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Dealing with Negative Comments on Your Website

August 4th, 2010

By Matt Cook
Point.Click Media

The old adage that there’s no such thing as bad press isn’t entirely accurate in today’s world. Look no further than Apple’s recent antenna problems with the iPhone 4. Just ask Steve Jobs and the Apple shareholders what the cost of bad press is. You thought you were insane for remortgaging your house to buy an iPhone? Just wait until the next version is released and you have to sell your family and both kidneys to help recoup Apple’s losses. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Branding Tips

Part 2: Driving Traffic to Your New Website for Pennies a Day

June 23rd, 2010

Obsolete Book - 5/365

photo credit: Jamiesrabbits - "Hello? Operator? I'm looking for someone who can point me towards the 21st century..."

By Matt Cook
Point.Click Media

Last week, in the first half of this 2 part series, we offered a few ways to help you get your website off the ground by providing free methods of driving traffic to your website to help your organic search engine rankings. This includes updating your website with regular content and link building with your closest business partners and associations, among other things.

All of our provided free methods work great, however they can take a significant amount of time to produce results. Now, we’re not all perfect – often, when we don’t see results right away we’re bound to fall off the wagon eventually. There’s no real reason to fret over it though, because unlike those 10 unsightly pounds you have circled in red permanent marker on the top of your New Years Resolution list every January, your immediate problems can be resolved with only a pocket full of change. We’re not talking thousands of dollars or even hundreds. You can essentially purchase extra traffic for the cost of a ham sandwich. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Branding Tips, General News, Tips and Tricks

Part 1: Driving Traffic to Your New Website – For FREE

June 16th, 2010

141 Little Suamico House 26

photo credit: MorrowLess - Corn on the Ty Cobb anyone?

By Matt Cook
Point.Click Media

It’s the nature of the entrepreneur. You’ve invested some money into your website, giving it a fresh new look and all kinds of great new features that are going to have your customers drooling and itching to throw fistfuls of cash at you like Steve Jobs at an Apple Developers Conference. Now you want to start cashing in a return on your investment.

Alas, you’ve launched the website and not much is happening. You’ve built it, so why aren’t they coming? Well unfortunately, unlike the vast cornfields of Iowa that are inhabited by hoards of dead baseball players just waiting to flock to Kevin Costner’s house for a game of poltergeist stickball, search engines don’t give you that automatic drawing power just because you’re there. You need to earn their respect. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Branding Tips, General News, Tips and Tricks

So What’s the Deal With Vector?

May 5th, 2010

This type of Vector - although delicious and high in fibre - is not what were talking about

This type of Vector - although delicious and high in fibre - is not what we're talking about

By Matt Cook
Point.Click Media

If you’ve ever gone to a sign shop, cresting/embroidery shop, or any design and printing house to get your marketing materials designed or printed, there’s a good chance that one of the very first questions you’ll be presented with is, “Can you supply us with a vector of your logo?” Your first instinct may be to reply, “A logo? Sure! I’ll send a JPEG over as soon as I get back to the office.” But do you really know what you are providing? Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Branding Tips, General News

Part 2 – Old fashioned Public Relations: The Press Release

March 31st, 2010

We cant all be as awesome as Billy Mays...

We can't all have a PR guy like Billy Mays at the helm...

By Matt Cook
Point.Click Media

As we outlined last week in Part 1 of this series, a press release can have a profound effect on your public relations. They are the most traditional method of getting your business name some ‘air time’ in the public eye. Anytime your company has some worthwhile news that may garner some interest from your demographic, a press release can certainly achieve that goal.

So what does a 21st century press release look like?

Remember, the goal of a press release is to interest, educate and in the end, engage your demographic. The interest part can be taken from the event itself, for example, if your company is writing about a new product that may be launching.

The education process is important in describing the new product to the consumer. Of course, I’m not just talking about the physical description of the product, but also what makes it attractive to potential customers. Here are some questions you can ask yourself:

  • What is it?
  • What does it do?
  • What are the benefits of having this product?
  • What makes this better than a similar product?
  • Where can I get it?

Enhancing the education process will also help your customers realize the need for your product. With so many people being more susceptible to visuals, adding photos, video (or audio) clips and links will allow people to get a much clearer picture of what the product and your company are all about. In addition, adding quotes from the company owner, customer testimonials and even product reviews will all give extra credibility to your press release.

Finally, engaging your reader with a call to action is the ultimate goal. Be sure to provide plenty of contact information, not only for your readers but for media outlets as well. If someone has taken the time to read your press release, chances are there’s something there that has peaked their interest, and you want to be able to provide them with additional information if they choose to seek it. A call to action can be as simple as saying “For more information, call 1-888-8888” or “Visit www.newproduct.com to learn more.”

Note: Be sure to use proper formatting when writing a press release. A press release should have a clear headline, summary, location and dateline, a body and contact information. Some media outlets require a certain formatting as a sort of ‘screening process’ in accepting press releases, so it’s important to take the time to cover everything.

A great example of a press release with proper formatting can be found here

What you do with your press release after you write it, and who you contact is up to you. Your business may decide to distribute the document to a variety of local or national media outlets, or you may choose to just keep it brief and post it on your website or Facebook group. In any case, make sure that your readers can get a good sense of what you’re trying to accomplish with the press release and offer them the best information possible. If you’re in need of some direction, a starting point for establishing good public relations, or even some expansion on the few points we’ve made here, contact Point.Click Media.

Posted in Branding Tips

Part 1 – Old Fashioned Public Relations: The Press Release

March 24th, 2010

Megaphon

photo credit: floeschie

By Matt Cook
Point.Click Media

Supplying useful content to your client base is a key part of building customer loyalty. It’s important that your clients can get what they need, when they need it. Getting the word out takes good public relations. This can be achieved through many different avenues including online, newsletters, mailers, television, radio and any other traditional medium available.

With a growing list of possibilities to reach your demographic, there’s one particular piece of traditional PR that is being overlooked by a plethora of small businesses: the press release. There are many business owners out there today who feel that their small business news doesn’t warrant such an event, or that there’s a certain white-collar vibe that comes attached with it. I’m reminded of a recent television commercial in which a potato farmer interrupts the narrator with the line “This ain’t no romance novel… it’s just a sweet potato.” No matter what product or service your business is putting to market, and no matter what the size of your company may be, a little positive news goes a long way.

So what exactly is a press release, and how should I be using them?

A press release, in general, is some form of statement from your business that is sent out to various media outlets. It could be information about a new product, a new location, or an event that your company may be organizing or participating in – whatever you feel is important for the public to know about your business.

In the long gone days of yore, press releases were originally created for damage control, and are still used this way in some cases. When bad publicity caused turmoil between a company and consumers, a press release would be sent out to set the facts and the record straight. Eventually, companies began sending out carefully written press releases to all sorts of media outlets with the hopes of their information going viral (in today’s terms). If the statement got picked up by a major newspaper for example, it was like hitting a PR jackpot.

Today, press releases can take on a different form. Although submitting your press releases to various media outlets can still be an effective method of public relations, the internet has changed the way we distribute information. With the efficiency of today’s search engines, posting a press release even on your own website can have a global effect without having to contact anyone. With Facebook groups, Twitter, and internet forums all part of the mix, reaching out to your demographics has never been easier.

Next week we’ll look at writing a proper press release and what should (or shouldn’t) be included.

Posted in Branding Tips

Part 2: Herding Trade Show Traffic

March 17th, 2010

DSC_0028

photo credit: AskDaveTaylor

By Matt Cook
Point.Click Media

Last week we began looking at what your business can do to generate interest at trade shows. Keeping with the theme, we’re offering up some more tips to keep in mind when setting up shop at your next trade show appearance. It’s one thing to stick a few bundles of brochures out on a table and let people stroll on by and hope for the best, but it’s important to be proactive in your plan of attack.

To recap points 1-3 from last week, providing adequate space for traffic flow and staffing your booth with well branded, proactive and outgoing staff allow your business to take a much more sociable approach. So let’s keep going…

4. Look the part. Unless you’re giving away free mortgages at your booth that will have people flocking to you regardless if your setup looks like a 6th grade science project, you’re going to want to differentiate yourself from the norm. Keep in mind that you’re competing for attention against dozens of other companies, likely in your very industry and possibly even your closest competition. A properly designed display with a proper setup and information is key, which leads us to perhaps our most important tip:

5. Plan ahead. If your business is going to put in the effort and spend the money on reserving space at a trade show, why wouldn’t you want to do your homework before hand? You can always tell those booths who threw a PowerPoint presentation together in the company van on the way to the show itself. Research the demographic of the show. Find out which other companies are going to be there. A trade show itself may only be a few days in length but those few days can make a big impact if you put the effort into planning first.

6. Provide “infotainment”. As mentioned earlier, anyone can plunk a stack of booklets or pamphlets on a table a sit back and wait for people to come to them, but going above and beyond to make your business and information attractive to potential customers certainly improves your chances of finding legitimate leads. Whether you’re presenting videos or projected presentations, operating an interactive game with giveaways, etc., the companies that try to think outside the box usually draw the best reviews at trade shows. Getting interactive is a great way to inject some juice into those walking trade show zombies. For example, try expanding beyond the walls of the trade show complex by broadcasting your happenings via social media. This allows people who may not be able to make it to the show to participate online.

There’s no need to stress out over your trade show appearance. The goal is not to double your first quarter revenue at a single event. The goal should be to put the feelers out there, educate people about your company and generate interest. If people like what they see, they will inquire about your product or services further. If you’re looking for some assistance in putting together a look for your trade show display that fits your brand and will raise some eyebrows, contact Point.Click Media.

Posted in Branding Tips

Part 1: Herding Trade Show Traffic

March 10th, 2010

Huge Thriller display in side the MJ exhibition shop at the O2

photo credit: Abi Skipp

By Matt Cook
Point.Click Media

Have you ever tried being a fly on the wall at a trade show and observed the traffic flow? It can be akin to watching the music video for Michael Jackson’s Thriller – without the dance choreography. In the end they’re just a bunch of zombies wandering the streets. They pace the rows of booths staring straight ahead and trying their best not to make eye contact and stuffing their gift bag full of brains, fridge magnets and whatever other free samples they can get their hands on – with no real interest in knowing what they’re grabbing.

“Sample clippings from the XCalibur 3000 Nose Hair Trimmer? SWEET! Wait, what am I going to do with that? Who cares! It’s FREE! I’ll put the little vial on the mantle at Nanna’s. She loves knick knacks.”

So how do you inject some life into those zombies and get something out of them? There’s a few key steps you can take to get the best bang for your buck at trade shows:

1. For starters, your display should provide adequate space for people to move around. Nobody likes to be crammed into those tiny phone booth sized displays that feel like they’re going to collapse on top of you with your next breath. Space is important to allow people to relax and feel at ease.

2. Make sure your booth is well staffed so that people with questions have someone to talk to. At the same time, your staff should be identifiable, be it branded attire or a name tag, etc. – something that lets people know who you are. How many times have you been at a trade show or in a department store when someone approaches you and asks, “Excuse me, do you work here?” This is usually a telling sign that your staff are not being recognized.

3. Prepare your staff to interact with people. Remember, consider the show-goers as zombies; they can’t talk. It’s important to be proactive and outgoing. Now, this of course doesn’t mean your staff should be chasing after people into the parking lot and waving a brochure in their face, but in most cases you’ll need to make that first connection.

Remember that you’re there to provide information and educate potential customers and generate new contacts. Selling shouldn’t be the goal of your trade show display. Stay tuned. Next week we’ll have a few more tips on getting the most out of your trade show experience.

Posted in Branding Tips

How Social Media Can Impact Your Business

February 24th, 2010

Fragment of an artifact from 2006

photo credit: dno1967 - "You pressed... 998#24%*00 - Thank you for calling Unorthodox Jewish Tech Support for the hearing impaired."

By Matt Cook
Point.Click Media

“It’s just a fad.”

“This will never catch on.”

“This won’t last.”

We said it about The Simpsons, we said it about grunge music, and at one point it was even said about the internet itself. Many of us are still saying it about social media. There’s no denying the fact that social media is here for the long run, and without even knowing it your business is likely being impacted by it as we speak. The internet is now a giant forum where people – your customers – are gathering to chat about anything and everything, and eventually your business will become a topic of choice.

So what’s being said about my business?

The internet has a place for everyone. Whether you’re manufacturing proton accelerators for use in swallowing the planet whole, or printing t-shirts sporting Tony Danza and the slogan “I’m the Boss”, there’s a fan club, forum, chat room, Twitter feed or Facebook group for your niche. Social media is a great way to find out what people are saying about your product or service and to generate valuable feedback in improving your customer relationships.

But even with the vast universe that is the web, your business can still keep in close personal contact with your clients. For example, with Facebook groups you can interact directly with your clients. Allowing people to interact one-on-one with your business goes a long way toward establishing customer loyalty. It can act as an extension to your public relations. After all, nobody likes calling up a corporate hotline to listen to this:

“Welcome to the redundant, soulless, throw yourself in front of a Greyhound bus, service hotline.
For Shipping Inquiries… Press 1.
For Billing Inquiries… Press 2.
For Tech Support… Press 3.”

*Several Hours Later*

“For Customer Service… Press 473#**901.”

There’s no point in dismissing social media as a marketing tool. I’m reminded of those television interviews in the early 2000’s with the Iraqi generals who claimed, “We are not being invaded!” when you could clearly see American paratroopers launching grenades at the presidential compound in the background. Those that choose to simply ignore new avenues for generating interest in their business can expect the same results. Try searching for yourself or your company name directly and see what comes up and what’s being said about you. It can be a good indicator of whether or not you’re on the right track. If you’ve got a bomber full of exclusive information to drop on your client base, contact Point.Click Media.

Posted in Branding Tips, General News

Why Hire a Photographer?

February 10th, 2010

By Matt Cook
Point.Click Media

Last week we took a quick peek at the advantages of hiring a copywriter to help ensure that your message speaks the right words to the right people. It’s important to have the right pieces in place when connecting with your demographic, and the photography and imagery that you present to your clients can have an equally significant impact as your message. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Branding Tips

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