Here are the formatting rules you need to follow:

Use mixed case. NEVER SUBMIT A PRESS RELEASE IN ALL UPPER CASE LETTERS. As you can see, it’s much more difficult to read that way.

Always follow the rules of grammar and style. Errors in grammar and style affect your credibility. Excessive errors will cause your press release to be rejected.

Don’t use HTML. When sending your press release to online Media, do not embed HTML or other markup languages in it. Including such formatting will negatively impact the readability of your press release.

Use more than one paragraph. If you can say everything in only a few sentences, then chances are you do not have a newsworthy story. (*Note: You may hear that your press release should “never” be more than one page long. I have found that a press release should be as long as it takes to tell your story. If that means one and a-half or two pages, then that’s how long it should be. Do your best to keep it short and sweet, but don’t take out important information just to make it fit on one page.)

Include a summary paragraph for online submissions. Some online news services request that you include a one-page summary of your press release. This is because some distribution points only receive your headline, summary and a link to your press release. If you are submitting to online services, not including the summary paragraph may reduce the effectiveness of your press release. This is not usually necessary with print, television or radio media.

Write your press release on a word processor instead of composing it online. When you’ve finished writing it, print it out, and proofread it. Rewrite, edit, and proofread again, until you’ve got it exactly how you want it, and there are no mistakes. Because most people have a harder time proofreading their own writing, ask someone you trust to proofread it for you.

Do not include your e-mail address in the body of your release — especially when submitting your press release online, or publishing your press release on your Website or in your blog. You can include your email address in the contact information if you wish, but if it goes online, be prepared to be spammed, since it’s going into public domain. Most online media services will have a place for your email address in the submission process, for your protection, and most of your local media will prefer a telephone number to contact you with.

Here is a basic template you can use when writing your Press Release:

Starting at the top of the page, on your company letterhead, write the words “PRESS RELEASE” in all capital letters, centered and bolded.

Hit the enter-bar twice, so you go down two lines. On the left hand side of the page, write the date you want the information to be released, or if it’s “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” write that, again in all CAPS and bolded. On the same line, but to the far right, write the words “CONTACT INFORMATION” again, bolded and in capital letters. Go down to the next line, and list the contact person and their phone number.

It’s always a good idea to have two contact people whenever possible and two phone numbers for each of them — for example, the office number and cell phone numbers. You can also put your email address here.

Hit the enter-bar twice again, and type in your headline next. (It needs to be centered and bolded, but not necessarily in all CAPS). Your headline needs to be short, snappy and relevant. You want it to grab the reader’s attention.

Go down two spaces again. The body of your press release should be double spaced, and typed in an easy to read 12 in font, such as Times New Roman or Arial. Leave lots of white space in your press release — use at least one to two inch margins around your page.

The first paragraph of your press release needs to provide the reader with enough basic information to make them keep reading. It should answer the “W” questions — who, what, when, and where and why. Because you’ve only got a few sentences, make every word count.

The second paragraph of your press release will answer the “so what” question. It needs to explain who is going to be interested in this information, and why they should care about it. The second paragraph is an ideal place to include a quote, or a touchie-feely “Kodak” moment, to add human interest to your story.

The third (and often final) paragraph of your press release should answer any other questions the reporter or journalist might still have about your story. Here is where you can include information about your company, or any technical stuff.

Make your press release long enough to say what you need to say. If it goes beyond one page, then centered under the last line on the first page, write the word “MORE” in all caps and bold it.

Then on the second page, on the top right hand side of the page, write “Page 2″ and on the line under that, write the title of your press release again.

Continue where you left off. When your press release is finished, put these symbols centered under the last line “###” (without the quotation marks.) This lets the reader know that you’re done.

That’s all there is to it. Although the information you provide will be different each time you write a press release, the basic format will always stay the same. Now you’ve got enough information to be able to write your first press release.

—————————————————-
Dr. John E. Neyman, Jr. is owner of Leaders Excel in which he specializes in coaching, websites, and optimization. If you would like to grow in your leadership ability contact Dr. John at john@LeadersExcel.com or
http://LeaderExcelSolutions.com

When they walk through their door – or you walk through
theirs – your image is imprinted in the first moment.

Research has proven that 67% of first impressions are
accurate. Your personal image tells the world who you are
and where you are going. Your business image says the same.
Every email, voicemail, and phone call you make creates
first impressions that build your brand.

But it’s not just your logo or your business stationery
that needs to look good. How you present yourself in person
also says a lot about your brand. For many small business
people or business entrepreneurs, you are your business and
how your project yourself is vitally important to the
success of your business.

How you shake hands, make eye contact, conduct yourself in
social situations and the clothes you choose to wear
contribute to your personal brand. Your image is like the
weather. People notice when it’s extremely good or
extremely bad. People shouldn’t judge us by our outward
appearances but of course you know they will.  First
impressions can indicate to a potential client, your sense
of style, ambition and self-confidence level.

Another measure of your success in dealing with people is
due to personality.

Your voice, way of talking, body language and the way you
develop relationships with your clients all count towards
giving you a ‘manner’. Your personal manner speaks loudly
to other people. You may need to do some self-analysis on
your plus and minus personality traits before establishing
a self-satisfying public image.

Sometimes things like aggravating speech habits, lack of
good manners, sloppy dress or grooming can be your worst
enemies.

Punctuality, your tone of voice, these are the things about
you that speak loud and clear to others. Make sure that
they’re working for you.

I’m sure you’ve seen many examples of people who have had
too much to drink at the office party and regretted things
done or said. Perhaps not such good personal PR for career
progression.

Maybe that date who sounded so promising on the telephone
really let you down when you met and saw how badly dressed
and untidy they were.

I’m not suggesting you need to have a complete makeover and
invest a fortune in new clothes – but it is those little
things that people notice.

You’ve no doubt invested a lot of time, effort and money
into setting up your own business and learning many new
skills – why not invest some time and effort into yourself
– you’re worth it!

*  Business image – brand all letterhead, newsletters,
email messages for a professional

*  Personal image – establish a strong visual image –
develop your own style and personal brand. Be aware of
grooming and professional dress sense.

*  Self image – get rid of bad habits, develop
self-confidence and charm, walk tall and smile!

—————————————————-
Sue Currie, the director of Shine Communications
Consultancy and author of Apprentice to Business Ace – your
inside-out guide to personal branding, is a business
educator and speaker on personal branding through image and
media. Sign up for free monthly tips on personal and
professional PR at
http://www.shinecomms.com.au/contactmanager/default.cfm
and learn more about how you can achieve recognition,
enhance your image and shine.

Here are some tips to enhance the exposure and quality of
your press releases:

1. Relevant

First and foremost, it is important to decide what
information should be included in your press release.
Information that is newsworthy and relevant will have the
best chances of gaining the attention of an editor. The
press release should be sent to related publications: a pet
magazine is not going to print a press release about the
latest compression utility, but it might print a release
about software that manages records of a pets shots.

2. Customize

Giving your press release a personalized touch, especially
for bloggers and online journalists, can be helpful in
gaining attention. Spending an extra few moments to
personalize a press release could be just what is needed to
make it stand out from hundreds of other press releases.
While it is impractical to customize all of the press
releases sent, it might make sense to personalize the
releases for key publications or media outlets.

3. Summarize

By creating a succinct summary of the announcement, editors
will not need to reword, or condense a lengthy release. The
first paragraph or two should clearly state the
announcement, so that an editor’s space is limited, they
can simply use the summary in their publication.

4. Swag is Good

The press loves freebies, and by offering them, there is a
chance potential customers will keep your name in their
mind. Feel free to send branded goodies to the editors as a
special thank you for any exposure that you receive.

5. Thank You

If you are interviewed or receive an especially
complimentary review be sure to thank your press contact.
As strange as it might sound rarely are the editors thanked
for the coverage they provide. Extending a heartfelt thank
you, could mean an editor remembers your company when the
next press release is sent.

6. Honesty

The more truthful the release the more likely that it will
get ink. Avoid using superfluous adjectives that inflate
the use your product or service. Keep your press release
factual.

7. Keywords

Be sure to use keywords and keyword phrases in the press
release so that it will be easily located by reporters
looking for specific material.

8. Demand Attention

Carefully select the title for of your press release so
that it attracts attention. The title should contain key
points related to the announcement. A good title is
critical. If the title does not gain the interest of the
editor, it will not matter what the body of the release
says.

Keep in mind that it is unlikely you will see instant
results from the print media. Print media has a long cycle
and you might not see coverage for months.

In short, press releases are great way to gain attention.
The cost of sending a press release is minuscule when
compared to the potential exposure that may result. A
well-written press piece can garner significant press
coverage and exposure.

Building relationships with the media is a long process and
takes considerable time and patience. Editors have to deal
with deadline pressures and locating appropriate filler
content should the need arise, befriending the reporters
will go a long way toward press coverage.

—————————————————-
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll
http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing,
publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon
manages marketing for RecordForAll
http://www.recordforall.com audio recording and editing
software.

However you may also think that you don’t have the skills
or knowledge to gain publicity and maybe you’re not in a
financial position to hire a PR firm (yet!).

But if you follow my 10-point plan I’m sure that you’ll
soon experience the power of the press.

1. Gain the appropriate skills and knowledge to become an
expert in your field. Experts on specialist topics are
sought after by the media. Become a qualified member of
your industry’s association, as this will give you
credibility when the media choose to profile you.

2. Be clear on what your message is, know what you want to
say. Understand that you need to have a point of difference
or something interesting to say and that you need to get
that across in an entertaining and informative way.
Summarise your message in short, succinct, sound bites.

3. You need to have an audience to listen to your message.
Do some research on your ideal customer, perhaps a survey.
Look at whom your competitors are talking to. Zero in on
your target.

4. Reach out to your target audience through the media.
Research the most appropriate magazines, newspapers,
on-line media or TV shows for your story. Build a database
of media contacts or buy a media directory.

5. Approach the media. Send out a well-written media
release, follow up with phone calls. Submit articles to
magazines. Submit articles to on-line sites. Follow up
again. Make sure to be consistent with your media liaison.

6. A picture tells a thousand words. Send out a
professional and creative photograph with your release or
ring the media outlet and suggest a photo opportunity.
Stage a creative film opportunity for television. Media is
entertainment and most people are attracted to strong
visual images.

7. Be persistent. Keep on submitting media releases and
articles. But learn to take no for an answer and don’t be a
pushy publicist. You need to build good working
relationships with journalists.

8. Be prepared for media interviews. Prepare beforehand
possible questions and rehearse the answers. Prepare a few
points you want to get across and stay on track. Again
think of sound bites and memorable phrases to convey.

9. Build up a portfolio of information about you. Your
media kit to include on your website as an online newsroom
and for meetings with journalists.

10. Consolidate your expertise by publishing books, CD’s
and DVD’s and reap the rewards of successful public
relations.

—————————————————-
Sue Currie, the director of Shine Communications
Consultancy and author of Apprentice to Business Ace – your
inside-out guide to personal branding, is a business
educator and speaker on personal branding through image and
media. Sign up for free monthly tips at
http://www.shinecomms.com.au/contactmanager/default.cfm
To learn more about how you can achieve recognition,
enhance your image and shine, visit
http://www.shinecomms.com.au

If you understand that the purpose of a press release is to
grab attention, then you might also begin to realize that
there is a bit of an art to writing an effective one.

This art actually begins with proper format. It probably
shouldn’t matter how you format a good story, but editor
after editor has told me that if a press release comes to
them and is not properly formatted, it often doesn’t get
read. Read that again if you are bit of a maverick. You
want to read about your company in the news then you might
just have to follow the rules.

Ultimately, your story will have to stand on its own, but
follow this accepted format, and you stand a better chance
of making that all important first impression.

For release timing

The very first thing to appear on your release is the
release date or time. If your story is for immediate
release, say so – For Immediate Release. If there is a
reason to hold some news or a seasonal deadline, say so -
For Release Before Halloween. Some background type releases
can also carry the – Release at Will tag

Contact Information

Don’t make it hard for them to get in touch with you. Right
under the release info state your name, address, direct
phone, and email address under the heading “For more
information” Remember the real point is to get them to call
you.

The Headline

90% of all advertising effectiveness rides on the
effectiveness of the headline. It is no different for a
press release. Most readers will decide whether or not you
have anything to say based solely on the grabbing power of
your headline. Pull them in quickly. Write 5-6 attention
grabbing headlines and then put your release away for day
or so. Come back and see which ones still grab you. It is
that important.

Dateline

At the start of the body of your release, you are expected
to provide some useful information. First the date of the
release and then the city the release originates from. Put
a dash after the city and then start the body of your
release. ie: February 18, 2003 – Kansas City, Mo – Today in
history…

Double space

Double space the body of your release. This probably goes
back to the days when reporters made notes by pencil in the
space between the lines, but I guess some still do that.

First Paragraph

Okay, so now your headline grabbed them. Tell them what
you’re going to tell them in the first paragraph. Don’t
beat around the bush or try to be cute here. Hit them with
your best shot.

Quotes and Credentials

Quotes make for interesting reading. Try to find a
newspaper story without a quoted source of some sort. Add
your own quotes and then add some credentials to the person
you attribute the quote to. If it’s you and you’re a master
plumber with 25 years of experience, then say so. “The
flora and fauna was breathtaking,” said Bill Sphenkle, one
of Kansas City’s most experienced plumbers.

Call to action

If you want them to interview or visit your website to find
out more information, then say so. Bill Sphenkle is
available for interviews. Just don’t hype your company or
product. Nothing gets your release tossed faster.

End

At the end of your release, add the symbol – # # #

—————————————————-
John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning
blogger and author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World’s Most
Practical Small Business Marketing Guide. You can find more
information by visiting http://www.ducttapemarketing.com .

A positive story in the media about some aspect of your
firm will generate some new leads, but it also resells your
current clients and makes it easier to refer your firm to
others.

Maybe you’ve heard me say some of this in the past, but
here are my keys to consistently generating positive media
mentions.

Target your sources

Think of the journalists that cover your industry or town
like you would a hot prospect. Target them and spend time
getting to know what they write and what interests them.
Set-up Google News alerts for each journalist or
publication you are tracking and you can follow all the
stories you need to watch.

Read the publication

This seems so basic, but I wouldn’t mention it here if I
didn’t know that even so called PR pros break this rule.
Don’t doom your standing as a legitimate news source by
sending your hot financial strategy to the editor of Cat
Today magazine. Most publications have online versions and
RSS feeds that can send specific information abstracts to
your email inbox.

Start small

Get your feet wet with a story in your college alumni
newsletter, work up to the free monthly publication, the
weekly business publication, and then go after a really big
fish every now and then. Sometimes a bunch of little
mentions will get you that feature story.

Be consistent

Send something to your list of journalists at least once a
month. You never know when you will catch them in a good
mood or at least a mood where they have a hole to fill.

Become a resource

Journalists need reliable sources and you can become one of
those with a little work. Instead of firing off press
release after press release touting your company’s
anniversary celebration, start sending useful survey
results from industry publications, stories related to
articles they’ve written, or opinions about industry
trends. Don’t ask for anything in return; just make it a
habit to feed useful information. Do this for about 3
months and you’ll start to receive requests for quotes.

Additional information can be obtained in the articel
entitled “How to Craft a Complelling Press Release”.

—————————————————-
John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning
blogger and author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World’s Most
Practical Small Business Marketing Guide. You can find more
information by visiting http://www.ducttapemarketing.com .

So how do we get that opportunity? Why not tell everyone
who you are, what you do and how you make a difference. The
way of doing that is through public relations and it is
simply communicating who you are and what you do,  it’s
having “relationships” with your “public”.

One way of letting people know who you are is through
publicity. Getting that free editorial coverage in press,
on radio and television is what we all want. It’s our way
of letting people know about our product or service or how
terrific we are. But most of us don’t like blowing our own
trumpet. But without promotion something terrible happens -
nothing!

If you are an independent business owner you have a lot of
things to juggle, a lot of hats to wear, that of lawyer,
accountant, manager, entrepreneur, technician and of course
marketing expert and under that umbrella comes PR,
promotion and publicity. So let’s get rights down to the
basics -  the publicist. That’s what you need to be. You
need to write a media release, send it out to the media and
ring them up. Talk to the media about who you are and what
your product is.

You need to sing your own praises or at least that of your
own business. Publicity is very effective. They say it is
seven times more effective than advertising.

No point writing that fancy media release with the dynamic
headline, strong opening and all the elements of who, what,
when, where and why -  that’s all very well but you also
need to follow through. Find out the name of the person you
want to send that media release to and phone them up. Find
out whether they want to receive the media release by fax
or email – build a relationship. Get that message out and
then follow through.

The first step is to go and buy the magazines. Have a look
in the front for the name of the editor. Their phone number
is usually there – it’s that simple. Then write and send
your media release or perhaps even an article. Pick up the
phone and promote your story idea to the media.

If your story is interesting it may be published in the
newspaper or magazine and then you will reap the rewards of
people contacting you and wanting to know more about you.
It’s not that hard really. You can do it. So I hope to see
your name on the front page someday -  on your way to fame
and fortune.

—————————————————-
Sue Currie, the director of Shine Communications
Consultancy and author of Apprentice to Business Ace  -
your inside-out guide to personal branding, is a business
educator and speaker on personal branding through image and
media. Sign up for free monthly tips at
http://www.shinecomms.com.au/contactmanager/default.cfm
To learn more about how you can achieve recognition,
enhance your image and shine,  visit
http://www.shinecomms.com.au

Recently a colleague had an article about her appear in a
magazine and wondered how she could maximise this
opportunity for some publicity. A participant at a recent
seminar of mine wondered if writing articles and submitting
them to magazines was a good publicity idea. Yes! Anytime
you have something written about you it creates awareness
of you and your product or service.

The media is such a powerful tool and when used well can
really help profile you and your brand. Two ways you can
use the media to profile your business and brand is through
a media publicity campaign or writing articles for
magazines. They can help position you as the expert and
authority in your area. The first person people contact
when it comes to that subject. People notice. Okay they
might not immediately pick up the phone and buy from you,
but consistently being seen says, “you’re in business, you
mean business and I’m here when you’re ready to buy”.

The main thing you need to be aware of when writing an
article or media release is that you need to have something
interesting to say. You need to be unique, differentiate
yourself from the others in your field. What is you point
of difference? What sets you apart? Once you work that out,
that can be your “hook” to gain media attention.

What does it mean to others? Will this information be of
benefit or help people in any way? Great to be different
but what relevance does it have? Will it have an impact on
my customers or general public? Can that point of
difference help them?

Do I walk my talk? Am I believable? Do I have the history
or skills to back up my claims? Can I give real life
examples in my stories? What research or statistics have I
discovered? Am I a leader in my field?

Do other people back up those claims? Do I have
testimonials or awards or the $$ to say I’m successful at
what I do? Can you include quotes from others endorsing
what you do? Will they say great things about you?

Am I truly an expert? Have I invested in gaining knowledge
about my industry, my customers and the competition? Do I
have articles on my website on my subject, white papers,
special reports or written a book that demonstrates my
expertise?

You need to be consistent with your media efforts. Keep in
touch with your contacts whether journalists or magazine
editors and build personal relationships. Once you’re known
as the expert and your personal brand shines through the
media will come knocking on your door.

By the way I do write a number of regular articles for
online websites and other consumer publications and find it
to be great PR. As an example, I wrote an article for a
business magazine a while ago. Someone from an industry
association saw the piece I wrote, ran it in their online
magazine and from that I secured speaking and consulting
work and just presented at their annual seminar this year.

Now it might seem like a lot of hard work writing articles
particularly if you don’t think you have the expertise. But
it’s like anything, once you start it does get easier as
you go along. Why not start with just one article and
submit it to as many publications or online sites as
possible.

Begin to develop the habit of writing a regular newsletter
with content you can develop further into articles. Post
articles on your website also as search engines love that
content. The more awareness you create inevitably it will
create more business.

Now that you have all these articles what else can you do
with them? Well apart from posting them on your website -
keep hard copies. Keep a portfolio of your work that you
can show potential clients. Laminate the articles and
display them in your office. Send out copies to potential
clients. Print out the articles and have them bound into a
booklet that you can give away as a prize or raffle.

If your article is in a magazine, another thing you can do
is ask the publisher of the magazine for extra copies. If
you know well in advance maybe they can do an extra print
run for you and you can give away complete copies of the
magazine to prospects.

As a result of creating some “buzz” for myself as a writer
I was asked to be a regular contributor to Flying Solo a
small business website. And…there’s more… I have also
just published my first book a co-authored publication
called Apprentice to Business Ace – your inside-out guide
to personal branding.

—————————————————-
Sue Currie, the director of Shine Communications
Consultancy and author of Apprentice to Business Ace  -
your inside-out guide to personal branding, is a business
educator and speaker on personal branding through image and
media. Sign up for free monthly tips at
http://www.shinecomms.com.au/contactmanager/default.cfm
To learn more about how you can achieve recognition,
enhance your image and shine,  visit
http://www.shinecomms.com.au

Once you have determined the elements to use in your Visual
Vocabulary, it is important to use those elements
consistently throughout all of your marketing materials.
This consistency will make your entire set of materials
look like a family. Having a consistent set of marketing
materials makes you look more organized and professional.
It also makes your business more memorable, because the
repetition of the consistent elements creates repeated
impressions on your audience. The more you repeat your
marketing images and messages consistently, the easier it
will be for your clients to associate them with your
business.

The four ways to create consistency in your Visual
Vocabulary are:

1. Using the same or similar visuals and graphics
throughout your marketing materials makes them instantly
recognizable, which is becoming more important as marketing
media messages become more prevalent and people become more
inundated with them. The graphical elements that you can
work with in your Visual Vocabulary include the
backgrounds, text treatments (such as tagline styles),
shapes, layout conventions, and the photo library you use.

Enhance your Visual Vocabulary’s consistency by:

•  Repeating some of the same graphics across all of your
materials. Your logo should appear on all of your marketing
pieces and business documents. Other graphics to consider
repeating include your tagline, your contact information
block, line art, patterns, and any unifying background or
decorative shapes or color fields.

•  Maintaining similarity in the type of visuals and
graphics you use. If you regularly use photography
throughout your materials and then switch to clip art for
one piece, it will look out of place in your marketing
story.

•  Placing key graphics in similar locations. By placing
some graphics, such as your logo and tagline, consistently
in the same place across all of your marketing materials,
you will make your materials look like a family.

2. Using a small group of coordinated fonts across all of
your marketing materials. Your company should have
designated fonts to use in the following situations:

•  A logo font, which is typically not one of the fonts
that come installed on Windows machines: it should be more
unique and interesting. Some logos will have two or three
different fonts in them. If this is the case, then consider
using one of those fonts as the secondary font as well.

•  A secondary font, used for headlines, sub-headlines,
taglines, special text such as graphics and captions, and
decorative text such as pull quotes, which are the large
quotes that are used decoratively in articles and
documents. This can be the same font as is used in your
logo. This is typically an interesting and unique font as
well. This may also be used as the font for your contact
information in your stationery, depending on its legibility.

•  A tertiary font is optional and may be used when the
secondary font is not always legible, for mid-length texts
such as pull quotes and contact information.

•  A serif text font, for lengthy printed documents.
Printed materials are more easily read if they are in serif
font rather than sans-serif font.

•  A sans-serif font, for shorter printed documents and
on-screen use. Text on a computer monitor is easier to read
in a sans-serif font than in a serif font.

•  A website font, which may be the same font as is used as
the main sans-serif text font, depending on how that font
translates for online viewing.

All of these fonts should have similar or contrasting
characteristics. Choosing fonts with similar
characteristics will make your fonts match and create
consistency throughout your documents. Choosing fonts with
contrasting characteristics will build visual texture and
interest into your materials. For example, you could pick
all thin, sans-serif fonts such as Arial and Frutiger to
create a harmonious, matching suite of fonts. Or you could
pick fonts with contrasting characteristics to create
greater interest, such as using a serif font like Palatino
for the headlines and then using a sans-serif font like
Verdana for the text.

3. Using the same, limited color palette across all of your
materials seems obvious, but many entrepreneurs try to make
their marketing materials look more interesting by mixing
up the color palette of each piece. But instead of making
the materials look more interesting, this spectrum of color
makes them look disjointed and uncoordinated.

You can create your color palette by:

•  The corporate colors established in your logo. Many
logos are made up of one or two colors. You could pick one
or both of these colors to make up your main color palette.

If your logo has a lot of colors, you can choose a color or
two out of your logo to use as your main color palette.
Picking more than a couple of colors to use can make your
materials look too bright and unprofessional.

•  The same hue or shade. You can extend your basic color
palette by using tints or shades of those colors. For
example, if you have a navy blue in your logo, you can use
a lighter or medium blue as another piece of your color
palette, and it will still coordinate.

•  Complimentary colors. Every color has a complimentary
one-an opposite-on the color wheel. For example, yellow and
purple are complimentary colors. This is the best route for
extending your color palette if you have a logo with just
one color or a logo that’s black plus one other color. You
can extend your color palette easily by using the
compliment to your corporate color in your materials.

•  Neighboring colors. Think of a rainbow. If you create a
color palette of neighboring colors, you’ll create a
harmonious and calming feel to your marketing materials.

•  The same type of colors throughout your materials. For
example, if you use all bright colors, all soft colors, or
all complex colors as your palette, you can mix up your
color palette and still keep a feeling of consistency
throughout your materials.

The exception to these rules is when your color palette is
mixed up in an intentional way to enhance your brand
message, or when you’ve assigned different colors to
different service or product lines. For example, a company
with a “bright,” “playful,” or “energetic” personality
might want to mix up its color palette between pieces. Or
if you have multiple product or service offerings, you
might want to assign each offering its own main color, and
use those distinct colors to differentiate your marketing
materials for each offering.

4. Using coordinating papers for your printed materials.
Paper can be an inexpensive way to add some interest and
depth to your Visual Vocabulary. You can do this in many
ways:

•  Choosing high-quality paper to print on will always make
your materials look more professional. This typically means
choosing a thick paper for your business cards and a
coordinating paper from the same product line for your
letterhead.

•  Using glossy paper only when appropriate is best. Glossy
paper might be great for a business card or a brochure, but
it’s not appropriate for your letterhead or other pieces
that might need a personal touch. Glossy always looks
higher-end and distances your materials from your reader.

•  Colored or textured papers can add to your Visual
Vocabulary, if they work with your brand message. If you
are trying to create an artisinal or hands-on look to your
materials, consider colored or textured paper. For a
technical or medical look, stick with smooth, white paper.

Creating consistency through the repetition of the four
elements listed above will make your business appear more
professional and memorable. Consistent materials will also
make you appear more credible and trustworthy. Consistency
can help your business marketing efforts to be more
successful.

There are a couple of bonus areas in which you can create
consistency:

•  The copywriting style that you use. Make sure that you
consistently write in the same voice, use the same style of
copyediting, and are addressing the same type of audience
in your writing. Your materials will appear much more
unified and cohesive if you do.

Repeating some of the same words throughout your materials
helps you to frame your customer’s point of view about your
services. This can help you to become known for the topics
that you address in your materials.

•  The timing of your marketing. For example, if you
traditionally send out an eNewsletter on a set day of the
month, at a set time, your readers will come to expect to
receive it then. If you send out four postcards per year,
space them out evenly so that people receive consistent
messages.

—————————————————-
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design
strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses.
Through her customized marketing and brand identity
packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand
differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and
other marketing materials and websites to reflect that
differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and
memorability.  http://www.elf-design.com

After 10 years of forging my career at AOL during their
rise to global dominance, I consider myself corrupted.  The
lessons I learned there are seared onto my brain.  And,
thankfully so, because I’ve used everything single one in
building my own business.

One huge lesson I learned was about BRANDING.  By 1997, AOL
was the number one online service, but the lead wasn’t so
huge that Microsoft’s new MSN service couldn’t take it
away.  If AOL was going to continue to bust open and take a
huge lead, we needed to do something a bit different.
Enter COO Bob Pittman.  His first, foremost, and I believe,
most valuable, thing he ever did was to insist that the
company get serious about creating a brand.  Not simply a
well-known company, not a recognized logo, but a brand,
something that evokes a strong emotion, that’s incredibly
attractive, and that people want to stay attached to.

We started to get deliberate about creating a brand.
Everything we did – from look and feel to marketing to
customer service to pricing to online content and more –
communicated several tenants of the AOL brand:  easy,
affordable, and useful.  It worked.  By the year 2000, AOL
was a $7 billion dollar company with 23 million members and
a wide lead in the top spot.

When I left AOL and started Bodacious! Ventures, I took
everything I learned about branding and applied it to my
new business.  Here are five key lessons about creating a
brand that you can use for your own business:

1. Every company has a brand.  The question is, “Is it
working for you?”  Creating a brand isn’t just for the big
companies; it’s for companies of all sizes.  We’re all
fighting for attention from our target customers.  If you
don’t create a brand, then you risk not being remembered
and not being emotionally attractive.  Both are a
prerequisite for sales.

Ask Yourself:  What is my brand?  Is it working for me?  Am
I willing to make changes if needed?

2. Your brand must evoke a strong emotion.  Neurologist
Donald Calne said, “The essential difference between
emotions and reason is that EMOTION leads to ACTION while
reason leads to conclusions.” Customers buy from emotion
and back it up with their head.

Ask Yourself:  What emotion does my brand evokes?  Do I
know how others experience my brand? (Psst!  Ask at least
10 people.)  Is that the emotion I want my brand to evoke?

3. Your brand isn’t a logo.  It’s everything you offer,
say, and do.  A brand is an experience with many facets.
There are a ton of ways a person can interact with you and
your company, for example, marketing materials, business
card, website, personal appearance, quality of your product
or service, how someone answers the phone, voice mail
message, e-mail, and customer support.

Ask Yourself:  What are all the ways a person can interact
with my company or brand?  (Psst!  Make a list.)  Is each
interaction supporting or derailing the emotional
experience I want my brand to create?

4. As a one woman show, YOU are your brand!  87% of all
women owned businesses have one employee – the woman
herself.  Who you are and what you do affects everything
about your business.

Ask Yourself:  What about my brand is “just like me”?  Do I
support my brand experience in how I dress, speak, and
interact with others?

5. Your brand needs constant tweaking.  You have to start
somewhere.  So, you launch your company and brand, see what
works, and you keep adjusting.  What ultimately matters is
what the customer thinks and feels.

Ask Yourself:  Have I given much thought lately about the
brand experience I’m creating for my customers?  What’s one
thing I’ve heard again and again from customers that I need
to change about my business?

—————————————————-
Mary Foley and Cheryl Thompson, the bodacious branding and
marketing experts, are dedicated to helping women with
small businesses achieve big dreams.  Their mission is to
show women how to get the customers they want who will pay
them the money they deserve.  Get their “52 Ways to Make
Branding & Marketing Easy!” absolutely free at
http://www.BusinessSuccessForHer.com .