Category Archives: Best Practices

New Year-New Habit No. 11: Write an Op-Ed Piece

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An opinion-editorial, usually referred to as an op-ed piece, is an essay written for the newspaper page opposing the editorial page. This essay usually focuses on a single, newsworthy topic with broad social, legal or political implications. For example, a technology company could pen an op-ed on the importance of improving math and science curriculum among elementary and high-school students because this will afford a higher-caliber work force. If you haven’t used this among your public relations arsenal, considering adding it this year.  Continue reading →

New Year-New Habit No. 10: Maximize PR Budgets

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It’s the season for resolutions, and one of the most common resolutions is to save money. In public relations and marketing, we can turn that resolution into a habit of maximizing investments. Off the cuff, PR is 10X less expensive than advertising — and about a 100X more influential. Even so, every company wants to stretch its PR dollars. Here are my tips on how to get the most out of your public relations budget.

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New Year-New Habit No. 7: Sales Letter Writing Tips

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In my New Year-New Habit series yesterday, I suggested you find new ways to incorporate customer testimonials into your marketing and sales communications. Let’s look further at sales communications today and focus on the art of writing sales letters that sizzle.

A sales letter is one of the most common forms of direct marketing. However, writing an effective one isn’t easy. Many companies hire direct-marketing professionals to create their mailings, but you can write your own by following these tips.

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New Year-New Habit No. 5: Be Headline-Worthy

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Does this scenario sound familiar to you? “Our competitor gets all of the press. I don’t understand it. We’ve been in business longer, and have better products and services. We even get interviews – but few of them result in the kind of press we expect. What do we do?”

Instead of accepting mediocre media relations results this year, vow to get into the habit of earning exceptional press. Here are five ways CEOs can become headline-worthy. Continue reading →

New Year-New Habit No. 4: Get a Professional Headshot

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Sometimes, we make public relations and social media too complex and overlook the most basic block-and-tackle activities. I challenge you to shore up the foundations of your PR and social media programming this year. Journalists will thank you. Your communities will thank you. And you’ll be thanked with better branding, greater media coverage and deeper conversations with your customers. Let’s start with your image. Continue reading →

New Year-New Habit No. 3: Use Social Media Productivity Tools

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It’s only the third day of the new year, but I bet you’ve teetered on one of your resolutions already. I want you to succeed. Heck, I want to succeed at 2012 goal-setting. But resolutions can be meaningless unless action becomes habit. That’s why I am suggesting one new public relations and social media habit every day this month. The idea is to pick the suggestions that fit your business and career and incorporate them into your daily routine. Today’s suggestion is to counter an argument I hear too often: I don’t have time to manage my social media networks! Continue reading →

New Year-New Habit No. 2: Pick Up the Phone

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Are you still lurking?

In the first post of my New Year-New Habit series, “Stop Lurking and Other Resolutions,” I suggested we cease lurking this year and start commenting on the digital content we intake. Try to build this good public relations and social media habit this week by:

  • Leaving one comment on a blog you read
  • Sharing two other articles with your Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter communities

Easy steps, right? Here’s my second suggestion, which may get some of you out of your comfort zone. Continue reading →

Stop Lurking and Other Resolutions

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I have a confession: I don’t believe in resolutions. The world is awash in the hope a new year brings, but I am smugly betting that most people will abandon their resolutions faster than Kim Kardashian said, “I don’t.”

I do, however, believe in creating habits that will improve your life. Continue reading →

How to Select a Public Relations Agency

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It’s the end of the year, and most CEOs and marketing vice presidents are polishing off strategic plans for the new year. I’ve talked with more than two dozen executives recently who are committed to investing in public relations in 2012. They’ve asked candidly how to select an agency or consultant. They know that PR can bring their company profitable industry and business exposure and help create an integrated marketing communications campaign that boosts sales. Yet, selecting the right PR pro for your needs is critical to the success of your company. By working with an agency or consultant, you gain strategic communications counsel and an extensive database of media contacts. Here are my suggestions on some of the best ways to select your next PR partner: Continue reading →

Interview with Michael J. Harris, Aperture Capital, Aperture Payment Solutions

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Last month, I kicked off our series on innovation by talking with Julie Evans, the chief executive officer at Project Tomorrow. This month, I interviewed client Michael J. Harris. He’s the chief at Aperture Capital and the newly formed Aperture Payment Solutions. I love what this highly disciplined exec has to say about innovation.

Michael J. Harris

1. How do you define innovation?
To me, “innovation” means inventing or finding creative solutions to problems. In my worlds of capital and merchant card services, the wheel has already been invented and re-invented about a million times over. It’s not about inventing the wheel for my Clients, it’s what wheel fits them best.

2. Give us an example of innovation within your organization this year.
Again, on the topic of finding the best solution for your Client, I really need to understand my Clients and their needs.  Every single deal is dramatically different.  My favorite account is one where the existing merchant card service provider was encouraging my Client to key in her transactions, vs. actually swiping the customer’s card.  All this did was to double his income from each sale he made.  Again, I wasn’t reinventing the wheel, just selling my Client on a better-fitting wheel.

3. How do you see the results of innovation created by Aperture Capital and Aperture Payment Solutions?
Integrity and “Doing the Best Thing for the Client” are tenets of my businesses. This invariably leads to happier clients, and happier clients lead to more happy client referrals – the lifeblood of my businesses.

4. Aperture Payment Solutions often works with entrepreneurs. Tell us one story about how you made a difference to an entrepreneur.
I brought in a client, who I thought was a single-account entity. Turns out, this client owns 10 retail shops around Southern California. Because I did such a good job in terms of pricing and service on the first location, I successfully brought on the entire family of accounts. It’s all about being good at what you do, and asking for the business.

5. Now for fun: What is your favorite mobile app?
Without a doubt, Pandora.