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MM List
Below are just a few services and products we think are really keen.
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PinballPublishing.com
This local printing company specializes in letterpress printing but
can also handle offset printing needs. We're particularly fond
of their
Designer Card series, which features talented letterpress
artists like www.inkandwit.com.
Julie Feuerborn Creations
We built this website for artist Julie Feuerborn (whom I like to call the Da Vinci of crafting) with a great website tool called Ugal.com, which, being locally owned, doesn't burden you with an annoying phone tree when you run into glitches with your site. Check out Ugal.com and one of Julie's sales, which are listed on her site. They're the perfect place to pick up nifty holiday gifts!
Small Business Development Center
Whether you're in the planning, launching or growing stage of your business, the Small Business Development Center at Lloyd Center has a wealth of resources, including one-on-one business coaching; classes in topics like Quickbooks and small business management; and online tools that you can download and put to use. Our counselor Jackie Babicky is top-rate counselor.
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Upcoming Events
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EPCC Holiday Bazaar
Wednesday, Dec. 9
7:30 a.m.
Check out the offerings of businesses from the East Portland Chamber of Commerce, held at the Eastport Plaza, 4000 SE 82nd Avenue.
December
Lunch & Learn
Monday, Dec. 7
11:30 a.m.
Old Spaghetti Factory
Portland Business Networking
For the price of your own lunch, you can attend this terrific networking event, sponsored by Portland Business Networking, a group that gives you both in-person and social networking opportunties. Check it out here.
Complete Designs Holiday Sale
Sunday, Dec. 6
1 to 4 p.m.
Complete Designs Salon
4638 NE Sandy Blvd.
Along with fabulous switchplates, you'll have dozens of fabulous handcrafted treasures to choose from at this holiday sale featuring the work of Julie Feuerborn and some of her friends. Check out Julie's website here. For last-minute shopping, check out Julie's sales on Dec. 12 and 19 from 1 to 4 p.m. at 7034 NE Hassalo St.
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Greetings!
If you're like most people, you're busy with holiday prep, so I just want to make sure that if you only read the introduction that you know about our Press Release Contest!
Basically, this is how it works: send a 100-word description of the reason why your business deserves media attention by January 31, 2010, and one winner will receive a free expertly written press release.
Not sure where to start? Just consider the publications you'd like you be featured in, whether it be Portland Monthly magazine, the gardening section of the Oregonian, Sunset magazine -- whatever -- and start reading it copiously for a week. Think about the things they seem to write about and take notes on articles that make you think of your own business.
When you craft your 100-word write-up, stick to the "5 Ws and 1 H" of basic journalism -- where, what, why, when, who and how. The word limit will keep you concise and focused.
Send your write-up to kristin@mixedmediapdx.com by January 31, 2010. Hey, even if you don't win you'll have taken the first important step in your public relations planning, which should be an integral part of your marketing plan for your business.
This issue includes an overview of marketing tools I'm fond of, the Question of the Month, upcoming events and a feature article that helps you plan content for an e-newsletter.
I invite you to ask me questions about specific marketing projects you're considering. Drop me a line at kristin@mixedmediapdx.com or call me at 503-754-2636.
regards,
:: kristin schuchman ::
mixed media marketing communications
kristin@mixedmediapdx.com
503-754-2636
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 Question
of the Month:
How do I get reviews for my business on Google?
First, you need to get your business listed on Google so that it shows up with a little map indicating the location of your business, which you can do by reading the last issue of this newsletter here.
Once you have done that, you will see a "Write a Review" link next to the name of your business. You can just sit back and wait for the reviews to come in about your business, but I recommend a more aggressive approach -- send your existing and prior clients a link to your Google review page and ask them to write a review. Once they'e done so, be sure to send them a thank-you card or e-mail.
Once the reviews start piling up, edit them to a readable length and include them on a "testimonials" page on your website. Nothing sells better than great word-of-mouth.
Send your marketing and PR questions to kristin@mixedmediapdx.com.
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 Creating E-newsletter Content
Is Easier Than You Think
by Kristin Schuchman
In this fast-paced world of "social media marketing" like blogging,
mini-blogging (a.k.a. twittering), and social networking sites like
Facebook and MySpace, it's hard to decide where best to use your time.
I still contend that a well-written, consistently published
e-newsletter is one of the best tools to add to your marketing mix.
Besides saving paper, they are perfect for connecting directly with
your customers, driving clients to your website, and generating buzz
about your business. That is, assuming your subscribers are people
who've opted to receive your newsletter.
While you may
already have a subscriber base of several hundred, you may find
yourself paralyzed by the overwhelming thought of having to generate
enough content for a regular newsletter. Well, put your fears to rest.
It's really not all that difficult. Like most projects, creating an
e-newsletter just requires a little planning.
Personally, I like
to grab a notebook, a pen, and a large cup of coffee (or a beer,
depending on the time of day) and find a quiet corner in my favorite
coffeehouse (or bar) and outline one longer article idea (for a 250- to
500-word story) and five ideas for small articles or blurbs. Then, I
further outline the notes for the longer article, including questions I
might need to answer through research or interviews.
If you've
never written an e-newsletter, what you should do first is take a deep
breath and relax. Then, you should decide how long you want your
newsletter to be. Perhaps you'd like it to be just a small reminder of
regular events you hold, like the ones I receive from a couple
coffeehouses. But even in its shortest form, try to offer some
substance or, at a minimum, project some personality.
Next, you
should determine how often you want to send it out. Be honest with
yourself about what kind of timetable you can commit to. If you're
doing short e-blasts, try to do them weekly. If they're longer, shoot
for a monthly or quarterly schedule. At a minimum, you should be
sending out an e-newsletter on a quarterly basis.
Once you've
outlined a template for your first issue, you'll find it easy (and even
fun) just to pop in the right blurbs and/or short articles to create a
stunning e-newsletter. Start a notebook for jotting down newsletter
ideas and a clip file for snippets of news you find in magazines and
newspapers. Consider organizing each issue around a theme, like
"technology" or "getting organized" if it makes it easier to focus.
Start
by asking yourself, "What do my clients most often ask?" Then keep a
notebook handy when you're interacting with clients to write down
questions that could translate into interesting articles.
If you
can, plan regular meetings with your staff to help brainstorm topics
and news highlights. Encourage your colleagues to e-mail you with
stories or statistics they run across when netsurfing that might fit
into the newsletter.
Don't think you need to stick to the dry
facts. A realtor I know, Jenelle Isaacson, does a fabulous
print newsletter that she sends out quarterly and is always fun to
read. Along with current statistics on buying trends in Portland, she
includes recipes, a calendar of events and tips on things like
gardening and cutting the household clutter. I love getting it and
always read it from front to back.
Every business can engage
their readers in creative, innovative ways. An accountant could offer a
quiz testing her readers' financial know-how, a contractor could offer
a link to an article helping people figure out what style of older home
they live in, or a Mexican restaurant could offer a short article on
the rich cultural tradition associated with mole sauce (which,
incidentally, dates back to the Aztecs). The possibilities are endless
and aren't limited to articles.
Whatever you do, don't mass
e-mail people and consider it an e-newsletter. (But if you do, be sure
to use the BCC -- blind carbon copy -- feature, which keeps your
readers from seeing each other's email addresses.) Try to use an
e-newsletter service like Constant Contact, Emma.com,Cooler Email or RatePoint. These
services are very affordable and enable you to send out your newsletter
in a clean, readable format in a wide selection of templates and
include photos and images, which, trust me, make an e-newsletter much
more enjoyable to read. They'll also track how many of your readers are
opening your e-newsletter and make it possible to manage different
types of lists. They also allow readers to unsubscribe if they choose.
If
you are using Twitter or Facebook, don't be shy about twittering to your
"followers" and Facebook friends that you've released another newsletter or anything else.
(People twitter about things as tedious as their shoe purchases, after
all.) Costello's Travel Cafe on Northeast Broadway twitters about their
Thursday night foreign film, which I think is brilliant. I'm honestly
not sure what I think of this "Twitter" thing, but if you'd like to
follow me, click here. MM
In the next issue, we'll tell you why you need to have a website if you are in business.
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Hope you liked this issue of The Medium. Send your questions and ideas for the MM List and Upcoming Events to me at kristin@mixedmediapdx.com.
Sincerely,
:: kristin Schuchman ::
mixed media marketing communications
kristin@mixedmediapdx.com
503-754-2636
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