Some months back we talked about “branding” Vs “advertising” and referred to M. J. Gilhooley’s Action Plan to Generate Publicity: Here are the 5 steps to follow. This is your PR Map and it is not all that daunting a task. Just go one step at a time.
1. Build Your Media List – Identify the names of 3 media outlets in your market that you’d most like to get into (any combination of TV, radio, dailies, or trades). Think local or market specific. Example: For commercial properties, target your area Business Newspaper.
2. Identify at least one company news item and/or Unique Selling Point. Example: We are going into the Holiday Season. (Yes, Virginia, it is coming!) How many poinsettias does your company distribute? If it is a significant number, write this fact up. Include the folklore and the origins of the plant and so on.
3. Make your mini-PR plan for the year – Set 2 dates that will serve as deadlines. Publications, media outlets work months in advance so get this done now.
4. Customize your Press Release. Make sure photos feature your staff wearing your shirts or standing in front of your clean, logoed van holding a huge poinsettia. None around in the dead of Summer? Use an artificial. The viewer won’t be able to see the difference. Just smile a lot.
5. Follow up a few days after submission or phone contact. E Mail and then phone the media contact. Don’t worry that you are bothering them, they are used to it.
The news items you submit may be any information that could be used as a human-interest piece. M. J. recommends stories about a triumph, overcoming obstacles, innovative growth etc. Or, how ‘bout periodic interesting blurbs about plant material? “Did you know” stuff. For example – “Did you know that house plants keep you relaxed? Then give your resource. Just make sure your human interest blurb quotes you, mentions your company, and offer to visit the paper or TV station offices for a photo (of you in a lazy boy recliner holding a plant or poinsettia for example) to illustrate.
One of the best resources for quotes and documentation is the Green Plants for Green Buildings web site (www.greenplantsforgreenbuildings.org). Recently, I logged onto the site and was truly amazed at how much great “stuff” is there. If you haven’t checked it out lately I suggest you do so. I can’t think of a better place to get sales ammunition. Look over the information. You’ll find lots of great pro-plants tidbits. Then make it newsworthy, catchy, and company promoting through your own creativity.
Remember, you are doing these media people a favor. Every day they arrive at work and see hundreds of blank pages staring them in the face. Pages they need to fill. And what’s prettier or more universally interesting than plants?
Now go out there and get ‘em Tiger.
August 18th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Here’s some new info I wrote up and wanted to share with you about how critical Flickr can be for such a VISUAL industry such as plantscaping!!
Turn Picture-Perfect Projects Into Profit!
By: mj gilhooley
Go With Your Strengths!
If you are a thriving green business owner (or are becoming one), it is likely that you have engaged in some form of online marketing. Unfortunately, most interiorscapers have yet to utilize an inexpensive, ‘shoe-in’ strategy for any business that is inherently a visual industry. .
That is where Flickr can score big for interior or exterior landscapers.
What Is Flickr?
Flickr is a web site owned by Yahoo! that offers photo sharing and a host of related services for users of any level — beginners to professionals. It’s tremendously easy to use, and when used with friends / associates it can be great fun.
More than just being a web site, you should think of Flickr as a community — one with a very strong and active user base. According to Nielsen/NetRatings, Flickr is currently the fastest-growing photo sharing site on the web, and the 5th most popular overall. And comScore recently announced that Flickr had 7 million unique visitors making it the 7th-most trafficked social networking/media site. Often it is the ‘visual value’ that sets price points for interiorscapers. If the look matters to your bottom line, then opportunity is knocking on Flickr!
How does Flickr work?
A Flickr account is free. You’ll need a Yahoo ID to sign up. Once you’ve joined, adding photos to Flickr is done through a simple upload system. At any time, you can look for Flickr groups to join. When adding photos to a group, make sure you read the group’s posting rules.
Most Flickr members are active in groups. Groups are where like-minded users post photos related to the group’s them. Each group has both photos and discussions.
The typical experience for most users of Flickr would involve uploading a photo, adding the photo to a personal photo album (a “setâ€, as Flickr calls them), and then sharing the photo in whatever appropriate groups the person has joined. Posting to groups is the main way your photos get exposure.
How Do I Market My Interiorscape Business on Flickr?
First, let me emphasize that it’s against the Terms of Use to “exploit for any commercial purposes†the Flickr/Yahoo service. Posting a photo specifically for the purposes of advertising your company, your products/services, etc., would be against the TOS and would turn off the Flickr community.
That said, by being a smart and active contributor to the Flickr community, your business (and web site) can get valuable marketing exposure via Flickr. Here’s how:
1) Use your web site address as your Flickr screen name. Your screen name will be attached to every photo you upload, every message you post in a Group discussion — everything you do on Flickr. Let your screen name advertise your web site URL. And with each photo you upload, you can add “tags†(or keywords) that describe the photo, and a description of the image — these are both opportunities to mention your business name and web site address.
2) Upload quality photos of your most spectacular projects and other images related to your business. An interior plantscaper for example, would upload photos of the ‘trophy’ interior commercial projects he or she has installed to date. If ‘holiday’ is a large portion of your revenue, post shots of displays and/or events your company has completed— your staff, the installation itself, any actual event or special shots and the overall presentation.
3) Write appropriate text for each photo, but avoid sounding like a commercial. As mentioned above, you can give a name and write a description for each photo you upload. You should describe the photo accurately. Remember to keep the focus on the photography, not the sales pitch. You can also add “tags†to describe each photo, and you should include things like your company name and web site address in the tags. If you rely on local traffic, the tags should include the city names where you do business (but don’t overdo it).
4) Find and join appropriate groups and share your photos in those groups. There are groups on Flickr for just about anything you can imagine. Being that most interiorscapers serve their immediate area, you will want to find and join any groups related to your location — search on your city name, nearby city names, and your state. When appropriate, posting photos and joining discussions in those groups will allow you to reach your local audience.
5) Link prominently from your web site to your Flickr photostream. There are two reasons for this: First, because people visiting your web site are likely to be interested in your photos, too. Who doesn’t appreciate good pictures? Plus, believe it or not, some of your visitors are probably already Flickr users, and they might welcome to the chance to add you to their “contact list.†(Return the favor if they do!) The second reason is that search engine crawlers should follow a prominent link from your web site to your Flickr photos, and when that happens, you have more potential matches for search engine users. (Yes, Flickr photo pages are crawled by Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Ask.com, too.)
6) Take part in the Flickr community. By this, I mean the following:
* Comment on other photos you like, whether they’re related to your business or not.
* Add great photos to your “Favorites†list.
* Take part in discussions in your groups (but avoid the hard-sell tactics).
Remember that every time you do one of these things, your screen name will show — with your comment, with your discussion posts, etc. And if your screen name is your URL, that’s free advertising.
‘Good to Know’ Bonus: Be smart and creative about this. If you find a photo from another user in your area of interest, and that photo is getting a lot of views and comments, add your own comment to get your screen name in front of a lot of eyeballs. (Just make sure it’s a legitimate comment on the photo, and as always, don’t comment to promote your business.)
When used properly, Flickr can be an effective tool for marketing your plantscaping business. The key is to be an active and responsible member, and avoid using hard-sell tactics in your photos, comments, discussions, etc. Most important: Respect the Flickr system and community.