sound familiar to be juggling things like correspondence, deadlines, project work and your many-amazing-ideas on a daily basis.

Today I am going to share some simple strategies of how to easily (and enjoyably) send and receive information without it being a stressful or overwhelming process.

Information can come to in the form of a phone call, email, text or even a knock at the office door. When you get that email or pick up the phone, the first step is to identify if it is reference material that is ‘response required’ or not.

Reference material is anything that you will need to access at a later time. For example, it could be details about the date and time of a networking event (time based) or some industry news that you will need to look at later for a project you are working on.

The information that comes to you (but doesn’t require a response) is often the hardest to keep track of. The most effective strategy I have ever used has been to categorize information and prepare a collection area before it comes. Of course you can’t predict every type of information that will come your way, but don’t worry. You should easily be able to create word documents or sections in your paper planners/notebooks to divide topics such as Marketing, Product/Service Development, Website, Industry news etc.

As you start noticing trends in types of information you can add them as you go. Having this area prepared is a quick solution for handing the information that does not yet need to be processed. It is also an easy way to input new information and reference it because it is not getting mixed up from the beginning.

If the reference material is time related, it is considered ‘response required’. To handle this information, simply write down the task in relation to a date or time in your calendar, right at that moment. This could be details of a webinar you intend on attending or something related to sending information to someone else. If you don’t do it as soon as you receive it, it will be something that can get lost in the shuffle. If you don’t have time to do it right then…read on and I will tell you the next important strategy.

If you don’t have time to do any follow up action when receiving information (ie. Look up a quote for a client on the phone), then don’t receive it. Remember, this is your business and you get to set up your day the way that works best for you. It’s better to call the client back when you are available to talk, rather than let it interrupt your current work and risk forgetting to follow up.

Finding a way to manage this information proactively is key to being productive and reducing the stress that comes along with not being able to easily access information when you need it. You get to step out of being reactionary in your business and give yourself more time and opportunity to dive deeper into the work at hand – reference materials near by.

Lastly, becoming organized with information takes commitment and time. It’s an evolutionary process that needs to be adjusted as your business grows. If you find yourself having so much information collected on one certain topic, it may be time to sub-categorize or sift through the information and pull out the most important parts.

It may require an initial time investment but it will definitely save you far more time and decrease stress in the future when any kind of information needs to be sent or received in your business.

Tamara is the owner and designer at ‘Your Pretty Pages’ where she provides templates, guides, tools and resources for creative entrepreneurs to get and stay organized. To gain access to Tamara’s FREE 5 Day Challenge (Transforming Information Overload to Organizational Bliss) visit https://yourprettypages.com/5daychallenge/ .

Leadership Opportunities

 

Sheralyn

Much has been made recently about two excellent books, “Thrive” and “Lean In,” both written by successful female leaders.  Each highlights in a different way, the importance and value of the role women can and should play in the corporate world.  Regardless of your career choice, women should collectively draw strength and inspiration from these books but it can sometimes be hard to parlay the experiences of a corporate executive into that of a SOHO entrepreneur.  How for example, do we seize opportunities to develop our leadership style, to “lean in” at the table when we have only our dog for company as we work diligently away in our home office?  How do we engage in the “third metric” looking after ourselves, our own health and planning for giving back to our communities when it seems we need every hour of every day just to keep our small business afloat? It might be challenging but leadership opportunities exist where leadership opportunities are sought. In other words, find them! Here’s how you can both “lean in” and “thrive” even while operating your SOHO business.

The first thing you need to do, for the sake of your business and your ability to learn, practice and engage in leadership style behaviours, is join your local Chamber of Commerce or Board of Trade.  Typically, fees for doing so are nominal and the benefit exponential.  Not only are you opening the doors of your business to potential customers and referral networking opportunities but you are also affiliating yourself with a known and respected entity in the community.  This official office might also help lend an air of authenticity to your business.  Once a member, it’s up to you to lean in and seize opportunities to become further involved, perhaps by taking on a leadership role in the governing body of the organization or by volunteering for speaking engagements or trade shows where presentations and public speaking may be required. This will provide you with plenty of opportunities to enhance your skills in these areas and to make new contacts and develop new relationships.  Personal growth and business growth will both result from these experiences and each, in turn, provides you with the tools to learn and grow your leadership skills.

While time remains the enemy of us all, with a bit of planning and a little dose of ingenuity and foresight, take on a voluntary role with a community social service agency.  Join the Board of an organization or charity that you already support and believe in or leverage your current business skills and link with an agency that mirrors the type of service your business offers and requires someone with your expertise. These volunteer positions represent networking opportunities, a chance to enhance and grow your personal leadership skill sets and you will be doing a good thing, engaging in your community. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

Many towns and cities also have Small Business Enterprise Centres and these offices often look for Guest Speakers and Experts in the field to come in and provide one hour seminars to program participants.  Again, this is another fantastic way to reach out, share your expertise and learn public speaking skills while engaging in a leadership role. Often these programs are geared to new immigrants and/or young entrepreneurs just starting out who are looking for mentors and the type of sage business advice you have to offer.

Consider your skill sets and what you can give back. How can you package your experiences into an opportunity that benefits both you and your business? There is nothing wrong with offering your services to community organizations in a way that also enhances your business profile. If you need practice with public speaking Toastmasters is an excellent way to learn confidence, speaking skills and further develop your leadership abilities. Give each of these suggestions some serious consideration.  By leaning in, getting involved in your community and taking on a leadership role you will help foster your own personal and professional growth.  Watch your business thrive as a result and Rover will no longer be your only companion in the office!

 

As Owner and Principal partner of “Writing Right For You” Sheralyn is a Communications Strategist – working together with entrepreneurs to maximize profit through effective use of the written word. Looking for web content that works, blog articles that engage or communications strategies that help you get noticed?  Contact Sheralyn today. Sheralyn is also the mother of two children now entering the “terrible and terrific teens” and spends her free time volunteering for several non-profit organizations.

Sheralyn Roman B.A., B.Ed.

Writing Right For You

Communications Strategies that help you GET TO THE POINT!

416-420-9415 Cell/Business

writingrightforyou@gmail.com

LinkedIn / Facebook / www.writingrightforyou.weebly.com

Time is of the Essence : 5 Time Management Tips

Praveeni Perera

The old saying that Time and Tide wait for none rings true even in the modern and developed world. This can explain the reason why time management has become a very important topic in the business world today. Time lost can never be gained. Follow the tips given below to better organize your time only manage your time and make maximum use of the time available to you. Good organization is key to good time management.

1. Plan your day to sail smoothly
Effective planning  is crucial to time management. When planning your day, make sure to list the tasks according to the level of priority. Prioritize your work according to their importance. This way you can be sure that the important tasks get done.  Place a check mark or strike out the tasks once completed. You can also stipulate a time frame within which you need to complete each task. It’s important to remember that you are bound to be interrupted and disturbed while you engage in completing your tasks, so schedule time for such disturbances and interruptions. Once you complete your task list, you have a better idea of what your day is going to be like.

2. Set a goal and go for it
Planning your day without a goal is very detrimental to achieving success in time management. It is important to set goals and targets for yourself as you go through your planned tasks or activities. Your goals and targets should be achievable and realistic. You can dedicate a few minutes of your time before a task to plan how to carry out that task to success and a few minutes after the task, to figure out if you achieved the result you wanted.

3. Set deadlines for yourself
Each of your tasks should  have a designated deadline within which to be completed. This way you will not spend extra time on one particular task or call. Some tasks can prolong for a day or two but it’s essential that every task have a stipulated completion deadline. Blocking out distractions and even placing a sign that says “Do Not Disturb” is a good way to stay focused to meet your deadline.

4. Delegate, delegate, delegate
Delegating work is another tip to adhere to for good time management. No one can do everything by themselves. There will be opportunities and necessity to delegate your work to another person, and when these opportunities arise, make use of them. A person who has a specialty or interest in a task that you have to accomplish, will be able to accomplish that same task more easily and also faster than you. Be alert and look out for such opportunities as they will free up time that you can devote to another task. As an entrepreneur it’s a good idea to invest in an intern or personal assistant. This way you can delegate everyday tasks and have more time to focus on growing your business.

5. Take a “ME” break from TIME
Get into the habit of saving precious time by doing the right thing at the right time. Plan and take time for yourself either to make a personal phone call or update social media. This will give a breath of fresh air and rejuvenate you to tackle the tasks lined up for the rest of the day or at least for the next hour or two.  It is not possible to focus steadily for a whole day and get good results. The odds are that 20% of your activities for the day produce 80% of the results.

Effective time management is the result of good organization; being proactive and focused on the results you want to achieve for yourself. Good organization also means that you know what is on your desk at any given time. Unwanted papers belong in the waste paper basket and not on your desk. Files and documents can be organized in an orderly fashion so there will be no time wasted in looking for a document or file.

Much time is wasted in offices globally on “Gossip”. Gossip is not only a time killer but also a relationship killer. Anyone interested in managing their time should have no time for gossip.

Effective time management results in being focused on the end result. Set reminders, use calendars. There are many tools and software available to the professional today for effective time management and it would do one well to make maximum use of them.

At the end of each day, go through the plan you did at the beginning of the day and determine for yourself if your day was productive. Following these guidelines will help you build a productive day and a productive life style.

Praveeni Perera is the CEO and co-founder of Professional Edge Consulting a corporate training company based in Ottawa offering training and coaching services to clients around the world.  She can be reached via Website, Twitter, Facebook or her Blog.

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