Wednesday Wisdom

7 Must-Do Tips for Startups to Generate Good PR via Entrepreneur Magazine

As usual – Entrepreneur Magazine delivers a stellar article about small business. This time – about public relations (PR). I’d encourage you to give it a read. Remember – Public Relations, if done right – can equal FREE ADVERTISING!

Most startups face a major challenge when it comes to public relations. They know buzz needs to be created through PR channels, but they don’t always have the connections or manpower to stir up good press.

The right PR can help early-stage startups build user bases as well as attract interest from venture capitalists. Don’t let a non-existent marketing budget or the lack of a dedicated marketing team discourage you.

Pinterest Interests: What Marketers Need to Know via Social Media Examiner

Pinterest can be a GREAT way to drive traffic to your website – if you use it right. The folks at Social Media Examiner have this great article with some tips and tricks. Check it out.

Businesses whose products or services don’t neatly fit into one of these categories have to do additional searching on Pinterest to find relevant pins to share with their followers and new boards to follow.

The answer is to follow interests, and the pins come to you.

5 Ways to Promote on Facebook Without Being “Overly Promotional” via PostPlanner

Fantastic article to help give you some ideas about using Facebook to promote without crossing the line into “really annoying page that I need to unfollow” territory.

Facebook marketers need actionable tips to keep getting exposure in the news feed while converting fans into loyal customers.

5 Ways to Promote on Facebook Without Being “Overly Promotional” via PostPlanner

This video is fantastic. Please forgive any language he might use – but this is what logo design looks like. I use similar methods – and I’d love to help you out. Let me know what you need! mail@joshhatcher.com

Aaron Draplin Takes On a Logo Design Challenge from lynda.com on Vimeo.

Most logos aren’t designed in fifteen minutes, but most designers aren’t Aaron Draplin. Aaron’s a Portland fixture by way of the Midwest, the owner of Draplin Design Co., and an advocate of “blue collar” design: design that works. Here he takes our logo design challenge, creating a dozen iterations of a logo for a fictional construction company. Not inspired? Just wait. Watch as he sketches, brings his ideas into Illustrator, and tests and tunes the different iterations. The logos Aaron creates prove design can elevate any company or brand. Along the way, he provides tips for freelancing, finding inspiration, and providing clients context for logos that won’t just live in PDFs.

“If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can’t allow what we learned in English composition to disrupt the sound and rhythm of the narrative.”
—Elmore Leonard #wisdomwednesday

Keep this in mind as you are doing your writing! Sometimes “writing” gets in the way of your message!

We’re past the age of heroes and hero kings. … Most of our lives are basically mundane and dull, and it’s up to the writer to find ways to make them interesting.”
—John Updike #wisdomwednesday

Writing – whether it’s creative writing, short stories, letters, poems website content, blogs, facebook posts, twitter posts – the truth is – WRITING IS IMPORTANT! The Writer is the one that makes life interesting!

We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.
—Ernest Hemingway #wisdomwednesday

Hemmingway was right! No matter what our trade – we need to guard against the feeling that we’ve “arrived”… the truth is – if we get comfortable – people start “moving the cheese” …

There is always more to learn – more to grow – and places that we can expand our expertise! Keep learning – Keep Digging – Keep Growing!

It ain’t whatcha write, it’s the way atcha write it.
—Jack Kerouac #wisdomwednesday

I’ll admit I’m a Keroac fan… the crazy beat poet who submitted a manscript typed up on a ROLL of paper, instead of sheets of paper.

Bad grammar aside – he makes a GREAT point here. It’s not always important what you are writing about – it’s important that you are writing!

It’s important, no matter what your business – to have GOOD CONTENT – for your blog, for your website – for your twitter – for your facebook! Spend some time this week writing!