Festivals: Promote your Arts and Crafts Exhibitors - PLEASE

If I had a penny for every festival which lists "arts and crafts" in a press release or poster - without any explanation - I would be rich. Organizers seem to not understand that one reason people go to festivals and events is to see what kind of craft is there. Yes, food is the #1 reason, but flea market crap got old years ago.

A good festival organizer should showcase what kinds of arts and crafts are being exhibited. So as we enter the festival season, keep in mind that if you want to increase the number of people attending your event, increase the amount of money they spend, increase the success rate for your vendors - then you absolutely have to increase the visibility of your exhibitors.

Here is an example.

MARKETING TIP: It's not good enough just to promote your festival. Tell potential customers - and media - what exhibits your event will include. Promote your arts and crafts; don't leave them on the side of the road.

Sales Going Down? Get in the Classroom!

One of the most important things you can do as a small business owner is keep current with the times. One way to do that is to take classes. Your local small business center, college or chamber of commerce offers classes you can attend in person or online. Usually, they're free.

One way to gauge if you need training is to look at your bottom line and your customers. If your bottom line is stagnant, that means it's not increasing - and your customers tend to be the same ones with no new faces - then it's time to spend some time in the classroom.

Business in 2013 is not what it was a few years ago - not even last year. As life changes, so must we as small business owners.

MARKETING TIP: You may have a fantastic product or service, but if people don't know about it, you may wind up getting a job instead of owning your own business. It's that simple.

Creating Tabs on Your Facebook Page

Not all Facebook pages are the same. Some have individualized tabs. They're a great way to promote aspects of your life or company.

For instance, Coca-Cola has done a remarkable job developing their brand on their Facebook page. You can too.

Hubspot and Mashable are the two primary sites I use in learning about social networking. Hubspot shares details on how you can add and individualize tabs for your own site.

MARKETING TIP: Find and develop any portal you can to promote your business products and services, your events and your destinations. The more you're available online with information people can easily access and use, the more you'll deposit at the bank.

Searching for Free Publicity for Your Event

It's the holidays and you're looking for free publicity. So is everyone else. To make sure your event stands out in the crowd, here is a simple guideline:

1) Send written information to your local media outlet. You can use fax, email or deliver your written message in person.
2) Include a contact name and day and night phone numbers. Include area code, as many communities now use the area code when dialing.
3) Be specific. Include what the event is, the exact street address, hours, cost, parking information and anything else which is pertinant. Is this an indoor or outdoor event? Is food available? Is the event handicapped accessible? Can you provide a hi-res digital image by email or on a flash drive?
4) Most media will not respond to let you know they received your information. So it is appropriate to give a phone call to make sure they got your written information.
5) Keep in mind that all media outlets are working with reduced staff while still preparing 5 or more hours of TV content a day or a full newspaper a day. So the easier you can make it for them - "spoon feed info" - the better. Your information will rise to the top of the stack.
6) Send a short thank you note after your piece has been printed or broadcast. You can do it by postal mail or email.

MARKETING TIP: To avoid errors and to get your information where you want it to be with your local media outlets, provide information in writing. Do not expect reporters and editors to call you as  they may have done in years past. Their plate is overflowing.

Using Facebook as an inner-office communications tool

Do you feel like an outsider looking in on your organization or company? Do you feel left out? Do you have to depend upon inner-office rumor? Do you feel left out in the dark? One great way to remedy the situation is to set up a closed group on Facebook. It is limited only to the people you want to include. For example, a non-profit can set one up for staff and volunteers. A company can set one up for all employees.

It's simple. You just set up a group account and keep it closed to the public. Everyone in the page can see all the postings.

Why should you keep everyone in the informational loop? It's simple. If you don't, employees and volunteers get discouraged and unhappy. Their lack of enthusiasm is picked up by customers. Discouraged and unhappy volunteers and employees result in poor customer service - which IS noticed by current and prospective customers.

MARKETING TIP: Keep your employees and volunteers in the informational loop. Meetings can be very time consuming and unproductive. So set up on online communications portal. It's easy and worth every post!

For many religions, this is the time of year when there are a number of celebrations. Many are open to the public. However, most church pastors are not accustomed to having to promote an event. They will gather a group from their congregation to produce the festivities, but often times people forget to promote it.

Every church, regardless of size, should have someone in charge of publicity. That person should have a current list of area media, a list of deadlines and ad costs, email addresses and should maintain a photo file of hi-res images. Usually there is someone in the church who can take a decent photo. Churches should recruit that person to be the official photographer.

A photo sells a story better than anything. So send one photo along with a press release, flyer or announcement to print and broadcast media.

Taking a flyer or a photo to your local media outlet may or may not work. Most prefer a digital format. You should call first to find out. You may wind up saving yourself a trip.

MARKETING TIP: Churches, in particular, need to promote themselves, especially during seasons celebrating faith. Assign one person to be in charge of all publicity.

Sound Can Make or Break Your Event

Not all sound systems are the same. Neither are the people who set them up. This comment comes from Lizzy Long's Facebook page. She is a bluegrass entertainer who performs all over the United States:

"The number 1 rule for a good bluegrass festival.... Is spend the best part of your $$ on a good sound system AND sound person.... Then everything will fall into place...When I see XXXX sound products for bluegrass I want to stay in the bus."

I have deleted the name of the company. But you can see that entertainers do not like performing when the audience cannot hear them properly. Sound which is too loud distorts music and vocal sounds. Sound which is too low stresses the audience too. Either way, you've got a bad situation.

MARKETING TIP: Spend money on your sound. Do not cut corners. People come to hear what is being said and performed. If they have trouble hearing it, they won't return.

Wants Sales? Be Visible!

If you're a festival or event planner, you should be working year 'round to cultivate sponsors, find entertainers, recruit volunteers and promote-promote-promote. When you're active in your community and people see you, you're visible. That means your festival or event is alive year 'round - not just for a day or so.

If you're a business owner, getting outside of your four walls may be challenging, but find a way to do it. Hire someone to "mind the store" so you can get out and be visible.

The same concept goes for tourism, chamber and arts council officials. If you hide behind your desk, as some do, opportunities will go elsewhere.

MARKETING TIP: By being visible in your community, you will stir conversation about your business and yourself. That's good. It helps build relationships which can parlay into sales.

Is Your Festival, Event or Business Handicapped and Stroller Accessible?

People are living longer and are more active than in past generations. Septarians and octogenarians like to go places and have fun. So do people in their 90s.

But many use walkers or canes. They may walk slowly, but still manage to get around.

You can swing by your local vocational rehabilitation or municipal planning department and pick up handicapped accessible guidelines. The height of the threshold, weight of doors, width of bathroom stall, position of water faucets are critical factors. Do you offer a shuttle where people can roll their walker up onto it? Sometimes older folks just can't make a high step - and you've probably already billed your shuttle service as a handicapped accessible option. Nope. It won't work.

MARKETING TIP: People with walkers and strollers face some of the same obstacles in getting around. They'll like you better and spend more money if you develop a handicapped-user mindset.

Photos to Promote Your Festival, Event, Business

I cannot harp on this enough.
Check your camera settings to see how large you can shoot pictures. You're looking for something in the area fof 1500 pixels and 300 dpi. A magazine or a newspaper prefers large format photos because they can make them larger in the publication. Oh, I have heard it up to my eyeballs "Well, so and so newspaper used my picture off the Website." Yes, and it was small. If you want to have a large photo, you have to shoot in large format.
Websites need lo-res. Print needs hi-res. It's that simple.

MARKETING TIP: Pictures are worth a thousand words. Put some effort into getting ones that sell.

Thanking the Media

Does the media have to cover your story? No. But when they do, a nice little thank you note is really appreciated. It helps build a rapport with reporters and editors.

And, if you find something wrong with the story, be sure to thank the reporter for writing the story and then make the corrections. Make sure they're solid corrections. For example, if the wrong name is used. Say it. If the tone is incorrect, say that too - but do not blast the reporter. Blasting gets you nowhere.

MARKETING TIP: Be nice to reporters and they will be nice to you.

Please Include in Your Press Release

If you're sending out press releases for a festival, event or small business, here are some things to keep in mind to include:

Phone number and contact name - John Doe and 555-55-5555 (yes, include area code)
Physical street locations - i.e. 125 Second Street N.W.
City and state - Do you know how many Lexingtons or Sidneys there are in the world?
Who are you? - Don't assume everyone knows about your festival, event, town, location, or business. Explain what your festival, event or business is known for or the services/products offered.
Website - if you have one but make sure it is current
Photos - 300 dpi 1500 pixels (images taken by a professional photojournalist are especially useful)

MARKETING TIP: If you want news about your festival, event or small business spread to potential customers and you're sending information to the press, make it easy for them to help you. Include necessary information.

Using a Cell Phone for Personal and Business Use?

Does something look amiss with this light fixture? Yes, it's broken and needs to be fixed. Any outsider can see that. The same can happen with your non-profit or your for-profit.

True story. I am now doing some stringing work for a newspaper and have been assigned a story. It's about a new business. Naturally, the phone number is not yet listed with National 411 Directory Assistance, but is listed - I think - on the company's Facebook page.

So I called. I got a personal message. "Hello. This is Michelle. Please leave a message. I will try and return your call." Oh dear. Just like the broken light pole, this message sounds like someone who needs classes on how to operate a small business - otherwise it is doomed for sure.

Sorry, but a personal message on a business phone doesn't cut it. A business of any kind - festival, event, non-profit, for-profit - needs a dedicated phone number to the business and should be answered in a professional manner. I found this same scenario with another article I was writing earlier this month, where the owner of the business keeps the cell phone with him all the time, but he's never in the store.

MARKETING TIP: If you want customers, be available by phone. Have a dedicated line to your company and call National 411 Directory Assistance to be included. Answer your phone in a professional manner with the name of your company or your full name and return calls. Otherwise, get a job working for someone else.

Backing Up Your Files - Cloud Technology

We're well into the summer festival and travel season. Did you get some photos you really liked? Did you post them to Facebook? Super! That's a great way to share them with all your friends.

However, what happens if Facebook comes along and deletes your account? It happens. If you were planning on using those pictures to promote your event later on, they're gone forever.

MARKETING TIP: Develop a habit to save all of your valuable photos on your hard drive or an external hard drive. Do not just leave them on a social networking site. And at the same time, remember the rule of thumb is to back up your own hard drive in 3 places: in your computer back-up system, in some type of external system and keep a back-up outside of your building (home, office, apartment). Fire, theft and flood can wipe you out. Check with your IPS provider to see what kind of cloud technology is available. Use it.

Helping Your Sponsors

We're going into the busy summer and fall festival season. Some will do well, others won't. Companies which have donated funds in the past are scrutinizing where their advertising and community dollars go. They want to be visible and get bang for their buck (or euro, pound, etc.) A local Independence Day event cancelled its fabulous display of fireworks this summer because of the lack of sponsorship. The director of this event shared with me that sponsors are looking for something longer than a 30 minute show. They prefer to be part of a longer event.

MARKETING TIP: Find a way to combine events together - perhaps throughout a month, season or year. Package them together to give your sponsor more exposure over a longer period of time.

Driving Traffic to Your Business Facebook Page

If you have a storefront - say you're a restaurant, clothing store, hardware store or an insurance agency - you can do some very inexpensive on-site advertising to promote your business Facebook page. Here are some ideas:

Place a sign in your window or on your front door inviting people to your page

Add the Facebook logo to your menu
Get a cheap hand stamp with the Facebook logo on it and stamp each receipt you print out
Put a sign in the bathroom that you're on Facebook

MARKETING TIP: Facebook doesn't allow you to invite friends to your business page, so you have to be creative in finding and developing ways to let customers and potential customers know that you, too, are on Facebook! Oh, make sure your posts are current. Make them at least 3 times a week.

Plan B = Back-up Plan

I attended a hat show yesterday. In concept, the show worked very well with a number of women very fashionably dressed, touting gorgeous hats, developing a "Hattitude."

However, the event was to begin at 5 p.m. At 4:57 p.m., organizers were starting to decorate the stage. Some of the participants arrived after 5 p.m. There was no program, no visible sense of organization and complete chaos. But, all knew what needed to be done. Along the way, an organizer met with the judges to explain the ballot and judging. That occured shortly before 5 p.m.

When the emcee started to announce the contestants, the music was so high no one could hear the names or description of anything. The music speakers were right beside the podium.

You get the idea this event needed a planner. Well, I found out that the person who was supposed to pull all of it together had gotten sick. OH DEAR! I'm almost glad that there was no pre-event press nor media at the event. It was a calamity!

MARKETING TIP: Have a written plan of instructions about what needs to occur when as you plan your event. Have a pre-event meeting with all the key players. If the leader gets sick, then there is a written plan to whip out which will tell everyone exactly what to do, how and when. The plan will also include how to promote the event in advance and what to do when it's finished.

Hey Bands and Entertainers - Get Some Promotional Pics That Can be Used!

I'm pulling my hair out. Just because you can increase the size of your photo on your computer does not mean it is suitable for magazines and newspapers. Images need to measure 300 dpi and 1500 pixels, or 300 dpi and 5 x 7 inches. After all, print editors work in inches.

If you are an entertainer of any kind, you need a professionally produced image which has been shot in a professional studio by a professional photographer. I encourage you to have a vertical and a horizontal image. Make sure your agency or promoter has access to the large format to share with PR people, like me, and with print folks. If not, your mug shot won't ever see the ink.

MARKETING TIP: If you want to help festival organizers and event planners promote your talent, please, please, please give us the proper tools. A photo really does equal 1,000 words - if it's usable.

Media Kits

I'm writing a travel article for a regional magazine and have been contacting tourism offices, attractions, festivals and agritourism farms for information I can use. I am seeking interesting places to visit and fun things to do.

I find the majority of places I call do not have press materials. Sometimes it takes several phone calls and considerable time to find someone to interview. I don't mind, but it sure would be helpful if I was able to either see a media kit online or receive one via email.

What are the contents I need? Images 300 dpi 1500 pixels ... interesting stories about the place ... calendar of events ... interesting facts ... frequently asked questions ... contact information ... hours of operation and a Website (some places don't have one or have no online presence at all) ... and information about what else is in the area. I can tie several places together in a story, giving the reader more reason to visit that geographic area.

MARKETING TIP:  Invest in a press kit. Have it available online or in an emailable fashion. Hire a professional photographer to build an image bank - and include people in your photos. Show them enjoying themselves and have them doing something - not just standing around.

Typo? Mis-spelled?

When you're creating your Website, or any printed material for that matter, be sure to get other eyes to double check what you have written. A relatively new Website, http://www.pinterest.com/, shows the following on the page after you make the click to join ...

Sign up for an invite to join Pinterest.
Email Address Request Invitation Thanks! We'll send you an invite as soon as we can.
In the meantime, checkout some pins.
Pinterest is a virtual pinboard to organize
and share the things you love.

The third sentence is wrong. There is a checkout line - but you check out some pins. This is a simple error, but one that makes me doubt the credibility of http://www.pinterest.com/. A glance through the site indicates there is a PR department, a slew of engineers and a full staff. Yet no one found the error. I hope they do a Google search and find this post and make the correction.

MARKETING TIP: Typos and bad grammar hurt your credibility.