Eventprofs turns 4 years old this coming Saturday. In 4 years it has seen a mention in Tim O’Reilly’s The Twitter Book, awards ceremonies for the industry’s best blogs, and a 24/7 stream of industry-related chatter…and then there’s the weekly chats. Have you missed those chats? I have. And so comes an announcement.

Our thanks…

For over 2 years, Adrian Segar (@ASegar) has filled the spot of #eventprofs Community Manager. He has been instrumental in keeping the chats going – and, more importantly, being a champion for the community. On a personal note, I am immensely thankful to Adrian as he’s dedicated incredible time, effort and expertise into growing #eventprofs. It’s with great sadness that we see him step down from the position and leave a giant crater to fill.

After a call out to the community we saw a great number of wonderful members throw their hat in the ring for the title of Community Manager. And one person really shone.

A New Era

This person has been with #eventprofs since Day 1. In fact, he was our very first chat moderator. He is a stalwart in the events industry. He holds 5, count ‘em, 5 professional industry certifications (CMP, CEM, CASE, CMM and CTA). Successful Meetings magazine bestowed him with their Convention Services Manager of the Year award and The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) proclaimed him a Future Leader of the Industry. We are honored to have Mr. Greg Ruby (@GregRuby) as our #eventprofs Community Manager for 2013.

We’re also thrilled to share that Carolyn Ray (@carolyn_ray) will be supporting Greg as #eventprofs Community Advocate. Carolyn brings great enthusiasm to the role…I guess that’s why she’s been touted as “The Enthusiastic Planner”. When she was a little girl, her mother bought her a copy of Meredith Brokaw’s Penny Whistle Party Planner. Little did she know that this book would be the beginning of an ever-growing passion for all things event related. Twenty-some years later, she was named one of Event Solutions Magazine’s Rising Stars. And over the past 8 years, Carolyn has been working on a wide range of events from parties to fundraisers, conferences to weddings and everything in between.

Join Us

This Thursday, February 7th @ 12pm EST, Greg will chair our first #eventprofs chat of the year. The topic will be “Eventprofs – looking forward while honoring the past 4 years of community.” We hope that you’ll join us and help to shape a community whose single-minded goal is to grow and nurture the industry and those who serve it.

Also, if you haven’t already, please join:

Eventprofsjobs – a place to post and apply to event jobs

Event Market – a place to buy and sell used event goods

Eventprofs – a Facebook group for the community

More info on #eventprofs:

What is #eventprofs (and everything else you wanted to know)

How to participate in an #eventprofs chat (video)

If you’ve ever presented an idea, concept, solution, proposal or credentials to a potential client, you’ve pitched. What’s unfortunate is that most pitches are mediocre at best. Enter the new AMC show The Pitch.

If you haven’t yet watched The Pitch, you’ve been missing out. Every event planner, wedding planner, event supplier and sales person can learn major lessons from this behind-the-scenes view into the world of advertising pitches. Having sat in on and delivered a number of agency pitches myself, I can attest that this is a pretty accurate depiction of what happens inside and out of the boardroom.

Becoming a great pitch person is a craft – honed over years of rejections, wins, flubs and ovations. What I love so much about this show is that you now get the ability to fast-track your learning by watching what works and what doesn’t for others. So, for those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of catching it, here are 5 lessons every planner can learn, inspired by The Pitch…

1. The pitch begins before the pitch

Most people believe that the pitch is the moment you present your ideas, but it actually begins from your very first interactions with your potential client. Every moment of contact you have before the presentation is an opportunity to create an emotional connection, build rapport and establish trust (not to mention give you valuable insight into your client – insights your competitors might not have). If your client hasn’t included a round for questions, ask for it. If they revert to talking over the phone, try to get a face to face. What most people miss is that your ideas are only part of the reason why someone chooses to do business with you.

2. The Tissue Session can be your best friend

A Tissue Session is an interim call that allows the agency to talk through partly-developed ideas with the client before the big presentation. Why the name? Every once in a while the ideas are so off they result in the agency passing out tissues to dry the eyes of the team. Given this, why on Earth would any company want to hold a Tissue Session? Without the session, the agency would be dead in the water on the day of the presentation. With the session, they have a chance to course correct. The tissue session is an opportunity to learn more about your client, their needs and their boundaries at a time when you’re still trying to get to know a virtual stranger.

3. Don’t just give them what they ask for, but never give them only what they didn’t want.

You are the expert at what you do. The client is the expert at what they want. Sometimes these two roads might not intersect – maybe you feel that the client’s direction is wrong. As an expert, it’s your job to share what, based on your experience, is in the best interest of the client – but this can come at a cost. Make a client feel stupid or that you haven’t listened to them and you’ve lost them forever. Help a client understand what will grow their business and you could earn a client for life.

The value you bring to your clients is helping them steer clear of pitfalls you’ve seen before, giving them ideas to get them to their goals faster and knowing where your industry is heading. Rather than simply give them what they asked for, you might want to show them a range of concepts (just ensure you’re prepared with valid reasons why your preferred concept should be considered).

At the end of the day, the work you produce is your legacy. No future client will look at your work and understand that your client wanted it that way, even if you didn’t.

4. Don’t leave the presentation to the last minute

In virtually every episode of The Pitch, the time is spent on creative development, leaving no time for preparing for the presentation to the client. I’m constantly amazed by how bad the presentations are.

Never expect your creative to do the talking for you. First, you clients aren’t experts at what you do which means although they might have a guttural reaction to your presentation, the reason why you chose that substrate, those colors, that technology might get lost in translation (and so will your innovative thinking). Second, great presentations create an emotional hook and tell a story that carve out a lasting spot in your customer’s memory. Start by framing the compelling problem or the setting (point a), defining the client’s dream (point b) and briefly how what you are presenting will get them from a to b. Be concise, be compelling and stick to what’s important.

5. Never, ever leave loose ends

One of the biggest mistakes companies make when pitching a new client is leaving the meeting not knowing where they stand. Ambiguity keeps you guessing – great for quiz shows but not so great for business. At the end of every pitch I delivered I would ask one thing: “Is there anything we’ve discussed today that would prevent us from doing business together?” This would lead to a yes or no answer, which gives you an opportunity to follow up with a ‘why’ or expand on something you might have left unresolved, unmentioned or unclear. Never leave a meeting with loose ends.

Your ability to pitch can the lifeline to a healthy and growing business. If you want to hone your skills, take an hour out of your day and watch The Pitch…you’ll learn a lot.

Recently I was asked the question: How do I decide what to bill for my time? This is a question that plagues many consultants who have no idea what to charge for their services. Here’s what I recommend:

What is your vision for your business?

The first place to start is to understand what you want your business to look like: Do you want to be a premium service provider (i.e. you have a value differentiator in the market) or do you want to be the lowest cost provider? It’s very difficult, and not sustainable, to charge a premium price if you don’t have unique value to offer (this is, in my opinion, one of the biggest mistakes companies make).

What’s your income goal?

At the end of the year, what do you want your income to be? Obviously, you need to be realistic with this number. If you’re a wedding planner with a year of experience under your belt, don’t expect to make what a seasoned and experienced professional nets. As a starting point, think about what your income might be if you were working for someone else.

Know your expenses

Estimate your annual overhead. This would include the cost of your telephone, office / rent, staff, travel, insurance, and all of the other expenses needed to run your business.

Project your profit

What do you want your profit margin to be? – this is what you’ll earn over and above your salary. Profit margins are important: they can help you save up for the unexpected, the wanted and the rainy days. They also give you the ability to reinvest in your business – that means website updates, new staff, new technologies, new inventory, etc…all things important in growing your business.

Estimate your billable hours

A lot of new consultants make the mistake of thinking that they bill for most of their time. Unfortunately with downtime, administration tasks (quoting, billing, book keeping, etc), travel, education, and a slew of things tasks every consultant needs to do (that most hate doing), the average time spent on UNbillable work is about 35%. You also need to account for any vacations or holidays you want to take off throughout the year. So, if you’re thinking of working a 40 hour work week, only 26 of those hours will likely be billable. If you add a 2 week vacation, that works out to 1,300 billable hours per year (26 hours per week x 52-2 weeks).

Calculating your hourly fee

So, let’s say you want to make $80K, your overhead is $20K, you want a 10% profit margin, and you plan on working 1,300 billable hours

Your salary + overhead = $100K
A 10% profit margin = $100K + $10K = $110K
Divided by you billable hours = $110/1,300 = $84.60

Based on this example, your hourly billable rate would be $85.

Is this realistic?

Do your research and find out what others are billing. Go back to my first question: What’s your vision for your business and determine how your pricing fits in line with other market offerings. If you’re not in the ballpark, you need to seriously reconsider either what you want to make in a year, what your overhead costs will be and/or how many hours you need to work on billable projects.

Good luck & happy billing.

Do you have any other methods you’ve used to calculate your fees?

Yes, it’s been 2 weeks since my last post. I feel it would only be fitting if I was in a confessional right now. But, alas, I’m not – I’m sitting at my desk desperately trying to catch up on all of my work. So, instead of my normal post, I thought I’d share some ideas and news with you until I get back on track next week. Not to worry, dear reader, I promise to give you some interesting content to nosh on until we meet here again.

My favorite new task management tool:

Like me, maybe you’ve been looking for a great task management system. Until recently, I was using Basecamp and hated it. Then, my client introduced Asana to me. It’s easy to create collaborative tasks, sync with your calendar, assign task responsibilities, even create followers…and the best part is that it’s 100% free. Perhaps I could schedule some blog writing time ;)

Build an Event Website

My friend, Julius Solaris of Event Manager Blog, has recently launched a WordPress template for called WordPress Event Theme and I’ve partnered with him to help promote this new tool.

It has everything an event manager would need: the ability to manage speakers, sessions, registrations, customize the design and it also works across devices (smart phones, tablets and PCs).

The cost is just $99 to use for unlimited events (or $149 with support). Purchase here.

Eventprofs Chat

This Thursday, I will be hosting an EventProfs chat at 12pm EST on How to get PR for your event/business. I will have some guest experts (including BizBash, Event Marketer Magazine and Plan Your Meetings) with me on the chat to answer your burning questions. Click the link to find out more about how to participate in an eventprofs chat.

I’m coming to Chi-town:

I’m happy to share that I’ll be back in Chicago. This time, I’ll be speaking at Smart Mart in partnership with Smart Meetings magazine on May 24th at The Drake. Click here to register and find out more about the event.

Much of what I write about on my blog is idea-based. Once I share a concept, my job ends and yours begins. Your job is to take what applies to you, sell it in to your organization and put it into practice. But alas, most great ideas die on the vine – before they can ever be harvested. The following article, originally written for MPI Toronto, will give you more fodder to help you sell in that great idea. So enjoy!

You have a brilliant idea. The problem is that no one else in the organization shares your wild enthusiasm. They think it’s a fad, so they don’t want to invest time or money into something that will be here today and gone tomorrow. Should you kiss your great idea goodbye?

FAD VS TREND

5 KEYS TO UNLOCK BUY IN

1. Know your culture

2. Start with the end in mind

3. Build a Story

4. Recognize that emotion trumps all

5. Have a pink spoon in your back pocket

I was very honored to hear that someone nominated my blog for the Canadian Event Industry Award’s Best Blog. If you’ve ever read a post and found it useful, meaningful or enjoyable, I would appreciate your support by voting for READY2SPARK here.

Please also take the time to vote for some other great Canadian talent, if you can.

(image via bjmccray)

This article originally appeared in my Event Solutions ‘Sparks of Attraction’ column.

Most businesses want more customers. Let me tell you why that can be a BIG mistake. More customers is not the same as the right customers. So while you’re wasting time busily trying to keep someone happy who doesn’t value you and never will, your ideal match could be walking right on by.

Your customers can make or break your business. They can motivate you, bring out your best work, rave about you to others like them, delight your employees and make you  ‘cha-ching’ more profitable. Or they can do the opposite. What grates me is how little time most companies spend on understanding the engine that drives their business.

More often than not, when I ask a business to describe their ideal customer I hear things like, “Chicago brides” (in the case of a wedding planner), “Event Planners” (in the case of an event vendor) or “Fortune 500 companies” (in the case of a corporate event planner). General, blasé, unremarkable and totally non-actionable. By trying to appeal to such a vague and large group of people, you’re unable to speak in a language that captivates any one type of customer, you’re unable to tell them specifically what problem you’ll solve for them and you’re unable to tell them what goal you’ll help them achieve. The end result is that you’ll sound just like everyone else. This increases your competitive pool and the chances of you being seen as a commodity.

Painting a Profile of your Ideal Customer

The only way you will attract your ideal customers is if you first create a crystal-clear picture of who they are.

Let’s first look at what we usually see:

Now, let’s take a look at what we should see:

See the difference?

The first is not only a snore-fest but it provides no clear insight into who your customer really is. The second paints a picture of her personality as well as her hopes, dreams and fears. I can now imagine which magazines she might read, which blogs she might subscribe to, and how to talk to her so that I cut through the clutter.

Less than an Hour to a More Fulfilling Customer Base

One of the greatest keys to success is better clients. Just one hour of your time can unlock the key to your idea customer profile. What you’ll need:

• a printout of your customer list
• ‘Ideal Customer Profile’ spreadsheet (click this link to access the free form)

STEP 1: Make a list of your favorite clients (These are the clients that make you happy, you produce your best work with and often times are most profitable).

STEP 2: Make a list of your worst clients (Unlike to the first list, these clients are not enjoyable to work with, you often spend far too much time servicing them and feel unsatisfied at the end of the project or event).

STEP 3: Look for similarities. Once you have your two lists culled, identify what unifies the customers in each list using the following sub-categories:

Demographics – The statistical data about the customer:

• Where does she work?
• What’s her specific job title?
• How much money does she make?
• What’s her level of education?
• Where is she located?
• How many employees does she have?
• How much revenue does her company generate?

Psychographics – How your customer thinks:

• What keeps her up at night?
• What are her biggest concerns or her biggest joys?
• What does she get frustrated about?
• What is she most afraid of?
• What is her biggest problem at home?
• What is her biggest problem at work?
• What does she value?
• What are her goals?

Behaviors – How your customer behaves:

• What’s the first thing she does in the morning as she wakes up?
• What does she love to do?
• How does she feel about your brand?
• Is she a new customer, repeat customer or raving fan?
• Does she have a special way of working?
• Does she have specific processes?

STEP 4: Build your profile – From the information you’ve pulled together begin to build your ideal customer profile.

If you liked this post, you’ll also like:

• Writing killer business goals (worksheet included)
• The epic mistake that many event businesses make

Photo via annstheclaf

I can’t tell you how many people over the years have asked me, “How do I become a public speaker?” Often the question is quickly followed with, “…but I’m really not sure whether I’m cut out for it. The thought of speaking in front of an audience scares me!”

I’ve been public speaking for over 6 years now and my career has taken me all over the world – The Caribbean, Asia, North America and Australia. But the way my professional speaking career started might surprise you…

Here’s my story

In 2006 I was at an industry networking event – I was there to make some connections since I had just started a new job in a new industry. Half way through the event I heard my name being called out by the event’s MC. “Lara, please come up to the stage and introduce yourself. You have been selected for our New Member Moment!” Shocked, dismayed, terrified, I could feel the heat rising in my face, my cheeks burning and my palms getting sweaty. I had spent my career up until this point presenting ideas to senior executives at Fortune 500 companies, but the idea of talking about myself to a room full of people made me want to run for the door.

I stood up on the stage, spotlight on my face, with everyone in the room staring at me and waiting for me to speak. I stumbled, lost all the moisture in my mouth and barely made it through my name, my company and what we did. I felt humiliated. That was my  moment to shine. That was my moment to tell everyone in the room how proud I was of my new company and convince them why we should be on their radar. But I failed.

The moment I left the event I made a pact with myself. In order to be where I saw myself, I needed to conquer my fear of public speaking. The following day, I submitted a speaking proposal to an industry conference, was accepted and had 3 short months to prepare.

I spoke at that conference and delivered my very first seminar. No word of a lie, when I finished, I got a standing ovation. From that day I knew I was hooked.

5 Tips to get started as a public speaker

#1 Burn the Boats

Legend has it that in the early 1500s Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquest commander, ordered his men to burn their boats when they invaded a new land. The idea was that it would remove any thoughts of mutiny and give them only one option…move forward.

In essence, when I signed up to speak at my first industry conference, I was burning my boat. I was removing an opportunity to retreat and presenting myself with one option…speak.

My best piece of advice for getting started with speaking is to, ahem, get started. You can’t learn public speaking from a book, you have to do it. So, contact your local business associations, industry association chapter or clubs. Get out there, start small, and get speaking.

#2 Pick Your Spotlight

One of the most important things on your journey through public speaking is to define who you are and why people should care. There are millions of speakers, but only you have your specific experiences and expertise.  Start by asking yourself, “what do I want to be known for 5 years from now?” and build everything you do from there.

#3 Get in the Spotlight

Get known as an expert by showing you’re an expert. Blogging is a great way to do this. Not only does it hone your skills, focus your thinking and keep your finger on the pulse of what’s important, but it highlights your knowledge to others. Also submit articles to industry publications and host your own webinars or teleseminars or partner with associations and publications that have their own.

#4 Build Social Proof

Bring surveys with you to every speaking event and give them to both attendees and the organizer. These are helpful for two reasons. First, you need to learn from every event – both what you did well and what you need to improve. Second, your survey should also be used to get testimonials.

#5 Create Video / Photo Content

Invite a friend to your speaking event. Give them a video and still camera and ask them to capture your session. Watch the video and learn from it. The only way to critique your own performance is to see yourself on film. And, if you’ve done a great job, you’re now creating a library of footage you can use to sell your speaking to event organizers, which you can add to a Speakers Page.

What would you add?

The 2nd most talked about Superbowl 2012 ad, according to Gnip, was the “It’s halftime in America“ spot featuring Clint Eastwood for Chrysler . It was a rallying cry, not a commercial bestowing Chrysler’s many features. It was a fine example of a manifesto.

Be yourself, everyone else is taken

Last week I wrote about the importance of building a business based on sustainable ideas, not on a comparison to your competitors. With an explosion of consumer choice and a post-recession mentality, we’ve seen a rise in what has been coined the Spend Shift Movement – consumers are shifting from “mindless consumption to mindful consumption”, choosing businesses that don’t just meet their needs, but reflect their values.

Standing for something has never been more important than it is today. And that begins by defining the ideals, beliefs and philosophies that govern your business.

Build Your Manifesto

A manifesto is a declaration of your principles, policies, or intentions. In business, it’s your rallying cry – creating clarity for your customers and employees on what you stand for and reminding you what’s truly important. It pulls everyone in your organization together with a set of ideals that allow you to work as one.

It’s often the place I begin with my customers so that I can understand them, who they serve and where they do their best work.

To build your manifesto, answer the following questions:

1. What do you believe / what drives you?
2. What do you NOT believe?
3. What were some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned in the past few years?
4. What do you wish your customers would learn?
5. What do you do consistently, even if you have to fight for it?
6. What do you wish every employee in your organization focused on?

This article originally appeared in my Event Solutions ‘Sparks of Attraction’ column.

The tyranny of ‘er’ and ‘more’

So, what makes your business different?

Most often I hear answers like: “We have better customer service.“, “We’re bigger.” and “We are more creative.” The problem with defining your business with ‘er’s and ‘more’s is that you are creating a comparison to someone else and, by doing so, you’re differentiating on degrees, not on sustainable ideas.

Why blend in when you can stand out?

No one could have imagined back in the 90s that consumers would pay $4 for a coffee. But they did. It certainly wasn’t just because the coffee was tastier. No, it actually had very little to do with the the coffee at all. What Howard Shultz, Chairman and CEO of Starbucks, set out to do was create an anomaly — when everyone else was selling coffee, he sold an experience. His vision was to create a third place, between home and work, where people could connect, relax and converse. He renamed coffee sizes. It wasn’t small, medium and large; it was short, tall, grande and venti. The names of his coffees were exotic. He brought the concept of Fair Trade to the masses. The stores were outfitted with comfortable chairs, warm colors and even fireplaces. Things that sound commonplace today, yet were anything but back then.

He made the experience so different that you couldn’t possibly draw a comparison to others.

So, what is the experience you deliver to your customers that defies comparison? If I were to call your office, who would answer the phone? What would they say? When you submit an RFP, how does it stand apart from every other? When you walk into a sales meeting, how do you present your company? If I were to go to your website, would it sound just like your competitor’s?

Let me put it another way…

One day, a number of years ago, I walked in to my office from lunch to find a beautifully wrapped package on my desk. I was perplexed why anyone was sending me a present, but that didn’t stop me from tearing it open to see what was inside. Laying delicately amongst a bed of tissue was an egg. Also in the package was a letter that, in essence, said: “We know how much care and attention you put into every package that leaves your company. If this egg is fully intact, you know how much care and attention we put into delivering packages on behalf of our clients.”, signed Shepherd Couriers. In the world of courier businesses, every company either says their faster or cheaper…in fact, we had dozens of sales letters from courier companies, fighting to get our business, singing that very hymn. But none were successful. That was until we received the egg. That company was the antithesis of fast and cheap. They stood for care and attention. And, that was a message that meant something to us. We gave them our business almost immediately.

Starting today, be irreplaceable.

Discover what you do differently today:

Finish this sentence – Our customers pay more for, and choose, our product and / or service because _____________. Another way of thinking about this is to identify what you’re doing that your customers love and your competitors find difficult to replicate.

Identify what others think you do differently:

Ask your customers, employees, peers and partners:

1. Why did you choose to hire/work for/partner with us?
2. What do you get with us that you can’t get anywhere else?
3. Once you began working with us, how did we surprise you and exceed your expectations?

Uncover what you could do differently:

What untapped need, problem or pain do you see facing your customers, and how can you use a core strength to resolve it?

Coco Chanel once said, “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” When everyone around you is singing in auto-tune, why on Earth would you want to join the choir? Stand alone and sing your heart out.

(photo via ktpupp)

In a recent advisory board meeting I attended, the topic of award entries came up. The perception is that the same names win in their category year after year after year. What do they know that you don’t?

How to win an award

I asked 4 judges, who are also award winners themselves, and 2 writers, who create award-winning entries for their clients, what you need to know. The answers might surprise you…

What are the biggest mistakes companies make when submitting an award entry?

Not reading the rules!

Colja: Most award entries are turned down even before the jury gets together because formalities are missed.

Janet: Submissions that do not provide all information requested, are thrown together carelessly or are not written within specified guidelines (word counts, layout, etc.) may result in a reduction of points awarded. It is best to read and reread and then go back point by point through your submission to ensure all elements required are included and that any directions provided have been followed perfectly.

Missing the mark

Andrea: Not paying attention to what is really needed vs. the egotistical need to praise yourself into winning, because of course you are the most original, the most cost effective, the most creative and all that bullsh*t.

Ruth: Understand why your entry should be considered to win.  What’s the angle – what sets apart your project from the others? If you can’t answer those questions with something other than “because I want to win an award”, it’s back to the drawing board.  If you don’t understand why your project should win, most likely a judge won’t either.

Underestimating the power of photography

Michelle: No matter how minute the picture, or even how bad the picture may be, an award entry’s sole purpose is to tell the story about the event. Pictures are really worth a thousand words.  As soon as you start planning an event, hire an amazing photographer and, if you can, also get a videographer. Give them specific direction on a shot list – from setting up, challenges, and during the event. Also be sure your photographer/videographer captures the emotion of the event and the artistry, yes that may be a little vague, but get them to capture all the details that went into planning the event. No detail should be left uncovered!

Getting lazy

Ruth: Pushing timeframes to the wire, and then writing in a rush is a big mistake. If you’re writing for yourself, give yourself time. If you’re having a writer do it, give them even more time.  Editing is a part of the natural writing process. When you don’t give yourself enough time to write, then you’re cheating yourself.

Janet: It is imperative to write the submission specific to each award and focused on the elements pertinent to that individual award.  You may develop an incredible submission for one award but use the same thing for another and you may miss key items that the second award calls for or the judging panel may feel that you are just dialing it in rather than truly investing in the submission process.  This is also true when submitting an event to different publications, organizations or award presenters.  There is an opportunity for cross over in judges and the requirements of submission for one may not match the requirements for another.

Writing a sales letter

Michelle: A big mistake I’ve seen is positioning entry content like a sales letter or promotional piece. This is not an ad, nor a sales campaign, this is an award entry, judged by fellow event professionals and veteran judges. The’ve  seen it all, been through it all.

Talking facts, not stories.

Ruth – They should be able to transport me to the event so that I can imagine experiencing everything first hand.

Tell me about an entry that stuck out in your mind, either really great or really bad.

Andrea: I want to be amazed. And there are so very many examples (I’m talking about great right now). Last year for Gala I saw an entry for Venice, Italy where the visuals were so incredible and the scope of the job so amazing, nothing could compare. The film they sent, the photos they took were incredible…you felt the event come alive.

And the bad and ugly? One entry on floral was about three paragraphs which told no unusual story, and a few small photos loosely put into a binder so they were falling out. If the entrant felt so little commitment to the award I didn’t think the entry could possibly be worthy.

Janet: One great entry that stands out for me is one I have seen from Thailand.  I feel like sometimes we in the West a bit arrogant about our belief in the ability to produce cutting edge, award worthy events with our access to premier technology and décor as compared to other places and we forget the beauty and creativity that comes from other countries and other cultures.  The event I am thinking of was spectacular – starting with great depictions through quality photographs.  The event showed the company’s complete attention to detail displaying beautiful work that incorporated creative fabric colors and designs in unique formats while tying in stunning floral elements to enhance the overall look.  That detail also showed in the submission of their entry – it was thorough and well organized.  Everything supported a central theme and provided multiple interesting visual experiences both for those looking at the photos as well I assume for those who actually attended the event.

What opportunities do you think businesses are missing out on?

Leveraging the nomination.

Tony:
1. Market not only your award win but also your entry and nominations
2. Use social media to share the news with your connections
3. While at the awards ceremony:

• Share a few highlights about your award nominations
• Thank your clients for allowing the event to be nominated

Janet: It is important to have press coverage of any kind – the more exposure, the more opportunities your business will have.  Take the time to submit press releases, photos, blogs, award entries, etc. on all interesting o unique events you are involved in – even if you only produced a portion of the event.  Explain your participation and the aspect that your company produced, include photos as applicable.  Take advantage of any opportunity where you can display and be acknowledged for your work.

What would you say to someone who says they don’t think their event or business is award-worthy?

Tony: You never get nominated or win if you don’t enter. All business is award-winning if you write it well and submit great photography.

Janet: Let someone else be the judge. If your event or business has any element that is unique, creative or newsworthy it is worth the attempt. Even if you do not deem what you are doing as award worthy, consider turning your submission into a blog contribution or article for a magazine. Remember, press coverage and exposure makes for good opportunities.

Colja: If you don’t try – you will never win.

Andrea: Like everything in life it’s a numbers game and you will never know what judges are looking for. Enter, enter, enter and you’ll each time learn how to write better and produce better photography. And all of us who work at this crazy industry are worthy of an award. And if you don’t think anything you do is “worthy” then start changing what you do.

In order to create an amazing entry, what processes do you recommend a business implements?

Janet: Take a personal approach to each entry, share the mood, the feelings the event was intended to engender.  Set the stage that draws the reader in to help them share the experience that the attendees had.  The judges may review a large number of submissions, if yours is well written and memorable you have a better chance of standing out.

And, submit it in advance of the deadline just in case there is a foul up to give yourself enough opportunity to make sure it gets there in plenty of time.

Colja: Work on it while it’s still fresh – and make sure you get the pictures needed.

Andrea: Take notes on site so you don’t forget anything memorable. Do a careful outline of everything you want to include. Write the entry then put away. After a while rewrite and put away again. When you think you have the final fabulous entry send to someone to read who has no experience with that event and ask them to tell you everything that could be improved upon. They are reading for content, just like a judge will. And invest everyone on the team who worked on this event to help you with the entry, adding their personal anecdotes. I also recommend making it a light hearted read so judges can have some fun reading it.

Michelle: If you can’t hire a writer to do your award entry, work out a reduced fee for them to proofread it and make the due diligence review to make sure you have all your ducks in a row. At the end of the day, 90% of the process is following the award entry rules to a T, a minor misstep can disqualify you despite how amazing your content is.

Ruth: I believe that you know early on in the process if an event is going to be award worthy from a uniqueness angle.  You may not know all the challenges that are going to arise, but to me those are the icing on the cake.  When I used to produce, I always knew ahead of time that I’d be entering – or least 99% of the time.  The “it” factor would pop on my radar and I’d start paying attention, writing notes, funny stories. Write down notes right after the event while you’re still emotional about it.  Or call me and tell me about it so that I can write them down.  I prefer to write an event when it is exciting and fresh in everyone’s mind. It makes for a better entry.

Get away from the office when writing.  Go somewhere that you are comfortable and relaxed.  Grab a glass of wine or a beverage,  write from where you feel creative.  It should be quiet and solitary so that you can concentrate well. If you like music, turn some on in the background. The key is to be comfortable.

Will you be participating in an upcoming award entry? Don’t miss the upcoming Canadian Event Industry Awards and the Event Marketing Awards (entries are due soon, but you still have time).

(photo via Vitó)

Google Business Photos should be on the radar for hotels, retailers, restaurants, event rental companies and any other business that has a storefront.

Last year, I wrote on how to set up you business on Google Places, a critical step for being found in local searches. To enhance your listing, Google also introduced Google Business Photos. These are like Google Streetview for interiors. Google is working directly with local store owners across the US, Australia, UK, New Zealand and France to take complimentary professional interior photographs.

To find a Google-approved local photographer and get your Google Places set up with interior photos, visit Google’s Business Photos site.

We have a tendency to cling to what is familiar, even when it can have a detrimental impact on us and our businesses.

Most event planners I’ve talked to have been very hesitant to embrace Google Plus, Google’s social networking site. The key reason? It feels like Facebook, without your established network, a few unfamiliar tools thrown into the mix…and, let’s be honest, who needs yet another social network to worry about?

Well, Facebook has a pool of about 800 million users, but billions of people perform billions of searches every single day. And that’s precisely why it would be a mistake to ignore Google Plus.

The Tipping Point

2 weeks ago, Google announced ‘Search, Plus Your World‘ a controversial revolution in the world of search that will have a major impact on your brand’s online presence. As Google states on their website:

“Search has always brought you information from across the web. Now, search gets better by including photos, posts, and more from you and your friends. When signed in with Google+, you’ll find personal results and profiles of people you know or follow. You can even expand your world by discovering people related to your search.”

It looks a little like this:

The World of Search has Changed

Search was once a competition of keyword relevance. Brands would hire an SEO expert to optimize their sites and find other ‘relevant’ sites to link to theirs – all to have their site ranked higher than their competition.

Google aims to change this by making search socially relevant. In other words, when someone within your social circle shares something, Google believes this content is likely more contextually relevant to you.

What This Means for Your Business and Google Plus

If you google yourself or your brand right now, it’s very likely your Google Plus profile (if you have one) will be on the first page and, in many cases, the first result. That’s because Google is giving priority to content from their social network (just like Google gave priority to YouTube videos and pictures from Blogger blogs – two platforms they own).

Connect the dots and that means:

• the content you share on Google Plus can appear higher in search results than even your own website.
• the larger the pool of people exposed to your content in Google Plus the more likely it is to get shared.
• the more people sharing your content, the more probable it is that you will be discovered by someone performing a ‘search, plus your world’.
• it’s not hard to imagine how much more powerful it is to have an endorsement of your brand from people your prospects know than it is to get random results from a search engine.

There are now over 1 million business pages and 90 million users on Google+. Will you be one of them?

It launched in December of 2009, but many small businesses have just started hearing the buzz about Pinterest in the past few months. Still officially in Beta (and invitation-only), Pinterest has joined the weberatti, sitting alongside Facebook and LinkedIn, as one of the 10 most popular social networking sites. It now boasts over 5 million users and has been touted as the fastest growing social network in history. Have I piqued your interest?

Brides, wedding bloggers, fashionistas, graphic designers and artists have embraced the site. And more recently, I’ve seen real estate agents, television brands and teachers jumping on board. At a time when nary a person would say that they need another social networking site, Pinterest has flourished. Why?

The compelling features

In my opinion, they have the magic formula for an over-stimulated and time-starved internet user:

• Simple – It is immensely easy to use. Click to pin, put it in a category, add some keywords, et voila. A great user experience, clean design and devoid of ads, interacting with Pinterest is a breath of fresh air. And, as easy as it is to pin, it’s just as easy to repin. In one click and a matter of seconds, thousands of people can share something that’s been posted.
• Visual – We see well before we read. Pinterest is all about sharing visual images and ideas. No laborious reading here.
• Controllable – Unlike many other social networking tools, YOU choose what’s shared with you.
• Scannable – Pinterest is like window shopping. At a glance users can get inspired and see what’s hot. You don’t need to dedicate hours to Pinterest. In fact, you’ll find yourself scanning during lunch, before you put the kids to sleep, while you’re watching TV, etc.
• Serendipitous – Pinterest is about discovery. Log in and find all the things you love that you didn’t even know you were looking for.

Is Pinterest Right for Your Business?

What makes Pinterest so interesting are the users behind the tool. Grandmothers, stay-at-home Moms, husbands, students and everyone in between. The thread that binds is that they’re looking for visual inspiration or to inspire others visually. In fact, there’s very little discussion altogether, which makes this tool totally unique to any other social networking site.

So, if you’re products or services aren’t visually compelling, this likely isn’t the site for you.

That said, as this tool quickly becomes the place to collect and bookmark things we love, we may see the way it is used shift over time.

20 Ideas for using Pinterest for Your Business

For the inventory-rich business

• Promote your products / inventory – Add a ‘Pin It’ button on each product page to allow customers and prospects to share and catalogue your images.
• Product popularity – Track which products/ideas from your site have elicited the most shares.
• Product ideas – Rather than simply show a photo of your product (like a chair, for example), create Boards by theme (i.e. Winter Wonderland) and show the chairs in different thematic environments. Showcase your knowledge of trends and catalogue products by trend types (i.e. color blocking, stripes, metallics, etc).
• R&D – Test new product ideas by pinning them on Pinterest. Ask customers to vote on the ones they like most by repinning them, liking them or commenting.
• Create an e-commerce board – With Pinterest, you can not only showcase your individual products, you can also attach a price to the item (by putting a dollar figure before the price). When you do this, your products are automatically added under the “Gifts” tab, which allow users to browse products by price.
• Crowdsourced photos – Ask customers to pin photos of themselves using your products and tag them with your company name or a hashtag.
• Weekly offer / sale – Deal of the day sites begone. Why not host your own flash sale site by creating an ‘On Sale’ board and posting sale items. Or create a weekly offer that you promote on Pinterest only.

For the event planner

Create an account for your event:

• Tell a story about the event – Imagine you’re planning a fundraising event. You could create a board of pictures from your events, a board on inspirational quotes, a board showing who you’re helping, a preview of products you’re auctioning, etc.
• Speaker videos – Ask speakers to create a video promoting their session, upload them to YouTube and then pin them on Pinterest. Don’t forget to add annotations to your videos about your event.
• Crowdsourced photos – Ask attendees to pin their photos to Pinterest and have them tag photos with your event name or a hashtag.
• Invitations – Create an invitation image for Pinterest and include the event details in the Details.
• Portfolio – Show transformations & before and afters. As I reported in my last blog post on How to Get PR for your Event Business, editors are scanning social media sites to find events and ideas to feature in their publications.

For all

• Find fans – Find out who has pinned content from your site. Simply type http://pinterest.com/source/yoursite.com into the address bar in your web browser and it will show you who has shared your website’s information and what they shared. Click on their profiles to learn about them and their interests. Consider commenting on their pin, providing more information, answering questions, etc.
• Humanize – Tell a story about your company by way of your pins and boards. For example, an event planning company could have boards for their favorite design books, office photos, style trends, quotes, employee photos, work samples, other interests (like favorite foods / recipes), other inspiration (like favorite decor ideas)
• Insights – Spend time looking into your followers to understand who wants to stay on top of what you’re pinning. Follow them back and track what their interests are. This can give you deeper insight into who they are.
• Contests – Hold a contest asking customers / attendees to pin photos – the one with the most repins, likes or comments win a prize. I.e. Event organizers, hold a contest asking attendees to pin their favorite moments from your event.
• SEO - Currently, when someone attributes a pin to your website (by including a link), this actually counts for SEO value.
• Research – Follow influencers and find out what they think is hot, important and interesting. A bonus is that a user is notified when someone begins following them. So, this can be like a tap on the back to let influencers know you’re there. You’d be surprised how many people research who’s following them.
• Seasonality – Match your boards with your business’ seasonalities. For example, a caterer might create a Valentine’s board to showcase great food ideas for Valentine’s day. A planner might create wedding boards during wedding planning season. A rental company might create a holiday wish list board to showcase products relevant to the holiday season.
• Think keywords – Many users take advantage of the search function on Pinterest, so ensure you’re thinking keywords when you enter your image/video description.

A Few Words of Caution

• Self-promotion – Every social networking site has its own etiquette. Pinterest is no exception. They discourage users from using the network as purely promotional. That’s just common sense.
• High quality photography needed – If you’re going to participate, recognize that if you want to be repinned, your images / videos need to be high quality and attractive.
• Open window into your thoughts, ideas & organization – Pinterest does not have the ability to make your pins private for now, although they have identified this is something they’re considering working on. So, be cautious about what you share. For example, you might not want to post ideas for projects you’re working on – for confidentiality and privacy reasons.
• Rules of conduct – As with any social networking site, there are specific (and legal) rules of conduct. Ensure you follow Pinterest’s Copyright, Privacy and Terms of Use Policies. The site is stirring up a lot of controversy over their copyright terms, so it’s important to read them carefully and ensure you understand and are comfortable with them.

Update

What are your favorite ideas? How are you using Pinterest for your business?

How would you like to get FREE exposure for your business? How would you like your latest event to be featured prominently in the glossy pages of your favorite magazine? And how would you like to be quoted as the featured expert in your field?

I recently spoke with 3 prominent special event publication Editors to understand, from their perspectives, what opportunities event businesses are missing and, more importantly, what they need to do to about it.

With all the pitches that come across their desk, what gets your attention?

Be relevant, be relevant, be relevant!

Liese – “Those that are relevant to the content and spirit of the magazine. It’s great when the sender sends an informative message – such as ‘We just produced an event we think is great for your tent issue. It involved X-number of tents, was unique because of XX, the challenges were X and the team included X, Y and Z. Here is contact information for them.  Attached are low res photos by (photographer’s name) for sending purposes, but we can get you high-res as soon as you need.’ Simple, to the point, informative. People get too caught up in what they may have learned about press releases and pitches. This is really all that is needed to get our attention!

Chad – “BizBash has a pretty specific audience and we like to cover things before anyone else does, so I’d rather get an email with a couple short paragraphs about why this would be interesting to my reader, not a press release that is more suited to a general audience—and that is going out to lots of other outlets. (That said, clear, comprehensive press materials are very helpful once a story is assigned.)”

Beyond context, think about content

Liese – “I can’t stress about the photos enough. Like so many publications, Event Solutions is photo-driven whether online or digitally, so that always will be a major consideration for inclusion.”

What is the most memorable way someone pitched a product/idea?

 Show, don’t just tell

Lisa – “This is so old-fashioned and of course doesn’t work for all pitches, but I am always impressed when someone sends me a sample (and no, I’m not asking for freebies, and I think it’s wise to ask an editor beforehand if they would like to see a sample). To me this says the person making the pitch believes so strongly in their product or service that they just know I will like it once I see it.”

Avoid Gimmicks

Chad – “If you have a product you’d like us to check out, of course we’ll want to see it, but sending a gift or overly elaborate packaging doesn’t make me more likely to feature something,” says Chad Kaydo, “Straightforward and targeted always beats fussy and overwrought.”

Social Proof

Lisa – “I also put a lot of faith into pitches that carry the endorsements of leading event planners.”

What tips do you have for becoming THE person that gets called for a quote? 

 Build Relationships

Liese – “Here is the bottom line on why someone gets quoted and it’s no mystery – they have been in touch with the magazine either by sending consistently good information or have been visible in other press (press begets press). I suggest sending a note to the editor outlining your area(s) of expertise and that you are available anytime as a resource for articles that concern that topic(s). It lets the editor know that you can be a resource on certain subjects. I recommend sending this type of pitch in addition to company news and event pitches.

Have a Plan

Liese – “In regards to all these different type of communiqué with the media, it’s a good idea to map out with your team what you want to get from media exposure. There are two approaches. One is the shotgun affect in which you are looking for any mention, anywhere. To me, that is not very effective. The other is a strategic placement and a careful campaign that puts you, your company, your work, your expertise, in front of the right publications that will in turn get you in front of the right clients.”

Be Easy to Work With

Lisa – “The number one rule for getting quoted is to reply-fast! We editors always seem to be putting things together at the last moment, and if I don’t hear back from someone I’ve contacted for a quote, I have to move on to someone else.” If an editor reaches out to you after a pitch, that’s like a little jerk on your line when you’re fishing. You got ‘em hooked! don’t waste this opportunity and get back to them as fast as you can. just two weeks ago, I got a great press release for an event product, which included the promise “photos available upon request.” but the PR person never got back to me, and so we wrote up another product.

Liese – “If you see someone quoted often, it also usually means that they are also reliable sources for the editor. Meaning, they will call or e-mail back within 24 hours if not sooner (editors are notoriously on deadline), they address the subject at hand in full sentences that offer little jewels of information (in other words – no “yes” or “no” answers).”

Have a Unique POV

Lisa – “If you want to be quoted, be brave. Speak in specifics, not generalities, and don’t be afraid to give an opinion.”

Chad – “Speak in soundbites—keep it short and interesting. Don’t just promote what you do.”

Mind your Ps and Qs

Chad – “Say ‘thank you’ after the story runs, regardless of how prominently you were featured—it’s a reminder to the writer that you’re still out there, and that you follow what they do.”

How is social media changing the way you find ideas / experts to feature in your publication?

Feedback & Ideas

Chad – “It definitely shows you who is engaged in a topic. We occasionally use @BizBash_News and our Facebook page to solicit opinions and suggestions for stories.”

Finger on the Pulse

Liese – “Because so much of what we do is photo driven, Facebook is perfect for looking in on what event professionals are doing. In this regard (photo wise) it’s a little more helpful than Twitter or Linked In. Myself, our editor, Ann Turner, and our Creative Director, Jean Blackmer, have all found stories and photos on Facebook because it is so rich with photo postings, albums or blog links. For business articles, staying in tune with Linkedin conversations has been a great way to find what people are talking about and find new experts. Personally, I find these three social media outlets to be a sea change in shaping editorial as well as keeping my finger on the pulse of the industry. I’ve found so many great new faces through Twitter, especially by following hashtag conversations such as #eventprofs.”

Make your own media opportunity

Liese – “I encourage everyone to be their own media through blogging. There are just so many stories out there and limited editorial space (this holds true of print and online media outlets). By blogging, companies are able to control their brand and message and consistently reach out to current and prospective clients. And, as I mentioned, the media will also look in on blogs to find stories, get more information about you, or educate themselves on your work or marketplace.”

What are the biggest mistakes you see companies make, and how should they fix them?

Sending content in unusable form

Lisa – “I’m always amazed at pitches that come my way in some graphic form that makes me have to retype the information in order to post or print it. This is not why God made computers.”

Making editors hunt for information

Lisa – “I highly recommend spoon-feeding editors. For example, I sometimes get pitches for new venues, and when I ask for missing basics such as capacities, the person pitching will tell me, ‘Oh, you can find that information on the venue’s website.’ No, no, no! Think about what info the editor needs and get it for them—even if that means just grabbing it off the website yourself. Make it easy for the editor to cover you, and you will get coverage.”

Pitching too frequently

Chad – “If you mass-email an irrelevant press release every week, when I see your name in my inbox, my brain says ‘delete’.”

Short-term thinking

Liese – “If you have something coming – say you are doing something large in the summer – I’d start reaching out to the editors now with other news, yet mention that tidbit as well in the ‘bio’ paragraph about your company. It’s about sitting down and creating a strategy so that all the pieces of your story are being conveyed in several different ways.”

Chad – “If yesterday’s pitch didn’t get covered, tomorrow’s might, and next month the writer might get an assignment that you’d be a perfect source for. And that might be a bigger story than what you were originally hoping for. Build a relationship over time.”

Waiting too long to reach out to the media

Chad – “Sometimes people take so long to create an elaborate pitch, the information gets stale. When we cover an event, we like to post the story within a day or two. If you take a week to put together a press release, it’s probably too late for us to do much with it. (That said, we always want to see photos of innovative work, and we often use those photos in other kinds of stories later.)”

What tips have you used for getting press coverage for your business?

photo via Shrieking Tree

This time of year is rejuvenating because it gives all of us an opportunity to shed old skin and recalibrate our thinking. But the hype often gives way to habit. You only need to turn to your local gym to see this phenomenon in action. Throngs of people sign up in January but more than half don’t make it to swimsuit season. In fact, gyms typically anticipate a 20-30% drop out rate by April.

The Curse of Business Bad Habits

In their 4th Annual National Small Business Survey, Staples found that more than 80% of small business owners don’t keep track of their business goals.

Most of these companies are plagued with a dichotomy. They are either convinced that big challenges require complex ideas and end up building a plan that is too difficult to execute or become anxious at the thought of introspective thinking and instead focus on independent tasks that lack a unified direction.

Goal Planning is Business Sustenance

There’s a quote by Lewis Carroll that says, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Goal planning provides a distinct path that takes you from where you are to where you want to go. It helps you know if you’re heading in the right direction, ensures that you spend time doing things that are most important to the business and aligns employees behind a direction. Establishing and maintaining goals are fundamental contributors to small business success.

A 3-Step Solution

One of the most useful tools I’ve developed for my business is a simple and easy-to-use 3-Step Goal Setting Worksheet.

Step 1 – Start with the End in Mind

• At the end of the year, what do you want you company to look like?
• With this in mind, list in the first column the three to six most important areas of focus for your business?
• In the second column identify specifically how you’ll define success.

Step 2 – Create your Path

• In order to achieve your Year End GOAL, next define the milestones you need to achieve by the end of each quarter.

Step 3 – Define the Steps

• In order to achieve your Quarterly Milestones, define the specific tasks you need to achieve each month.

I schedule 1 hour every Friday planning my next week to ensure that I’m working my way through to my milestones. And I spend 1/2 hr at the end of each day planning the specific tasks I’ll be doing the following day. The important thing is to not get caught up in the monotony of bad habits and always keep your eye on the end game.

Click here to download the worksheet.

What tools and processes do you use to define and maintain your business goals? 

In this, our final post of 2011, we’ve rounded up the most popular posts among readers this year. Read them today and join the conversation.

Ideas for Event Planners:

Are You Afraid of Competitors Stealing Your Ideas?

3 Lessons Small Businesses can Learn from Google+ Marketing

Why Event & Customer Satisfaction Surveys Fail

Customer Service Myths: The Customer is Always Right

Choose Your Clients Wisely (here’s why)

What Every Event Business Can Learn from a $2 Hairdresser

Do You Create Anticipation?

How to Deal with Negative Reviews

Tools for Event Planners:

A guide to Twitter Advanced Search for Event Planners

Event Planning iPad Megalist

Small Business Online Tools Megalist i & Megalist ii

QR Codes for Events – Do They Deserve the Hype?

A friend of mine had worked hard for years and overcame tremendous adversity to build a successful event planning business. Then, one day, her empire crumbled. An unexpected flood ravaged her city and her offices were under 9 feet of water. She lost almost everything – her cars, her offices, her manufacturing facility. She was utterly devastated. So, what do you do when your bricks and mortar are washed away? What do you do when most of your clients are facing the same situation as you…and your source of income disappears? What do you do when insurance companies are backed up with thousands of claims, just like yours? She turned to the one place that was ready and willing to help – the Search Foundation. They wrote a cheque to my friend to get her started on her road to recovery…because that’s what they do. They help event planners in need. If you’re not familiar with the foundation I encourage you to watch this video, created by the uber talented Brett Culp.

This holiday season, my client Maggie Speaks and I are partnering to raise funds for the Search Foundation. We have put together a fun holiday video built off of The 12 Days of Christmas and every time it’s tweeted, we will donate $10 to the foundation. So far, we’ve raised $850. We are trying to reach our cap of $1,000 – so help us get there. Simply tweet the link to the video using the hashtag #searchfoundation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1EaNiU8eAw

(please click here if you are unable to view the video)

Happy holidays.

Sure, there are more opportunities for businesses like yours to market yourself. You have blogs, Facebook, email marketing, banner ads, mobile marketing, SMS marketing, and the list goes on and on. But what happens when everyone tries to leverage these channels? Noise. So, yes, you have more options than ever before…but those options have actually made it harder for your business to stand out.

As 2012 approaches, my goal is to not only create a resource for small businesses to go for information on how to market their companies in a new world, but provide clarity. There’s a ton of information out there. How do you know what makes sense for your business and how do you do it right?

Join me over the coming months and we’ll discuss the key things you need to know to stay ahead of the crowd, including:

• Building a killer website
• Blogging for business
• Getting Business via Twitter
• How to effectively use Facebook
• Optimizing your LinkedIn page
• Successful Public Relations strategies
• How to write awesome award entries
• Successful print advertising
• How to get started in Public Speaking
• Moving from wallflower to expert Networker
• Understanding Digital Advertising
• What is SEO (search engine optimization) and how do you use it for your business
• What is SEM (search engine marketing) and how do you use it for your business
• Understanding the power of Affiliate Marketing
• Leveraging Influencers
• Writing and publishing eBooks
• Is SMS marketing right for your business
• Why you need to understand Mobile Marketing
• Creating exciting videos that sell your products/services
• Creating E-Newsletters that customers look forward to
• Breaking down Banner / Display marketing
• Understanding Retargeting
• How to Measure your activities and ensure future ROI

See something you’d like to learn not on the list? Or do you have specific questions you’d like to ask? You can remain anonymous and possibly appear in our upcoming “Ask Lara” feature. Simply email me your question(s).

To a successful 2012!

I’m often asked what are the best books on branding and marketing for small businesses. Now, if you don’t know me you might not know that I’m a voracious reader and over the past 16 years as a brand practitioner I have a amassed vast library of business books, audio books and ebooks. Picking favorites is a difficult task, but here’s where I would start:

The Branding & Marketing Stalwarts

There are 3 people who, in my opinion, have consistently created thought-provoking material:

Al Reis (he has partnered with both Jack Trout and his daughter, Laura Reis to publish a series of great books)

• Positioning: A Battle for your mind – This is often referred to as the bible for brand strategists, even though it was original published in the early 80s.
• The Origin of Brands
• The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding – Another fabulous reference book. Guaranteed you will go back to this book time and time again.

Seth Godin

• Purple Cow
• All Marketers are Liars
• Tribes
• Note: he also has a new book out that I have not yet read called, We are All Weird

Marty Neumier

• The Brand Gap – How to bridge the difference between Business Strategy and Design
• ZAG – The number one strategy of high performance brands

If you run a larger company, I would add David Aaker to the list who has published some great books on brand portfolio management and maintaining equity.

Other notables

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Anything by David Ogilvy

Igor International’s blog

Brandchannel.com 

Again, this is just scraping the surface – it’s killing me not to turn this into a 2,000 word post ;) So, do you have a favorite I haven’t listed? If so, what would you add?

Photo via ciro@tokyo