News:

The New Year has brought with it a number of new coaching and marketing support packages for those looking to actively grow their business in 2008. Visit the fees section for more information.

Tool: Adding memorable experiences to your marketing mix

Creating an events calendar for your business can be a useful tool for leaving a lasting impression on your existing and prospective customers. Creating a unique experience for your customers around things that they are passionate about will give you the opportunity to build and strengthen relationships, acknowledge their past support and showcase your company's creativity and innovation. By developing your own event calendar you can deliver them when, where and how you want, controlling the scale and budget of the program. Here are some tips for creating memorable events:

• Make sure your event is the dominant event in its category - if you are planning a golf day for your customers, make sure yours is the best on offer 
• Position your event in the hearts and minds of your customers - link it to an important cause, make it an event that includes their families or choose something that they are passionate about
• Do something that others can't - a private tour of the space shuttle (you get the idea!). Present something special about your business that they can't experience anywhere else
• Develop an event that is held in high regard - make sure your event has value, don't just stage one for the sake of it
• Keep your events fresh - make them better each year
• Research other events in other industries - learn from them and adopt ideas that add value to your event
• Maximise the number of touchpoints with attendees
• Clearly communicate your point of difference when inviting guests - let them know why they should attend

Technique: Using a template for a social media release

SHIFT Communications recently released the first template for a "social media press release" for use by PR professionals looking to make the traditional press release format more relevant to the "social media" age.

The "Social Media Press Release" is distinctive for tying together various multimedia elements in one place, enabling the journalist to view and/or "re-mix" media elements.

This new format recognises that journalists obtain a lot of material via the Internet. However, the Social Media Press Release merely highlights prospective source materials to the journalist; it does not replace the need for a well-crafted, customized pitch and basic, factual news.

The template can be downloaded from http://www.shiftcomm.com/Web20Releases/5232006.html

Tip: Essential elements for your promotional material

When you look at promotional materials, the most glaring omission is often the essential element that encourages customers to engage with the company. The table below will help you to ensure all the essential elements are included in your promotional material.