Today we’re talking about your marketing budget. I’m going to let you in a little secret….you don’t need a 100,000 dollar budget to successfully market your business, but you do need to be doing the right things.

Social media and online reviews…they can be a company’s best friend or their enemy. In the past few years, lawsuits over negative reviews have risen. With this trend, there has been an increase in businesses suing consumers for their overzealous negative reviews and comments.

Facebook continues to be in hot water. Today, a New Scientistinvestigation has found that data from 3 million Facebook users who used a popular personality app, including their answers to intimate questionnaires, was left exposed online for anyone to access. 

Online privacy is becoming more of a concern for consumers and now even advertisers. Recent news has some companies second-guessing the social media platform. 

Brand Distrust
Some brands are and having losing confidence in Facebook. A few large companies are already scaling back on their Facebook advertising. Proctor & Gamble and Unilever have been threatening to pull their advertising.  And according to Digiday, Adidas has already stopped buying video ads on Facebook and has not ruled out other cuts, said another executive, whom Adidas briefed on the matter.

Now, don't shut down your page or pull your ads from Facebook just yet.  Once the dust settles and Facebook has fixed its kinks their advertising platform will be better because businesses and Wallstreet are demanding it. 

The Cost of Advertising
Facebook users may be inclined to share less data. The less data they share, the harder it is for advertisers to target their audience. If it becomes more difficult, the cost could go up too. 

Advertising on Facebook isn’t getting any cheaper, Digiday says that in the first quarter of 2018, the average price per ad on Facebook jumped 49 percent, according to Facebook’s latest results.

But, Facebook advertising is still far less expensive than traditional advertising. It's targeting tools are also increasingly effective. 

Facebook also continues to develop sophisticated artificial intelligence to analyze user data. This will put the social media platform on top of the advertising marketplace. 


Don't Rely on One Source
Like anything else, don't put all your eggs in one basket.  Companies should be doing is exploring other advertising avenues for their brand.  Marketing managers should focus on other efforts to acquire new customers. The two things business owners should think about what additional ways can you market to people? And how are going to identify with your customer?

Keep Advertising
The worst thing a business can do is stop advertising. While you may need to tweak your advertising platform and plan, you must figure out how to cut through the noise. Do your research, reach out to professionals or hire an in-house marketing and advertising team. But you must reach your target audience somehow and advertising will help you get their easier. 

Crisis Planning
If there is one take away from Facebook's data scandal is that a crisis can hit any company large or small at any time. It is more important now that ever that you have an effective crisis plan in place. And review it often. The number one thing a company can do is be prepared and stay on top of the story. 


Don't let Facebook's recent issue scare you off the platform, but I highly recommend you dive deeper into your digital advertising strategy and ensure that your message is getting to the right people. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this and if you have switched to other advertising platforms. Share your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter! 

Your business just won an award or you are part of a huge project in the area.  You have a story to tell – a really good one. You’ve told the press about it, but they don’t seem interested. Don’t worry just yet, you may have to tweak a couple of things. Here are six ways to help you get the attention of the media and influencers.

Know the Media
Take the time to connect and communicate with journalists who cover your industry. And I don’t mean that you have to wine and dine them. Frankly, they are so busy that they don't have time to grab a cup of coffee.

The key to connecting with the media is to read and watch their stories. Share and comment on their stories through social media. There is no better compliment for a journalist than receiving great feedback on their stories. Start with Twitter, mostly every journalist is on that platform. Go there. Find them. And share their stories. The more you share and comment on their articles, the more they will get to know you and your business.

Kill the Press Release
Press releases are becoming archaic. Sometimes they are needed. For example, if you have an announcement or an event to tell the media or public about, a press release comes is the way to go. And if you do write one up please keep it short. Journalists are extremely busy and you need to grab their attention in a couple of lines.

It’s all About the Pitch
A pitch is your story summed up in a couple of sentences with key talking points. When writing it I want you to ask these questions. Why is your story important to the reporter and their readers/viewers? What is the takeaway? What are you doing that’s different?  Did something just happen in the world that you can talk? If so, tell the media! The key is to think like a journalist!

HARO
HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is my favorite resource and it’s FREE!  This online service is where reporters, bloggers, and producers put out the stories that they are working on and request sources to provide content. From small blogs to Forbes to Dr. Oz, the media outlets on here are amazing.  The stories come out Monday-Friday at 5:30 am, 12:30 pm and 5:30 pm. The key is to act quickly. If you see a story that would be a good fit for you or your business, respond immediately, even if their deadline is tomorrow.  We have garnered dozens of press mentions by using the service and I highly recommend that you join. Did I mention that it is free?

Reach Out to Influencers
Do you know these folks who have 200 thousand followers on Instagram and Youtube? They may not be journalists, but they have a large and loyal audience. When they talk about a product, that company’s sales skyrocket. If you want your brand to be noticed, then these are the folks to go after. Just make sure that they are the right fit for your brand.

Write, Write and Write
The more that information that you provide as an expert, the better chance you have to get news coverage. Look into becoming a contributing writer for media outlets in your industry. Many blogs are looking for contributing writers. For example, Huffington Post and Entrepreneur Magazine have a dedicated page for people to pitch their articles.

There are many other ways to get press coverage, but start with these and you’ll be on your way to getting your name out there.

Let me know how it goes!

You are in a new city and looking for a restaurant to eat dinner. What do you do?  You begin to search online. You look at the reviews, website and social media. All three of these play a major role in your decision-making. Here’s what I do.

It’s the fastest growing social media platform out there, but many companies are hesitant to jump on board with it. I’m talking about Snapchat. By some estimates, the app has more than 200 million monthly active users.

Are you blabbing? If so, congratulations you are ahead of the game. Blab is that latest live-streaming video platform that is quickly taking off. I guarantee that within the next 6 months you will be hearing a LOT about Blab.

We all know how valuable social media is. In fact, most of us have come to rely on it for information. For businesses to be successful in this cluttered market you need to use social media effectively. Just in the last 2 years, marketing and advertising has changed significantly with a huge focus on social media outlets. I’ll leave those specifics to the geniuses at The Silent Partner Marketing. But I will touch on how social media can help you grow in your profession.

Do you have money in your budget for marketing, advertising, collateral? What about Public Relations? Do I hear crickets?? If you are like many businesses, the answer is probably no. Can I ask you why? Public Relations is one of the most cost-effective methods for small businesses to raise awareness. Perhaps you’ll change your mind after you read this.

Before the internet and social media if you were quoted in the news, it would usually only appear once in print and on TV. But, that is certainly not the case now. If and when you are in the news, it appears on multiple social media outlets. This is a good and bad thing.

Has anyone ever told you that they will have something to you by a certain day? That day comes and goes and you don’t hear from them. It’s frustrating – right?

Where did these wrinkles come from? Gray hairs? Why do I look so tired? I eat a cookie and gain 5 pounds. I swear this all happened at once. Ladies and gentlemen, can you relate? In two weeks, I am turning 40, big gulp.

Have you ever called someone and when they don’t answer, you text them? How about if you send an email, then you send a text saying, I just emailed you?I’m guilty of both of these things and being a “little” impatient.

The older I get, the more I believe in fate. I really think things happen for a reason.

Yesterday, a public affairs officer from the U.S. military in Afghanistan connected with me on LinkedIn. I immediately messaged him to thank him for what he is doing for our country.

We’re excited to announce our new video blog question and answer series. Today’s question comes from Kyle Reyes, President and CEO of The Silent Partner Marketing. Kyle asks about what types of things should we plan for. All companies should take a look at their industry and look at what the potential risks are. You can’t predict what can happen, but you can prepare.

A recent study came out that more children will come down with anxiety issues and act out due to their parents being on smart phones. Great.