The Clean and Green Club

Another Recommended Book: The Heart of Marketing: Love Your Customers and They Will Love You Back, by Judith Sherven, Ph.D. and Jim Sniechowski, Ph.D. (Morgan James, 2009).

Would you run the same ad in the New Yorker and the National Enquirer? I sure wouldn’t! I’m a long-time believer in matching audience, offer, and message, and that includes tone.

Yet so many Internet marketers want to pretend that their unlimited bag of tools contains only one item: the pay-per-click ad that leads to a hard-sell long-format sales letter (perhaps stopping at a squeeze page along the way). Heavy on hype, lots of promises and claims…wrapped in a sleazy cloud of scarcity that doesn’t do wonders for the mental state of the marketer OR the prospect. Mind you, these have a time and a place–but that is certainly not every time, every place.

Marketing is never a one-size-fits-all choice, and in this day and age, it’s crazy to try; marketing works much better when the message is closely tuned to the target market.. Think of the most ubiquitous offers you can, and I’ll prove that even they are not for everybody. McDonald’s? Not much appeal for vegetarians. Coca-Cola? Diabetics and health fooders will both tune it out.

Sherven and Sniechowski, who come out of the soft-sell worlds of therapy and relationship coaching, understand this dynamic. They’ve achieved phenomenal success marketing softer products with a softer approach, and helping others to do the same.  I love their focus on authenticity and integrity, which nicely complements the work I’ve been dong with Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First. They talk about the difference between “technique acting,” where the actor goes through the motions of showing emotion but doesn’t internalize it, and the much more effective “method acting,” where the character actually feels the emotions. By extension, they note, marketing that focused on “techniqued” approaches is rejected as hype. As soft-sell marketers, they understand the value of technique, but combine it with genuine emotional interest. And I love the idea of “reconciling commerce and care”–and getting well compensated at the intersection.

Sherven and Sniechowski note that in their world, Return On Experience is a more useful measure than Return On Investment. And testimonials may be a key to charting ROE, because it demonstrates the tangible results of the soft-sell marketer’s intangible services. As for the scarcity mentality so beloved by the marketing gurus? They reject it out of hand, saying instead that urgency must be authentic, and the use of scarcity often shows a lack or deprivation in the marketer.

This book will be released on or before May 1 and is available for preorder. I’d planned to save it for next month, but neither of the other two books I looked at this month were worthy of recommendation.

It’s still Passover, so I’m thinking perhaps more than usual about food. But before I get to this month’s profile…

Exciting News: Principled Profit Blog Wins Its Third Award in A Month!

I’ve been blogging on the intersections of media, marketing, ethics, politics, and sustainability since 2004, at https://www.principledprofit.com/good-business-blog/ And all of a sudden, people are starting to notice! Beginning March 14, I’ve been notified that my blog has won three different awards!

• Ripple 6 list of Best Big Business Blogs (B4) (emphasis on using social media–and pretty funny, considering I’m a one-person, home-based company):  “Clearly one of the best on blogging with good coverage on B4 issues.”
• 50 Best Business Ethics Blogs: “information on good business practices, high ethical standards, and those who got it wrong…This blog devotes itself to good business. Shel Horowitz is an expert on business ethics as a success driver.”
• Semi-finalist, 2009 Blogger Appreciation Awards (general excellence)

If you want to see what the fuss is about, go visit the blog. You can even sign up to hear about new posts through either RSS or e-mail.

Now on to this month’s profile.

Positive Power Spotlight: America’s Regional Best!

Recently, I saw an ad for RegionalBest.com on last month’s profiled business, HARO, and when I clicked over, I very much liked what I saw.

Here’s the mission statement:

We’re an online market offering some of the best local foods from across the country – America’s Regional Best! All are produced by artisans, farmers and other small, family-owned specialty food companies. Many of these regional foods are all natural and organic and use the finest local ingredients. We advocate and applaud sustainable farming and production practices.

Pretty hard to argue with that!

And I like the way the site is organized: click on a region of the country to get all the products from that region, or click on the nav bar to get all products within a category such as cheeses, gift items, or vegan products. For New England, where I live, you get not only the expected (Maine lobster, Vermont maple syrup products,blueberries and so forth, but also the unexpected, like vegan or traditional baklava, cereals, crackers, and such.

Shel Horowitz’s Frugal Marketing Tip, April 2009

If you ask journalists their biggest peeves with PR people, and especially with people trying to do their own PR, the most frequent response you’re like to get is “they waste my time with off-topic pitches.” If you think the rest of us have crowded inboxes…triple it for journalists. They are looking for excuses to hit the delete button or drop your precious press kit in the recycle bin.

So be smart and don’t do give them any! Only contact journalists who cover your beat, and let them know right from the top that you’re on topic.

Lets say you have a company that makes a new product in the renewable energy arena, maybe something that is so energy efficient that it pays for itself in one year. We’ll say it’s a furnace add-on that lowers fuel consumption 15 percent, and it’s called the Furn-i-Soar. (I’ve got dinosaurs on the brain today, OK?)

Your first contact in many situations is going to be an e-mail (or a submission on the media outlet’s webform). So the first thing you need is a subject line that lets the reporter or editor or producer know that you’ve got something fresh in the area they already cover–and that you’re looking for coverage.

You might use a subject line like

Pitch: Green Furnace Add-On Recaptures 15% of Fuel, 1-Yr Payback

At 64 characters, it’s a bit long; some e-mail systems may truncate or eliminate the word “payback.” But that’s OK, since it can be guessed from context (and in some e-mail systems, will be repeated in full inside the e-mail). This strong headline…

1. Announces that it’s a pitch
2. In eight words, summarizes the key idea
3. Uses the word “Green” to make it clear that this is an environmental story (since you’re pitching reporters on the enviro-technology beat)
4. States the dramatic results in a very concrete, non-hypey way

If the word “payback” were essential, instead of starting “Pitch:”, we could end the subject line with (Pitch)–or simply sharpen the headline until it was 55 characters or less

Let’s move on to the body (my comments in italic and outdented). Notice how every paragraph advances your agenda, and most of them are crammed with talking points.

Dear Ms. Phelps,

You do such a great job of reporting on eco-technology! I particularly enjoyed your recent story on solar magnifiers and I thought this would be of interest to your readers.

You’ve just established yourself as a “player.” You read and enjoy and are familiar with her stuff, unlike 90 percent of the people who pitch her. Ten minutes with Google or the publication’s website is all you need to make that difference–or to discover that a reporter you’re targeting isn’t the right reporter after all. Oh, and obviously, substitute “listeners” or “viewers” for “readers” if you’re pitching radio or TV. And spell the reporter’s name right!

My Springfield-based company, Energy Efficiency Technologies, has just introduced a device that recaptures 15 percent more BTUs from fuel oil, by re-oxygenating the oil and cycling it back into the burn chamber. It’s energy-efficient, very Green, and usually pays for itself in one year or less. We call it the Furn-i-Soar, and yes, there’s a story behind that name.

Right from the start, you let the reporter know your company is in the media outlet’s territory. If it’s not such a tight fit, e.g., you’re based in Springfield, Massachusetts but the reporter is 90 miles away in Boston, you might say “Massachusetts-based.”

Next, a quick statement of the core benefits, the underlying technology, the nice, short payback period. Finally, that paragraph concludes with a teaser. Now the reporter is curious. She’s going to want to visit your website.

This is new technology that we developed in collaboration with our German partner, Furnace GmbH. Germany, as you know, is the world leader in renewable energy technology. It’s been used in Europe for the past year, but this is the first time it’s been rolled out to the US market.

Another story angle–international cooperation. Plus it’s both new to market and well-tested. One of those should “stick” in the reporter’s mind.

On the press page of our website, https://www.furn-i-soar.com/press , you’ll find:

• Full product specifications of our three different models (residential, office, industrial)
• Company history
• The story of how we developed this product, working on both sides of the Atlantic–and why we named it Furn-i-Soar
• Profiles of key executives and product developers, with high-res head shots and action shots
• Price and ordering information
• Color and black-and-white product photos, audio and b-roll that you’re welcome to use in your story

Wow! You’re making it sooooo easy for a reporter to do a story! You obviously know what you’re doing, know what reporters need, and are going to be helpful. This one will be a joy to write.

Because this is new and proprietary technology, I should warn you that the press page is open only to qualified journalists. You’ll need to enter your name and the name of the media outlet, but only the first time you visit.

Uh-oh! Reporters hate squeeze pages or anything else that puts a barrier between them and their research. But sometimes it can’t be helped. At least you’ve warned her, explained why the inconvenience is necessary, and you’ve also told her it’s only the first time she visits.

I’d be delighted to set up an interview or help with whatever else you need to get a great story.

Helpful and professional once more.

One more thing: If you’d like to test out the product, we’d be glad to install a unit in your home or office for the first three months of the heating season, and let you judge the savings, comfort, and performance for yourself. At the end of the trial period, we’ll uninstall at no cost to you (or give you the option to keep it at a discounted price).

Like everyone else, reporters love free trials. In fact, they’re used to getting all sorts of things for free. Your product costs a few hundred dollars and you can’t afford to give them out like candy. But you still have a way for the reporter to test it out in the real world, and you may even make a sale at the end of the trial. And if you get lucky, you may get a story now and another story after she’s lived with and enjoyed it for a while. (Note: depending on ethics rules for the journalism outlet, as well as ethics regulations within your particular industry, this offer may not be appropriate.)

Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do to make your life easier while you’re working on this story. My direct line is 413-555-1290, my cell is 413-555-9900, e-mail is jjames@furn-i-soar.com, and my Twitter is @furn-i-soar. Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

John James, Product Manager

You’ve made yourself extremely accessible. If the reporter has questions, she won’t have to struggle to track you down.

Before we get to this month’s tip: Two Important Announcements From Shel

1. In these tough times, I want to do my part. I’ve just released some things to save you money: A brand new e-book called Painless Green: 111 Tips to Help the Environment, Lower Your Carbon Footprint, Cut Your Budget, and Improve Your Quality of Life—With No Negative Impact on Your Lifestyle,  https://www.painlessgreenbook.com — and a website where you can get that e-book and all my books at a discount: https://www.RecessionBusterBooks.com

2. If you haven’t gotten your book done yet, or you know someone looking to become a published author, my new coaching program can help: Shel Horowitz’s Exclusive Ethical Expert Book Publishing Program. I’ll be announcing this in my speech Saturday at Willie Crawford’s Birthday Bash in front of several hundred people, but I wanted to let you have first crack. Especially since I’m offering it at a reduced price this first time out, and because the number of available seats is sharply limited: I’ve told the conference planners to stop taking offers when we reach 30 seats at the Gold level, and only FIVE at the Platinum level, which includes private coaching from me.

And now, on to this month’s tip:

How Organizations Benefit by Partnering With You

It’s absolutely vital to understand how an organization will benefit from your book <i>before</> you make the initial contact–because you must answer that question in your proposal letter. This brief adaptation from Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers provides some possible answers:

The key question to ask yourself is this:
How does this organization genuinely benefit from using my book?
There are many possible answers; finding the correct answer may be the key that will turn your prospect into a buyer. Usually, the correct answer will involve drilling down with “so what” questions, until you find ways to either increase sales of the organization‘s products and services and/or increase the organization’s status in the minds of its customers, prospects, employees, vendors—and in some cases (especially to counterbalance negative publicity) the general public. Among many possibilities, the organization might want to:

• Show people how to use the organization’s product or services in creative or expanded ways.
• Establish its own expertise and/or disseminate its ideas to a wider audience.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the community (as when a local bank sponsors a history of the town).
• Overcome bad press.
• Show off the organization in time for an important anniversary or milestone.
• Woo lucrative clients, investors/donors, or business-venture partners with interesting and useful gifts.
• Use the book for internal training.
• Convey a point of view about a hot-button issue of the day (for instance, a organization might give out copies of a book to legislators, regulators, or policy makers).
• Demonstrate that it is a caring and concerned organization willing to help.

One I don’t mention in the book is more important these days than ever before: create (or supplement) a revenue stream through product sales.

Rather not wait until the end of June to get started? Grab copies of my award-winning books, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First, and Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers. Use this link to get the paperback editions at the discounted price of $41.95, combined (plus shipping), or this link for the e-book editions at just $34.95 (no shipping charge). Between those two books, you’ll get lots of ideas on how to form win-win partnerships that move quantities of your book. ). Of course, you can also buy just one book, at the usual price.

What a perfect example of “do what you love, and the money will follow.” Peter Shankman used to run a PR agency called The Geek Factory. In late 2007, he started sending queries form reporters needing story sources, as a favor to the reporters. Originally, he figured that if he was able to stock the reporters with sources, they’d turn to him and he’d get exposure for his clients.

His first attempt to systematize distribution of the queries was through a Facebook group called “If I can help a reporter out, I will.” This worked when it was half a dozen reporters sending queries to a few hundred recipients, but both sides of multiplied rapidly. It wasn’t long before Shankman banged up against Facebook’s limit of 1200 people who can receive a group e-mail.

So in March of 2008, he took it off Facebook, bought the domain www.helpareporter.com, and skyrocketed within the following year to over 60,000 users. A few months later, he began accepting ads, and before long, he had closed his PR agency and was doing HARO as his primary business (he also does speaking and training on Web 2.0). The service is free to both reporters and sources, but brings in enough revenue to allow Shankman not only to support himself but to employ a small staff.

And where do ethics come in? Shankman is rigorous about protecting his reporters from inappropriate behavior from sources–and vice versa. Abuse the list or pitch inappropriately, and you’re gone. Waste sources’ time with long interviews, use their material, and then don’t bother to include their name in the story? You won’t last long. Plus, of course, he’s showing the power of a valued media service that supports itself through advertising–and in our Internet era where ad-supported newspapers are folding their tent every week, that’s also a critical message.

I’ll be interviewing Peter Shankman this Monday, March 23, 4 pm ET/1 pm PT, on the Principled Profit radio show. Listen live in Western Massachusetts at 103.3 FM, or worldwide at www.valleyfreeradio.org

If Not Me, Then Who? By E. Cabell Brand (iUniverse, 2008)

This is not the book you’d expect from a very successful white businessman of the 1950s, a World War II veteran and a resident of ultraconservative southwestern Virginia. But that’s because Cabell Brand hasn’t led the typical life of his demographic.

Instead, he has spent his life working for social, economic, racial, and environmental justice–leaving in his wake an impressive trail of government, university, and private programs that have made a real difference in people’s lives. Brand combined his business skills and military-developed can-do attitude to work in local nonprofits, founding the first federally funded anti-poverty/Head Start agency in his area, piloting the SCHIP program recently readopted by the federal government after languishing under the previous administration, working to provide job opportunities for ex-prisoners…breaking down racial barriers at Virginia Military Institute…working tirelessly for peace and prosperity around the world…and even advising presidents and governors (Jimmy Carter and two Virginia governors are among the numerous endorsers).

It’s been a long and remarkable life, and this brief and well-written memoir is a testament to the difference a single person can make in the world through an unending series of small, mostly local actions that add up to real impact on the lives of real people.

Has he accomplished everything he wanted to? Of course not! His future goals include single-payer health care in the US, peace in the Middle East, a Green-energy economy (though he and I differ on how to achieve that) and a clean environment. But the legacy of people he brought out of poverty or helped to overcome injustice, programs he helped start that have been models around the country, and the simple knowledge that the world is a better place because he lives in it.

At 85, he hasn’t slowed down. He ends the book with a clarion call for “the imperative of local involvement” to solve global problems. “Each of us has an opportunity to be involved in a variety of local organizations and activities that promote…environmental activism…human rights…poverty…bring fresh water to those in need…opportunities to engage national and global challenges, with the ultimate goal of trying to give everyone in the world a better life as we protect the planet itself. In the end, we are in this together.”

You’re not likely to find this book in stores. Click here to order your choice of hardback, paperback, or e-book (this is not an affiliate link.

Here’s a Frugal Marketing extra: HP is offering a new design service that ” brings professional brand marketing services – usually reserved for the big guys – into the reach of small businesses.” This is through a program called MarketSplash. And a s a launch special, 100 free business cards, not even a shipping and handling charge.

Well, I’m always one to take advangtage of a good free offer, and I actually need new cards for two new sites I’m creating, painlessgreenbook.com and recessionbusterbooks.com (nothing up yet at either site). We’ll see how it goes.

(Disclosure: by posting this, I get entered in a drawing to win some t-shirts).

Ok, you read last month’s Frugal Marketing Tip and you’ve identified reporters who’ll be receptive to your pitch. What next? It’ll take two months to answer, because there are two different situations.

If you’re responding to a reporter query on HARO or PR Leads/Profnet

First of all, speed is essential. HARO has gone from zero to over 55,000 subscribers in its first year, and will continue to grow rapidly. Profnet and PR Leads have thousands of subscribers, and many of them are PR agencies with lots of clients to pitch. That means the reporter will pay much more attention to the first 20 or so queries that hit the mailbox. If you’re number 200, unless you manage to get opened and then just blow the reporter out of the water, the chances are, that reporter already has plenty of sources. Most reporters are on short deadlines, although if they’re working on a book, they may still open a late mail. HARO typically mails around 5:45 a.m., 12:45 p.m., and 5:45 p.m. every weekday, and Profnet comes out roughly once an hour between about 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. You should check your mail as soon as possible after these are mailed. (With such large lists, it may take a while to reach you–just keep checking until it shows up.) Remember also that both services post their most urgent queries on Twitter: follow @Skydiver (HARO) and @ProfNet.Scan them immediately, and answer the ones where you could be a source. DON’T pitch off-topic; on HARO, that will get you instantly banned.

Next, use a subject line that immediately tells the reporter you’re answering the query. I use one that starts Profnet or HARO, then a colon ( : ), then–unless the reporter specifies something else in the query–the exact subject line the query used. I also set up filters so that anything that comes back with haro or profnet (lower case OR capitalized) in the subject line gets marked as priority, because reporters want quick responses if they get back to you.

Third, answer the question–right there. This is a huge advantage we have as individuals over PR agencies. The agency will say some variation on “I have a client who can help”–while we can just get in there and actually give the reporter a pity, on-target quote.

Keep it short. Usually a couple of paragraphs and/or a few bullet points is plenty.

Fourth, give your credentials. There are two things you accomplish by this: first, you convince the reporter you know what you’re talking about, and second, you provide the identifier that the journalist will use in the story (so make sure it includes your website–and your book title, if you have one).

Fifth: This is optional, but I always paste the reporter’s query at the bottom, so when I get a response, I can easily find the original query even if the reporter has stripped out the context. If you get a reporter writing back saying “tell me more about that,” and you’ve tossed the original query, it’s not going to be pretty.

Here’s an actual example of a recent successful query: the reporter asked:

“I’m currently working on a book and whitepaper series on the topic
of Thought Leadership Marketing. I’m now in need of examples of
individuals and companies that currently employ
thought leadership in their marketing (speaking, whitepapers,
social media, giving info away to help the market, etc.).
Interviews will all be conducted via email or telephone. Please
reply with your name, title and brief description of how and why
you or your company are using thought leadership in your marketing

And I responded:

Subject:
HARO (Peter Shankman): Need Co.’s Practicing ‘Thought Leadership Marketing

Body:

Hi, Dana,

As a copywriter, marketing consultant, and publishing consultant, I use these techniques almost exclusively, and have used them for over 20 years. (There is one side of my business that draws largely from Yellow Pages, but it’s a very small piece.)

Some of the strategies I use:
* Writing award-winning books that establish my expertise (I think I got the first client from a book I’d written around 1987 or 1988)
* One you didn’t mention: getting interviewed as an expert by the media (I’ve been quoted several times in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Woman’s Day, Entrepreneur, etc., etc., as well as numerous radio stations and blogs and a bit of TV)
* Public speaking (I especially like this one because I get paid to do my own marketing)
* Seeding articles all over the Internet
* Creating content-rich websites in my key subject areas
* Participating actively in both e-mail and social-media-based discussion groups

Note: Please keep “Shankman” in the subject line so that my email program will mark it as Priority.

__________________________
Shel Horowitz, Author, 7 books. <MY EMAIL ADDRESS>
413-586-2388 (Hadley, MA)  https://www.frugalmarketing.com, https://www.frugalfun.com
Covered in Bottom Line * Cleveland Plain Dealer * Home Office Computing * Christian Science Monitor * NY Times * Boston Globe * Fortune Small Business * L.A. Times * Woman’s Day * over 200 radio stations…

Talking Points (Low-Cost/Ethical/Cooperative Marketing): Flame-proof Internet marketing, Zero-Cost Websites, free media exposure, slash your ad costs while building results, why market share doesn’t matter, how your competitors can become your sales force… Books: Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First; Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World; Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers

Sign the Business Ethics Pledge – Help Change the World
https://www.business-ethics-pledge.org

Blog on Corporate/Government/Marketing Ethics:
https://www.principledprofit.com/good-business-blog/
__________________________

Next month: How to pitch when the reporter hasn’t asked for sources.

What kinds of organizations are we talking about? The possibilities are limitless; here are a few ideas:

• Nonprofit or not-for-profit charities (the difference is in their tax structure and doesn’t affect you, except that registered nonprofits have more clout) involved with medical or social issues
• Social service agencies
• Government agencies (federal, state, county, local)
• Public or private schools
• Other educational organizations
• Museums
• Trade and professional organizations within one profession
• Trade and professional organizations spanning many professions (e.g., Chambers of Commerce, BNI groups, organizers of business trade fairs
• Meeting planners and conference/convention organizers

Find them through your own networks, their websites and newsletters, trade or professional associations and directories, Chambers of Commerce, tourist information kiosks, Yellow Pages, and a thousand other ways.

Part 3 of this series will look at ways organizations might use your books, part 4 on the types of books that can work (you may be pleasantly surprised), and part 5, how to approach the organizations. And as a bonus, part 6 will apply what you’ve learned to bulk purchases in the corporate sector.

If you don’t want to wait 5 months for all this information, you can buy copies of my award-winning books, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First, and Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers. Use this link to get the paperback editions at the discounted price of $41.95, combined (plus shipping), or this link for the e-book editions at just $34.95 (no shipping charge). Between those two books, you’ll get lots of ideas on how to form win-win partnerships that move quantities of your book.

This month’s recommended book is all about how to find and fill a niche that not only matches your skills and talents, but your interest in bettering the world. Here’s an innovative company that does just that.

Reteez.com is a purveyor of handmade craft items–belts, jewelry, purses and totes, accessories–made from old t-shirts. Using the original t-shirt art as well as crocheting and other methods, the company creates one-of-a-kind objects, using t-shirts that were either donated, bought at thrift shops, or seconds purchased from fashion industry sources. Using a North American workforce, the company keeps an estimated 10,000 shirts per year out of landfills (or textile dumps in developing countries).

Certainly not the cheapest place to buy a unique gift, but remember that these are labor-intensive, made by hand by skilled laborers, and not made in sweatshops.

I learned about Reteez because the company sponsored an issue of HARO, a service that matches reporters and sources (and one that I’ll be profiling here, eventually). If you want a continuous stream of queries from reporters seeking story sources, at no cost, visit HARO and sign up.