free how-to marketing articles

Looking for some small-business marketing advice? Read these free how-to marketing articles for small business owners by Time to Organize. If you like them, be sure to sign up for our FREE marketing e-newsletter by filling in your e-mail address at the top of this page. You’ll receive a fabulous monthly e-newsletter, each containing a great article like those on this page. If you’d like to reprint any of the articles below, please contact us here.

Happy marketing,

 


five things you can learn from a successful coffee shop

By Sara Pedersen, Time to Organize

I was sitting at my local coffee shop the other day and got to thinking, “Why is this place so successful? I mean, anyone can brew an okay cup of coffee for about 25 cents, so what keeps us coming back for $4 lattes?

In Minnesota, our top coffee shop chain is called Caribou Coffee. There are over 200 locations here, plus shops in 20 other U.S. states and 10 countries, including Korea and Kuwait! For those of you who have never had the Caribou Coffee experience, I’d put them on par with Starbucks, with a “north woods” feel.

As I warmed myself in front of their toasty fireplace in a comfy leather chair, smelling the wonderful aroma of fresh-ground coffee, and listening to soft music playing in the background, the answer was revealed to me. It’s the EXPERIENCE that counts. All five of my senses were peaked and pleased. While sipping my frothy coffee beverage, I came up with some ways you can incorporate Caribou’s experiential tactics into your business mix. So, in this article, I share how you can bring “the five senses” into your clients’ experience.

How Caribou Coffee Delights The Five Senses

  1. SIGHT: Everything in their shops matches its cabin-y image. Exposed wood beams on the ceiling, rustic wooden tables, and lamps made out of birch bark all add to the woodsy ambiance. The store is impeccably clean, tidy, and organized. The coffee shop’s signature font and colors are carried throughout the store on all signage. Staff wears name tags and logo gear.
  2. SOUND: Soft music is playing in the background. Quiet conversations flow easily.
  3. SMELL: Wonderful coffee smells hit you as soon as you walk through the door.
  4. TOUCH: Caribou provides cozy leather chairs and toasty fireplaces to soothe our weary bodies — which is especially nice during Minnesota’s long winters!
  5. TASTE: It sells top-quality coffee drinks in dozens of varieties, plus smoothies, teas, hot chocolates, yummy pastries, and sandwiches to delight their customers’ tastebuds.

How Your Business Can Incorporate The Five Senses

What can you do to incorporate the 5 S’s into your business model? A few ideas include:

  1. SIGHT: Find ways to incorporate your brand into your appearance. Arrive at your client’s home or office in a freshly washed car that boasts your company logo and contact information. Wear a polo shirt or name tag that includes your logo, and/or carry a tote bag in your signature color. Make sure that lighting during your session is adequate, and when possible, allow natural light to shine in.
  2. SOUND: Make sure your clients turn off distracting noise like a blaring TV or their “you have email” chime. Suggest turning on some classical or nature-type music in the background while you work.
  3. SMELL: If the space you’re working in seems musty, crack a window while you work. Once you clear a surface, it’s nice to spray it down with an all-purpose cleaner. Surprise your clients by bringing a top-quality all-natural cleaner, such as Mrs. Myers Lemon Verbena Countertop Spray. It smells great and wakes up the senses.
  4. TOUCH: When appropriate, a hug, handshake, or gentle touch on the arm can make a client feel great.
  5. TASTE: Bring a few nice-quality chocolates to share when your clients need a short break during your time together. Or encourage them to stop and brew a cup of tea or coffee and take a five-minute breather. All of these things come together to create a unique and memorable experience for the client. Paying attention to details is what will make you stand out from the crowd!

© Time to Organize LLC


logo design 101

Can someone create their own logo if they are not a designer?
The unfortunate answer is yes and no. Businesses that are just getting started will often utilize a homemade logo and this is understandable, as a large budget isn’t always available to put toward a logo design. However, once the business starts generating some revenue, one of the first investments should be in hiring a professional logo designer. Designers are trained to have the skills and resources to pull together styles and images that will convey the response you’re seeking.

More important than a single logo design is to hire one designer to work on your overall brand look, consisting of your logo and all the other elements that make up your style. It’s important to tie everything together, and a designer not only has the software and tools to accomplish this, but their experience will save you time and frustration in trying to do it yourself.

What should a small business owner look for in a qualified logo designer?

The most important factor in a logo designer is to find one that understands marketing. Many freelance designers talk about developing your brand in terms of colors, fonts, and matching things, but they don’t ever talk about branding in terms of aligning yourself with your customers’ needs. If a designer doesn’t understand this, they can’t adequately help create a logo that will engage your client in the right way.

It’s often not a good idea to hire a freelance designer who just graduated or has little experience. They might be able to make a pretty logo, but it’s very unlikely they will understand how to develop a brand in the ways I’ve mentioned. Look for a small agency that has not only a designer but a strategist who will make sure the visuals the designer creates will do the job of attracting your ideal client.

Why is investing in a professionally designed logo a good investment?

Paying for logo design can’t be thought of in terms of an exact return on your investment. You won’t be able to count that you got 10 new clients in exchange for your design. However, this is an investment in the overall marketing presence of your company and is a pretty small investment in terms of the payoff of instant credibility, recognition, and brand equity it adds over the entire course of your business’s existence. It’s the very foundation that you can build off of when marketing your business. And of course, marketing your business is among the most important means of growth.

How much should a professionally designed logo cost, and what is included in that fee?

You can expect to pay about $1000-2000 (the cost will vary greatly, depending on the size of the company you work with) to properly go through the process of identifying your ideal client, choosing words to describe the client, establishing a brand personality, carefully working through concepts, and exploring colors and fonts. It’s important that the designer takes into consideration your usage for the logo — whether it will be printed, embroidered, stamped, etc., as it will affect the style and colors that can be used. Good agencies will provide your final logo file in several formats (especially a vector, scalable format), along with a brand style guide, that explains proper usage and scenarios for placement of the logo, along with coordinating colors and other specifications.

© Time to Organize LLC


survey success

By Sara Pedersen, Time to Organize

Have you ever wondered what your customers think about you? There’s an easy way to find out — just ask them! Simply create a short client survey form, give them a reason to fill it out, and reap the rewards of better understanding through direct feedback. Consider the benefits of sending a survey: You’ll know your core business strengths You’ll see your areas for improvement You may discover additional revenue streams, such as new services or products to offer You can use the positive comments as testimonials on your marketing materials

PONDERING QUESTIONS
Take some time to brainstorm the types of questions (and answers) that would be most beneficial to you. Perhaps you’d have clients rate their satisfaction levels with your (or your staff members’) organizing expertise, skill transfer, and product knowledge. Likely you’ll want to gauge clients’ views of your pricing structure and value received. Maybe you want to know the benefits they received by working with you. For some of the questions, use a rating scale (such as 1 – 10, poor to excellent, etc.) For others, leave the response area open-ended. For example, asking “What areas could we improve?” “What did you like best about working with us?” and “What additional services do you wish we offered?” will provide business-improving information. Make the survey easy for clients to complete. Keep it short – not longer than one page or 10 questions. Make sure it’s easy to read and has plenty of space for writing comments. Keep wording short and to the point. Finally, consider giving them an incentive for their time and effort, such as entering their names in a monthly drawing for a gift card, floral bouquet, or your favorite organizing product. (Be sure to include a space for respondents’ names so you can contact the winner.) Of course, there’s a benefit to anonymous surveys, as well. They might reap more honest answers. The choice is yours.

CREATING THE SURVEY
To send out your survey, you can mail a hard copy (or leave it with the client at the end of your job), along with a self-addressed stamped envelope for easy return. (Remember to provide a self-addressed stamped envelope for easy return.) Or, consider a free online survey tool such as Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com). You can easily create a professional survey, selecting from over a dozen types of questions (multiple-choice, rating scales, drop-down menus, and open-ended). Up to 10 questions and 100 responses per survey are allowed under this free service option. Simply e-mail the survey link to your clients and wait for their responses. You can view your results as they are collected, and see neat graphs, charts, and individual responses.

USING THE RESULTS
Once you’ve collected your survey results, take note of the positive responses. Keep it up and use those strengths to sell your services. Don’t feel insecure as you read any negative feedback. These are your areas for thoughtful consideration and improvement and will make your business stronger. If you discover areas for expansion and growth, consider moving in new directions! Gathering customer feedback takes a little effort, but your business will benefit immensely.

© Time to Organize LLC


top five design tips

By Sara Pedersen, Time to Organize

Great graphic design looks effortless, but it requires lots of attention to detail. Think back to an eye-catching advertisement, publication, or flyer you saw recently. Do you remember why you liked it? Perhaps it was something specific like the use of a cool graphic or font. Or, more likely, the layout and the words worked together to create an eye-appealing, memorable message that you’re still thinking about today.

A lot of thought, money, and skill probably went into that design. But you don’t have to be a design guru to achieve expert results! Follow these five tips to create effective, professional-looking marketing materials for your small business.

1. Select appropriate font treatment: More is NOT better when it comes to fonts. Pick no more than two typefaces per document – one for headlines and one for body copy. Stick to a simple, clean font for easy body copy readability. Headline fonts can be a little more creative. For emphasis on certain words or phrases, use italics, boldface, or underlining sparingly. Also, try to make the typeface match the personality of the service or product you’re representing.

2. Use white space wisely: Just because space is there doesn’t mean you have to fill it! Good designs contain well-planned white space. (“White space” is simply the areas in a layout that are left bare – without text or graphics.) It gives the eye a break and helps to highlight the important points. Make sure to have enough space around the edges and in between columns and articles. And remember that there is a fine line between not enough and too much white space. Consult well-designed magazines and ads or computer templates for layout inspiration and ideas.

3. Find effective graphics and photos: It’s always better to use too few than too many graphics. One great graphic is so much better than four weak ones. Sometimes they are not even necessary. When you do use graphics and photos, make sure they help illustrate your point, rather than just inserting them to take up space. Likewise, be sure their sizes are appropriate to the space. Stick with high-quality graphics – in this age of affordable, quality clipart, there is no excuse to use any image that isn’t clear and neat. Never use a “gif” file in a print document; those are created for web use only. Make sure the graphic element illustrates your main point – it’s the first thing the reader sees, so it’s important it portrays your message accurately. Lastly, don’t mix different styles of illustration or photography – keep a consistent look to create harmony.

4. Keep copy short and neat: Readers are more likely to read short sentences, paragraphs, and articles written as if they’re having a friendly conversation. Break up large blocks of text with bullet points and subheads. Instead of using fancy multi-syllable complex vocabulary, use everyday words that your audience will understand. A good rule of thumb is to write at a sixth-grade reading level. Finally, always have someone else – whether a professional copy editor or a skilled friend – proofread your work. It’s impossible to catch all your own typos.

5. Watch the flow: People generally read a page from top to bottom and from left to right. Draw people into the top left corner of your ad or newsletter with a headline or strong graphic. Then, pull their eyes down and through the text in the mid-section of the page, and finish up in the lower right corner. Picture a “Z” shape. Finally, be sure to include a “call to action” at the bottom to get the results you desire. For example, give readers your contact information and special offer, and tell them to “Call today!”

© Time to Organize LLC


gather business-boosting client testimonials

By Sara Pedersen, Time to Organize

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that one of my gal pals had a cute new haircut. So of course, I asked her where she got it done. You see, I make purchase decisions by the testimonials of those I trust. Whenever I need a new service provider, whether it’s a trustworthy mechanic, an artistic interior designer, or a calming pediatrician, I ask my friends who they recommend. Their endorsements speak volumes.

Those in the service industry — like professional organizers — know how valuable great word-of-mouth is. But instead of waiting for others to talk about you, how about asking your clients for some business-inspiring testimonials that you can use today? You can take a few awesome client endorsements and use them in a variety of ways: post them on your website, use them in your brochure, or put them in your portfolio or media kit. It’s also reassuring to have something prepared when potential clients ask for references. The important thing is to get the testimonials in writing, make sure they paint a great picture of you, and get them attributed to a real person. Follow these tips for business-boosting testimonials and watch your credibility soar.

1. Get clients to write testimonials. It can be intimidating to ask for testimonials from your clients. But a satisfied client will nearly always be willing and happy to write one! The key is to ask promptly. For example, when you’re finishing a session and your clients say, “Wow, you do amazing work,” that is the perfect time to ask if they’d write you a short testimonial for use on your promotional materials. Another way to capture an endorsement is to ask if you can quote someone when they rave about you. For example, after organizing one of my client’s home offices, he said, “Coming into this office now feels like we are stepping out of the dark and into the light.” It was a powerful statement and a perfect testimonial. So I immediately asked if I could quote him, wrote down the statement then and there, and went home and posted that testimonial on my website. Another way to gather references is to hand out client feedback forms after your sessions or workshops, and be sure to include a spot for comments, as well as a check box that says, “You may use my comments for marketing purposes.” You’ll usually get some great stuff there! And lastly, if you receive a thank you note from a client, see if you can pull some of that wording into a testimonial.

2. Make sure the testimonials are specific and inspiring. Don’t be shy about asking for specific types of comments in your testimonials. Feel free to guide your clients a bit by encouraging them to share why they enjoyed working with you, the value they received from your services, how their lives have improved after your help, and why they would recommend you. That way, you don’t end up with a generic and not-very-useful testimonial like, “Mary really did a great job.” You want specifics, something with POW to tell potential clients that you’re someone special — full of unique ideas, tons of skill, and a kind heart — who delivers value for money spent. Note: Sometimes it’s helpful to e-mail these helpful writing hints to clients so they have them before they begin writing. And be sure to tell them they don’t have to write a book… just a few sentences will force them to get to the point and compose something powerful.

3. Attribute the testimonials to someone. Nothing is more fishy than testimonials that don’t seem to be from “someone.” Ask if you can use your client’s name, city of residence, and/or business name. Of course, clients are embarrassed about using some services. For example, an extremely disorganized person might feel some shame about hiring a professional organizer to straighten out his life. In those cases, just use your client’s initials and city of residence. It’s better than nothing. Whatever you do, make sure you have your clients’ permission to use their names. It’s also nice to have the clients represent the target market you serve. For example, if you serve mainly corporate clients, be sure to include the titles and company names of the clients served. That may impress prospects. Or if you aim to work in a certain part of town, be sure to include town names in your testimonials. Or if you want to work with families, see if you can work in detail about the family in the quote, like “mother of five” or “stay-at-home dad.”

I encourage you to give testimonials a try. They are an amazing tool to show your expertise and bring in new clients without spending a cent!

© Time to Organize LLC


purposeful website planning

Don’t get started without goals

By Sara Pedersen, Time to Organize

It seems like everyone has a website these days. And those who don’t have one are probably thinking about one. If you’re in the thinking stage, congratulations! Having a website is a fantastic way to grow your business by making you more visible to the world. But before jumping on the website bandwagon, ask yourself this question: “WHY do I want a website?” The answer is NOT, “Because everyone else has one.”

When I first developed my website, I just knew I wanted a web presence. But I didn’t put much thought into why I wanted one. So I created some web pages that seemed to make sense, sat back, and enjoyed my (smallish) hit counts. But after a couple of years, I knew something was missing… my website wasn’t meeting my needs because it wasn’t created with intention! So I went back to the drawing board and started writing down goals. Now that my business is three-fold (organizing, coaching, and selling products), my goals have to reflect those new revenue streams. So my primary website goals became:

  • To generate organizing client leads
  • To sell my products online
  • To get people to sign up for my e-zines
    My secondary goals were:
  • To establish credibility as a top/veteran professional organizer and marketing specialist
  • To provide helpful information and resources
    Goals in hand, I roughed out my new site. With the help of my web designer, we created a home page that led to easy navigation within the site, which guides visitors to the different sections depending upon their needs. So far, judging by hit counts, sales, inquiries, and sign-ups, my goals are being met quite well!

As you plan for a website (or think about a redesign of your current site), make sure you take plenty of time to map out what you want the site to do for you. Some ideas are listed below.

  • To provide information about your company and its philosophies
  • To highlight your company’s “in the news” status
  • To enhance the credibility of your business by having an online presence
  • To highlight your products and/or sell products online
  • To provide detailed information about your services
  • To attract new clients and customers
  • To keep existing clients informed
  • To build an e-mail list
  • To educate visitors
  • To answer questions
  • To jump ahead of the competition
  • To provide links to other organizations
  • To show your expertise through testimonials, photos, etc.

Do any of those goals sound like yours? Can you think of a few others that will make your site both fun and functional? Take the first step to a well-planned website by taking pen to paper as your very first step to a new — or improved — website.

© Time to Organize LLC


call in the SWOT team

Produce more opportunities to expand your business

By Sara Pedersen, Time to Organize

Have you ever done a SWOT analysis? No, it’s not some dangerous military maneuver. It’s a fun and incredibly helpful business development exercise that will give your company focused direction and great marketing ideas — whether your business is brand new or has been around for years. This SWOT exercise will show you where your business is flourishing and where it needs to grow to gain clients and produce more sales. I recommend getting someone else (such as a friend, family member, or trusted business advisor) to brainstorm with you. You’ll be determining your strengths and weaknesses, which are *internal* influences on your company. These factors are under your control. Opportunities and threats are *external* influences, things you cannot control, but you can respond to. After you read a short description of each of the four categories, take time to list as many of yours as possible.

Strengths: Toot your own horn and list all the strengths that make your business soar. They might include experience, business abilities, personality, support system, communication skills, or education just to name just a few. Go crazy! This is not the time to be modest — each strength can become a money-maker for you.

Weaknesses: What are your weak areas? Think outside the box. Are limited hours available for work? Is computer literacy not up to par? Are current marketing strategies lacking? Perfectionism? Procrastination? Write down as many as you can so you’re aware of what might hold you back from reaching your full potential.

Opportunities: Are there untapped client bases out there? Other services that you could provide? What kinds of problems do your clients experience that you could help with? Are there any areas of service that your competition has overlooked? Could you exploit the weakness of a competitor (service offered, location covered, hours available to work, genre served)? Could you develop your brand better? Could you take classes to increase your expertise or credibility? Could you utilize your family and friends for networking opportunities? Write down everything that pops into your brain, even if it’s a long shot. And try to be as specific with your ideas as possible.

Threats: It may take you a while to come up with these if you’re not currently aware of them. Threats might come from competition, financial risk, a declining economy, or a unique profession. List some of your threats, no matter how big or small they seem.

Now, take some time to really analyze these four categories. Look at what you can *directly* control — your strengths and weaknesses. Review your list of strengths and try to turn them into “opportunities.” In addition to being a great ego booster, it will give you dozens of ideas for new ways to increase sales. For example, if you list a “great support system” as a strength, perhaps you could make a goal (an opportunity) to send a mailing to everyone in your wide network of friends and family to solicit new clients or get the word out about what you do. If your presentation skills are top-notch, consider offering workshops or seminars. If you have years of experience, make that a selling point in your marketing materials.

Next, how can you turn your weaknesses around? For example, if you’re not a good written communicator or lack computer or mathematical skills, consider taking a class at a local college to boost your skills. Or consider finding someone to outsource your undesirable work. If you don’t have enough effective marketing strategies, turn that weakness around by creating a marketing timeline or plan.

Now, on to what you can *respond* to — your opportunities and threats. Review your list of opportunities. (This list should be long!) Pick your top five or ten to tackle in the upcoming year. Do you want to teach a class or write a book? How about improving your marketing strategies by sending some direct mail? If you want to network more, investigate professional networking groups in your community.

Your threat list, on the other hand, may not be very long, but it’s important to be aware of what can hold you back and keep you from reaching your full potential. For example, you cannot control your competition, but you can be aware of what they’re doing. You can’t control the economy, but you can market your services as a great “value” or find ways to offer deals or incentives.

OK, now it’s your turn — put your SWOT analysis into action, and see what happens. I’d love to hear how SWOT worked for you!

© Time to Organize LLC


create a marketing timeline that works

By Sara Pedersen

“Goals are dreams with deadlines.”
-Diana Scharf Hunt

When clients come to me for marketing help, the first thing I ask is, “What’s your plan?” If I’m greeted with a blank stare, then I know we have work to do!

In order to set up a great marketing strategy, you need to write it out in black and white. I highly recommend a 12-month plan, which you can set up in your favorite spreadsheet program. Using a computer will allow you to easily move tasks around as the months progress, and add new ones as you think of them. Simply create columns for “date” and “proposed marketing activities.” You might also include a column to check off when you accomplish each goal.

Some of the items to include in your plan might include:

  • Seeking PR in your local papers (perhaps revolving around a national organizing holiday, a seminar you’re giving in your community, a contest you’re holding, the time you’ve donated to a local charity, etc.)
  • Creating a referral program for current clients
  • Writing/updating your business cards and brochure
  • Creating/updating a website
  • Writing your “60-second commercial”
  • Investigating advertising opportunities
  • Investigating networking groups
  • Investigating partnerships
  • Investigating new partnerships/alliances
  • Developing seminars/workshops
  • Developing new products
  • Writing tips booklets or a book
  • Participating in expos/trade shows
  • Investigating speaking opportunities/improving skills
  • Creating new ways to stay in touch with clients (newsletters, postcards, etc.)
  • Investigating ways to thank current clients for past business

You might also include business goals such as creating a follow-up program, researching business insurance and liability issues, improving business skills, reviewing your expenses and revenue, and finally, etching out time for creating next year’s marketing plan.

Sound simple? It is! With a plan, you can get all those ideas out of your head and onto paper. You’ll sleep better! It’s easy to rearrange, redistribute, add, and delete with a tap of the keyboard. Go for it! If you need help, please feel free to contact me. I offer marketing plan assistance at an affordable price.

© Time to Organize® LLC


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easy as 1-2-3 publicity

By Sara Pedersen

As a small business owner, I’m always looking for ways to get my company name out there. And as a bona fide bargain hunter, I tend to look for inexpensive methods. Why pay to advertise my services when I can reach my audience for free? Enter PUBLICITY!

What’s the difference between advertising and publicity, you ask? They both offer great visibility within your community, but you have to PAY for advertising. You get complete control of the message, but potential clients could be skeptical about your advertising claims. Publicity, on the other hand, is FREE. And it tends to have greater credibility because viewers often feel that the messages have been “screened” by television, radio, or newspaper editors.

One of the easiest publicity methods is the press release. Read on to learn how to craft your own press release for your local newspaper.

Step 1: Target Your Message

So how do you go about getting your name in the news? The process begins by sending a press release to your local newspapers. Don’t be scared off by the term “press release.” It’s simply a letter that includes the who, what, where, and whys of your business. If a press release seems interesting to the editor who reads it, you can count on seeing your name in print in an upcoming issue!

If you’re a relatively recent start-up, you might pitch the article as “Local Woman Starts Professional Organizing Business” or “Springfield Man Craves Your Clutter.” As our industry grows, so does public awareness. People have seen organizers on television shows such as “Mission: Organization” and “Clean Sweep” and are curious to learn more about your unique, locally-offered services.

You might also take the angle of highlighting an upcoming organizing holiday. Check out “Chase’s Calendar of Events” at your local library. It includes everything from National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Month to Clutter Awareness Week. A few this summer include:

• June: Small Business Week, Rebuild Your Life Month
• July: Financial Freedom Day, Take Charge of Change Week
• August: Simplify Your Life Week

Or, simply capitalize on the season, i.e., getting rid of garage clutter in the spring; getting kids organized and ready for school in late summer, etc.

Step 2: Write and Send the Message

Detailed information about how to write a press release can be found at www.press-release-writing.com. This Web site has samples, templates, and other essential tips for writing an effective press release. To see a sample of a press release I’ve written, please visit the link at the bottom of this article. In a nutshell, your press release should include relevant information about your services. Include benefits, why your service is unique, and quotes from industry experts or satisfied customers. Remember to try to make it timely, such as linking it with a national organizing day or event.

You can find newspaper addresses and editor contact names on the inside front cover of previous issues. Make sure you have a nice, clear photo of yourself to send along – the newspaper is very likely to include it – and don’t hesitate to send your marketing brochure and business card. I usually send press releases the old-fashioned way, by US Mail. Then I cover all the bases by sending the same information via email, along with a JPEG photo of myself, so the paper could easily “cut and paste” my text into an article rather than retyping it.

If you don’t hear back from the paper within a week or so, make sure to follow up with a phone call. It is very likely the press release fell to the bottom of the pile (how disorganized!) and the editor simply forgot or didn’t get to it yet! Don’t feel intimidated or that you’re “bothering” the editor. According to the Public Relations Society of America, approximately 80% of news stories are generated by outside sources (like you!). Newspapers and other media depend on the general public to tell them what’s going on in their communities.

Step 3: Be Prepared

Reporters often wait until the last minute to get going on a story, so don’t be surprised to receive a phone call requesting an interview right then and there. Try to be available and flexible. You might want to prepare some information ahead of time so your answers will flow smoothly. What questions might the reporter ask you? Answer them on paper and you’ll likely breeze through any interview. And remember, when you speak with a reporter, be yourself!

I also recommend having a short list of organizing tips available to share with the reporter. Newspapers love quick, easy bullet points! You may also wish to gather some national statistics on disorganization or clutter. And if you have a newsletter, ask the reporter to include an offer for a free subscription at the end of the article. What a great way to build your database with people interested in your services! Before you finish the interview, confirm the spelling of your name and business, and ask them to include some contact information. When the article hits the press, you’ll be surprised how many calls you receive.

Now that you’ve made this great contact at your local paper, make a note to keep in touch quarterly. Free publicity is as close as your friendly news editor!

You can use this method of press release writing to reach any media – newspaper, television, or radio – but I recommend starting with local papers to get your feet wet. It’s much easier to “think on your feet” in print, rather than on live radio or television. Save that for your next try at mastering the media.

See how easy writing a press release can be? Now, go forth and market!

© Time to Organize LLC


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