Publicity is a funny business. On one hand you have as many variables as you do
opportunities to promote and yet, on the other hand, beneath it all, there are a few
cardinal rules that regulate any successful publicity effort. Each rule make take on a
different color depending on the specifics that apply to individual industries, but
once you strip it all down, you’ll always find the following system at work in any
working system.
It all begins with quality. Unless you have something worth selling, something the
general public will be interested in buying, it’s just a matter of time before you’re
going to run out of "first time buyers" willing to try you out.
Our goal in promoting is going to be to attract free publicity, which, by definition
means we’re going to have to do something that’s newsworthy. It isn’t going to do
for us to simply buy all the press we need in the form of advertising. That means
we’re going to have to re aim our marketing strategies. We want to offer a product
that stands out as being an incredible value.
One option business have in promoting their benefits is to make a smaller per sale
profit margin to a larger portion of the general public. Instead of making, say, $100
profit per product sold to 10 people, they aim at making just $50 profit per product
sold to 30. We’ll use that in our example.
Once the quality and price are established, then it’s important that we chart out a
long term marketing plan. It’s all about creating a steady growth over the long haul.
We’re going to imagine we own a bookstore.
We’ll begin by being sure we have a good selection and the location looks good.
We’re going to guarantee that every book in the store will sell for under retail. But
we’re not going to limit ourselves to selling books. Everybody does that. We’re going
to try and create an angle that’ll make the media take notice. To do that, we’re going
to create "Theme Clubs". Groups of people that read similar books will obviously
have a lot in common. We’re going to aim at establishing mini communities of
individuals interested in similar themes.
To get away from the "bookstore" feeling, we’re going to set our bookstore up
inside a two-story house. Each room will represent a theme.
Our history room will be filled with historical charts and timelines. Galileo
thermometers and antiques will make this the kind of room explorers of the past
would like visiting.
The children’s book section will be a wonderful place of fantasy. Bright colors and
images designed to spark the imagination. Something between Disney and Harry
Potter. Sci-Fi buffs will love the Trekkie style room. And so forth.
We’re planning on eventually hosting lecturers from local colleges in the various
rooms speaking about specific topics and book signings will mean something when
held in rooms that cater specifically to readers that appreciate the authors style of
writing. Monthly membership dues will cover free coffee and discounts to various
lectures and parties.
The hallways between rooms will reflect an almost MC Esher-style morphing from
one theme to the next.
We’re going to try to get away from the "bookstore" feeling and try, instead, to
create a feeling of a series of communities that all get their books at our location.
We’re going to call ourselves something that reflects the fact that we’re a
combination of several "themes". How about "The Eclectic Bookery"?
Once we’ve established our quality, price, longer term goals and name, we then
need to come up with a way to raise community interest in our kick off. How about
an almost theatrical kickoff. We’ll announce that we’re auditioning individuals to
host each room. A "Host" must dress in character, understand the individual styles
and be responsible for shelving, scheduling events, etc. for each room. To find
these people, we’ll offer "sign up bonuses" as we hire them. These $200 sign up
bonuses will actually be a gimmick to make the local press take notice of a hiring
frenzy.
You’ll notice we’ve created something individuals will be interested in being a part
of. We’ve made it into something that can grow and yet focus directly on the needs
of each group.
We’re then going to promote it all. We’ll send out press releases. We’ll schedule not
only ourselves, but our various "characters" to appear on radio and television
programs. These characters will also be organized into traveling educational tours
where they’ll do school assemblies around town.
And we’re going to fight technology. Not in an aggressive, obvious sort of way, but
we’re going to taunt a motto that reads, "Back to basics".
That wraps up the "Can’t miss system". It begins by checking the quality of what you
have to offer. You then price to sell. You follow by making your long-term goals and
structured today’s activities accordingly. You created several reasons for people to
come to visit. And finally, you keep growing, evolving, changing.
In a nutshell, that’s what a successful marketing package should look like.
# # #
Paul Hartunian is generally considered the world’s leading authority on writing press
releases and getting publicity for any product, service, cause or issue.
Subscribe to Paul’s free publicity ezine “Million Dollar Publicity Tactics”. By going to
http://www.Hartunian.com/ezine. Also be sure to check out all the great free
publicity resources at his website http://www.Hartunian.com.
Also be sure to read the story of how Paul used press releases and publicity to
become the first person in history to really sell the world famous Brooklyn Bridge.
You can read the story at http://www.Hartunian.com/bridge.html.
You can reach Paul at (973) 857-4142 or by email at Paul@Hartunian.com.
