– Start by choosing your keywords or keyword phrase.  Keep it short — 2 to 3 words is best.

– Choose a couple of secondary phrases.  Know these phrases before you start writing.  Keep them in mind.

– Write for people not search engines.  remember who the reader is — a real person.  (Plus the spiders actually look for natural language construction.)

– Your main keyword phrase should be in your headline and in the first 150 characters of the body of the release.  Use it as the anchor test for the first hyperlink.  Use secondary key phrases as hyperlinks too.  (But not too many links — not too crowded.)

– The headline needs to be 65 characters or less

– 2-3% keyword density.  In a 400 word press release, this means use your keyword 8-12 times.

– The hyperlinks should connect to relevant keyword-rich landing pages on your website rather than your homepage.  [A landing page with a Search Engine Friendly (SEF) URL containing the keyword is excellent.]

– There is a tool in Marketwire that will give you analysis of your release with SEO in mind — it’s OK to load up drafts and check them out.  Most of the major press release distributors have some kind of analysis tool that will give you guidance.

A media alert is used to notify the assignment desk of an upcoming press conference or other event. It is never more than one page (we used to fax them all and you wanted all your info on a single sheet of paper).  The goal is to give a reporter all the information they need to make a decision on whether or not to attend your event, without giving away the story.

A media alert is often a lead-up to an actual press release.  For example, if you use a media alert to get a reporter to come to a press conference, you would provide them the press release or a press kit at the press conference.

Be aware though, once a press conference has been set, speculation will commence and you are officially what is known as “fair game.”  Decide before you send out your media alert how you want to handle “early birds.”  Just like at yard sales, some people don’t want to wait for the official opening time.  They want to come and pick out the best stuff before anyone else arrives.  They might not be able to make it to your event and are willing to abide by an embargo, to be fair to everyone, or they might just be unwilling to subject themselves to the press conference scrum.  They might have deadlines that make the press conference timing an issue.  You never know but you need to be prepared on what you will and won’t disclose outside the conference.

There are also times when a full-bore press release isn’t necessary and feels like overkill.  All you need to communicate is some basic information.  If that’s the case for you, perhaps a media alert, a short, who-what-when-where announcement, will make things easy for everyone.

Another use for media alerts is as a reminder of a previously sent, very important announcement or invitation.  The media alert can refer back to the previous missive and give a quick outline of the most important information. Another  variation on the media alert  is the “statement”, usually no more than the contact person’s info, headline, introduction and a quote.

I’ve seen several formats for media alerts.  Most common is the media contact person’s details (name, phone, email), a title, a brief introduction (generally the what/why, sometimes with the press release-like dateline and sometimes not), and short sections for the who, where and when.  A link to more information, including a website, etc.  is also appreciated (although this information may be included in your standard letterhead.)  Some people include a scaled down version of their organization’s boilerplate at the end — usually no more than a sentence or two.

Think about things like bullets, indents, use of paragraph blocks, highlighting and bolding.  You want someone to be able to discern the purpose at a glance.

Today’s media alerts may also be used to provide the basis for calendar listings if you are promoting a webinar or a physical event.  Or maybe you are alerting financial analysts about your earnings call.  Keep it short but don’t forget to include all the important details.

What I do enjoy in the New Year is planning out new goals and commitments for the coming 12 months. I look at it as my own personal marketing calendar. When I sit with clients and we craft ways to deliver their message, create new content, and engage new customers, it all comes down to setting expectations and formulating a plan.  Let’s see how my personal marketing calendar compares to a business.

To start, I plan to present a healthier “me” to the world. I’ll take a look at the presentation in the mirror and see how I can tidy it up a bit without resolving to an unrealistic overhaul because I think what is there needs to be fixed. Along those lines, a company never wants to look worn down, washed up or past its prime, be it on or offline. With your business, can you easily update or create a few items that bring you forward to the year 2012 and out of 2000? You don’t need a complete redesign, just some ideas and ways to freshen up.

I plan to slow down and evaluate what I can realistically accomplish – and absorb all the suggestions and feedback available to me. Saying yes to everything is never a good thing – nor is assuming you know it all. Similarly, companies can only run so long on fumes before customer’s take notice. If you promise deliverables that aren’t being met because your message conveys one thing but your frazzled business is doing another, frustration is likely to be followed by a drop in customers. Take time and listen to your customers – marketing gold can be found in their feedback.

Lastly, I plan to meet more people and not be the introverted wallflower in the corner. Embarrassingly, I am horrible at introducing myself to new people and being social if I don’t have a wingman (or wingwoman) close by. Funny how organizations grow and survive because of new introductions, fresh leads and nurturing prospects, yet many of them steer clear of social networking opportunities or engaging in social events (many that are FREE). While it’s easy to sit behind the laptop screen and appear to be social online, face-to-face time and picking up the phone really do play into the lead nurturing equation. Drag me out from the corner of the room if you see me out this year, will you?

Now that I’ve pretended to avoid a “Sierra Resolutions” document with this blog post, I think I’ll go subject myself to some sit-ups, then enjoy a cup of tea while reviewing my to-do list and finally see if I can find an event to attend this week. What do you plan to do in 2012?

Last week I participated in a pitch contest event run by The Capital Network. Like most pitch events, most of the startup entrepreneurs were there for the connections and not really interested in the $100 gift card and bottles of wine prizes.  (Although nice…)

But one entrepreneur took the pitch to a whole different level with a song he composed and sang himself.  Amusing and well done, it didn’t land him in the winning spot but it generated a lot of conversation about the humorous approach.  Big risk, potentially big rewards.

In this case, I thought it went well – the song communicated the value proposition, the target audience, even the competition.  It opened up conversations and was memorable – like most elevator pitches, it didn’t have to stand alone but could be a starter for a longer conversation.  The singer also used it in a forum (a pitch competition) where it was appropriate.  In fact, he mentioned that he didn’t feel it was right to use it in individual conversations.

Another local startup sent out a momentum press release in November that reads like it was written by a rapper – an erudite rapper but it was full of slang and casual conversation you rarely see in a press release.  It was cute and it stood out.

A local marketing agency has made a business out of crafting in-your-face, supposedly break-out messaging.  While some of the campaigns seem to be true genius, others seem to be too heavily peppered with uncomfortable images that could come back to bite the clients later on.  Not every company can pull off this approach.  Not every company needs this approach. And, there are some that don’t strike anyone as funny.

Humor, satire and out-of-the-box thinking are marketing staples.  Quick, think back to some of the all-time classic commercials.  A major portion of them are memorable because they are funny.

Remember the Taco Bell April Fool’s Day campaign?  Buying the Liberty Bell?  Funny but also irked the living daylights out of some people, spurring actual protests before the stunt was revealed.  Positive or negative impact on the business?  Hard to say.

Before you approve that next “breakout” marketing campaign, consider a few things:

• Like the Hippocratic oath, marketers should first pledge to do no harm.  Will this project hurt your business?  Today or in the future.  Will what may be considered OK for a small local business today  be something you need to explain away someday in the future?
• Know your audience — that “momentum” release quoted the company CEO – “We found that small businesses tend to purchase from companies they trust most. “  But do small businesses trust “non-serious” people with the life blood of their business?  Will humor win customers or turn them off? (Of course, the other side of the equation is, without humor, will the customer ever know you exist?)
• Is it really a break-through message or just an amusing project for the marketing team?

What do you think?  Stunt marketing – for or against it?  (Meanwhile, I have this campaign that includes zombies that I keep threatening to pull out.)

1.    Describe “your company” in a single sentence. If you had to tell someone at a cocktail party (not from your industry) what the company does, how would you describe the firm?
2.    What do you see as your core value? (Some people call this a “unique differentiator”.)
3.    Give us a prioritized list of what you perceive to be your top three strengths as a business.
4.    What about the weaknesses? (Top three)
5.    Tell us about your industry
a.    Describe it (briefly, using the industry’s term for itself)
b.    How mature is the industry?(a young or an old industry)
c.    Health of the industry (strong and growing or stagnant, etc.) How do you know this?
d.    Who are the influencers in your industry?  Are there specific analysts who cover your industry? Is there a “kingmaker” in your industry?
e.    Major “must be seen at” events
6.    Tell us about your customers
a.    Who is your typical customer? Describe them.
b.    Who is your “best” customer? Describe and name them. What makes them your best customer?
c.    Describe your most profitable customer.
d.    What kind of company is your best customer?  Describe them both by industry and “personality”.
e.    Who is the decision maker inside your best customer? What is their title?  What is their role?  Who do they report to?  Demographic information?
f.    How is the decision usually made? Group decision? Who has veto power over the final decision?
7.    Tell us about your partners and referrers
a.    Do you have formal partnerships in place? With whom?
b.    Do you have informal partnerships or receive referrals from other companies or categories of companies?
8.    Tell us about your competition
a.    Describe the competitive landscape
b.    What are your chief competitors’ strengths? Weaknesses?
c.    Do you perceive one or more companies as your market’s 800 pound gorilla? Who?
d.    Do you have a “closest competitor”?  Who looks like you in the marketplace?
9.    Why do you win in the market place?
a.    Why do people sign up with you as a client?
b.    Why do people enter into your sales funnel?
10.    Why do you lose in the market place?
a.    Why do you lose to some other company (after the clients have a proposal from you)?
b.    When do you not get “a seat at the table” and are not invited to participate in an RFP or submit a proposal?
11.    Your Business Goals?
a.    What were your top three current year business goals?  Did you or will you achieve them?
b.    What are your next year business goals?  What strategic initiatives are in place to move your company forward in the new year?
c.    What are your three year goals?  Five year? (Sell the company? Grow the company? Fund the company? Go public with the company?)
12.    Sales process
a.    Average size of sale and length of sales cycle
b.    Other sales data
13.    Sales funnel
a.    What does it look like?  (The process)
b.    Where do your leads come from?  (Lead generation programs)
c.    Are there places where your leads get stalled in the process?
14.    Current marketing programs (or recent past):
a.    Most successful
b.    Least successful
c.    How do you define/measure marketing program success?
d.    Do you use any of the following marketing tactics:
i.    PPC
ii.    Direct mail
iii.    Social media
iv.    Advertising
v.    PR/Speaking/media relations/Analyst relations
15.    Marketing process
a.    Who is currently in charge of marketing planning?
b.    Who is currently in charge of marketing implementation?
c.    How do you currently get marketing projects completed?
d.    Who signs off on marketing programs?
16.    What marketing assets do you currently have?
i.    White papers
ii.    Webinars
iii.    Articles
iv.    Newsletters
v.    Images or infographics
vi.    Customer case studies
17.    Marketing programs budget
a.    Total annual budget (ballpark)
b.    Sponsorships?  Commitments? Ongoing programs?
18.    What do competitors say about you?
19.    What are the most common misconceptions about your firm?
20.    Talk about the top cross-industry issues.

After a few hours of wading through the resumes, I often start to feel that I should focus on getting someone who takes the time to actually read the job description and respond in a semi-coherent manner.  (And, in the interest of fairness, I also got some damned AMAZING responses.  Wow, awesome, awesome responses.)  So, in the interest of getting even more good responses (and through those responses, more excellent candidates), here are some helpful hints.

• Instead of  telling me “It sounds great and exactly what I’m looking for” candidates might consider telling me why they are exactly what I am looking for.
• Proofread, proofread, proofread.  Get a friend, or two or ten to read your resume.  And don’t stop there.  Get someone to read your cover letter too.
• Speaking of cover letters, a cover letter is a good thing.  Try using one to tell me why you are a perfect fit for the job and the company.  I understand you use the same resume for most of the jobs you apply for.  The cover letter is the chance to personalize the response.
• If the job description calls for writing, send a writing sample.  Make sure it gets proofed too.
• Show me the results.  A resume isn’t just a list of tasks (or it shouldn’t be.)  Tell me how a campaign you created drove increased sales, generated new leads, whatever.  Show me the money.
• If you know what the company is, do a little research.  For goodness sakes, Google them.  If someone can’t figure out we also run Mass Innovation Nights, I’d wonder how serious they are about wanting to work for us. Go ahead; I’m not hard to find online.
• If you are using a thesaurus as you write your cover letter, remember that this is business writing.  I’m not sure I am ready for a “piquant” conversationalist, at least not before my morning coffee.
• For a part-time job, don’t tell me you’ll be able to sneak in some work during your regular full-time job.  No thanks.

And, if you are looking for a job in marketing, talk to us…

• Before you do anything else, first, is there a link to your website already in the article?  If not, check the norms on the source site and see if other companies get links.  If “yes” ask for a link.
• Use the article as a point in an AdWords campaign.
• Create a special landing page with key words from the article and maybe a special offer for readers of the article.  (Did you find out about us in USA Today? Read more here.)
• Include it (or a link to it) on your website in a media/coverage page.
• Grab a good quote from the article and attribute it on your website or in collateral.
• Create reprints or handouts of the coverage for events or tradeshows or customer literature.
• Links to the article in your social media – Tweet it, put it on your Facebook and LinkedIn statuses and encourage others to retweet or Like or +1 (the more traffic to the article the better as it will stay relevant longer.)
• Create and distribute a relevant press release about the article and create a key word heavy landing page for the links in the article.
• Let your local newspaper know you were covered in USA Today — often small local papers will cover this and the impact on your business.
• Have a newsletter? Build out the article into a longer detailed article with a link to the original.  If the article was on 3 ways to hit a golf ball, create an article on your website about the article and add 2 more ways — 5 ways to hit a golf ball.

(Note: remember who owns the article.  No plagiarism or copyright infringements, please! You may have to purchase the right to reprint the article but pointing to it or quoting from it, with attribution, is fine.)

When you click through to the website, you are greeted with “There are no sponsors today.”  And there were no sponsors yesterday.  “Your promotional video here.”

Take a lesson from Peter Shankman, the founder of HARO; his early “ads” were for charities and animal shelters and friends.  Don’t leave the site empty, especially if you are buying thousands of eyeballs.  People want to see what it looks like, how it functions and that other people are doing this.

Put your best foot forward.

As someone who runs events, I applaud the organizers for a well-run event that is more than worth the (small) price of admission.  The helpful emails pushed information to those who might not visit the website between sign-up and day-of the event.  The kick-off was a logistical overview, an amusing and cheerful review of where the rooms were, where to find information and how to get to the evening’s reception.  The name badges are impressive – a double-sided folded sheet of paper, they contain everything from the schedule to the aforementioned map.  My name, company name, Twitter id and (discrete) shirt-size provide my registration information.  Very efficient and I am not carting around a bag of stuff.

Meanwhile, from a content perspective, the three tracks allow easy hopping between the rooms and while I am not a developer, I decided to sit in on some of the developer sessions.  (I had started the day with a beginner level course and feeling like I knew most of this, I was emboldened to move on.)  With one of my business partners (Developer Dan) now in CA (and a different time zone), I feel the need to be more self-sufficient on the programmer and tech end of things.  Immediately, I am immersed in a conversation about custom post types, access rights, and taxonomies.  Oops.

But wait a minute.  I actually know some of this stuff already, and while I wouldn’t want to attempt some of it on my own, I now know it exists and can ask for it.  As a marketer, do you know what’s possible on the sites you are working with?  A little time spent on the other side of the fence might benefit you too.

I’ve made iced tea in this fashion for years.  In fact, many years ago, a friend asked me for my “recipe” for iced tea.  I explained that iced tea is just like regular tea, only cold!  I used 5 tea bags to make tea in a certain pitcher I owned.

Not long afterward, I was visiting this friend, who proceeded to complain about the bother to make the iced tea but it was so good that she was willing to suffer through the hassle

Huh? Hassle?

Puzzled, I stuck my head into her kitchen.  On the white Formica counter was a red jug.  Across the top was a wooden spoon with 5 identical strings neatly tied to it.   The tea bags hung from pretty bows into the jug.  She had tied the  tea bags to the spoon.

“Um,why wouldn’t you just throw the tea bags into the water?”

It turned out she had never thought of just tossing the tea bags in and fishing them out later with a spoon.  She always made sure that her tea bag never slipped in when making hot tea.  So, went her thought process, neither should the tea bags when you are making iced tea.  (I always strip off the paper tag.)

I keep running into people who are making their marketing harder than it needs to be.

Simplify, simplify.

Take advantage of the great technology tools out there to make your life easier.  For example:

• Unless you have a good reason to do so, why build your own e-commerce website when so many good ones already exist?
• Why build an RSVP system when Eventbrite is out there?
• Why make your prospects jump through hoops to get to the offer?
• Will your program still work with fewer steps?
• Do you really need to tie the teabags to a spoon or can you just toss them in the water to steep?

Think about it.