Make the Media Your Best Friend

Young Entrepreneurs in the Media

Dealing with the media can seem daunting when you’ve never done it before. Once you learn how, media coverage can be the best marketing tool to grow your biz.

We asked 3 young entrepreneurs how they got media attention, how it helped their businesses and what tips they have for anyone starting out.

Check out their stories here

Here are some examples of media releases featured in local papers by young entrepreneurs:

Download them and start thinking about what press release you could put together to get you and your business noticed in the media!

Paul Munro, Creative Director, Vision- Print Design Studio

1. Local paper (The Highland Post) – Local Young Entrepreneurs Reject the Recession

Vanessa Cullen, Principal, Forward Thinking Design

1. Fit Out magazine – Setting the Standard

2. Local paper – Design on Future

Where has The Frank Team been in the media recently???
We have been lucky enough to get some great media attention over the years. We have used a combination of direct media releases to journalists, as well as our website ranking highly for keywords that we know journalists are looking for and they then contact us!

Check out…
News.com.au – Young entrepreneurs tell Australians to toughen up on the global financial crisis
Daily Telegraph – Youth get down to business
The Australia – Now’s the time for web starts ups to go online
Want to learn how to get yourself featured in the media?

BOOK NOW for our PR Secrets for Beginners Workshop.

Send us your media coverage and we will add it here for ALL to see! jessica@frankteam.com.au

PR Secrets for Beginners – Workshop

Would you love to get some coverage in the media to grow your business but don’t know where to start?

As busy entrepreneurs it can be tricky to keep a finger on the pulse in all areas of your business. So knowing how to continually promote you and your business through media channels can be daunting…unless you have the know-how.

Effective PR is important to any business for a number of reasons. Mainly because it raises your profile to your audience, positions you as an expert in your field, helps to build your database and most importantly INCREASES SALES!

Why pay someone else when you can learn the secrets of how to utilise the media and make the most of PR opportunities yourself?!

The Frank Team’s ‘PR Secrets for Beginners’ workshop will teach you how to be a self-sufficient PR gun with a toolbox full of strategies for getting you and your business the PR exposure to grow your business right now.

Following the success of April’s “SHOW ME HOW” online marketing workshop with marketing gun, Fred Schebesta, The Frank Team are excited to offer a 3 hour practical workshop for young entrepreneurs like you on how to get out there, get noticed and raise the profile of you and your business with PR and publicity extraordinaire, Jonica Bray.

The Frank Team’s “SHOW ME HOW” series deliver workshops that are presented by young entrepreneurs for young entrepreneurs that are only about stuff you need to know about and focus on showing you HOW TO DO IT YOURSELF.

When: 14th July 4.30 – 7.30pm

Where: bioFirst Seminar Room
Ground Floor, National Innovation Centre, Australian Technology Park, 4 Cornwallis St Eveleigh, NSW 2015
Parking available on site.

How Much: $66 per person (inc GST)

A recording of this workshop will be available to view after the event  – please email jessica@frankteam.com.au to book your access.

Also, if you have a skill that you would like to SHOW other young entrepreneurs HOW TO DO then please contact us for inclusion in our “SHOW ME HOW” series.

We have put together a short article on 5 Mistakes to Avoid when working with the media. We hope to spread the learning we have had over the years in regards to working with the media to you so please feel free to forward the article around and use in your newsletters etc with acknowledgment of The Frank Team of course.

Plus check out the coverage other young entrepreneurs have got in the media recently – get inspired!

Our Workshop presenter:

Jonica Bray from Publicity Insider

Through this workshop Jonica Bray will teach people all the basic skills they need to get their business PUBLICITY.

After working for leading national and international press and liaising with PR agencies on a daily basis, she has a lot of experience to share. As a journalist she knows which stories get published and which press release’s end up in the recycle bin.

Her inside knowledge can be passed on and by following the simple instructions you will have a basic PR plan in no time. Most news rooms work the same and are looking for particular types of stories at certain times of the year.

Jonica will provide you with those calendars and suggest ways you can be involved with many publications throughout the year, establishing your credibility and enhancing your reputation along the way.

The 3 hour workshop will cover:

- Introductory guide explaining what PR actually is (compared with marketing and advertising)

- How PR can help your business

- Why it’s important to set PR goals

- How to create a simple PR plan.

- Identifying target audiences and the publications they read

- The main ways to secure free editorial coverage

- How to develop story material for your pitch

- Digging deeper to get the story

- Who are you going to call?

- Roles within the media

- Becoming a PR expert

BOOK NOW TO SECURE YOUR SEAT

When: 14th July 4.30 – 7.30pm

Where: bioFirst Seminar Room
Ground Floor, National Innovation Centre, Australian Technology Park, 4 Cornwallis St Eveleigh, NSW 2015
Parking available on site.

How Much: $66 per person

A recording of this workshop will be available to view after the event  – please email jessica@frankteam.com.au to book your access.

We have put together a short article on 5 Mistakes to Avoid when working with the media.  We hope to spread the learning we have had over the years in regards to working with the media to you so please feel free to forward the article around and use in your newsletters etc with acknowledgment of The Frank Team of course.

Selling to Baby Boomers & Gen X

Bridging the Generation Gap

Young entrepreneur Amanda Jephtha recently attended a workshop with social researcher Mark McCrindle and is here to share the knowledge from that session.

Fact: everyone loves to hate Gen Y.
Fact: the future is not created by an economy, but a demography.
Fact: Gen Y is here to stay – and rule!

So how can we shake off our bad rep as demanding, fast-moving, selfish kids and get our message across?

How can we more effectively work with and sell to the older generations?

The key is to first UNDERSTAND them, and then modify your actions.

Check out these insights and tips on how to bridge the generation gap.

Why there are SO many oldies…

Since we’re not having as many babies and we’re all getting older (and living longer), soon there will be an explosion of older people. Actually, by 2020, there will be more than 3 times the amount of 65-69 year olds compared to 1978! A staggering statistic.
So whether we like it or not, we have to learn to communicate effectively with the older generations if we’re going to run successful businesses.

Thinking with the head versus thinking with the heart.

Typically, Gen Y decides with their emotions. Never mind reason; if we’ve absolutely fallen in love with something because of it’s looks or how it makes us feel, we simply buy it.

Gen Y engages emotionally as:
Seekers – someone who doesn’t know too much about a product, but is blindingly faithful, and
Embracers – someone who will trumpet your horn with full product knowledge and is in lurve with your product.
However, the older generations will first rationalise the purchase. Does this fit my needs? Is it value for (my heard-earned) money? Is the product guaranteed?

Generation X and the Baby Boomers engage cognitively as:

Hecklers – someone who doesn’t really understand the product and isn’t particularly attracted to it, and
Agree-ers – someone who understands the product is a good fit to their needs, but feels indifferent to the product.
Our aim is to convert all clients in to Embracers.

Image thanks to McCrindle Research

How to Sell to the Older Generation

Firstly, we need to satisfy the older generation’s need to rationalise. Answer their questions, even if you think they’re basic or repetitive – but don’t make them feel stupid!

Slow the pace down if you’re discussing new concepts.
Once we’ve ticked this box, only then can we successfully move them to the emotional quadrants, ultimately ending up as Embracers.
By then, the older generation will be your most powerful sales force. And considering the Baby Boomers own the majority of the wealth and spend more on technology than any other generation, who wouldn’t strive to achieve this?
What NOT to say
Generation X and the Baby Boomers just don’t use our vocab. Some even blame us for the downfall of the English language! But what do they particularly dislike?
Clichés.
We all love to hate clichés! So much so, McCrindle Research set out to find the top 10 clichés Gen Y use that Generation X and the Baby Boomers hate. So when you’re chatting with the oldies, avoid using:
1. My bad
2. Random
3. So hot right now
4. Fully sick
5. So over that
6. Oh my gosh
7. Whatever
8. Totally
9. Chillout
10. Whassup
Check out this full list of clichés that should best be avoided, no matter who you’re communicating with.
Remember…
Each generation operates differently. By being mindful of these differences, not only can we grow our businesses – we can make the richest and most abundant generation our biggest advocate!

Ten Secrets to Great Email Marketing

The debate about snailmail versus email rages on between the old timer marketers and the new age digital marketers. Here we get the inside word from a digital marketer’s perspective, Fred Schebesta, on how to increase your response rates and generate a multitude of leads.

As young entrepreneurs you often start with little to no money, and using the internet and emarketing smartly is vital as it doesn’t carry to cost of other more traditional marketing methods.

1. No mistakes!
Broken links and images in your emails are an instant detraction from what you’re offering. Not only does it damage the image of your company it also disables the customer from accepting your offer.

2. Make it a quick message for a quick medium.
You have 3 seconds to grab your customer’s attention otherwise they can just press delete or move onto the next email. Make sure your message is transferred quickly as people tend to read and discard email quickly.

3. Send more than one email in the campaign.
After you’ve sent your initial email with its offer send another one a week later saying that the offer has almost expired. This creates urgency for the reader.

4. Email link to websites.
You’ll receive much faster response rates if you link to a website instead of asking the buyer to pick up a telephone and call you. Ensure that your offer is clearly displayed on your website and it’s clearly understood how to accept the offer.

5. Reply to your responses.
Unlike with other mediums, the time between when your offer is delivered and when it can be acted upon is very short. As a rule, your response time should not be longer than 12 hours.

6. Give customers a reason to refer.
At the bottom of your email put a small blurb. “If you know of anyone else who would be interested in this offer please forward them this email.” Give your customers a reason to refer a friend and you’ll see an even better response rate.

7. Layout of the email.
Understand how your audience is going to read their email. In general people only view the email in a small box. What that means for your email is that it needs to convey its message in that little box and give them a reason to scroll down.

8. Tune into WIIFM.
The WIIFM (Whats in it for me?) station is a favourite station when it comes to accepting special sales offers. Ensure that your buyer has a clear and simple way of accepting your offer. ‘Click here to receive a free case study’ – ‘ Reply to this email to receive a free copy’ – ‘Place your name in the form to begin
your registration process’.

9. Flashy images vs Text.
There must be a balance between images and text in email marketing. Preferably more text than images. One image plus a single link with a call to action in actual text is ideal.

10. Clean Subjects.
Ensure that you have a subject line that is catchy enough for your email to be opened and relevant enough for the email to be read all the way through. Try using questions (e.g. Are you struggling to find clients?) or great adjectives (e.g. Exclusive unveiling of new product).

For more info and tips from Fred, check out his blog.

Juicy Branding with Tim Pethick

If you couldn’t be at the Sydney young entrepreneur event for young people currently running (and
interested in running) their own biz that The Frank Team organised, then you missed a fab talk from Tim Pethick, inventor and chief nudie, of nudie fruit juices.

But fear not, we’ve captured some of the highlights for you here so that as a young entrepreneur you can use them in your own business right now!

Here’s the story… Tim loves fresh juice. But he didn’t always have time to make his own, especially when travelling for work, so he conducted some in-depth research and started experimenting in his own kitchen with different blends of fruits and different sized bottles.

In their first week on the market in 2003 nudie sold 40 bottles! nudie now employs 86 people and nudie’s are available in 4,500 outlets around Australia – that equates to 150,000 bottles sold every week!

Here’s some random thoughts Tim shared with us about his journey to help give you an edge on branding your new products and projects.
The principal elements of Tim’s nudie success:
* Integrity of the product
* Product difference
* Brand
* Passion
* I didn’t know what couldn’t be done – industry outsiders think differently

Tim’s insights on marketing:
People are too busy and not listening
Cutting through the clutter is increasingly difficult
You can waste a lot of money on ineffective advertising
Consumers are looking for something else
For decades marketers have known “consumers have become more discerning” yet they treat them the same way
Marketers talk AT consumers rather than WITH them
Consumers are “trading up” – they want mini-indulgences
Get people talking – “word of mouth”

Getting the BRAND message across
Australians are “increasingly unhappy with, and ignoring, advertising”
81% say they are taking less notice of advertising
66% said advertising was boring and repetitive
75% say stereotypes proliferate
Source: Eye on Australia 2003

The lessons Tim has learned:
To challenge conventional wisdom
Just do it!
There are always more reasons not to Think big!
If you don’t think you can you can’t
Enjoy the ride (and others will too)
Focus on the customer
Be the best – don’t compromise
Size doesn’t necessarily matter
Don’t focus on the competition or you will lose

Branding the nudie way:
Make your product remarkable
Make it fun
Make it positive
Don’t rely on traditional advertising
Give it (positive) attitude
Engage the consumer – maximum dialogue;maximum involvement

10 Secrets to Marketing Small Business Online

Fred Schebesta – Young Entrepreneur

Being online levels the playing field, as, big or small, everyone has the same chance to attract customers.

This makes online the best place for young entrepreneurs to promote their business! If you are smart and willing to learn, your online promotion can cost you nothing but your time and your internet connection, but deliver awesome results.

By following some basic principles, you can receive the same coverage as major players and see your business take off using savvy, affordable marketing.

1. Create a Website of course!

Without a web presence you don’t exist online. So the first and most obvious step is to create one! This need not cost anything though – you can get a really great template, like a WordPress template that will have you up on the web with a website for nothing. The Frank Team’s Young Entrepreneurs website is built on a WordPress template!

The key to keeping customers happy in the online environment is to design a website that is both aesthetically (the way it looks) and functionally (what it does) pleasing. When you’re designing your website, create a situation where every page drives a visitor to action and generates a sales lead for your business.

This could mean they SUBSCRIBE to something, or they DOWNLOAD something, or they COMMENT or they APPLY or event better they BUY NOW!

2. Convert Visitors to Leads

To turn your website from a passive, “brochure-ware” site that delivers a lot of information but doesn’t deliver results, you need to refocus your strategy from delivering free information and content, to providing relevant content that drives consumer action.

Supplying information is both necessary and helpful to readers and handy in raising your search engine rankings. Always ask yourself, “what is my call to action” – these can take the form of links to downloads, requesting consumer information, advertising, offers or promotions. At the very least, encourage users to make contact with you, either by phone or email.

Main aim: get their contact details some way. This means you will then be able to start to have an ongoing conversation with them, through your marketing and contact, to eventually get the action you desire from them (purchase, attending an event, signing a petition etc)

3. Build Trust & Credibility

Being open and transparent (they can see what you do, honest) is crucial to success in online marketing.

Prove you are a real, concrete, reliable business by including as many of the following as possible: clear contact details including a physical address and landline phone number, photos and images of employees, location and equipment, third party endorsements and verification of your authenticity including ‘approved’ stamps and/or testimonials.

These days everyone is worried about getting scammed on the internet. Show your visitors that you are totally legit!

Also, be sure to reply to all contact inquiries quickly.

4. Search Engine Leads

The first step to finding what you need on the internet is running a search on a company name, product name, service or activity.

Research (and experience) shows that high search engine rankings are a major predictor of online business success. After 30 results, users stop looking, so it’s vital you sit within this top percentile.

To optimise your business’ search engine ranking, use search engine optimisation (ie: using key words your customers would use to find you on your site as much as possible, so people find you when searching) and search engine marketing (you can pay to have your site link featured on the right hand side of search results pages or on other people’s websites)

5. Email Market/eDM

The power of online can be summed up by email marketing. This is all about sending emails to certain people that promotes your business, services or organisation.

It’s a cost-effective, efficient, traceable, relationship-building tool for regularly communicating with your existing and potential consumers. It can cost you nothing if done through your existing email system, otherwise you can use online software like Campaign Monitor that will charge you a very small fee per email, when you have large email marketing campaigns to send out.

Have you heard of the 80:20 rule in marketing? 80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers. Email marketing is the easiest way to continue an ongoing, targeted dialogue/conversation with your peeps.

5 top secrets for Email Marketing Success are: regularity, short punchy content, calls to action, personalisation, and maintaining a clean list (a database that is made up of real email addresses of people actually interested in hearing about you and your business).

6. Affiliate Market

As well as buying listings in search engine results, you can buy or trade listings on relevant directories and/or cross-promotional websites. Reciprocal link-backs (where you ask someone to put the link for your website onto their website and you do the same for them) improve both websites’ natural search engine listings.

Swapping links with your business colleagues, friends websites and even perhaps with your customers will help you both when it comes to ranking in the search engines.

7. Partnerships & Links

As with affiliate marketing, the success of this tactic lies in increasing your exposure through both cross-promotion on related websites, and also through upping your search engine listing thanks to increased link-backs.

There are many avenues to increasing your presence, for free or at a low cost on related websites. Submit articles to other websites and free PR websites, submit sites to directories, buy links, buy partnerships e.g. Emailcash, List on Shopferret and price comparision websites.

8. Blogging

Running a business, you are clearly an expert in your field. Invite potential and current customers to share your expertise and get a taste of how your knowledge will positively impact them, by creating a blog.

Blogs create a community around those with common interests and become a tool for sharing and developing ideas. Their major advantage is creating an open, accessible channel to boost consumer involvement.

They can be used to encourage trials, conduct on-the-ground research, and develop ongoing customer relationships. Plus there’s stacks of software online to set up your blog – all for free!

9. Email Signature

Think about how many emails you send out each day, each week, each month. Now multiply that by the emails sent by your business partners, employees and/or subcontractors. Every one of those emails is an opportunity to market your business.

As well as including your standard contact details, and always, always your website URL; the smart online marketer also uses this opportunity to promote their latest offer, promotion, or release. Alternately it can be used to build your brand identity or value-add to consumers, and grow your relationships.

10. Track & Respond

Every web host keeps detailed statistics of activities occurring on your website; from the number of visitors, to downloads, where people landed and left the site, how long they stayed, to where they spent most of their time. Google Analytics is the most used.

Analyse this information and use it to continually improve your site’s performance based on this silent customer feedback.

The beauty of the Internet is that you can change your marketing and track its effects immediately. If something is working, stick with it. If not, change it again.

Going Forward

While you may not have the financial resources of the big guns, you do share access to the same technology: online. Use it to your advantage, and watch your small business grow!

This article was provided by Fred Schebesta, Director of Freestyle Media: a full-service online marketing agency based in Sydney, Australia. Want to hear more of what Fred’s got to say about online marketing? Check out his blog @ www.onlinemarketingsydney.com.au to sign up for FREE online marketing tips