I'm often asked for some (free) marketing advice and find myself giving out tips and ideas readily. I gave a talk on PR to The Business Club in Norwich recently and one of the ideas I suggested seemed to spark a lot of interest so I thought I would expand upon it here.
I really love using reader competitions to generate PR coverage for clients and projects. Printed publications (especially newspapers) are getting a bit less keen on this type of coverage as their staffing is limited with marketing posts often made redundant, but there is still plenty of scope for this type of promotion through online and offline outlets.
Competitions offer many advantages to companies looking to raise the profile of their goods or services:
* Usually free to insert - cost is only in prize value
* Opportunities for data capture - every entrant is expressing an interest in your product or service and can therefore be considered a warm contact
* Impression of kindness and goodwill bestowed upon your company for giving away stuff
* Editorial style coverage which is a lot more discreet than advertising
* Implication of endorsement by the magazine etc by association with your product/service
Many publications will have a minimum prize value which can often be in the region of £500 - consider though that this is the retail value and the cost to you as a company is only perhaps half of that. Offering a money can't buy prize such as a VIP experience can also negate this prize value. Competitions are often given a generous amount of editorial space and frequently a full page of coverage plus front cover teasers so this still represents excellent value for "money".
Entry levels for competitions vary by publication - we only had one entry to a competition to win a martial arts lesson some time ago but we had 150 entries to another to win a hamper of spring bulbs from a garden centre.
Top Tips for Running a Reader Competition
1. Give plenty of notice to the publication - magazines are often running 2+ months ahead
2. Don't bother with BBC radio stations - they no longer run listener competitions since the bad publicity surrounding fake entries on Blue Peter etc.
3. Commercial radio stations will generally charge a fee to run a listener competition - expect to pay £300-500 plus the prize value.
4. Check with the publication to make sure they comply with Data Protection laws and ensure that there is a relevant tick box to allow you to share data captured.
5. Use Twitter to run a competition by asking people to spread the word about you by re-tweeting (RT) your message in exchange for a free entry into your competition
6. Follow up, follow up and follow up
You can arrange a competition yourself with some research or we would be delighted to help you to arrange a reader competition. Speak to Kate on 01603 716700 or email kate@activemd.co.uk for information
Tuesday 27 April 2010
Thursday 15 April 2010
Shouting Success from the rooftops!
Mary Jane Kingsland wrote an excellent Women in Business column in the EDP on Weds 31st March filled with insightful observations about the challenges of being a “successful” woman in business.
I was recently fortunate enough to reach the finals of the East of England Young Businesswoman of the Year Awards. Now I guess what I should say rather than fortunate was that I was “successful enough” or just plain good enough to be recognised amongst these other outstanding ladies, but I’m a woman and shouting about my success doesn’t come easily. In the run up to the finals, every time someone congratulated me on my nomination or introduced me as “potential businesswoman of the year” I blushed and made some kind of derisory comment about having no chance of winning and it all being some kind of mistake. I was interviewed on local radio but couldn’t help feeling like something of a fraud as my slot came straight after a heart-wrenching discussion about coping with terminal illness and I almost felt I should apologise for being there. All that despite the fact that over the last 4 years, I have worked jolly hard with my business partner, Claire, to establish our marketing and design business from scratch but until recently we have never shouted our success from the rooftops because its simply not our thing.
I ended up missing out on the young businesswoman award but it ignited a competitive spirit which means we intend to enter an EDP Business Award and may also have a stab at the Future 50 too. With words of encouragement from inspiring ladies like Mary Jane I hope that we won’t be the only women putting ourselves forwards.
I was recently fortunate enough to reach the finals of the East of England Young Businesswoman of the Year Awards. Now I guess what I should say rather than fortunate was that I was “successful enough” or just plain good enough to be recognised amongst these other outstanding ladies, but I’m a woman and shouting about my success doesn’t come easily. In the run up to the finals, every time someone congratulated me on my nomination or introduced me as “potential businesswoman of the year” I blushed and made some kind of derisory comment about having no chance of winning and it all being some kind of mistake. I was interviewed on local radio but couldn’t help feeling like something of a fraud as my slot came straight after a heart-wrenching discussion about coping with terminal illness and I almost felt I should apologise for being there. All that despite the fact that over the last 4 years, I have worked jolly hard with my business partner, Claire, to establish our marketing and design business from scratch but until recently we have never shouted our success from the rooftops because its simply not our thing.
I ended up missing out on the young businesswoman award but it ignited a competitive spirit which means we intend to enter an EDP Business Award and may also have a stab at the Future 50 too. With words of encouragement from inspiring ladies like Mary Jane I hope that we won’t be the only women putting ourselves forwards.
Friday 9 April 2010
Networking Queen of Norwich
As the unofficial networking queen of Norwich, I seem to be asked with some degree of regularity to recommend networking events for people in business looking to raise their local profile. I can usually be relied upon to give a fairly frank appraisal of those that I have attended. Unfortunately I am not prepared to share those honest appraisals here but may give you some gems of wisdom in person if you ask nicely!
I thought I would share my latest list of Norfolk business networks, in no particular order before you go getting over-excited! Apologies in advance if I have missed anyone off but I think this list is probably still more up to date than the one in the press!
I thought I would share my latest list of Norfolk business networks, in no particular order before you go getting over-excited! Apologies in advance if I have missed anyone off but I think this list is probably still more up to date than the one in the press!
- Norfolk Netwalking - Monthly walks mixed with informal business networking www.norfolk-netwalking.co.uk
- Norwich Business Womens Network - Monthly lunches, contact Margaret Gotts 01603 751930 www.nbwn.co.uk
- The Womens Business Clubs – Kings Lynn www.thewomensbusinessclubs.com
- The Business Club www.the-businessclub.org Fortnightly evening meetings at Airport Hotel, Norwich plus social events. Contact kate[@]activemd.co.uk to come as a guest (free).
- Buy Local – Social Enterprise encouraging small businesses to trade with each other, approx quarterly meetings and events www.buylocalnorfolk.org.uk 01603 766166
- The Antidote Network - Monthly meetings at Holiday Inn Airport Hotel, quite friendly and informal www.theantidotenetwork.co.uk
- Mid Norfolk Enterprise Forum run by Conservative PPC George Freeman www.thenorfolkway.co.uk
- Norfolk Network - www.norfolknetwork.com 01603 663340 Monthly meetings
- Federation of Small Businesses www.fsb.org.uk and then follow links to regions.
- WEETU (Womens Enterprise, Education and Training Union) - www.weetu.org 01603 878343 Centre meetings approx quarterly, very friendly and informal plus a new professional network also recently started.
- Everywoman 0870 746 1800 www.everywoman.co.uk – Regional seminars
- Women in Business Forum - Contact Sharon O’Mahoney, Meetings around Thetford area www.wibforum.co.uk
- Enterprising Women - www.enterprising-women.org – occasional networking events
- Wire (Women in Rural Enterprise) - www.wireuk.org - friendly networks in Kings Lynn, Norwich and South Norfolk.
- Little Acorn Network – monthly meetings for small businesses and artists in North Norfolk www.little-acorn.net
- BNI (Business Networking International) www.bni-europe.com - formal membership-only networking group with networks across Norfolk
- Norfolk Chamber of Commerce – large selection of formal events across the county www.norfolkchamber.co.uk
- ABC Network http://www.abcnetwork.biz/ Weekly breakfast meetings in Norwich, Bury St Edmunds and Watton
- 4 Networking http://www.4networking.biz/events/kings-lynn/ Regular meetings in King’s Lynn and Norwich (breakfast)
- Cambridge Network – regular meetings in Cambridge http://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk
- 25AM
Thursday 8 April 2010
Where are the female role models?
I recently read a brilliant article making astute observations on female role models. It cited the less than superb examples set by women like Jordan and Cheryl Cole who live their lives in the public eye and are regularly cited as Woman of the Year or Mum of the Decade.
Its a topic which I feel really passionate about as a woman trying to make my way in business - fours years after setting up Active Marketing & Design, I am still looking for a truly enterprising female role model who I can relate to and aspire to be like but its been a pretty tough search. And I know what I'm looking for - imagine if you are a young teenage girl with a relatively restricted view of the world and I certainly don't think good female role models would cross your path very often. The media has a part to play in promoting these role models of course and is certainly not guilt-free when it comes to pushing dubious examples forward for the plaudits based largely on their attractive appearance or their "illustrious" private lives.
In fairness, we have had tv shows like The Apprentice which has pushed some savvy businesswomen into the limelight a little (anyone still remember Michelle Dewberry or Ruth Badger?) but has also created some horrors like Katie Hopkins who famously fluttered her eyelids and failed in the stern face of Sir Alan Sugar. High profile shows like Big Brother have also created supposed role models like the late Jade Goody who didnt always set the best example for smart women. I was recently approached to audition for Big Brother out of the blue - it turned out that my name was put forward as i was a finalist for a young businesswoman award and they were looking for some "real" role models. I declined the offer for the sake of my sanity but was intrigued by the approach that this tv company was using.
Historically there were some stunning examples of savvy women - sterling ladies like the late Anita Roddick or Emmeline Pankhurst - and how we desperately need more of them to triumph over the false celebrity women in the future!
To read the article which inspired this post click here:
Its a topic which I feel really passionate about as a woman trying to make my way in business - fours years after setting up Active Marketing & Design, I am still looking for a truly enterprising female role model who I can relate to and aspire to be like but its been a pretty tough search. And I know what I'm looking for - imagine if you are a young teenage girl with a relatively restricted view of the world and I certainly don't think good female role models would cross your path very often. The media has a part to play in promoting these role models of course and is certainly not guilt-free when it comes to pushing dubious examples forward for the plaudits based largely on their attractive appearance or their "illustrious" private lives.
In fairness, we have had tv shows like The Apprentice which has pushed some savvy businesswomen into the limelight a little (anyone still remember Michelle Dewberry or Ruth Badger?) but has also created some horrors like Katie Hopkins who famously fluttered her eyelids and failed in the stern face of Sir Alan Sugar. High profile shows like Big Brother have also created supposed role models like the late Jade Goody who didnt always set the best example for smart women. I was recently approached to audition for Big Brother out of the blue - it turned out that my name was put forward as i was a finalist for a young businesswoman award and they were looking for some "real" role models. I declined the offer for the sake of my sanity but was intrigued by the approach that this tv company was using.
Historically there were some stunning examples of savvy women - sterling ladies like the late Anita Roddick or Emmeline Pankhurst - and how we desperately need more of them to triumph over the false celebrity women in the future!
To read the article which inspired this post click here:
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