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There’s More to PR LEADS Than Meets the Eye

July 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In addition to providing the best leads from the best media, PR LEADS also gets requests that can help you in several ways:

PR LEADS1. Companies look for webinar leaders. Presenting a webinar to highly targeted audiences could be a great way to build your brand, your reputation and your credibility. One client told me she got a consulting job worth $93,000 from a person listening to her webinar!

2. Reviewing books. One company regularly posts leads looking for experts to provide peer review for their books. They provide a modest stipend for your work.

3. Speaking leads. Meeting planners post speaking opportunities for experts.

4. Ongoing support. If you have questions about how to respond or want me to look at your responses, please do so! We’re the only service of this kind that offers training and support. Maybe that’s why our clients get quoted so often! PR LEADS is the only publicity leads service that provides this variety – and quality – of services for experts and small businesses.

Filed Under: authors, conference, publicity, speaking, thought leadership

PR LEADS Blog Named One of the Best Publicity Blogs on the Internet

July 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Maria Perez

Maria Perez

Dan Janal’s Publicity and PR LEADS Blog was named a “must read” blog about publicity tactics by the editorial team of ProfNet Connect.

 

“If you’re in PR, you’ve likely heard of Dan Janal, founder of PR Leads, (http://www.PRLEADS.com) a service that helps authors, experts and speakers get publicity. Dan’s a smart guy – his book, ‘Dan Janal’s Guide to Marketing on the Internet’ was my textbook in grad school — and his insight into PR issues is often spot-on,” said Maria Perez, editor-in-chief of ProfNet Connect.

In the blog, publicity consultant Dan Janal regularly shares publicity strategy tips, successful publicity tactics and publicity thought leadership ideas.

Other blogs cited include: Ragan’s PR Daily, PR Newser, PR Breakfast Club, PR News Blog, Beyond PR and PRSA’s ComPRhension.

Filed Under: publicity, thought leadership Tagged With: , , , ,

Feedback on Friends Post

June 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I really set off a firestorm of comments Monday about Facebook using the term “friends” when the people you meet online aren’t really friends.

 

The most revealing comment was from Samantha Hartley who said that most social media marketing was being outsourced. Well, duh. How can your personality shine if some intern in Des Moines is pretending they are you? If that describes you, I don’t even want to be your Facebook friend!

 

One person who asked not to be named doesn’t call them “friends.” He calls them “suspects.”

 

Here are cool comments. If you’re reading this on the blog, please comment there. Otherwise, email your comments to me. Let’s become friends!

 

Samantha Hartley http://www.enlightenedmarketing.com/ writes: I agree with you about Facebook. Seems like in the beginning (2 years ago?) the quality of interaction was better, but it can wear you down. Also, just about anyone with sense is outsourcing a lot of their SM work.

 

Master media trainer Jess Todtfeld www.SuccessInMedia.com writes: Could not agree with you more about the “friend” thing.  Some people, even in the real world, are more of “Facebook” friends.   :)

 

Bart Bartlett www.evoapp.com. writes: A friend summed up Facebook years ago as follows, “Facebook is for friends you don’t have time to talk to on the phone.”  At this point its also well on its way to being a ubiquitous social platform.

 

Shel Horowitz www.frugalfun.com writes:  I’d say at least 1/4 respond w/ a thank-you note–and sometimes that’s the beginning of a *real* interaction. Of course, I send something cool and out of the ordinary for a birthday greeting, which helps (and I change it each year). I like the phenomenon when meeting in person of reading the nametag and then the big hug.

 

Darshan Shanti http://the24hourchampion.com/ writes: I think as “connected” as we’ve become, in many ways, we are more distant than ever. I think the “personal touch” is going to make a comeback.

 

 

Amy Showalter www.showaltergroup.com writes: Amen and amen to your comments about courtesy and reciprocity online. It seems to be a playground for those who don’t get social graces off line.

 

My fave example is an acquaintance who has a web site and online community. Thousands of fans, etc. She sends missives on how to be a better girlfriend but when you respond to her requests or even personal emails, she doesn’t say thanks or acknowledge that she received it.

 

OK, off the soapbox. I just wanted to say I liked your email and “right on!”

 

Clive Margolis from England www.clivemargolis.com writes:

You are so right about friends.  As a matter of fact I’ve been to quite a few funerals over the past few years (including both my parents) and guess who did show up!  It was all the old faithful crowd!

 

I’ve also heard it said friends are the people whose company you don’t mind being in – they can be the weirdest characters.  And I also agree about the face-to-face contact – I deal with a lot of agencies on the phone, but you can’t really trust someone till you’ve met them – or got drunk with them as a guy I once knew put it.

 

Cheerio, Clive. The first Guinness is on me.

Filed Under: Social Networking, thought leadership

Social media marketing: Thank you for being a friend

June 13, 2011 By 1 Comment

I spent the weekend in Boston visiting an old college friend and my wife’s old college roommates.

It was a nice trip where I realized there are friends who you speak with face to face and have shared memories that go back decades and you have “friends” on Facebook who you really don’t know.

Guess which group of friends will show up at your funeral?

It’s no contest.

Too bad Facebook didn’t use the term “prospects,” or “business acquaintances” instead of “friends.”

It would have been much closer to the truth.

My litmus test: If you haven’t spoken with person ever by phone, then they probably aren’t a “friend.”

They can be nice – and they can “like” you but they aren’t a “friend.” Friends are people you have dinner with, share a glass of wine with, and help them move their furniture.

I realize some people really do write to their real friends on Facebook, but if you’re like me, most people on your Facebook page are really business associates and colleagues of those associates who you couldn’t pick out at a cocktail party. Why am I ranting? Because I see the level of “engagement” on Facebook and LinkedIn to be pathetic for the most part. People are spending so much time building their numbers but very little time being personable.

Case in point: People post their birthdays on Facebook. I send a “happy birthday” message. You’d think one person would at least say “thank you” or use that message as a way to begin a conversation?

Nope.

Not my “friends.”

Do yours?

Filed Under: Social Networking, thought leadership

Finally, a Real Reason for Authors, Speakers and Consultants to Hop Aboard Facebook

May 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

If you’re as tired as I am of reading what your business friends had for dinner, who they partied with and who they are quoting on Facebook, join the crowd. However, I finally found a reason for people like us – authors, coaches and consultants- to finally get a fan page, which is the business side of Facebook in case you didn’t know.

That reason is called the Facebook Badge. A Facebook Badge is a rectangular box that includes half a dozen pictures of your fans who “like” you. No, this isn’t Sally Fields saying, “You like me, you really like me.” It is a way for you to get instant credibility and trust on your website.

To see what this looks like go to my site: http://www.PressReleaseSender.com and scroll down toward the bottom. Or look at the picture just above here.

Now imagine you have this on your site and someone comes along and says, “She sounds interesting and sincere, but should I buy her stuff?” Then he sees a few pictures of your friends. That says so much in terms of credibility! Also, it is amazing who knows who. The world is a very small place, especially for people in business.

I also saw another implementation of this on Trip Advisor. Try it yourself. Type in the name of a city you’d like to go to, and you’ll see pictures of your friends who’ve been there. Now try it with hotels, restaurants, well, you get the idea.

It is always nice to get a testimonial, but I think this new Facebook badge will be the new credibility booster that will be as important as testimonials. What do you think?

BTW, if you like me, please “like” me on Facebook so I can get my numbers and my visibility up! Please click this link.

Filed Under: publicity, Social Networking, thought leadership

Speaking Fees: How Can I Be a Highly Paid Speaker?

May 5, 2011 By 1 Comment

Vickie Sullivan, market and brand strategist for experts,  shares her views on how to be a successful, high-paid speaker in today’s economy. Yes, it can be done.

She gave great insights for speakers in this one-hour teleseminar hosted by publicity consultant Dan Janal of www.PRLEADSPLUS.com

“Good news: Meetings are back and attendance is up,” she says. “Bad news: meeting planners have decided that they no longer have to pay speakers. Or have they?”

In this no-holds barred interview, market strategist Vickie Sullivan explores what is really going on in the paid speaking world and more importantly….what to do about it. Get ready to learn:

  • The REAL reason why it’s harder to get paid for speaking.
  • Top trends in how buyers select paid speakers.
  • Three things buyers use to decide if you are worth paying for.
  • Three most important things fee-based speakers have to change.
  • Four things all big-fee speakers have.

Vickie Sullivan is internationally recognized as the top market strategist for experts. Specializing in branding for high-fee markets, she has launched thousands of thought leaders since 1987.  Vickie’s groundbreaking work has earned her an appointment on the Women’s Leadership Board for the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. In that capacity, she presented three times to the student body there on personal branding and prominence. Her market intelligence updates are distributed throughout the U.S. as well as 17 other countries.

Here’s the link to the audio. It’s free. Enjoy!

Among the questions she answered were:

  • First, let’s look at the market from 30,000 feet. What are some of the macro trends that impact paid speakers?
  • Many established speakers are reporting that they are getting fewer engagements at lesser fees. Is the economy the culprit and if so, why aren’t fees going up with the rebound? What’s the real reason why it’s harder to get paid for speaking?
  • How do buyers decide who they are going to pay and who do they insist speak for no or little fee?
  • Given the trends and how buyers think, what do speakers have to change in order to get paid in this new meetings environment?
  • So let’s say that a speaker is stuck. They made some mistakes and can’t raise their fees. Now what? How do they dig themselves out of the hole?
  • A lot of well-paid speakers are celebrities are big time authors. Can speakers who are not famous get paid as well?
  • What is the process for finding these paid opportunities? How do you find the big-fee engagements?
  • Vickie, what’s the common dominator? What do big-fee speakers have in common?
  • Vickie, look in your crystal ball. What are the hot topics that buyers will pay the big bucks for? And…what topics are just a fad?
  • What is the most important thing speakers can do RIGHT NOW to make sure they can raise their fees without gutting the schedule?
Filed Under: book marketing, publicity, speaking, thought leadership

Which Are More Popular E-books or Paperbacks?

April 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

CNN did an unscientific poll Sunday of more than 200,000 people who visited their website and answered the question: Which do you prefer: E-books or paperbacks?

Given this was an online poll; I would have thought e-books would run away with it.

However, paperbacks won by an 80-20 margin!

I have no clue. Most sales reports show that e-book sales are skyrocketing.

In fact, CNN ran a story on the same day saying that e-book sales topped paperbacks for the first time!

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — The publishing tide is shifting fast: E-book sales in February topped all other formats, including paperbacks and hardcovers, according to an industry report released this week.
E-book sales totaled $90.3 million in February, up 202% compared to the same month a year earlier, according to a study from the Association of American Publishers. That put e-books at No. 1 “among all categories of trade publishing” that month — the first time e-books have beaten out traditional publishing formats.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/15/technology/ebooks_beat_paperbacks/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=Sbin

I prefer to hold a hardcover book or a paperback – especially in the tub! But I can see why people like an e-book to read on a plane or an exercycle, especially since you can make the fonts larger.

Why do you think that is?

If you’re interested in writing a book on Kindle, listen to my free webinar with Daniel Hall, which we recorded a few weeks ago. Here’s the link:
http://realfastbook.com/danjkindle.html

Everything you need to know to publish an e-book is in this webinar. Seriously.

Filed Under: book marketing, book publicity, book publishing, publicity, thought leadership Tagged With: ,

Musings on Labor Day

September 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Summer isn’t over on Labor Day. Only the pool lifeguards go away. Otherwise, summer continues until September22. For many of us, September and October are the best months. No humidity or rain. So why do people get depressed on Labor Day and say “Summer is over?” It’s time for a new attitude.

People are yelling at government to create jobs. Isn’t that the role of business? Why aren’t businesses creating jobs by creating new products and services and creating demand for those products?

If you’ve been laid off, downsized or whatever, stop complaining and start your own business. You have nothing to lose. After all, what are the alternatives? Sitting on your butt and collecting unemployment? Offer your skills to people and companies you can help. That’s how every single business ever got started. I started my business after I got fired. That turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me (right up there with getting married and starting PR LEADS). My business has given me the freedom and independence I wanted and I’m sure you crave. So find a business coach like Mark LeBlanc (http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.com) and get started! Don’t know what you want to do? Get help from Dr. Debra Condren http://coaching.ambitionisnotadirtyword.com/

Filed Under: publicity, thought leadership

Do Your Clients Know What You Do?

March 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Most entrepreneurs consider it a lucky day when they make a sale. Even better if the client buys a recurring program, like a subscription to a service, like PRLEADS or a coaching program that meets every month.

But many entrepreneurs don’t realize they might be leaving money on the table.

Growing Your Business

Growing Your Business

“Most of your prospects, even your customers are not aware of all the services and products you have to offer,” says Mark LeBlanc, a small business success coach based in Minneapolis and author of “Growing Your Business” and the soon-to-be released “Never be the Same.”   “They do know about the product they bought, but that’s about all the know. Many small business owners fail to let clients know about all the ways they can be of good service.”

4 Reasons Clients Don’t Know What You Can Do

  1. They are focused on the one product or service they bought from you.
  2. You focused on selling one solution and they bought it. Everyone was focused on that one service.
  3. Talking about multiple products can lead to confusion. The confused mind does not buy. So most entrepreneurs keep the discussion focused on one product or service that the client needs most.
  4. You didn’t tell them that you can do other things.

While it is important to keep the initial sale focused so the prospect makes a buying decision, entrepreneurs should realize this is the start of the relationship, not the end.

3 Reasons Clients Want to Buy More of Your Services

  1. People like to buy from people and companies they trust. Since they are using your products and services, they will trust you. Capitalize on that trust.
  2. Companies like to buy from a single source. It is easier on their bookkeeping systems to have a single-source vendor.
  3. As you get to know the client, you will uncover new ways to help them.

So why don’t entrepreneurs try to sell more services?

Three Reasons Entrepreneurs Don’t Make More Sales

  1. They are afraid of appearing “pushy, greedy or salesy.” These thoughts are all misguided. Think of how you can add value to your clients and you won’t focus on these negative thoughts..
  2. They are lazy. It’s easy to count the money and rest on your laurels, so you don’t tell the clients about new services.
  3. They are afraid of being rejected.

How can you ring up more sales by selling more services to your current clients?

Three Ways to Get the Word Out So You Make More Sales

  1. Tell them. If they don’t know, they can’t buy.
  2. Get over your fears of failure, rejection or being a pest. Instead, tell yourself that you are doing your clients a favor by letting them know about all the good things you can for them and all the great ways they can benefit. An old sales maxim says “the first sale you make is to yourself.” If you believe in your services, you will find it easier to tell your clients.
  3. Practice. The more times you say your message, the easier it will be to communicate with clients.

You can let clients know about your new services by email or by phone calls. You could even do a teleseminar or webinar so you can communicate with many people at one time. If you record the session, you can post it to your website so it can help explain your services.

“It’s a constant educational process to keep your customers aware of your entire menu of programs, products and services,” says LeBlanc.

If you follow these steps, you’ll do more than make more money – you’ll help more people!

Find out about OUR new services at PRLEADSPLUS.com

Publicity thought leader Dan Janal coaches entrepreneurs and small business on how to build profits withlow-cost Internet marketing and publicity tactics via individual and group coaching sessions. For information go to www.PRLEADSPLUS.com

Filed Under: entrepreneurs, General Advice, internet marketing, Marketing, thought leadership

Should your website become an App?

January 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

When the iPhone first came along, Apps make were cool tools and gizmos that helped you do things better or faster, or were games that were fun.

Then Apps entered a second phase where media companies created Apps that showed their website’s content in an easier, friendly form that was formatted for the iPhone. Instead of seeing a large website of a newsaper with huge graphics that took a long time to load and scrolled off the narrow width of the screen, you’d see a site better designed for the smaller form factor of the iPhone. Newspapers, magazines and sports sites followed this model.

That brings us to today, when companies are creating their own Apps. But rather than add real value like a gadget or tool, these companies’ Apps are really re-designs of their websites so you can see info and navigate them faster. That’s all to the good. But do you really need an app for your favorite big box store?

I can see the need for Apps for UPS or FEDEX so you can find info faster or complete a transaction faster. But for a big box? Or for a giant corporation? I don’t get it. I don’t think there’s a reason for people to download the App from those companies.

However,  I can understand why they are doing it. If they can place an icon on your iPhone, then they own a piece of valuable real estate. And they own a share of your mind. If you keep on seeing (in my case) The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Washington Post and ESPN, then there’s a good chance I’ll look at those sites for news and sports, and less chance that I’ll go to CNN, Fox, or CBSsportline.com.  This makes sense.

I’m sure as the bandwagon moves along, more and more companies will be creating “Apps” which are really redesigned websites. If they can build their brand and add value to their customers, then I’m all for it.

But beware of companies that are going to try to sell you a bill of goods to create an app for your website so you can sell a book or a speech. I don’t see anyone giving up valuable real estate on their iPhones for that.

Filed Under: commentary, thought leadership
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