Repurposing with a purpose

If you've read our newsletter Changing Lanes with any regularity-or irregularity-you know how we advocate repurposing and getting optimal value out of your written pieces (e.g. using your press releases as the basis for newsletter articles, Web content). To successfully repurpose, it's CRITICAL to take into consideration that while the material remains relatively the same, the audience IS different.

For example, you want to repurpose a newsletter article as a press release. How you would write for a warmer, friendlier audience in a newsletter article is greatly different than how you write for the media. Somebody you know will hang in there a bit longer than somebody you don't, particularly an overworked, underpaid editor or reporter. So, that headline and first paragraph better grab them AND deliver.

Second, you need to adjust the tone. A press release is a bit more formal. So, you wouldn't necessarily be referring to somebody by first name within the body of the story or in repeated quotes (e.g. "...said D'Eramo" rather than "...said Joe.")

The same would hold true of taking a press release and converting it to Web content. Web copy is a one-on-one conversation with the reader. So you do want to refer to them as you and be a bit more conversational with your language. And while a press release tries to present a great story angle, if you're repurposing it into copy on your Web site, there needs to be a call to action of some sort. As a press release, the story is supposed to speak for itself without self-promoting.

Speaking of self-promoting, one of the many arguments for hiring a freelance copywriter is that he or she will be a bit more objective when creating collateral pieces and other promotional items. Does that mean they will not advocate your product or service as strongly as you would? Not at all. But the focus will be on how your product or service can meet the reader's needs rather than how great your product or service might be. Typically, that's what makes the sale or gets coverage.

The bottom line is when you write a release or draft an article, you do have an opportunity to use it for a number of different media. The trick is making it work for that specific medium.

SOUTH SHORE ENTREPRENEUR: Kim Dwyer offers Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy - Quincy, MA - The Patriot Ledger

Here's a great article on Hiroad client Kim Dwyer, a Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy practitioner.

SOUTH SHORE ENTREPRENEUR: Kim Dwyer offers Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy - Quincy, MA - The Patriot Ledger

Hiroad a Matt Furey Affiliate

Plymouth resident Joe D’Eramo, principal of Hiroad Communications, today announced it has entered into an affiliate relationship to sell Matt Furey exercise products.

A former wrestling and martial arts champion, Matt Furey developed a line of body weight conditioning programs. In addition, he’s the best-selling author of Unbeatable Man.
As a Matt Furey affiliate, Hiroad Communications will now be reselling the following Matt Furey offerings:

• "Combat Conditioning" (Book)
• "Combat Conditioning" (DVDs)
• "The Unbeatable Man"
• "Chinese Long Life System"
• "Gama Fitness"
• "How To Eliminate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Pain Within 30 Days"
• "How to Eliminate Heel Pain or Plantar Fasciitis in 2 Minutes a Day"
• "Combat Stretching"
• "Weight Loss Without Will Power"
• "How To Eliminate Elbow Pain"

“I first became a fan of Matt Furey products after my daughter was born. I didn’t have the time or money to go to a gym and needed something to try and stay in shape. Matt Furey’s Combat Conditioning DVDs taught me exercises that gave me a superior workout without using a machine, without leaving my home in about 15 minutes,” said D’Eramo, a freelance copywriter.

“In fact, I’d say I’m in better overall condition now than when I was paying more than $400 a year to work out at a gym for an hour and half every other day.”

Hiroad Communications (www.hiroadcommunications.com) provides copywriting services for a wide range of business-to-business and business-to-consumer clients. And while D’Eramo is a devotee of Furey’s exercise products, he’s also an admirer of his ability as a communicator and writer.

“One of the big things I preach as a freelance copywriter is creating a voice and holding a conversation with the reader,” said D’Eramo. “Very few writers do that as well as Matt Furey. And he does it in his distinctive style that’s been extraordinarily effective.”

In addition to writing content for ads, articles, brochures, direct mail, newsletters, press releases, sites, and other collateral materials, Hiroad Communications recently published Why Nobody Reads Your Newsletter…And How To Fix It. This free troubleshooting guide stresses the importance of small businesses seeing their newsletter through the eyes of their target audience.

For more information on Hiroad Communications or to download a free copy of Why Nobody Reads Your Newsletter…And How To Fix It, go to www.hiroadcommunications.com. To discuss potential writing projects, you can e-mail info@hiroadcommunications.com or call 617-848-0848.

What to do with media coverage

A trade publication used a quote by you for one of its articles. Better yet, you’re one of the featured experts quoted in the article. Now what? You can:

A. Sit by the phone and wait for all the new clients to call
B. Share the good news by any means possible
C. All of the above

Okay, any time somebody gives you an “All of the Above” option, that’s usually the answer (a little hint for those of you with children about to take the SATs). Seriously, receiving favorable media coverage is good news that you really do not want to keep to yourself. While some new or current clients may call as a result of the initial coverage, you can maximize the bang for your PR buck by:

• Linking to the article from some text (e.g. Hiroad quoted in Any Newspaper article) on your home page (if the publication is online)
• Creating a link with similar language from your Web site’s newsroom (assuming that you have a newsroom on your Web site; do you?)
• If you have a Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or any other kind of account, post the link to that sucker.
• If you have the appropriate reprint permissions, create collateral materials out of the coverage for your sales team. Make sure you have plenty of copies for your waiting area, if you have one.
• Shoot out a quick e-mail newsletter to your current client base, subtly noting coverage. Perhaps the coverage is a good opportunity to remind your current clients of the services you offer.

Another suggestion, if you really like the quote, is to create a pull-quote for your home page. You know, where the quote is enlarged and placed prominently on the page. Not only does this draw attention to the quote, but creates an attractive graphic element to the page.

In a perfect world, a great media hit would get your phone ringing off the hook. That can still happen. But with all the media out there to get your good news out, why not use ‘em?

Random thought about local elections

It's election day in my town today. In driving around and checking out the "Vote for (fill in the candidate's name) signs, one thought occurred to me: why do none of these signs have the day of the election on them?

Sure, there are ads in the newspapers and those annoying pre-recorded phone calls that all mention the date. But most of us see the yard signs. So, would it be that difficult to say, "Vote for Bill Smith on 5/8"?

That said, it also amazes me how few people use an e-mail signature. Or if they use one, don't use it on every e-mail. Talk about an incredibly easy way to advertise your business and draw traffic to your Web site. Yet it's amazing how few do.

How hockey gets it right: Why newsletters can be your secret weapon.

Does your company have a newsletter? It's one of the typical questions yours truly asks when networking with other business owners. The typical response is "what can I expect for a return on my investment?" Rather than reel off the typical, "it depends" answer, here's a better response.

When somebody scores a goal in hockey, they not only give an assist to the person who passed the puck, but the player who passed to the guy who passed to the goal scorer. Your newsletter can be the second assist guy.

How? First, let's operate under the premise that what's in the newsletter is newsworthy (e.g. a new product or service; an old product or service improved, etc.). By sending your newsletter to your existing client base, you're doing more than informing them. In a sense, you're making them sales agents. Pass number one.

With this information, the client/customer now has information about your company. Perhaps they need the new and improved product or service? Maybe they were about to call you for additional help and your newsletter just jogged their memory?

Even better, maybe they know somebody who might need this product or service? Now they have something to forward to gauge whether there is interest. That's a far cry better than passing along a cold lead your customer may or may not have thought to give you. Your newsletter just reminded them. Pass number two.

Score!!!!!!

Similarly, a newsletter can be an effective tool for your sales force. Whether it's an e-newsletter like this one or a traditional hard copy one, providing your sales force with leave-behinds is a critical part of staying front-of-brain with your customers. And that's a major assist in increasing sales.

If you don't have an e-newsletter, Constant Contact is an easy and affordable way to get started. For a free, 60-day trial membership, click here.

Google Alerts: the worst kept secret and least utilized business tool.

Who hasn't, out of morbid curiosity, done an Internet search on your name or business name? If we could see a show of hands, it's probably a good bet that everybody raised them. That's what makes it slightly perplexing why people do not use Google alerts.

For those of you who may not know, Google, Yahoo and other Internet search sites offer a free tool where you submit a keyword or keyword phrase and you will be notified by e-mail when that word or phrase appears on the Internet.

For example, we could choose an alert for "Hiroad Communications". Then we can determine whether we want to be notified when "Hiroad Communications" is mentioned anywhere on the Web or just on News sites. You can even determine how often you want to receive the e-mail--as it happens, once a day or once a week. Pretty cool.

As a business that offers PR services, Hiroad Communications uses Google alerts to see if the releases we put out for clients are picked up by news sites as well as traditional sites. While not as effective as a clipping service, the price is right-free. Yes, you may miss an occasional clip, but you get the big ones and that's what's really important.

PR aside, it's just a good idea to create one for your name and business. On the business side, it's nice to know what people are saying about you or your company. On a personal side, it offers some nice benefits, too. For example, I set one up for my children's names. Now, if they should happen to make honor roll or if there's a story on one of their sports teams, I get a notification.

So, if you've ever been in one of those curious moods and decide to Google your name, take it one step further and set up a Google alert. Just click here and you can get started today.

Five things that worked for me in 2009

Was going to call this "Five things that saved my backside in 2009" but thought that might be a little extreme. Still, 2009 would not have been the same, and not in a good way, without:

Vocus - While they offer a wide range of services, Vocus' calling card is in press release distribution. Compared to another company that shall remain nameless (hint: it's former name is made from pigs), Vocus makes sending out releases a breeze. Even better, it makes personalizing those releases just as simple.

Constant Contact - I know what you're thinking, you're living in the Dark Ages? What about blogs? Tweets? Social media? When you get right down to it, Constant Contact is a darn effective tool in communicating with your existing client base. Not that every recipient reads every word. It's just a nice way to let your clients-current, former and future-know you're still kicking.

TweetDeck - Okay, so who didn't attempt some sort of social media in 2009? And if it took you half of 2009 to get Twitter, TweetDeck made it that much easier. Even better, it made it possible for you to post your tweets on Facebook as well.

FreeConferenceCalling.com - Besides the free part, this service enables you to record your conference calls. Call me a babe in the woods, but that's a service that came in pretty handy for an important interview, but we'll talk about that in future Changing Lanes.

PDFonfly.com - Not sure exactly what PDF stands for. When a large part of your business is getting your client in the newspapers, nowadays online, you want to get that coverage to them asap. This free service enables you to convert HTML Web pages to PDF PDQ.