Cathy Stucker - The Idea Lady

Attract Customers and Make Yourself Famous

Dear Editor. . .

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Have you ever disagreed with something written about your industry in a newspaper or magazine? Have you ever read anything that was just plain wrong? Instead of just tossing the offending reading material across the room, write a letter to the editor.

Letters to the editor not only provide you with a forum where you may share your perspective on an issue, you also can use a letter to bring attention to yourself and your business. Although most publications are resistant to writers using the letters section for self-promotion, your professional credentials may be published if they lend credibility to the point of view you express in your letter. If nothing else, you may get your company name mentioned.

When I had a letter published in Inc. Magazine I was identified with my business name, IdeaLady.com. Although I did not notice a flood of traffic to my Web site as a result, you never know who may happen to read my letter, visit the Web site, and become a customer.

Although I’ve only written about a dozen letters to editors in my life, I’ve had most of them published in publications ranging from the Houston Chronicle (three times), to Forbes magazine to the Wall Street Journal (twice) and others. You can increase the chance that your letter will be selected by following a few simple guidelines

Take a position. You can be for something or against it, but pick one. Do not try to lay out both sides. State your position and why.

If you are responding to an article they published, mention the article and date.

Do not cover multiple issues. Stay focused.

Do not use profanity or engage in name calling. Be professional and polite.

Use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation, even in e-mail.

Get your letter in while the issue is still hot. Most publications accept letters via e-mail. Look for an e-mail address on the letters page, or at their Web site.

Keep it short. Some letters must be long, but most can be kept short. That makes it easier for the editor to use your letter, and increases your chance of getting some of the limited letters space. To tighten your writing, take out unnecessary words such as very, so, really, and other vague qualifiers. Even if you keep your letter short, understand that the editor my still make cuts.

Some comments are too long to fit the letters to the editor format. If you have a long commentary, consider submitting an “op-ed” or essay. Not only do you get more space to explain your point of view, you will generally get a byline with a brief explanation of your credentials. And, you may even get paid.

If the publication has guidelines on its Web site, follow them. They may specify that you must include full contact information with your letter, or specify a maximum length.

Watch for opportunities to comment on issues related to your industry or expertise, then fire off a great letter.

Be in the Trade Publications Your Customers Read

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Trade publications can get you free publicity where it really matters: where prospective customers will see it.

Your publicity dreams may include being featured in Forbes, Fortune, Time, Inc., and other magazines read by millions. Appearing in those publications can boost both your ego and your business.

A feature in Nailpro may not have the same cachet, but if your clients are nail salons, you should be there. Trade magazines and newsletters give you exposure where it counts—with your potential customers.

You may already know of some publications in your industry, but you can learn more about them and discover new ones in media directories at your library. Standard Rate and Data Service publishes information about magazines’ demographics, circulation, ad rates, etc. Writer’s Market, Gale Directory of Publications and others will provide lots of leads.

Remember that you are not necessarily interested in publications that are read by you and your competitors, you are looking for those read by your potential customers. Another way to locate magazines and newsletters of interest to your target market is to ask your current clients which ones they value.

When you find information about a publication with which you are unfamiliar, request sample copies and writer’s guidelines. Then, study them to see how you might be able to fit into their editorial needs and provide information of use to their readers.

Send press releases to announce news. Do you have a new product their readers need to know about? Do you know something that can help them be more successful? You may get a blurb or a story out of it.

Offer your products for review. Books, tools, technology and other products are reviewed in many trade publications.

Write articles for publication. You may get paid for the articles but, whether free or fee, you should insist on a byline that identifies you and your company and includes contact information, such as a phone number or web site URL. Reprints of these articles can also be used in your media kit and in proposals, or simply mailed to clients and potential clients.

Send a letter introducing yourself and describing your background and areas of expertise. Let them know you are available for interview when they need information about the topics on which you are an expert. They may run a profile of you, or contact you for a quote within an article. If they have a feature where readers submit questions to be answered by experts, offer yourself as one of the experts.

Suggest a column. You may be able to land a monthly column by sending a few (three to six) sample columns to the editor, along with a description of your vision for the column.

Look for other opportunities to get your information published. Does the magazine run case studies? Maybe your company can be featured, or you can share a client’s story (with the client’s permission, of course). Do they run contests or polls asking readers to comment on an issue or problem? Respond. Write letters to the editor. Consider the publication’s current features and see how you can fit in and benefit their readers. 

Promote and Profit with Tip Sheets

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What’s bigger than a business card, and smaller than a brochure? A tip sheet.

A tip sheet is a list of five to twenty tips telling readers how to solve a problem, do something better, get something they want, or avoid something they don’t want. It starts with a descriptive title that promises a benefit, such as, “8 Ways to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft,” “6 Things You Need to Know about Building a Great Credit Rating,” or “How to Look 10 Years Younger than You Are–Without Surgery.”

Did you notice that two of these titles start with numbers? Numbers are effective in titles. Take a look at women’s magazines, and you will see headlines such as, “17 Ways to Get Organized–Today!” (Hey, that’s not a bad title for a tip sheet.) It is even more important that your title promise a benefit. What will the information do for readers?

Although you will use your tip sheet to promote yourself and your business, the tips should be informative and not promotional. So your topic should not be, “10 Reasons Why Acme Widgets Are Better than Others.”

Introduce the tips with a paragraph or so, followed by the tips in a numbered or bulleted list. You might find it easiest to write the tips first, then write the introductory paragraphs.

Format your tip sheet in two or three columns to fit on one side of an 8-1/2″ x 11″ sheet of paper. End with a short paragraph about you and your business, including contact information. You might want to hire a professional editor to review the content, and a designer to lay out the page attractively. The tip sheet can be printed in black on white paper, on your letterhead, or in color if you want to splurge.

Use your tip sheet as a handout when you speak or present a seminar. Give it out at meetings and conferences. Use it as a “leave-behind” with clients and prospects.

Post the tip sheet at your Web site. Make it available as a PDF to preserve the format, and offer an HTML version for faster download. Visitors will appreciate having a choice. You may want to require that visitors enter their e-mail addresses to register before they download the tip sheet. Although that will reduce the number of downloads, you will build your e-mail list.

Send the tip sheet as a press release. Media may reprint your tips, or use them as the basis for a broadcast story. Or, they may file the information away until they need an expert to comment on a story.

Submit the tip sheet for publication. Offer it at no charge (but require that your contact information is included) and many Web sites, newsletters, trade magazines and other publications will use it.

A tip sheet can be put together in less than a day, but recipients will keep it on hand and refer to it for years to come. Each time they do, your tip sheet is marketing for you.

Market Yourself by Giving Testimonials

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Getting testimonials from your customers can build your credibility and inspire customer trust. But there is also value in giving testimonials. When you are quoted, it puts your name in front of an audience and presents you as someone whose opinion should be trusted. You know, an expert! 

You may be asked to give a testimonial if you are seen as someone whose opinions are respected. Some of the ways to create that reputation include being a published author, media source or speaker. However, even if you’re not there yet your recommendations have value.

Don’t wait to be asked. When you have a good experience with a business, let them know. Write a letter or send an email telling why you like the product or service. Very few people take the time to do this, so your endorsement has value. Testimonials are most effective when they are specific, so tell what benefits you received. Did you save time or money? Or get a result that exceeded your expectations?

When you are asked for permission to use your testimonial, request that they include your name, business name and web site URL. Instead of a business name, you may want a product name or your book title mentioned.

Your testimonials may help you get links to your web site from the sites of major corporations. Many of them post success stories from happy customers on their sites, and will reward you with a link. To find companies looking for testimonials, use your favorite search engine to search for “submit testimonial” or “submit success story.”

Exchange testimonials with friends and associates. Don’t fake them, but if you can truthfully tell what a friend’s product or service did to benefit you, do so. They can return the favor, if they have done business with you.

In addition to giving your endorsement, you can get attention and build a reputation as an expert by writing reviews. Review products, services or companies in print and online publications, or simply at your website. Your reviews may be quoted in promotions and advertising.

Sites such as epinions.com will pay for your opinions, although the pay is typically pennies, not dollars. Your review doesn’t have to be a glowing endorsement to get you positive attention. After writing a review of an unsatisfying encounter I had with an Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) staff, I was interviewed by a reporter for a financial magazine who was doing a piece on customer service issues at ISPs.

Set up an About You page in Amazon.com’s Friends and Favorites area (from the Amazon.com home page, click on Your Store, then Your Profile). Then, write reviews of your favorite books, movies, computer equipment, gadgets, and other products. Readers who enjoy your reviews can visit your About You page to learn more about you and your business. This is most effective when you review products related to your business.

Start offering unsolicited testimonials, and soon you will have others seeking your endorsement as a respected opinion-shaper.

Reach Out and Teach Someone

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Want to make money while you’re building your credibility and being exposed to hundreds of thousands of potential clients? Teach a class.

Here in Houston, Leisure Learning Unlimited http://www.llu.com presents hundreds of interesting classes in cooking, business, computers, travel, relationships, crafts, and just about everything else. Classes are also offered by many colleges and other organizations.

If you have an idea for a class, come up with a snappy title and list the topics to be covered and the benefits students receive. Then call a class provider and ask how you can propose a course.

Now the bad news: You won’t get rich. You may get paid a set hourly rate as low as $15 – $20 per class hour, or you may receive a percentage of the class fees. These rates may be negotiable, but there is usually not a lot of money available. You may be able to increase your profits by offering required or optional texts.

There are very good reasons to teach, though, even if you don’t get paid much. One, you get exposure in the catalog. Leisure Learning sends out more than 600,000 catalogs a year, and my information is in every one of them. I meet people who already know who I am, because they’ve seen me in the LLU catalog.

Two, many of my clients come from the classes I teach, or from seeing me in the catalog. If someone likes your class, but needs more help, they will turn to you.

Three, you can learn what is important to customers. The feedback you get from students will help you to develop new products and services, and refine your marketing message.

Of course, you can put on a seminar yourself. However, you will have to absorb the cost (in time, money or both) of marketing and registration, as well as the cost of booking a room. And, if the class doesn’t make (which happens), you are out that money with no offsetting income. If you are hired to teach, you don’t have to deal with that. And, the credibility of the sponsoring organization transfers to you, too. My bio includes the names of many of the colleges where I’ve taught continuing education courses.

Look for other opportunities to teach. A professional association may be willing to host your seminar as a fund raiser, and you share revenues. You might even consider doing a free workshop for a community college, library, hospital or other organization, if the exposure you receive is worthwhile. For example, a realtor might offer a session on what a first-time home buyer needs to know. Although the point is to give valuable information, not self-promotion, to whom will students turn when they need a realtor? Probably that knowledgeable person who taught the seminar. How much is that worth to you?

Teaching gives you an expert reputation, increases your income, and it’s fun! I love to teach because I love to learn–and I always learn new things from my students.