How is an SEO Press Release Different Than a Regular Press Release

Today we have a guest post by Mickie Kennedy of eReleases.com. Mickie writes about the difference between a traditional press release and an SEO press release, so read on!

While a regular press release can net results for your business for a short burst of time, an SEO press release has the potential to unleash the power of the Internet to your advantage. If you want to get your company’s website to the first page of search engines like Google, an SEO press release is just one tool in your arsenal.

So is there a big difference between traditional and SEO press releases? Sure, the aims are different, but other than that, aren’t they identical? Let’s take a look.

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Letting Go of Perfect

I have a confession to make:

I am a die-hard perfectionist.

Whew! Glad to get that off my chest

I think many entrepreneurs share this feeling of needing everything to be “just so” before we can send something off to a client or move on to the next project. I’ve talked before about how perfectionism affects your work-life balance, but it can also hold you back in your life and business if left to grow wild.

• Are you waiting for your business to be in that “right place” before you start going for the clients you want to work with?

• Are you waiting to get that “right project” before finally charging what you’re worth?

• Are you waiting for your work-life balance to be “just right” before you finally take that vacation?

Pam Slim once said that, “The enemy of a new entrepreneur is endless planning and perfection.” And it’s true! If you keep waiting and trying to get to this imaginary place of perfection, you may blind yourself to the opportunities that are presented to you right now. As much as we want to plan and time everything right, life rarely follows a straight and narrow path. Read more

The 3 Keys to Business Flexibility

Today we have a guest post by Matthew Toren, co-author of Small Business, BIG Vision.

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In a world where technology, social trends, and economies change continually, rapidly, and without warning, one of the most important things an entrepreneur can do to remain competitive is create an atmosphere of flexibility within his or her business. In fact, it’s not an exaggeration to say that your company’s survival may very well depend on your ability to be flexible.

What is flexibility, and why is it so important?

I define flexibility in business as the ability for a company to make whatever internal changes are necessary to respond effectively to the changing outward environment, as quickly as possible. In other words, you’re ready for whatever happens in the market, and you’re able to turn it into opportunity by adjusting to the new paradigm almost immediately.

The reason flexibility is so vital to small businesses is because of what I stated in the first paragraph. The world is changing; it’s changing rapidly; and it isn’t going to stop changing – ever. Technology advancements and other market trends are accelerating at an exponential pace, and they won’t wait around for companies to adjust. As my brother Adam and I talk about in our new book, Small Business, BIG Vision: Lessons on How to Dominate Your Market from Self-Made Entrepreneurs Who Did it Right, for those companies that don’t embrace flexibility, changes in the business environment can mean significant setbacks. For those who actually resist change, they can spell disaster.

What does it take to create a flexible company?

When it comes right down to it, flexibility within a company is an attitude – a culture. In our book, we discuss a couple of phrases that we never like to hear: “Because that’s how we’ve always done it,” and “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” What those common phrases are really saying is that we’re not only resistant to change, we don’t even want to explore the possibility that there might be a better way.

To get away from that limiting attitude and create a culture of flexibility within your company, follow these three keys for success:

1. Listen.

Listen to your employees, partners, vendors, and customers. Never be afraid of feedback of any kind, and welcome suggestions and ideas. A flexible company culture depends on everyone associated with the company feeling comfortable sharing ideas for innovations, process improvements, and correcting shortcomings. Not only will your company be more ready for any unexpected change that comes along, you’ll become stronger and more cohesive in the meantime.

2. Really listen.

Take it one step further. In addition to being open to hearing ideas, go ask for them. Start a “Bright Idea” award system for employees. Convene customer focus groups on a regular basis, and include employees, customers, and even vendors in internal mastermind sessions. It’s one thing to say your door’s always open – it’s another to walk someone through it.

3. Open your mind.

If you follow the first two keys, you have ideas coming from all over. This is a very good thing, but only if you receive the ideas with an open, creative mind. I say creative because creativity is what allows you to see possibilities – to envision things other than the way they currently are. If you truly have an open mind, you approach ideas and obstacle the same way: Instead of “It can’t be done,” you say, “What do we need to do to make this happen?” With that frame of mind, you welcome change as an opportunity to improve and grow. And that is what flexibility is all about.

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About the author: Matthew Toren is a Serial Entrepreneur (Co-founded YoungEntrepreneur.com), Mentor, Investor and award winning Co-Author of Kidpreneurs (Basic Principles of Entrepreneurship for Kids). Follow him on Twitter. Matthew is also co-author of the newly released book Small Business BIG Vision: Lessons on How to Dominate Your Market from Self-Made Entrepreneurs Who Did it Right.

Gymnast image by erin MC hammer

Why @Matt Rosoff with @BusinessInsider (BI)/@SAI is #FollowFriday Worthy

Tech Biz Scoop Always with Sharp Wit and Commentary

Our #FollowFriday worthy recommendation this week is Matt Rosoff, Business Insider’s Silicon Alley Insider (SAI) West Coast Editor.

On any given day, you will see more than a couple of posts from Matt discussing relevant happenings in the tech world. He never fails to deliver the skinny on what’s going on among the tech giants of the valley each day.

Matt’s story-telling style is simple and straightforward – in plain, non-pretentious English but note, NEVER boring because he will always deliver it to you in thought-provoking style that will bring some kind of enlightenment or further fodder.

The witty layer he adds to his news makes it so interesting to read and hands down, you will certainly get an interesting scoop on the matter.

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Making a Case for YouTube

Chances are if you do your own PR, you already know that social media is an important, even essential, component of your toolbox. You probably have the usual suspects in your arsenal- Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn- but what about YouTube? If you’re not already taking advantage of this video sharing site, these are a few reasons you should think about using it:

• YouTube gets 790 million unique viewers per month and 100 billion page views per month. That’s a huge audience that may end up viewing your videos, visiting your website and calling to hire you for your services.
• Social media is first and foremost about showing the human side of your business. When it comes to the online world, nothing is more human and personal than video.
• It’s a unique and, again, more human way to connect with journalists and introduce them to your company, new services, etc.

I’m guilty of underutilizing this channel myself, but with stats like these, the power of YouTube definitely can’t be denied.

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Stand Out and Get Liked Online

In past social media workshops I’ve taught, the most popular questions I get are usually along these lines:

How do I get more followers?

How do I get more people to like me?

What can I do to get more eyes watching my videos?

While there isn’t really a magic formula to getting “liked” online, it’s important to never forget that just because more business is being done virtually doesn’t mean that the old rules of marketing and selling no longer apply.

I look at my newsfeeds and see too many people who just push out information robotically, expecting this to be enough to get them liked. Now more than ever, you should never underestimate the power of human touch in engaging people.

Think about it this way: Read more

Why Bill Schweber @AnalogBill at @ee_times is #FollowFriday Worthy

An Analog Master and Mind in a Digital World

Our #FollowFriday worthy recommendation this week is Bill Schweber, site editor and print manager for EE Times’ Planet Analog.  Years ago, when I was looking for the analog guru at EE Times, the first few calls I made were to friends who understood analog technology.  The first person each mentioned was Bill. Then, I checked with media veterans and industry analyst friends. They also recommended the same guy – Bill Schweber, analog mastermind at EE Times.

Bill has written hundreds of opinion pieces (some have won industry awards) as well as in-depth design and application articles.  He is also an author of three engineering textbooks. Without a doubt, Bill’s background as an electrical engineer (BSEE/MSEE) at various technology companies and as EDN’s first analog-beat editor then executive editor has definitely honed his craft.  Read more

10 Ways to Leverage a Company Win

I talked previously about the different ways you can repurpose your media coverage, but what about your company “wins”? Think about the last time something great happened to your company – like signing a big client. How did you leverage this win to boost your PR efforts? If all you did was write a press release and pitch it to the media, then you’re not taking full advantage of the different ways this one win can be used over and over again in your PR and marketing.

For example, let’s say Apple has just contracted you to provide them with a service for one month. There are ten ways you can leverage this win to get more publicity over time: Read more

Getting Over Overwhelm: Relief from the Wonder Woman Syndrome

Today’s guest post is by Monique Wells – enjoy!

Not so long ago, I took on the responsibility for the PR and marketing for my husband’s book, Paris Insights – An Anthology.  Though I willingly stepped up to the challenge and followed Elena’s teachings and sage advice, I rapidly found myself in a state of overwhelm.

Why?

Because I was also running two home businesses and a small non-profit organization, and did not realize that I had just volunteered for a responsibility that would break the proverbial camel’s back. I imagined myself to be Wonder Woman – the invincible female force that was going to do everything for everyone and get it all right the first time!

I learned the hard way that it doesn’t matter how well you do things or how passionate you are about them if you have too many things to do.  I developed a stress-related illness and came dangerously close to burnout before I was forced to admit that I had to change my work habits and more importantly, my view of myself. Read more

The Advantage of Twitter Lists

A Twitter List is a great tool for relationship building that allows you to group together people you follow, so that you can easily track what they’re up to. You can also choose to keep your list private or public, with the latter option allowing others to follow your list.

The number one advantage of creating a Twitter List is convenience. Imagine getting to follow all your favorite bloggers in one stream without having to sift through the tweets of all the other people you follow!

However, not many people are taking advantage of this convenience to build up their public relations efforts. Here are a few ways that Twitter Lists can help you: Read more

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