The Value Pages Group — Business Networking Meets Business Marketing

The Perfect Twitter App: Tweetie VS. Twitterrific VS. Twittelator

by Jason Sanders on March 13, 2010

in Social Media, Twitter, app store, apple inc., applications, apps, computing, feature, foursquare, iPhone, mobile apps, mobile devices, tweet, tweetdeck, tweetie, twitpic, world wide web

Earlier this week I wrote a post asserting that the future of twitter is mobile. Using twitter on a mobile device is infinitely more valuable to a small to medium sized business owner, an entrepreneur or a solopreneur.

I can make a difference in promoting my business in between everything else that I have to do to run my business. It’s so much better on a mobile device, because I don’t have to sit down and make time for it, or choose twitter over another obligation that I have to do. When twitter is mobile, I can just fit it in around everything else, which in my opinion is the best way to use the platform.

I thought it would be helpful if I shared my impressions of the current top 3 twitter applications available and review the functionality of each. I’m a firm believer that you get what you pay for, so even though there’s an option to get free versions of twitter apps, for this post I’ll be reviewing the premium versions so I can share the full potential of the applications and spare you a rant about annoying advertising in iPhone Apps.

Full Disclosure: I paid for all three of these applications with my own money and I haven’t been paid to endorse my favorite, although we are looking for sponsors for TVPG Radio’s Get More Business Show.

Twitterrific Premium: Currently priced at $4.99 in the App Store.

What I Like About It: Twitterrific is a very elegant application. I found it to be pretty intuitive to use and the interface reminded me of a single column set up on TweetDeck (I’ll save my review of the TweetDeck mobile app for another blog post). It is easy to set up and use multiple twitter accounts on this application. I also like the way you can save searches for tweets by a specific twitter user to be accessed easily on the front page of the app. Twitterific has a handy feature to pull in tweets from people on twitter who are “Nearby”. You can also choose the online destination of the media that you post to twitter through the app. I think the note feature, which allows you to attach a note to a person’s profile (the notes are only saved on the mobile device) can be very useful.

What I Don’t Like About It: Twitterific, when compared to it’s two competitors is light on features. Perhaps this was done intentionally to maintain the simplicity and elegance of the application, but in my mind the price should reflect that choice. Even though there are instructions on how to set up a bookmark in Safari to tweet links from the iPhone’s browser, I can’t seem to find any way to shorten those links from within the application, let alone connect my bit.ly account. There’s no way to report twitter users who are clogging up your stream with spam. There’s also no way to see how many times a user has been listed and by whom, which makes it harder to determine who deserves a follow back and who is a spammer. It only offer’s 4 options on where you want your pictures and videos to be stored. Noticeably absent is the ability to store media on your own Wordpress blog. Also noticeably absent is a map to show exactly where those “Nearby” tweets are. But one of my biggest irks with this app is that it still doesn’t work in landscape mode (when you turn the phone to the side to make typing easier). This has got to be one of it’s biggest drawbacks.

Comments: If you’re not interested in bells and whistles and aren’t interested in connecting with people who are local to you and are also on the Twitter platform, this might be the right App for you…as long as you don’t mind overpaying. [...Click here for a complete list of features from the Twitterrific Website]

Twittelator Pro: Currently priced at $4.99 in the App Store

What I Like About It: Twittelator is a feature packed Twitter Application. My impression from using this application is that the folks at Twittelator are determined to dominate this segment. Not only do you have all the functionality that Twitter provides online, but they’ve also gone above and beyond to search out any and all conceivable functionality and pack it into this app. Unlike Twitteriffic (but like Tweetie) when you search for twitter user’s near your location, you are presented with an interactive map as an interface. You can tweet photos, audio, and video, either by recording it inside the app or by choosing it from your media library. Twittelator also allows you to tweet the song info of the song you’re listening to on your iPhone. You can choose from 14 pages of emoticons and symbols to spice up your tweets. In fact I recently spent 2.99 on a different twitter application for this purpose only to realize that half of it’s functionality was already covered by Twittelator. Links to pics appear as thumbnails in your twitter stream. This is awesome! Out of the three, I think Twittelator has the easiest method of selecting hashtags (from list that is autopopulated showing the hashtags you’ve recently used) shortening tweets (yes, you can plug in your bit.ly account) and selecting users for @replies (also from an autopopulated list like the hastags, but that list is followed by an alphabetic list of everyone you follow). If you want to message someone, but you can’t remember the exact spelling of their twitter id, you no longer have a problem with this feature and it saves you the trouble of doing a search by their first and last name. Sometimes features win over elegance (depends on who you ask).

What I Don’t Like About It: I could see how some people might be overwhelmed by all these features. Some of them aren’t exactly intuitive. The placement of the “hot spots” on the tweets to link to additional information wasn’t what I was used to. It took some playing around with it to discover it’s potential. This effect is exaggerated when you’re using this app to manage multiple twitter accounts. I admit, I sometimes get lost in this app (temporarily) because of the abundance of features and what I could only describe as a bit of a quirky flow. I’m not sure if the flow is a result of organic growth and adding a bunch of new features over time, or if it was a lack of planning, or if someone else just thinks this feels natural. It feels natural to me now that I’ve spent some time with it and have adusted to it’s layout, but that wasn’t my initial impression.

Comments: Out of the three applications, this one has the most features and I would consider it the best value. Like an exotic performance car, buyers should expect little quirks here and there, but those quirks define the character of the experience. This app delivers the goods through deep features that mean lots of value to the user. There are a lot of additional features that this app has, I just picked my favorite ones for this post. [...Click here for a complete list of features from the Twittelator Website]

Tweetie 2: Currently priced at $2.99 in the App Store.

What I Like About It: Tweetie seems like a mid-point between Twitterrific and Twittelator. It has a lot of features, in fact most people would probably be very satisfied with the features that Tweetie provides. This app walks the fine line between elegance and feature rich. The interface is quite intuitive when you consider all the options that the user has. You can tell that it has been well thought out and it has a nice flow to it. I don’t get lost in this app. There are several features that are really cool. I love how tweets that are replies show the avatar for the originating twitter user, with a small inset of the recipient’s avatar. Another sweet feature is that the app “tears the page” when you refresh to pull in the most recent tweets. This gives you a visual reference of where the last update ended and the new update begins. This is very helpful. Tweetie has a great feature that allows you to create a contact in your address book by importing the twitter profile information. I have to admit, that’s pretty slick. With the latest version, there is also supposed to be an integration with foursquare, but I haven’t been able to figure out where to activate it (perhaps it’s because I haven’t authorized geo-tagging on my twitter account). This application packs in a lot of value for a lower price than its competition.

What I Don’t Like About It: I’m not crazy about how it handles the block feature and the report spam feature. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad they’re there, but as prevalent as spam is on twitter, I would like to be able to use that functionality without pushing so many buttons (There’s several more keystrokes required than with Twittelator.). Tweetie 2 isn’t quite as feature rich as Twittelator, but it has some unique and valuable features in it’s own right. Overall it’s hard to fault this app.

Comments: Tweetie 2 is a great app at a great price. There are some bells and whistles that it doesn’t have, but the trade off is elegance, an intuitive interface and ease of use. Most twitter users would not consider this application to be light on features. [...Click here for a complete list of features from the Tweetie Website]

Summary: The first twitter application that I bought was Twitterrific. Twitterrific is still the most popular twitter app in the app store, but it’s not the right application for me. I need more features. After experiencing the competition, I wish I had spent that five bucks on something else. Out of the three choices, Twittelator is my current favorite. I love the flexibility and all the features. The folks behind this app seem to be making a serious effort to be the leaders in innovation in their segment. I like to support innovation. Having said that, I can see why Tweetie is the choice of so many of the movers and shakers in social media circles…people like Jack Dorsey, co-creator of Twitter. Tweetie 2 is really a steal at it’s price point. It is no doubt poised to be the popular choice, as it combines valuable features and intuitive design.

Hopefully this information has been helpful to you if you’re considering purchasing a twitter application. Who knows how these companies might change and improve their products in the coming months as all three are jockeying for the biggest piece of the pie.

If you use one of these three applications and agree or disagree with my analysis, I’d love to hear your opinion. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

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The Future Of Twitter Is Mobile

by Jason Sanders on March 9, 2010

in Twitter, Web 2.0, apps, blog hosting services, captain kirk, communication devices, computing, iPhone, mobile devices, mobile mobile, mobiles, online social networking, world wide web, write article

Because of some research I’m doing for tomorrow’s Get More Business Show on the topic of Social Media, I’ve been surprised to read recently written articles by prominent (although cremudgenly) authors desparaging Twitter and the idea of instant unrestricted communication.

I don’t expect everyone to jump on the twitter bandwagon, but I honestly thought I wouldn’t be reading any more of those articles. Twitter isn’t an infant anymore. In my mind, it’s value has already been proven. But that doesn’t change the fact that there is a large percentage of people out there who detest what they haven’t been brave enough to try. And I guess it turns out that pandering is still an effective way of connecting with people who already agree with you…but I digress.

In talking to people, I find this rejection is based mostly on fear: fear of what they don’t understand, fear of what they cannot control, fear of change. But the truth is that the world is changing – FAST! I remember being knee high, watching Captain Kirk with my dad as he barked orders into his communicator…thinking….”Wow, that is so cool!” My friends and I fashioned our own communication devices out of 3×5 vertical spiral notebooks which we incessantly flipped open and shut while mimicking the oh so cool sound of the device. Captain Kirk never had anything as cool as my iPhone though.

In many ways twitter is at the forefront of this mobile movement. I have to confess that twitter on the iPhone is infinitely more engaging and valuable than twitter on my computer in my office. Mobile Twitter apps allow me to filter information in additional exciting ways (by location). By using twitter on my iPhone, I can instantly share pictures and video that I’ve shot on my iPhone. I can fill the empty spaces in my day with interactions and relationship building. I can make difference in promoting my business in between everything else that I have to do to run my business. It’s so much better on a mobile device, because I don’t have to sit down and make time for it, or choose twitter over another obligation that I have to do. When twitter is mobile, I can just fit it in around everything else, which in my opinion is the best way to use the platform.

So what is the best twitter app? I know I’ve promised this before, but I’ll be delivering a blog post this week to compare what I consider to be the top 3 paid twitter apps and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each. Check back for it soon!

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

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Social Media and Your Business, Diversification VS. Specialization, and Jason VS. Josh

by Jason Sanders on March 9, 2010

in Announcement, Business, Measured Impact, Radio, Social Media, blogtalkradio, building relationship, diversification, jason, josh, road less traveled, specialization

Just in case you forgot to mark your calendars, it’s that time of the week again. Time for the Get More Business Show! This week’s show is going to be all about social media. Yes, the social media topic gets beat into the ground a lot, but with this show we want to take the road less traveled and give our audience some specific guidelines that we use to shape our own social media activities.

A common mistake that we make is to approach social media as a broadcast platform and overlook the two way communication vehicle that exists to help us build relationships with our peers. We’ll be sharing our ideas on how to build reciprocity with social media, and how we use it to engage our client base and grow that client base through our social media connections.

Many people get overwhelmed and give up before they’ve had a chance to reap the benefits of the work that they have put into social media. Once your accounts are set up, and it dawns on you that the content that you create and share is the fuel that drives social media, it can feel overwhelming. Some have a hard time imagining how they can think of new and engaging things to say and share on a regular basis. The truth is that anyone can do it. We’ll share tips on how you can create content that captivates people’s attention and do it around your busy schedule.

We’re going to discuss Diversification VS. Specialization. I promise. Are you looking to a nitch market to help you get through these tough economic times, or are you looking to increase your footprint by offering new products or services? We’ll share our thoughts on these two approaches.

I have to admit that I was shocked by Josh Chandler’s blog post this week. He and I haven’t talked yet to discuss our differences of opinion about the Measured Impact initiative that I introduced during last week’s show. We’ve agreed to air it out this week live on the radio. I’m going to expect Josh to clarify a few things, and who knows…maybe he wants me to do the same. Will we come to a consensus? Will we end the show as friends? Tune in to find out!

The show airs live Wednesday March 10 at 11:30 am Eastern.

You can go to the show page by clicking the large microphone in the header or using the links embedded above. If you want to register with BlogTalkRadio, you can subscribe to the show and receive automated reminders so you don’t miss it’s live presentation. If you’re too busy to catch the live show, you can always listen to the recorded podcast on the show page, or even here on this blog post by clicking on the player at the top of the sidebar.

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

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On last Wednesday’s live broadcast of “Get More Business” Jason Sanders discussed his charitable initiative “Measured Impact”.

The idea in principle would be to help promote charities to those on Twitter with high follower numbers (in the Twitter Top 100) and in turn get a direct conversion to help the selected charity.

Now, this idea did spark a reaction from me (and it wasn’t a good one!)

Firstly, the concept of targeting the Twitter Top 100 isn’t going to work. Each of these “Twitter celebrities” hasn’t got a shared interest in gaining social equity, their only concern (the majority of the time) is to get more famous.

Another thing to consider about these famous Twitter users is that the majority of their following consists of spam-bots. I’d say about 75% of any given user on Twitter is followed by spammers, so where is the true benefit in targeting a user with 1m+ followers when a large number won’t even see the update!

It’s not to discount those like Brandon Mendelson who are using their fame on Twitter for the right reasons. But, honestly how many of the Twitter 100 do you believe cares about making a difference on the platform?

Do they even know it can do such a thing? Perhaps, through Jason’s efforts it could promote a greater level of change in how celebrities perceive Twitter’s ability to deliver amazing results?

I’d like to be in support of Measured Impact, but in it’s current form I don’t really see it taking off.

Here’s some ways I think Jason can promote the charities on Measured Impact more effectively

1) Talk to Top 100 charity bloggers

The key difference between using Twitter Top 100 and charity bloggers is that it’s more niche and selective.

I think that blogs provide a far more dynamic way to build a long term relationship between the charity and the potential donator. Here’s why:

Built in comments - This enables a charity to launch an initiative and get instantaneous reaction and feedback from others about their work
Sharing tools to other social networks (besides Twitter) - By using blogs they are not limiting their message to a place their audience may not be. Twitter doesn’t always equal success if your audience doesn’t care or use the social network!
Multimedia functionality - A charity can boost their online persona on a blog more effectively as they can include powerful imagery and attached videos to push their message forward. You can’t do that via Twitter (on the same page!)
Active links back to the charities homepage - If the charity has promoted it’s initiative with the above tools, and then includes an active link it speaks far louder then a 140 character message can (even if it’s sent by Ryan Seacrest!)

2) Go local, but think big

Isn’t there surely a great opportunity for Jason to utilise his existing network on “The Value Pages Group” to promote his work at Measured Impact.

I’d like to see how he could work towards creating an offline network of like-minded peers who could help work and promote Measured Impact and a selected charity to people they know. Never doubt the power of real, honest offline communication between peers!

3) Provide online interactive tools for charities

If Jason could expand his offerings at “The Value Pages Group” to create a fee-based video and audio solution for charities (to promote via Measured Impact), aren’t more people going to be more in tune with the message because there’s a physical and personable representative from the charity talking about their initiative?

I’d like to see more charities consider why they aren’t using a blog, considering how minimal the setup is and how easy websites such as the “The Value Pages Group” can make things for them.

I think, I’ve rambled on enough here. I’d love to hear all your thoughts on the matter.

Thanks!

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This week’s TVPG, Get More Business, Radio Show revolved around two topics that are near and dear to my heart – volunteerism and Free Publicity. Is it possible for the two to intertwine?

You bet! As a matter of fact, I have built the majority of my business on the basic “how to get free publicity” principles. As a very small business starting out, I had very little budget for advertising so I felt the need to get very creative with my marketing. Honestly I relied heavily on my volunteering opportunities to help me build my business.

Rich Bradley came up with a fabulous list of ten ways to advertise for free or very little cost. Each one makes sense, is easy to accomplish and doesn’t even require tremendous amounts of work. Whether you are just starting out, rebuilding a brand or launching a new product or service, these ideas can set you apart from the rest.

First on Rich’s list was informal networking. This can be done in a variety of ways and can be based on your preferences. If you are a member of the Rotary or the Lions Club, Little League or Scouting, you have a built in network that needs to know what you do. That doesn’t mean that you cram it down their throats, but striking up a conversation about what you and another person do for a living is a natural conversation in this type of environment. Have your sixty second commercial perfected so that it feels less like a sales pitch and more like an explanation of your passion.

Next was Event Hosting. This can take place in several ways and is only limited to your creativity. If you have a venue – letting other organizations host an event there is a great way to get you some publicity. If you don’t have a venue, then seek out locations that can compliment what you want to do. I have held Staging classes in several venues – like a furniture store, a home accessories store and spoke about senior staging at assisted living facilities and nursing homes.

Don’t forget about making Charitable donations. Make a donation and tell people about it. This can take many forms – donating to auctions, providing door prizes for events, table decorating for an event or being a sponsor for whatever. One of my favorite ideas is to donate books to the library – especially a children’s book. You have spent less than $25 dollars and have a great opportunity for a photo op that can run in the local newspaper and then you can blog about it and put it in your newsletter. FABULOUS!!!

Many people are uncomfortable with blowing their own horn. A great way to eliminate the uneasiness is to have a third party write a press release or announcement and distribute it. This can take place after you have made a charitable donation, hosted an event, or when you participated in someone else’s event. The only caution we have is to read the release before it is sent, just to make sure all of the information is correct.

Next you could try co-hosting a special event. This is a great way for someone else to pay for your publicity. Try Co-op/co-branded advertising, such as bringing in a ticket stub from one place OR something like Merchants of Main Street. I have provided classes and information sessions at locations that compliment what I do. I have also partnered with other companies that provide complimentary services. Giving a class during a furniture store’s huge annual sale event was a great benefit. They were already doing advertising so anything I added was just bonus.

The next few items on Rich’s List were internet related. Social media can be very time consuming, but if you do it right, the pay off is fabulous and it is free for the most part. If you develop a website (which everyone should have in this day and age) you may have to pay for hosting, and your domain name, but the benefits are large comparatively. Blogs were something I thought I would never do, but the payoff has been tremendous. I have gotten leads that have turned into jobs and have been offered several business opportunities because of my blogs. If you are serious about getting your message out there for very little money, a blog is an excellent way to do that.

There are countless other social mediums to use – facebook, twitter, linked in, etc. You choose what you want to use and then use it. All of those accounts are free and they all lend a transparency to your brand that is necessary for building relationships with consumers. The caution with these types of outlets is that they can be time consuming. I set a limit each day, but I make sure to check my sites each day. It is that valuable when building your brand.

Regular communication is vital to advertising and a great medium to use is email. Whether you build a data base and just send regular email or you use a medium like Constant Contact, this is a great way to stay connected. Newsletters, Items of Value, Specials that you are running, and Holiday wishes are all great ways to communicate through email.

The next idea is one of my favorites. Establish yourself as the expert. Find a reporter in the newspaper, on Facebook, on TV, etc. then make contact and offer your services. When I first started out I contacted our local newspaper. I knew I couldn’t afford to advertise there, but wanted the exposure. So I called and offered to write a monthly article about the industry. I agreed not to promote my business, but could offer education. It has saved me roughly $1000 in ad costs and my name, photo and contact info is in the paper every month. The Paper has even contacted me about features they need “expert” advice for. I am fortunate to have such a great relationship with our local paper.

One of the last items on the Rich’s list is personalized correspondence. This can take the form of thank you cards, phone calls, follow-ups, calls or emails, visits, lunches, breakfasts, etc. This a great way to maintain your relationships and the cost is really low. Sending a thank you note for a referral someone gave you will make them feel great and want to refer you again. A personal touch is so valuable especially when relationships are new. Everyone likes to feel special – make the effort it is worth it.

Next post will be about the volunteer factor. It has been my most valuable tool to date. Giving of yourself – whether time or other resources – is such an asset and will help you establish a positive reputation for yourself.

Publicity for Free is vital and you should be using it every chance you get.

If you missed the live radio show – you can check out the podcast here, or you can use the player on this page at the top of the sidebar.

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What I’ve Been Up To

by Jason Sanders on March 4, 2010

in Blogging, Business, Radio, Thoughts, busy, lot, ouch, personal blog, tsk, ugly betty, wow

Wow! So I just checked in and it seems that it’s been a little over a month since my last blog post here. Ouch! Tsk Tsk…. My goal has been to be much more consistent with my posts than I have been. I promise I’ll be doing better.

If you only follow me here on IdeaBox as my personal blog, you may have just thought I took a little vacation. Sadly that is not the case. (A vacation sounds really good right now!) Instead of relaxing I’ve been super busy in another little corner of my network, over at TVPG Radio.

I participate in a weekly radio show, called the Get More Business Show on BlogTalkRadio. Up until September of 09 I was hosting the show solo and featuring one guest per week. But then I got really busy and the show ended up on the back burner. Now that things are getting more manageable, the show is back and I’ve changed up the format to include several other co-hosts and a more diverse and fun format based around the same theme. Needless to say, these changes involved a lot of adjustments and planning to make the website just so and ensure that we give our audience really helpful and entertaining content.

This week marked our second show with the new format and I’m really thrilled with how the show is turning out. We have lots of ideas to make it better that we will be experimenting with as time goes on, but the group of people that I work with on the show are amazing and very talented and a blast to work with.

Now that the heavy lifting has mostly been sorted out over at TVPG Radio, expect to see more blog posts here at the IdeaBox. I’ve been brewing up a host of great post ideas and I’m excited about unleashing them here. There’s still no time for me to relax though. I’m going to be ramping up the Measured Impact project here in the next few weeks and I’ll also be hitting the pavement locally here in South Jersey to share The Value Pages Group with the local business community and recruit some fresh members. Who knows, some of the local businesses that I talk to may even be interested in the Promotional and Design Work we do over at TVPG Labs. As things develop, you can rely on me keeping you updated with our progress.

To everyone who follows my progress and all my regular readers – You guys are awesome! Thanks for your continued interest as I work through all these projects, bootstrap these goals, and dream outside my comfort zone. I really appreciate all the support, feedback and good advice I get from you guys…and girls, of course.

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

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Looking for free publicity

by Rich Bradley on March 4, 2010

in Uncategorized

For most businesses to survive and thrive, they constantly need to attract new customers. This means they need to publicize themselves, to remain in the public eye.

Remember, though, that publicity doesn’t guarantee sales – there are many other factors that go into acquiring a new customer, but one of the most important is making sure those potential customers know that you exist.

Publicity can be costly, but it doesn’t have to be. Over the years, we’ve determined that there are 27 ways that a business can get publicity. From that list, there are 10 ways that are relatively low-cost. In fact, some are just about free.

Here is our list of 10 “nearly free” ways for a businessperson to publicize their business:

Informal Networking – This is networking that isn’t business-based. In other words, you join an organization for something other than business networking, but you can publicize your business while you’re there. Examples would be the Lions Club, Rotary, Toastmasters, youth sports organizations, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc. The entire purpose to meet people in non-business setting, but invariably the question will arise – “What do you do?” This is when you can sell yourself and your business.
Host an Event – If you have an office or a facility that isn’t being used at all hours, this is a great way to get publicity. Think about organizations that may be too large to meet at a person’s house, but need to conduct meetings. They can use your boardroom or meeting room. Groups like Parents Without Partners, Alcoholics Anonymous, business networking groups, sports organizations, social groups all need places to meet. Even if you don’t want a group to come inside your facility, they might be able to use your parking lot as a place to conduct a fundraiser – think about groups needing a place for a car wash, barbeque, bake sale, taking up collections for charity, etc. Your business will get publicity and be seen as a corporate “good neighbor” in these situations.
Along the corporate “good neighbor” theme, think about making – and publicizing — a donation to charity. This can take many forms – collecting to help with a natural disaster, a food bank, a donation to a local shelter, school or cause, etc. The important thing about the donation is to tell people about it.
Writing and distribute a press release is a very effective, low-cost publicity effort. The press release can talk about most anything – a company or employee celebrating a milestone anniversary, an upcoming sale or special event, a new piece of equipment, a company hosting an event, a company making a donation to charity, etc. Here’s a hint – if you’re hosting an event or making a charitable donation, ask the organization that is receiving the donation to write and distribute a press release for you! There’s nothing wrong with doing good and telling people about it.
Host a special event! It’s your 10^th year in business! You’ve just manufactured your 1 millionth widget! Celebrate! Invite your customers, potential customers, and the media! Or better yet, be part of a special event, like a mall-wide sidewalk sale, or building-wide event.
Advertising can be very expensive, but there are ways to defray the cost. One is to combine your advertising with other businesses, like “Shop the Merchants of Main Street”. This allows you to pay small dollars for a larger advertisement. Another similar type is Co-op advertising, where people bring in a receipt or ticket stub from another place of business to receive a discount at your place of business. The best part about this type of advertising (besides the very low cost) is the two businesses don’t have to be related at all – you can have a jewelry store giving out coupons for a discount oil change, or a pizza shop offering reduced price bicycle rentals.
Be the Expert! Position yourself for newspaper, radio or TV interviews. Find a reporter in the newspaper, on Facebook, on TV, etc. Call them or write them, offer your services. If you don’t have the time to do this research, hire an intern to do it for you (they may be able to write your press releases for you as well). Another way to “be the expert” is to teach a class at a local college, speak at a meeting or write a column or article for a publication.

The next three methods all involve your computer:

Websites & blogs – websites may not be totally free, but you certainly can keep a blog for next to nothing. Either vehicle is a great way to get the word out about what you’re currently doing.
E-mail – There are two different types of e-mails to discuss. One is the e-mail blast, where you can send the same e-mail message to hundreds or even thousands of people at one time. For larger quantities, you’ll need to sign up with a service. A personal e-mail can be sent to a few as – you guessed it — one individual at a time. Obviously, they are much more personalized that an e-mail blast.
Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Spoke, etc.) – Just like a website or blog, Social Networking allows you to tell people what you’re doing. Social Networking is usually a shorter form of communication and often allows people to comment or pose a question to you, giving these a much more personal feel. Unlike a website or blog, which requires someone to go to your site (I know, there are ways to get blogs delivered to e-mail boxes), social media tools are usually delivered to the person. Additionally, on most social media platforms, people actually request to get information and updates from you.

Bonus!

Personalized correspondence. In an age where when this is getting more and more rare, take a moment to do something personal with your customers or potential customers. This can include a handwritten thank you card, a phone calls, a follow-up call or e-mail, a visits, taking them out to lunch or breakfast, etc.

Feel free to contact us if you’d like additional information on obtaining free publicity at Rich.Bradley@proforma.com

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Dr. Angela Guerrera’s Medical Relief Mission To Haiti With The Cooper Hospital Team

by Jason Sanders on March 3, 2010

in Charity, angela, cooper hospital, dominican republic, guerrera, hospitals, jason, marketing strategies, triage, volunteerism, wound care

During today’s Get More Business Show (you can listen by using the player that sits above the sidebars), we were talking about Volunteerism and how it can fit into an overall marketing strategy for your business and how it is a great way to draw a positive spotlight to your business or cause. As a coincidence, my sister in law, Angela Guerrera who is a fourth year resident at Cooper University Hospital recently got back from a medical relief mission to Haiti. The experience was really incredible for her and our family is really proud of her and the work that she accomplished there. Because time didn’t really allow for me to get into the details of the experience on the show, I want to share an interview that I did with her and some pictures that she shared from the trip. The Cooper Hospital team did a great job and they deserve the accolades that they received from the NJ State Senate.

Jason: Was this the first time that you had volunteered your time to an important cause?

Angela: This was my first volunteer mission in a 3rd world country.

Jason: When you signed up for this mission, did you have any expectations about how it would be when you got there? And if so, how did the reality of the situation match your expectations?

Angela: I expected to be doing a lot of search and rescue which was not the case at all. The amputations and suturing were already done since we were there 7 days out so our job was organization, triage and wound care.

I expected chaos. the first place I went was a publically owned hospital in the Dominican Republic which had about 200 people in there. the hospital is equipped to handle about 30 to 40 people. So there were 6 people to a room, the smell of wound was everywhere. I did anticipate that but what i didn’t anticipate was the pure chaos of it all. We took care of people in that hospital who were not seen since the earthquake happened. Since we brought translators of Creole, French and Spanish, our team was the first one (in a lot of cases) to speak to them in their native language.

Jason: How did this experience shape or change the way you approach your job on a day to day basis, now that you’re back?

Angela: Honestly, I have a little less tolerance for pain. I always want to empathize with the patient and take care of them as much as I could, but the Haitians understood that we wanted to help them and they knew their pain was necessary. We did not have the resources such as opiods or morphine to use for everyone although we cleaned some of the worst wounds i have every seen.

I also feel very lucky to have this skill set of emergency medicine to be able to travel and help those in need.

Jason: Do you think this experience helped you professionally? And if so, how?

Angela: We worked very much as a team so I worked hand in hand with those with very different skill sets from trauma techs and orthopedic surgeons, the trauma tech showed me how to be really good at ivs and how to trouble shoot lines. This may sound silly and that i should know how to do but at home the nurse is always there to do it for you while you go to see another patient. I also learned if i had to do an external fixation (which is a device put on a leg for fracture by a surgeon) that i really could. I assisted a surgeon through 10 of these.

Jason: Looking back on this experience, lets say 5 years from now, what do you think will stand out in your mind?

Angela: The culture of the Haitians. The second place we went was an orphanage where we helped to set up a triage area, operating rooms and a rehab center. We basically lived and camped out with the Haitians. We learned how they ate and bathed their young, We went to church with them. And I thought it was so beautiful that although they were dealing with a disaster, they thanked god everyday and rejoiced for life. They do not dwell on mundane everyday life, because they can’t.

Also the experience of getting there. Dr. Mazz put this trip together in 48 days and didn’t stop for 2 weeks with constant logistical planning. He made me believe that anything is possible.

Jason: Would you consider doing this again, should the need arise somewhere else around the globe?

Angela: Definitely.

Jason: The two weeks that you were there, you accomplished so much more than you could have with your checkbook. Do you think Americans should consider volunteering their time and not just their money to the causes that they care about? And if so why?

Angela: I think you should volunteer but you really have to want to do it. I think I underestimated the physical and emotional work. I was truly exhausted everyday. If you want to get into volunteer work everybody, no matter their skill, would be needed. I think you need a great leader to plan during any kind of disaster in order to make it work. There aren’t too many Mazz’s out there.

Jason: What advice do you have for those considering volunteering?

Angela: Do it! It will make you appreciate your life and realize that every little bit helps.

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

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You Had Me At FREE Publicity

by Jason Sanders on March 2, 2010

in Announcement, Business, Publicity, diversification, econometrics, finance, generous, ok, specialization, symphany, volunteerism, week

OK! It’s that time of the week again. Time for the Get More Business Show! When we were organizing this week’s show and Rich put forward this idea about how to get free publicity for your business, I knew we had a winner! He went on to get into a detailing of 10 distinct ways to accomplish this goal, but I have to confess that my eyes were already glazed over. Symphany music was playing in my brain. I was running through hills of flowers in my imagination. He had me at FREE Publicity. You don’t want to miss this show!

We’ll also be getting to some stuff that we ran out of time for last week. That “stuff” is the topic of volunteerism. I’m excited about my Measured Impact initiative and I want to share the basics with you guys. I also want to brag on my Sister-In-Law a little bit. She’s fresh off a medical relief mission to Haiti.

Our final topic (as long as we have time for it) is Diversification VS. Specialization. We know that with the economy still in the gutter you guys are out there looking for new revenue streams. We’ll have a frank discussion about these two seemingly opposite strategies and see what common ground we can come up with.

All in all, it’s going to be an awesome show and we’re all jazzed up to bring it to you! We will be airing live Wednesday March 3rd at 11:30 a.m. Eastern.

You can go to the show page by clicking the large microphone in the header. If you want to register with BlogTalkRadio, you can subscribe to the show and receive automated reminders so you don’t miss it’s live presentation. If you’re too busy to catch the live show, you can always listen to the recorded podcast on the show page, or even here on this blog post by clicking on the player at the top of the sidebar.

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

Help Spread The Word!

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Rebuilding the Brand as a Radio Co-Host

by Sheila O'Mara on March 2, 2010

in Branding, Business, Radio, brand, communication design, graphic design, jason sanders, million dollars, radio co, rebuilt, reputation, tiger woods, trust relationship

Last Wednesday was my first broadcast as a co host of TVPG Radio Show, Get More Business. I am co-hosting with Jason Sanders, Rich Bradley and Josh Chandler. We had a great time and I have enjoyed getting to know the guys prior to today. I think the format will work well for this particular platform and I am looking forward to the shows to come. This week coming up is going to be fabulous.

Our topic last week was built around “rebuilding the brand“. There are some big brands out there that have suffered tremendous losses in reputation and revenue because of a lack of judgment on their part. Everyone is trying to get ahead, but it is clear that the more reliable and, dare I say ethical, a brand becomes, the further ahead they will come out.

We discussed some big names – Toyota and Tiger Woods – but this “building a brand” works on every level. It doesn’t matter if you are clearing $1 or a million dollars, the brunt of your success relies on how effectively you maintain your relationships. If you are willing to work on those relationships and build a trusted relationship with your clients everyone benefits.

How do I go about doing that? Well the most simple way is to identify how I feel as a consumer. How do I want to be treated and then make sure that I make that happen for my clients. No one wants to be lied to or have quality shortchanged to save a few dollars. If I want to be respected as a business person, I need to respect those that want to do business with me first. NO one enjoys feeling like they are the means to an end. Anticipating needs first, and not necessarily my bottom line is what will ultimately help me thrive.

So working hard to meet your target market’s needs, building a solid relationship with them that they can trust and listening to them is what will help you get ahead. Sure, we all make mistakes, BUT it is how we conduct ourselves after that mistake is made that makes a real difference. Most business owners will never have the catastrophes like Toyota and Tiger are having to rally from, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t make decisions everyday that could possibly alienate your base. Does not returning phone calls affect your business? If it hasn’t yet it probably will. It is the little things as you are building your brand that make a huge difference. Attention to detail will set you apart as well.

If you didn’t get a chance to listen live, take the opportunity to listen to the podcast. There was some interesting discussion and some great ideas about using social media as a recovery tool and also as a way to build the brand right off the bat. I am looking forward to seeing where the next show will take us, but rest assured it will be worth the time spent listening in.