I wrote a press release and even though no one came to the classes, people found him.

Here’s a bit from the conversation:

Client: We’ve developed a second class following the success of the first one so I want to announce it.

Me: Was the first class successful?

Client: YES!

Me: tell me about it…what made it so good?

Client: 70K worth of business

Me: and how did they find out about the class?

Client: They found out via OUR press release!

I was a bit surprised! My new press release book is out and it has the techniques I’ve used to help clients like this. I’m especially loving 247-pressrelease and as always PRWeb (depending on the level of service you want/need).

I quote Dream Systems Media’s own Mat Siltala on the book cover (he’s a famous speaker and social media ninja :

“When you finally understand the power of press, and what it does for branding, reputation, link building, traffic and conversions for your business, it will be all you think about. Gaining links to your site via a press release is one of the most powerful forms of link building today. SEO is all about content and links. The more trust and authority you have, the more links. How do you get more trust and authority when you are brand new? You create it yourself, by getting the word out about yourself (via press of course). But it’s not just for new web sites. I have been marketing online businesses for over a decade, and marketing with press is still one of the main strategies I still use after all these years!”

I’m now a Kindle addict and if you are too, you can also get the press release book on the Kindle. Stay tuned for a book contest.

Creating a Brand

image via Justice Solutions

Branding Tips

1. Domain Name – Choosing a great domain name can be difficult to do, especially when so many are taken already.  This domain name will most likely be your company name so that adds to the importance of this name.  I suggest keeping it short and simple and don’t be afraid to using something that plainly describes what you do.  Example: www.bestballroomshoes.com.
2. Color Selection – You want to choose colors that in most cases are complimentary and there are many tools on the web to help with this.  Find a color wheel to help with your selection and don’t forget that colors can create emotions as well, so maybe read up on color theories, etc.  Also, if you are an ecommerce business, choose white as your background color.  Check out http://www.wellstyled.com for a couple great color tools.
3. Logo – Keep your logo simple.  Don’t try to include images of people in the logo, or technical photo’s etc.  You want your logo to be strong and simple and convey to your audience the kind of business you are.  In most cases you’ll want to hire a professional to help with this step if you don’t have someone in-house.
4. Come up with a catchy slogan or tag line that you can use on your website, business cards, ads, etc. that will help keep your business jumping back into your customer’s mind when given the chance.
5. Determine if you want to brand your business as a family owned business, or take a more corporate approach.  Look at Coca Cola vs. Jones Soda for example.  Same industry, very different brands…although I do realize Coca Cola is one of the most successful brands ever created.
6. Make use of your About Us page – this is a great place for you to help define your brand as your customers read about who you are and what got you into the business of X.

Bonus Tip

Don’t forget about the little old favicon.  The favicon can often get missed when building a new website.  Make up a favicon and use it.

Hopefully these tips are helpful.  If you have any suggestions please share them.  Thanks.

College football player
MBA
A discertation short from a PhD in Genetics
Renowned wedding photographer
Video professor

The reason I am blogging about Michael today is that he has taught me something about business that I would like to pass on to our readers. Michael finds ways to monetize his hobbies and his knowledge. This is a unique skill as many of the most knowledgeable people I know (shout out to my Uncle Jeff who owns many degrees and not much else ;) are also some of the most broke people I know.

A few years ago Michael’s friends started asking him to take pictures of their families and weddings just because he had a fancy camera and made people laugh. Michael was good at it so decided he should start charging. He quickly became one of the more successful wedding photographers in Alabama. He then grew his business into other states like Hawaii, Arizona, and Utah.

Along the way, Michael decided he should blog about his story and many of his articles were based around teaching photography enthusiasts how to take better pictures. Michael received such positive feedback on his articles that he decided he should create a photography training school. Now Michael has a series of instructional video lessons which teach people how to use cameras like the Canon 50D DVD.

Michael’s Internet DVD sales have been so steady that he was recently approached by a cable network to begin selling the DVD line via Television.

Lesson To Be Learned

Michael found a way to think outside the box and combine two interests that he had 1) teaching and 2) photography into making a great living. Too many business owners get caught in the rat race of trying to be nothing more than a “me too” - while guys like Michael are able to combine their talents with business practices in a creative way that set them far apart from all of the other me too’s.

In other words, had Mike just decided to shoot weddings the rest of his life he would have simply been in line with all of the other “me too’s.” This is not a knock on wedding photographers, it is simply a big congratulations to Michael for avoiding the all-too-common me too syndrome.

Do you guys have examples of other businesses who have avoided the me too syndrome?

Even if you are wanting to say no right now (to my question), I think the obvious answer for most would be YES – if it meant big bucks.  All the talk about iPhone and Walmart – if true – is going to bring big business to Apple.

What does this do to the value of the Apple brand though?  I first read this story here, and when I read they may be offering a $99 version (not a 4G one people) of the phone it aggrivated me.  Why? Like many others – I am the idiot that paid $399 for the iPhone that runs 1/2 as fast as the one now and cost 2X as much.  Lets not talk about the fact that I bought an XBox when it was $100 bucks more.  I guess I like paying more for stuff.

Back to the issue:

As a person who pushes and teaches others the value of branding (especially online) I have to wonder what kind of an effect this is really going to have on the Apple brand?  I really hope people let me know their thoughts here too. If you were planning on buying an iPhone soon, does this change your opinion, or does it make you happy because its going to be a lot cheaper?

What are people saying about this on Twitter?

I did a little searching on Twitter about the iPhone and Walmart to get some ideas of what others were thinking.  Here is 10 randomly selected ones from the first page of results (not to be hand picking negative ones only (like I have seen others do today) even though most are taking this as amusing news.

1. JimmyJett: Wondering how the iPhone will be recieved at WalMart. Maybe they should come in John Deer green?
2. Aimee_B_Loved: WalMart is going to start carrying the iPhone. *points and laughs* Who’s the not cool one now?! bwahahahahaha… Still me, isn’t it? Crap.
3. douglaspaul: RT @ZDNetBlogs: CONFIRMED: 2 iPhone models to sell @ Walmart this month! – http://tinyurl.com/663tya (expand): doesn’t this dimish the iphone a bit?
4. homeshopr: is excited about the possibility of a $99 iPhone. You can get it at Walmart at the end of the month. http://tinyurl.com/5zldwu
5. jason2bemac: #mac Confirmed: iPhone Coming to Walmart By the End of December: Some analysts still say that the $99 iPhone.. http://tinyurl.com/6744cm
6. monaaa: Why is the iPhone coming to Walmart such big news? ( I agree on this one, but I bring it up because of my question about Branding )
7. azbizreporter: Would you buy an iPhone from WalMart? http://tinyurl.com/5t8qvk
8. drecruits: Are you to “hip” to own an iPhone purchased at Walmart? http://tinyurl.com/683u7y
9. bgrantpaul: @robertsnell Perhaps a 4GB Walmart branded iPhone will be added incentive for Rogers to get their act together? Wishful thinking.
10. techwatching_cl: TechSpot: Walmart employees back iPhone launch rumors – http://techwatching.com/cluster/107435

Again I pose the question –

What kind of effects do you think this will have on the Apple brand?  They have been selling iPods in Walmart for as long as I can remember, and that has not seem to hurt.  I personally don’t think this is that big of a deal, but I must pose the question as a person who helps others build brands.  Walmart has a lot of negativity out there, and a lot of people hate them for their labor and business practives.  A lot of those people that hate are in the tech croud that buy Macs and iPhones – that is why I ask the question.  As a person who owns an iPhone, iPod and 4 Apple computers – it just makes me laugh more then anything and say to myself – Good for Apple, they are going to make a lot more money!

Update -

What people are telling me via Twitter:

shagunvatsa @matt_siltala The thought of a $99 iPhone infuriates me for I paid well over $300 for my 8GB. More bucks for Apple at the cost of its image!

1. How Much I Love Valet Service – After a 7 hour trip with the kids in the car, I will pay what ever it costs for valet service, and then tip them even more for taking care of my bags, and then tip even more when they bring them up to my room. At this point, I don’t care, I am tired and just glad to be there and feeling the magic! Did I forget to mention that self parking (included in my fees) would mean a hike up a hill across half the park. hmmm, planned?

2. How Room Key Credit Cards Are Evil – What an evil-genius idea it was by Disney to make your room keys like a credit card that you can just swipe away, and they will charge right to your hotel room bill no matter where you are in the park. Yes, very convenient but oh so regrettable by the end of the trip!

3. What an 18 Dollar Waffle Looks Like – Yes, here is a picture of what an 18 dollar waffle looks like.

What an $18 Dollar Waffle Looks Like

The lesson to be learned here is when you build a powerful brand (Mickey Mouse in this case), you can stick whatever price tag you want on it and people will buy … and buy … and buy again.

4. The Matterhorn Is Not A Good Idea Right After Nemo – Want an easy way to make your small kids cry at Disneyland? Put them on the Matterhorn not telling them what it is, or what it does right after the calming Finding Nemo ride; Yea, that was a mistake that I made a note to self wouldn’t happen again next year!

5. How Cool It Is To Be At The Right Place At The Right Time – We just so happened to be one of the lucky guests that were randomly given fast passes to all the rides (that had fast-pass available) and how nice was it to get on a ride in 10 minutes when other people were waiting an hour or more!

6. How Sucky It Is When The Free Pass Bites You In the Butt – My 5 year old who is obsessed with Indiana Jones was so excited to see the Indiana Jones ride on the fast pass and had to go ride it RIGHT THEN, only to be told he was 5 inces to short and couldn’t ride. About 20 bucks later (from the Indiana Jones shop across from the ride) and an hour later he was ok and excited to go check out the Jedi Training Academy.

7. How The Force Is Not Really Alive With The Jedi Training Masters -

Jedi Master Training at Disneyland

If the force were really with the Jedi Masters at the Jedi Training Academy, they would have felt that a little boy was just crushed by not being able to ride the ride of his dreams (read #6) and would have picked him to be one of the 20 other little kids (out of 25) that were chosen to go up and train like a Jedi, and get to fight Darth Vader etc. Yea, the force is not strong with Disneyland Jedi Masters.

8. What Another 18 Dollar Waffle Looks Like -

Another $18 Waffle

Yes, it always tastes better when it has a Disney brand on it, and a huge price tag. Worth every penny.

9. How Disneyland IS its own land – You have Disneyland, California Adventure, and Downtown Disney. You almost forget that you are even in California and that there are other things to do besides something Disney. We decided to do that one day, and ended up going and seeing a movie – BOLT – Do you see the IRONY? This was after changing a diaper that had Mickey and Minnie on it, just before buying a Mickey shirt.

10.  How much I love Disneyland – Before it was only about me, but this time the magic was watching my kids have the time of their life, and experience the magic of Disneyland. It is the only place I have ever gone, and when it was all said and done, not regret a penny spent (even on an 18 dollar waffle, over $100 bucks in Vallet service and almost $100 bucks in pins, and that is another story another day).

Other things that should be on this list -

–Coupons that you get with your Disneyland package are only good if you remember to use them. Don’t remember to bring them out on the final day of your trip – FAIL
Visiting the Lego Store and buying Legos in Disneyland is funner then buying them at Target, or anywhere else you can buy them where they are cheaper.

Darth Vader Lego Statue In Downtown Disney

–You can get the SAME Disneyland shirt for 30 bucks cheaper at the Walgreens down the steet from Disneyland – and 4 others! (but does it have the same magic? I don’t think so and neither did my kids)

–It is much funner to spend $100 bucks on breakfast with Disney characters (that scare your kids, or at least mine) then 20 bucks at the Dennys across the street.

–Why is it so easy to tip the people at Disneyland? For example; room service – First, I buy overpriced food already, second pay a 19% service fee, and third pay a $2 fee for something I still don’t have a clue – then FINALLY I still fell compelled to tip the man. It must be the magic of Disney!

All in all it was an amazing trip and it taught me a lot more about the power of branding, and branding your company right. I am not saying that I will ever be in the category of Disney, I think few are, but it really got me thinking of the things I could be doing better.

With all the talk of the recession and people not wanting to spend money, I saw no signs of that all last week at Disneyland – I saw so many people blowing through money (including myself). If you are in the right industry there is no need to worry, and that is why I have always tried to pick a product to sell that people will need (or in this case want) no matter what. That is just smart business!