August 4, 2009
No pay, No play
I am well aware we are in a recession. I know that businesses are hurting. But why do people think they can get something for free, particularly from small businesses? When starting a new business and writing a plan, why are people not including marketing and PR in their budgets?
I am learning the ins and outs of entrepreneurship everyday. I love it but it also comes with its drawbacks. I was speaking to a friend the other day. She has numerous people coming up to her saying, “I need marketing and PR but I don’t have any money to pay. Can you help?” Her response, “Do you give away your products for free? No, then why should I?”
It’s difficult to get it through the heads of business owners that marketing and PR budgets are necessary, just as much as sales. Marketing and PR create the awareness and “buzz” for the product…tells the story. But more and more business owners continue to cut marketing and PR out of their budgets to save money and EXPECT that some struggling marketing and PR firm will pick it up because there is an opportunity for work.
My advice: Tell them to knock on someone else’s door. There is no reason for you to give your services away, just as they would not give their products away. Your time and skills are valuable. Should you decided to take on the client pro bono or at a reduced rate, those clients usually become the most demanding and time consuming. They do not appreciate your efforts. They are also the most toxic.
Develop the mantra of “No pay, No play” and believe your time and skills are valuable. Drop the clients that are consuming most of your time and energy. This will open up space for the great client to come knocking on your door, who knows the value of marketing and PR, and will pay on time.
A few other tips:
- Make sure you have a written, signed contract before beginning work. It should state the scope of work, description of duties, results expected, timelines, payment and payment schedule.
- Know who you are reporting to. If that person cannot be reached, you should have a back-up contact. This helps when you send in reports, to ensure you are abiding by contractual arrangements to get everything in on time.
- If something is beyond your scope of work, discuss if you can do the task. If so, write out the project with descriptions, amount of time it will take and any additional fees. Have that signed and dated.
Everything needs to be clear, concise, signed and dated. If they can’t agree to do that before work starts, don’t agree to starting work. No pay, No play!
July 2, 2009
No Marketing and PR plan? Get one. ASAP.
Marketing and PR, two things that are definitely needed in any business plan. The problem is businesses see marketing and PR as revenue depleters instead of generators. A perfect example is marketing and PR people being laid off in times of economic recession, such as the one we are currently in (I have experience with being laid off). When you slash marketing and PR budgets, how are the consumers are going to know about your product, if you are still in business or where will the “buzz” come from? Plans and people are needed for implementation.
I was talking to a guy the other day about his marketing and PR plans. His basic response was, “I throw spaghetti on the wall to see what sticks”. So far, it’s working for him. But how much more effort is he really having to put into things when he and his staff are spread everywhere? This is where plans come into play.
The plan, whether for marketing or PR, doesn’t have to be iron clad. It should allow for some flexibility when unexpected opportunities crop up. It should serve as a roadmap for where your company wants to be and how it wants to be seen in a year, three years, five years. So, what are the important things you need in a marketing and PR plan?
The main components of the plans should include (feel free to add sub-chapters in each category):
- Situation analysis (internal and external factors)
- Target audience (markets, publications, etc)
- Goals
- SWOT Analysis (marketing only)
- Strategies & Tactics
- Budget
- Measured results
As stated earlier, the benefit of these plans are they serve as a roadmap for company direction. Another benefit is your marketing and PR people really understand the company and products offered when they dive in and write the plans. The plans bring order to chaos.
You may be a start-up or established business and do not see marketing or PR plans as important as getting products sold. But if you do all the market research on your competition and set sales goals, why not take another few days on creating marketing and PR plans? It will make all the difference in ensuring there are synergies between the three.
And if you don’t have the time or resources to devote to a full-time marketing or PR associate, consider outsourcing. I’m available!
