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National Skin Care Awareness Month – Time for a virtual holiday makeover. In 2008, Sephora, the beauty and skin care company launched a holiday makeover initiative at MistletoeMakeover.com where women (or daring men) could get a virtual holiday makeover using advanced photo-realistic technology to try out the season’s hottest holiday makeup trends and share with like-minded friends. “Mistletoe Makeover” was created by digital marketing firm, EVB San Francisco, in partnership with virtual makeover company, TAAZ.com. “Mistletoe Makeover” exploded online with hundreds of thousands of women creating holiday makeovers. Take a look at Reese Witherspoon’s makeover as Santa’s Little Temptress!!
For more holiday marketing ideas, see my book, Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Grow Your Business Using Zany and Non-traditional Holidays at www.QuirkyOffer.com. Free updates for 2010 when you purchase the current edition
September 14th, 2009
Tomorrow (July 20th) is “Get Out of The Doghouse Day®” – a National holiday which my team and I created in 1999 – and one of the things that has become our CLAIM TO FAME. Today got me thinking about some of the strategies we have used to get our name out there to become known in our community and to help others get to know about the products and services my company offers. In 2000 we created a survey to see how people got out of the doghouse (and what put them there in the first place) and in 2001 we created a logo and trademarked the holiday National Get Out of The Doghouse Day®®. We had to create a logo to submit to the United States Patent and Trademark Office – www.uspto.gov.
Speaking of Surveys – did you know that more than 1,000 people actually responded to it? And that was before the advent of online surveys (as we know them today)! In fact, the question I am most often asked is just how we got more than 1,000 people to take the survey. That was the easy part. Since I am and have always been an avid networker, I simply carried my clipboard with the surveys around every where I went. We also asked people when they stopped in my florist, and I even took the surveys on trips and asked people on plane rides, bus rides, at conferences, in waiting areas and let’s not forget the Ladies Rooms! It was such fun meeting so many people. Of course, today would be a lot easier because we could have done this totally online, but the experience would not have been the same for my staff or for me.
And the best part of all is that every year at this time I get dozens of calls from Radio stations around the country asking about the holiday which is the “famous” part. Being interviewed by radio personalities all over the US makes me feel sort of like a celebrity, so I guess you could say “I am famous” for creating this holiday. And yes, it’s still one of my greatest “claims to fame.” In fact, my staff and I have also been quoted in countless newspapers and magazines over the years. So you see, this type of promotion can garner great publicity and you become known for something positive. And the “publicity” could go on for years afterwards.
Webster’s defines famous as: renouned, celebrated, well-known, prominent, legendary.
Each of us fits that definition to some extent. The amount of “fame” each of us achieves however, is only relevant if we use it to our advantage. Here are some ways you fulfill the definition of “famous.”
~ When you write articles and others read them, you are famous.
~ When you have a loyal following of customers, clients and friends, you are famous.
~ When you have written a book, you are famous.
~ When you have volunteered for a fundraiser or some other community service, you are famous.If you’ve ever received an award, you are famous.
~ If you’ve ever done a heroic deed, you are famous.
In what other ways could you be famous?
Actions and deeds that you perform on a personal basis make you famous such as given your heart to a small child or a senior citizen, you are famous. When you’ve mentored someone or helped her or him achieve a goal, you are famous. And countless other ways! And the best part is that you OWN the fame, it is something that can never be taken away from you.
So tell me, what’s your CLAIM TO FAME?
For the REST OF THE STORY, Read the post: MY BEST PROMOTION EVER
Read the article: Women Want Flowers Men Want Sex – Doghouse Survey Says
Have a great story to share? Take the Get Out of the Doghouse survey
Check out the Doghouse Survey Press Release and 2009 Contest
Read Top Ten Ways to Stay out of The Doghouse
Take the Get Out of the Doghouse survey: http://tulipstalk.com/DoghouseSurvey.pdf
Read some of the FUN stories submitted by our survey respondents on the Tulips Talk Blog
And Check out Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany & Non-traditional Holidays!
July 19th, 2009
– Bastille Day is the French national holiday, celebrated on 14 July each year. In France, it is called Fête Nationale (“National Celebration”) the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution. (Source Wikipedia).
Today is Bastille Day
In honor of Bastille Day I thought it would be fun to showcase an event the *American Cancer Society hosts ever year called Jail & Bail.
Jail & Bail is an annual fundraising event that brings together community leaders and ordinary citizens for a common cause… to help fight Cancer!
Jo Walters, David Singer, Sabrina Singer and Marilee Maddox
For many years I was an active participant in Jail & Bail, serving as a Parole Board Member AND a Jailbird!
This year, the American Cancer Society’s annual Jail and Bail event, held recently at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotel in Dania Beach, raised more than $150,000.
Here’s how it works: The fundraiser has community members “arrested” by local law enforcement officers and brought to the mock jail. While in custody, these “jailbirds” have unlimited use of a telephone to call friends, relatives, co-workers, business associates, etc…, to raise the bail in pledges to the American Cancer Society. The bail is determined by a “judge” at the “jail”. And, all donations are fully tax deductible contributions to the American Cancer Society.
The local ACS sends media releases with Parole board members names and companies and also provides volunteers with their own press release Template to send out to their own media contacts. This is also a great way to stay top of mind in the media when they are looking for a story or resource.
One of my good friends David Singer (an attorney in Hollywood, Florida) has been the local Jail & Bail chairperson for years. And he and his law firm have received prestigious placement in all the major media outlets in the tri-county area including print, radio AND TV. He works tirelessly to recruit Parole Board members who in turn find people to “arrest.”
And it’s a fun event.
What does Jail & Bail have to do with Marketing? It’s called Cause-related marketing. Whenever businesses support a cause that has potential to reach a lot of people in the community, it helps them not only create goodwill in the community, it often will gain incredible media attention. And that’s the kind of attention most businesses want. Because we don’t have to pay for it and we can feel good about giving back. As a “sponsor” you get visibility on marketing materials, mentioned during planning meetings and in media releases and much more. As a participant you get to work closely with other like-minded volunteers AND maybe even see YOUR name in the media.
Here are 5 tips to help you plan and execute a successful Cause-related Marketing Campaign:
1. Find a cause you can get your arms around. Something that feeds your soul AND does good in the community. You will find it more worthwhile and you will be able to relate better to the people who also believe in the cause – the volunteers, staff and supporters. Organizations are also looking for partners with similar agendas, those who can achieve their goals by partnering with the right businesses and individuals in the first place.
2. Set realistic, measurable goals for your program. Like any other marketing plan, you need to know what outcomes you hope to get from your participation. Include how you will achieve those goals.
3. Create a “partnership agreement” that both parties understand and agree to. A clearly defined agreement will include both “partners” obligations, rights and expectations. Remember this is like any other partnership and if you can add a little formality to it, then the chances of success increase and it creates a sense of comfort knowing in black and white what each partners responsibilities include.
4. Be an ambassador for your Cause. Let everyone in your own circle know what and how you are supporting the organization. You will be pleasantly surprised by how many people will give you a thumbs up and also will want to “help you in your cause.”
5. When all is said and done, do a thorough review to make sure the campaign met your goals, your needs and the expectations of all concerned. Remember that while you want to support a cause you believe in, the bottom line is your support should create awareness of, interest in and customers for your company.
So next time you are trying to decide what community event to support, look at your calendar and see what’s going on and find a local charity to align yourself with. And then let me know what you did. Maybe your story will end up in the next edition of Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany and Non-traditional Holidays.
*The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem—by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer— through research, education, advocacy and service.
Grab a FREE copy of my ebook: GET MEDIA SAVVY!– The Ultimate eGuide to Promote Your Products, Services and Ideas to the World at: http://www.womensmediasummit.com/get-media-savvy/
July 14th, 2009
July 13-17 is World Who’s Who Week – Want to gain local media attention, exposure for your business and to become the Go-to person in networking? Do what the late Pamela M. Hutchinson of Davie Florida, the creator of Who’s Who in Black South Florida – a directory of black professionals. On several occasion, the local newspapers featured her directory and when she died wrote a glowing tribute to her and the service to the community her directory provided.
It was the impetus for my team creating the Who’s Who Among Women in Ecommerce Directory to promote women who do business on the web. You can check it out here: http://www.wecai.org/whoswho.htm What kind of Who’s Who Directory could you create featuring of a specific group of people or organizations in your community? (BTW, I created this holiday because I could not find one that focused on this topic).
July 13th is Embrace Your Geekness Day – “The future of advertising,” says Charlie Jones, chief marketing officer of RedPeg, an Alexandria, Virginia–based agency, “will be about creating unexpected connections to memorable, real-world experiences in ways that bring brands to life.” So how about electrical outlets in airport terminals? Bradley and Montgomery’s new campaign for Chase Commercial Banking includes ads just above 90 outlets around Indianapolis International Airport. When you plug in your laptop, you see the ad.
Source Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Grow Your Business Using Zany & Non-traditional Holidays!
July 10th, 2009
May 10-16 is National Women’s Health Week
– If you are in the healthcare or holistic healthcare industry, now is a great time to offer a “free screening” or even an “encourage a friend to get a checkup” drive.
Create a tips booklet about your topic area and give it to your clients and patients. Tips booklets are an excellent informational premium that people do not throw away. Better yet, ask your clients and patients to give you names of their women friends and offer to send the booklet on their behalf.
Excerpt from the book “Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany & Non-traditional Holidays (the original holiday marketing guide) ~ www.QuirkyOffer.com
For more information on Marketing to Women, check out the Marketing 2 Women Audio Program created by Women in ECommerce at: http://www.wecai.org/marketing2women.htm (8 audios and workbook for only $27!)
May 10th, 2009
April 22nd is also National Jelly Bean Day – On October 15, 1999, the world’s largest jar of jelly beans was unveiled. It weighed 6,050 pounds. Did you know that each year, U.S. manufacturers produce more than 16 billion jelly beans for Easter — that’s enough to completely fill a plastic Easter egg 89 feet high and 60 feet wide (about the height of a nine-story office building.
Time for another “world’s largest jar of jelly beans?
BTW, I am giving a presentation to the American Business Women’s Association called Leveraging Social Networking to Grow Your Business. During the event I am having a “Guess the Jelly Beans” contest and will announce the winner at the end of the program. Someone will go home with a free copy of my Social Networking Formula for Success CD (value $47). And everyone will get a handful of Jelly Beans too!
Read the History of Jelly Beans at Xomba.com
Take this Jelly Bean Quiz
For more great ideas like these, check out Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany and non-traditional Holidays.
April 21st, 2009
They each celebrate April 22nd!
April 22nd is Earth Day - In celebration of Earth Day 2008, WE magazine hosted a Green Commerce Survey and invited women and men all over the world to participate. For their time, WE gathered more than 100 resources to share with them as a special gift. WE magazine also focused their entire Spring 2008 Issue on Going Green issues. You can read it here: http://www.wecai.org/wemagspring08.pdf . Here is the list of Green Resources we compiled from the survey: http://www.speakingwithspirit.com/pdf/WOMENSGREENRESOURCES.pdf.
April 21st, 2009
… to get you blog noticed, read and followed
Starting a blog may be the craze these days, but is it for you? Do you have what it takes to not just start a blog, but stick to it? Do you know what you want to accomplish with your blog? Do you know how you want to position your blog, what you want to write about and more importantly who you want to write for? A blog without an audience is still a blog, but it may not be effective in achieving your overall goals.
If you want to have an audience, you have to market your blog. You have to let people know it exists. Most people don’t write for themselves, they write for a consumer, a fan or someone(s) who has similar interests. Having others read what you write affirms that you have information worth reading. And if you have ever received comments on your blog you know that feeling that someone does take what you have to say seriously. Even when they don’t agree with your stand, they took the time to respond.
If you want to increase your readers and get more feedback from them (comments) you need to create a plan. And there are “little” things you can do every day to make that happen. In fact, I created a list of 15 tips to get your blog on the radar of your target audience and am sharing 3 tips today. That means I have content to span 5 blog posts. Maybe more if I decide to add to it. Here are those 3 tips:
Tip #1 ~ Create good content. Many blog consultants will tell you that content is king and that you need lots of it. I believe what you really need is strategically created informative or entertaining (and best if it’s both) content that interests readers and gets visitors to become followers. Writing posts strictly for the search engines may get you better rankings in the short term, but in the long term could hurt your credibility.
If you are having trouble coming up with content, start with a list of something in your genre or niche. Lists are very popular with readers and often lists get picked up and referred to on other blogs. On my blog WE Magazine for Women, I compile a quarterly list of Women Bloggers to watch. It is by far the highest visited (and commented on) post of all the blog posts we write.
Other types of content that are popular with readers is how-to advice. Teach what you know. On my Redhead Marketing blog I write about how to use weird, zany and unusual holidays to promote your business.
Write a 99 Ways to article. Or 33 steps, or 47 tips. Break those tips down into bite-sized pieces and do a series. For instance, the 99 ways could be broken down into a series of tips over a period of time such as a few days or weeks. Similar to what I am doing here with 15 tips shared over 5 posts.
For more ideas about what to write on your blog read How to Write Great Blog Content by Darren Rouse of Problogger at http://www.problogger.net/how-to-write-great-blog-content/
Tip #2 ~ Many successful bloggers have increased their following and built a loyal base by creating an online community on their blog. You can create a forum, a social network or a simple chat room. In fact, most blog software these days allows or has plug ins that will help you establish your community. For an example of how one person did this, check out JamieOliver.com. Keith Ferazzi (author of Never Eat Alone) has a great mix of website, blog and community to take a look at as well.
If you are not sure if you should include a “community” for your readers, check out “Should Blogs Have a Forum?” at Blog Herald
Tip #3 ~ Create a Directory on Your blog. The Directory can include resources your readers would value and want to visit often. By including the directory link you increase the likelihood readers will return (provided the content is good). You can start compiling your directory content based upon your blog posts.
For instance, if you write a technology blog and offer the latest and greatest gadgets in every post. The gadgets could then be compileed and referred to in a directory of recommended sites that your visitor can refer to often. A directory could work with almost any type of blog. A parenting blog could list parenting resources, magazines, books, experts, educational sources, etc. A social media blogger could create a directory of social media sites, social media tools, resources, plug-ins, experts, etc. You get the idea. One of my favorite blogs BlogHer has a directory of other female bloggers on their blog. It is one of the most popular and respected blogs in the blogosphere.
The point is a directory can increase readers because if the content is good, your readers are likely to refer to the directory on their blogs and in their newsletters and emails. After all, if they find a great resource, they too will want to let their readers know about it. Why not be the “it” they refer their readers to?
April 13th, 2009
March 26th is Make up Your Own Holiday Day - What a great way to get recognition, locally, nationally and even internationally. We have made up a few of our own. In addition to Virtual Woman’s Day™ (3rd Week in March) we have Get out of the Doghouse Day™ which is celebrated the 3rd Monday of July; International Women’s eCommerce Day,™ which is celebrated on the 3rd Monday in September; and International Romance on a Budget Day™ which is celebrated on February 28th.
To read more visit: http://speakingwithspirit.com/books/romance-on-a-budget/. To read more about Romance on a Budget Day™ visti Tulips Talk Blog at http://www.tulipstalk.com/today-is-romance-on-a-budget-day/
Get out of the Doghouse Day™ is the time for those who spend time in the doghouse to make amends and minimize their stay with “old scruffy.” International Women’s eCommerce Day™ is a day celebrating women doing business on the WEB.
March 26th is also Legal Assistant’s Day and Sing Out Day.
On this day in 1984 Part of Central Park was named Strawberry Fields in honor of the late John Lennon. In 1983 the only know typo on Time Magazine Cover was discovered. It was the word Contol (should have been control). Time recalled all magazines! In 1917 Loretta Walsh became the 1st female U.S. Naval Petty Officer and in 1868 the 1st U.S.professional women’s club called Sorosis was formed in New York City.
For other ideas to market your company, check out Quirky Marketing, 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany and Non-traditional Holidays at www.QuirkyOffer.com
March 26th, 2009
The Quirky Marketing Greeting Card Contest is officially over!
The “rules” were to “Create a fun, quirky, unusual card message as a promotion for your company, product or service and tell me what you did. The message should be creative and promote something you want to spread the word about. It can be a product, a new product launch, an event, a celebration, a strategic alliance, does not matter. As long as the message can be expressed on a greeting card or postcard.”
What surprised me is that some people did just that and others sent in cute cards with no purpose in mind. They did not have a clear message nor did they promote their company in any way, shape or form. Having said that, we did have a few people who followed the directions and sent us some cute and/or quirky cards. It was a tough decision, in fact so much so, it took the judges an extra week to decide who to bestow the honors to.
Honorable Mention goes to the following:
Honorable Mention winners receive a half page ad in WE Magazine for women.
Kristine Sheehan of The MerryBird.com for her Valentine Postcard announcing her pen and Ink portraits for your Valentine.
Lisa Moren Bromma of Wise WomenInvestor.com for her postcards announcing her services and invitation to visit her website.
3rd Place winner in the Quirky Marketing Greeting Card Challlenge is Jessica Sellers of Chrysalis Logos.com – her card focused on “Make up Your Own Holiday Day” and offered an economic stimulus incentive (discount on services) to anyone who placed an order on that day. Way to Go, Jessica! Jessica won a One-year Charter Membership in the Women’s eCommerce Association.
2nd Place winner in the Quirky Marketing Greeting Card Challenge is Mr. Jim Barber. Jim promoted his company Tooter Talk (www.TooterTalk.com) with a picture of him on the cover standing in on stage at the IMPROV with the headline “Do You Know What Today is?” The inside said simply… “Today is the first day of the rest of your new career!” Talk about perfect timing in this economy! Jim won a full page ad in WE Magazine for Women!
1st Place winner in the Quirky Marketing Greeting Card Challlenge is …..drum roll please………………
Racheli Smilovits of WCS Lending! Racheli didn’t send in the required one entry – she sent in SIX! And each one was clever and unique. The one that cinched the winning was the postcard attached to a bag of peanuts that said “It will be NUTS to Navigate throught the Real Estate Waters without a Professional Lender.” And her contact info, etc. The graphic she used was a walnut shell and her beautiful face peeping out of it. Racheli won a two page article interview in the Spring Issue of WE Magazine, a copy of her choice of one of the fabulous books in our library AND a $25 gift certificate from SendOutCards (choice of Visa Gift Card, Candy, Brownies and more).
Each of the above entrants will also receive a frameable Certificate customized with their names and date of the Quirky Marketing Contest as well as a mention in the accompanying media release announcing the Winners!
Several of the contestants grabbed their free account at SendOutCards.com/Heidi. THANKS!
Look for our next contest in the summer!
And if you haven’t yet picked up your copy of Quirky Marketing, go here: www.QuirkyOffer.com. More than $2,000 worth of bonuses are waiting for you when you do!
March 25th, 2009
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