Coleman Tent Light
Colman Indoor Tent Light Customer Review: Like it a lot
I like these lights quite a bit. We do not hang them in the middle of the tent, though, so I can't attest to it lighting up a whole tent (plus our tent is big, 15x12). We use these right above where we sleep in the tent for reading, etc. They hold well and don't pull on the tent too much. We use rechargeable batteries in them, too, so I don't know how fast they go through regular batteries, and each takes 4 AA, so rechargeables would be a good idea. And yes, the lights are an oval shape, just as an FYI. They have a rubberized push button on/off on the side and the batteries are easy to put in and take out.
Customer Review: Tent light...
The only problem with this order was that it took a little too long to receive.
If you polled a group of small business owners and asked them which two areas of their marketing they wish they could improve on to help drive more business, most would say:
- Increase my exposure within my chosen market
- Enhance my credibility within my chosen market
What if you could achieve both of these objectives without buying any advertising? You can, by getting free publicity for your business.
How the Media Works
The media is in business, just like you are. Their product is the information that they present on the 6 o clock news, or in the pages of their newspaper, or on their website.
Reporters create the medias product by producing stories. To do this, they need experts to provide information and add credibility to their stories.
You are an Expert
Heres the shocker for most people you are an expert. Really.
The owner of an outdoors store is an expert on camping, tents, bug repellants, and campfire food, among other things.
A local toy store manager is an expert on whats hot for the holiday season, educational toys for toddlers, the newest electronic games, and so on.
Whether you know it or not, you are probably an expert many times over in your chosen field in the eyes of the media and the public. And the media needs you to help them put their product together.
Getting Publicity Pays Off
Being part of a news story that involves your business is viewed by the market as an endorsement of sorts from the newspaper or TV station.
Publicity is generally viewed as more credible than advertising. In fact, an old industry rule of thumb is to consider any media appearances to be ten times more valuable than an equivalent amount of advertising.
3 Steps to Making Publicity Happen
So how do you take advantage of this significant small business marketing opportunity? It bears mentioning that you can approach a reporter with a story idea. Yes, they are busy people, but they answer the phone just like you or I. And if youve got a good story idea for them, you are helping them to create their product.
There are some simple guidelines to follow when trying to generate media coverage for your small business:
1 - Have a hook in mind In preparing to contact a reporter with a story idea, it helps immensely to have a hook that is, to show the reporter how your story idea somehow ties in with another newsworthy event that will make the story interesting and timely for a wide array of readers and viewers.
For example, have you noticed that just before the kids go back to school every year, the 6 o clock news is full of stories about school safety, back to school shopping, and so on? Thats because theres an easy hook for those stories the first day of school, which affects a wide range of viewers with children.
A local retailer selling school supplies has a huge opportunity to get the medias attention in the days leading up to the start of school, since their story hooks into a newsworthy event. The same story just a few weeks later would have less of a hook since the back to school frenzy would be a distant memory.
When looking for hooks for small business PR opportunities for your business, ask yourself a few simple questions:
- Whats new in your business, and why would people find this interesting?
- Whats happening in the world around you, and how does it affect your customers?
- Whats changing in your market, and who might the change have an effect on?
- How can you inform people about an aspect of your product/service that is poorly understood?
2 - Be Prepared with your Pitch You should have a quick 30 second pitch worked out before contacting reporters writing it down helps. Your pitch should get right into the idea, and tell the reporter how you can help them put the story together.
The easier you can make it for the reporter, the more likely you are to get coverage.
3 - Make the Call Deliver your 30 second pitch. If the reporter doesnt bite, ask them if they might be interested in another type of story that you could help with. If they dont have any time for you right now, offer to email them your pitch, and move along. Some will call you back. Some wont. Dont be afraid to try the same reporter again with a different idea in a few weeks.
Your 15 Minutes is There for the Taking
Taking advantage of publicity opportunities could be the single most effective small business marketing tool you ever use. All that is required is some effort and the willingness to build a few good story ideas.
They say everyone gets 15 minutes of fame maybe you should start turning your 15 minutes into credibility and increased business.
Will Dylan is a corporate marketing manager and author of Small Business, Big Marketing, one of the webs most popular ebooks on marketing for small business owners. It is available for download at no charge from http://www.marketingyoursmallbusiness.com
posted by trudie--22863 at 5:01 PM
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