Giveaways (Elements of Blogging) #AtoZChallenge

      Giveaways are a common promotional feature on blogs and in some cases a blog will almost exclusively be involved in regular giveaways.   These giveaways are typically done to promote book releases or as a marketing tool to create awareness for other products.   Free stuff is a feature that can attract readers to a blog in addition to serving as a good marketing tool for the one providing the "prize".

       During book promotions authors or publishers might offer product to be given away during a tour or a specific visit on a blog.   Marketing companies or business with product they wish to promote will often provide bloggers with product samples to giveaway.  Any of these might contact you the blogger directly or put out a call for bloggers who want to give away products

       Your blog can become a very commercial site if you start doing too many giveaways, but if that's where your interest lies then there is undoubtedly a market for this.    However a giveaway now and then on your blog can be an added feature that might bring new visitors who might actually return for the content for which you are most interested in building an audience.

          Do you ever participate in trying to win giveaway prizes?   Do you ever use giveaways on your blog?   Do you find that giveaways increase your own blog traffic in any significant way?


Battle of the Bands Results

     These Battle posts have often been compared to a horse race, but as the votes came in for this recent one between two versions of "Ask Me No Questions" I could almost hear the announcer calling the race.  At first The Bangles took a strong lead.  But then Kindred Spirit came up to eventually take the lead.  The Bangles stayed behind as Kindred Spirit took the contest for a solid win.

      At first I thought The Bangles would be the favorites since they were the better known of the two groups.  However voters were listening and in the end those who voted for Kindred Spirit made the same assessments that I did.  

       For me, the choppy acoustic guitar of the Kindred Spirit version set the more upbeat tempo for the song.  The vocals were stronger with the harmonies far more pleasing with a greater resonance.  I thought this version was more reminiscent of the early Beatles and other 60's groups.  This version definitely won me over but that's not to say The Bangles version wasn't good because I thought it was excellent.  And the lead vocals in each version were performed by the same singer, Debbi Peterson!

        The Kindred Spirit version won by a healthy margin even without my vote, but my vote put them another notch ahead.  This was an excellent contest by my estimation.  Thank you to the voters especially on a blogging day when so much was happening.

Final Vote Count

The Bangles       18

Kindred Spirit    24

      I've got another Battle of the Bands post coming up during the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge and once again I've cleverly worked it into my "Elements of Blogging" theme.  I think many of you will not only enjoy the Battle, but you might also have some fun with my thoughts about the song I've chosen and the questions I've put forth to you the readers and voters.  

       Here's a hint about my next song pick:   Originally written and performed by a Motown great, the song pick comes from what I consider to be one of the greatest albums of the Rock Era.  The versions I'll be putting up against each other are by a New York punk band collaborating with a well-known West Coast based grunge vocalist and an artist originally from Ferguson, Missouri who first came to fame with a couple of huge California based bands before going on as a solo act.  This is going to be a fun Battle!

        What do you think might be my "Elements of Blogging" topic for the letter "M"?  (hint:  It won't be the first time for this topic on Tossing It Out)   Any guess as to the song or any of the artists hinted at?

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Yesterday Is Not Today

Morris Levine, 212 Park Street. 11 years old and sells papers every day--been selling five years. Makes 50 cents Sundays and 30 cents other days. Location: Burlington, Vermont (LOC) (Photo credit: The Library of Congress)

          What used to work for promotion in the past is not necessarily going to work now.   Only within the past decade or two has social media been available for promoting business and self.   Now it is one of the foremost marketing channels to consider in any campaign.  New social media opportunities are opening up on a continual basis.  Today's marketer has to be savvy about new communication technology and stay on top of what the next big thing will be.

           This is not to say that old ways should be discarded.   They should not be depended upon in the same ways they were in the past.    Newspaper doesn't have the same influence as it once did, but a significant number of readers are still out there and the publishing companies that want to survive are transitioning to having an online presence.  Press releases are still important to get into the right hands.  If you have the budget, newspaper ads can still have some effect.

           Media is in a constant state of flux and nothing is as dependable as it used to be.   The best marketing strategy is to distribute your presence over a wide range of resources.   Keep track of which methods work the best and analyze how and why.   If it worked this time for you, the marketing method might be worth staying with, but don't always count on it.   Experiment and be inventive.

           Marketing is not an exact science and the field is ever-changing.  The primary thing to remember is that the point of marketing is to bring attention to something or somebody and educate your potential marketplace why they should believe in and want what you have to offer.  When a marketing coup is scored, you have accomplished the ultimate goal of a promoter.   If you manage this coup then remember the process, but don't necessarily expect for it to work every time.   Yesterday is not today and today is not tomorrow.

          What old advertising methods can you think of that don't work very well now?   Have you ever revived an old-style method with success or seen a campaign that has done this?    What advertising methods do you think will be used with success in the future?

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Understand As Much As You Can #atozchallenge

Listen, Understand, Act (Photo credit: highersights)

           Often we may make mistakes or go into something with inadequate preparation because we don't understand what we're dealing with.  Looking inward to understand ourselves and looking outward to understand the marketplace and the world in general can help us to avoid wasting a lot of time, effort, and money.   Observing and absorbing as much as we are able will arm us for readiness when we are called to action.

           My biggest mistakes in the past have been relying on my own intuition and taste.   I've gotten excited about  a project and jumped right in without fully doing the research to find out how much of a need there was for the product I was promoting or if I was promoting it in the best way.  Groping my way blindly through promotion has been a recipe for big failure.   Just because I believe in my big dream doesn't mean that everyone else will care about it.

          It's important to understand that not everyone likes what you like and if there is not a strong market in place ready to receive what you have to offer, you will have to create that market yourself or adapt what you have for the market that is there.  Promotion is often an experiment. You've probably heard the term "test market".   That's what you might have to start with.

         We can't be expected to know everything there is about marketing and promotion.  And even when we think we know something, we find out that what we thought we knew doesn't work in every case.  The best we can do is use the knowledge we have and what knowledge we can gain from others.  Every promotion is part of a learning process.  

          If you fail, gain an understanding of the reasons for your failure.  And when you succeed take notice of what worked to gain an understanding of things to do when you are ready to promote again.  Business is rarely an absolute sure thing.    If you understand as much as you can about what you are doing, then you have a better chance of finishing a winner.

          Do you do careful research before starting something that is new to you?     Have you had a time when what you believed strongly in did not turn out the way you anticipated?    What advice would you give to someone who is ready to start promoting something?  

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Stand By to Stand In #atozchallenge

Regional Conference (Photo credit: Earthworm)

         A few years ago I noticed in the newspaper that a major national event was occurring in my area.  This was the first I had ever heard of this event and it was only a couple weeks away.  Since it had to do with blogging and social media I was interested in going.  However tickets were rather expensive so I wasn't sure that I could afford to go.

          Intent on finding a way to attend, I did some research and discovered that the event was going to include a number seminars and presentations.  Earlier that year was the first big A to Z Challenge and since I was keen on trying to promote the upcoming Challenge I thought that A to Z might be of interest to those attending the social media event.   An idea came to me.

          I contacted some of the organizers of the event to let them know that I would be happy to stand in for any no shows that were on their lineup if they would provide me with show passes.   They declined on my offer to fill in since they had it all covered, but they sent me the passes.

         At the event I was able to make a number of contacts that have proven useful to me, to meet several bloggers, and to pick up some cool swag at the booths.    I didn't make the mark I had hoped to, but I at least established a foothold.

         There have been a number of times in my life when I've seen an opening that needed to be filled and have offered my services to help out.   This action has never hurt me and has sometimes helped in big ways.  When I stand by in readiness to fill a slot that needs filling, I can step in to use what I've prepared for and become a hero in the eyes of others.  This is a promotional opportunity that is worth jumping on when it's available to you.

         Contact the places where you could benefit from promotional exposure for you or your product and let them know about your abilities, your proximity to them, and your willingness to be on call if they ever needed you.   If you're a writer you can contact libraries, senior citizen centers, educational facilities, or civic organizations to have them put your name on their files in case your services are ever needed.  

          Be sure to have a presentation prepared in case you are contacted.   Keep a power-point program on a portable drive if you use this type of medium.  Have a presentation kit in readiness with any materials that you might need.   Once you have the show put together, rehearsed, and ready to take to the public you might even be emboldened to be the main attraction on your own without being just a fill-in.

        Take advantage of no shows.  Be willing to stand in for others.  This willingness can create a good name for you and help you in your promotions.

          Have you ever stood in for a no-show?    Have you ever conducted an event where a featured guest did not show up and if so how did you handle the situation?   What rewards have come to you by stepping up to the plate when someone else wasn't able to fulfill their obligations?  

Battle of the Bands Result

       The result of last week's Battle of the Bands (click on the link if you don't know what I'm referring to) is really not too much of a surprise.  Between the two versions of the song "Message in a Bottle" John Mayer managed to win 6 votes from those of you who were either not big Police fans and just preferred the more mellow sound.    I had to vote for the version by the Police because it's the one I liked since it first came out and though Mayer does a fine job his version just doesn't beat the original for me.  All votes counted, the Police win with 17 votes.

       To recap:   John Mayer 6 and Police 17.

Next Battle of the Bands will be on Thursday May 1st.  Please join me for that one.

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Open Your Eyes #atozchallenge

"Keep Your Eyes Open" - NARA - 513956 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

         Opportunities to promote and market your wares and services are all around you.  If you don't keep your eyes open and your mind in tune you can miss out on many good chances that are worth pursuing.  What's worse is when you know an opportunity is there and you refuse to look at it.   Fear, shyness, or even arrogance can cause you to purposely ignore what is right in front of you.  Not a good plan.

          Sometimes you might not recognize the opportunity when it is right in front of you.  That is why you need to watch and listen carefully and take a creative marketing perspective on everything.  The smart marketing mind can turn just about anything into opportunity.  You have an imagination so use it for marketing creativity.

           Be on the lookout for coming events that you can use for promotional purposes.  Civic groups and libraries are often looking for interesting speakers.   Hone your presentation skills and come up with a program that they can use.  You fill their need and it gives you an opportunity to promote yourself and your product.

          There are always street fairs, conferences, seminars, or other events where you might be able to volunteer your services. Often you can even get paid.   If there is a promotional potential in doing something then look into it.   You might be a bit nervous at first, but your sense of boldness will usually increase the more you make contacts.

           Always keep in mind that your success mostly will depend on what you do.  If you do nothing then there is likely to be no result.   Stop focusing inward and look around you.  Answers and ideas are everywhere.  Take advantage of what's out there and stretch your mind to see opportunity where none initially seemed apparent.

            Are you observant about what's happening around you?   Do you have a tendency to find opportunity in expected situations?     What is something that you have taken advantage of that garnered you marketing exposure?  

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Jump On Opportunities #atozchallenge

 Fear of Falling (Photo credit: epSos.de)

          So you've got your dreams in focus, your business house is in order, you're psyched up for marketing, and you've been initiating contact.  You are ready for action.  Then opportunity knocks on your front door.  It's time to jump on it.

           Is it calling you out of your comfort zone?   Deal with it and just do it.  Marketing and promoting is one of the most difficult things many of us can conceive doing.  Don't let your fears defeat your potential to succeed.  Sometimes we have to push ourselves to do things we don't want to do.

          Success can be a tough road that is often uncomfortable.  Be brave.  Put your goals into perspective.  Is what you want to attain worth the effort that is necessary to reach it.

           There are always opportunities that will be available to you.  Some will be opportunities that you have to dig up on your own.  Others will fall right in your lap.  Don't miss any good opportunities.   Jump on them when they are available.

          What good opportunities have you missed?   What is your greatest fear when it comes to marketing?   Are you willing to do something that makes you uncomfortable if it can lead to success?

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Act Naturally (Battle of the Bands) #atozchallenge

            Welcome to Tossing It Out for Day one of the Blogging for A to Z April Challenge.   If you want to know more about the Challenge you can visit the A to Z Blog.   Also, a regularly scheduled event on this blog every 1st and 15th of the month is the Battle of the Bands.  So in this post you get a double whammy conveniently tied together with a common thread.  More on the Battle after the first marketing concept.   My A to Z Theme for 2014 is Marketing Concepts from A to Z.

Act Naturally

         Unless it's part of the role you're playing, no one cares much for a phony.  You can play a part like Pee Wee Herman or the band members of Kiss if that's your shtick, but when it comes to serious marketing efforts playing the buffoon can only go so far.

          We've all encountered the sleazy salesman who may even come across as completely sincere, but once we feel duped then we lose confidence and don't go back to that person.  Some public figures may come across as haughty, unapproachable, or condescending.  If you're trying to make inroads with someone whether it be a potential customer or someone you want to go out with on a date, if you sell yourself, your brand, or your product in a genuine manner you're going to make your prospect a lot more receptive to what you have to say.

          Nervous?  Shy?  Afraid?   Don't worry--those are natural feelings that most of us share and they can work in your favor in many cases.  Just be yourself.  Act naturally.  Eventually you'll get used to being out there before the public and self-confidence may become part of your natural persona.  It might take some practice so be persistent.

Battle of the Bands:   Act Naturally

         The Battle of the Bands posts spotlight two versions of the same song.  You the reader pick your favorite version and let us know in the comments which version you chose and why.  At the end of this post you'll find a list of other bloggers who have usually been participating.  If you'd like to start joining us let us know in the comments and we can add your link.

         "Act Naturally" is the obvious song pick for this Battle.   The song was first recorded by country artist Buck Owens in 1963.  It became Buck's first number one hit and catapulted him into stardom after toughing it out for many years in the music business.  Buck later co-hosted the popular television cornpone comedy show Hee Haw for a number of years.  Here's the song that made Buck Owens a star:

Buck Owens   "Act Naturally" (1963)



The Beatles "Act Naturally"  (1965)

          Once the Beatles had established themselves as teen idols they had personas developed for each of them.    Girls had their favorite Beatle and recognized each of the lads for their personas.   Ringo was the funny one.  Most Beatle albums had at least one song that featured Ringo and the song was typically a novelty type song.  In 1965, The Beatles' cover of  "Act Naturally" appeared on the B-side of the monster hit "Yesterday".   Here's The Beatles with Ringo Starr on vocals with "Act Naturally":



Time to Vote!

         Now it's up to you to vote for your favorite version of "Act Naturally" and tell why you preferred that version.  Let us know in the comments.  I'll announce which version won next Wednesday April 9th.  The next Battle of the Bands will be on Tuesday April 15th.

          Here are some other bloggers who may be participating in the Battle of the Bands:

         Faraway Series
         Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends
         Your Daily Dose
         DiscConnected
            Donna Hole
            SteveIsHungry by Steve Foster, an old friend from Tennessee who travelled on a road show with me back in 1991.  Haven't seen him since then so it's good to see him show up now with a blog to join us in the A to Z Challenge and BOTB.  He's been blogging for several years and I never realized it until today.

         Do you have a difficult time acting naturally around people you don't know?   Can you think of a good time to put on a false front?    Do you feel betrayed or let down when you see a person you admire from a perspective of which you disapprove or with which you disagree?

Ask Arlee: Arlee Has Some Questions For You

Google 貼牌冰箱（Google Refrigerator） (Photo credit: Aray Chen)

   
       As most regular readers of Tossing It Out probably know by now, I have an intense interest and curiosity about marketing and promotion and how the whole darn thing works.  I like to experiment with marketing ideas and I like to hear about what other people have done.

         In this post I'd like to address Google Ads.  Some of you probably dislike ads on blogs.  I may have even lost some past readers because of the ads that appear on my page.   Others of you have Google Ads like I do.   Or you may be part of an "associate program", sell your own ads, or advertise books or products that you or others are offering.  Maybe you get paid for the advertising that appears on your blog or perhaps not.

        My focus will be on the Google Ads.  There is a reason that certain ads show up on the page when you are looking at my blog or another blog that includes Google Ads.  I won't go into that here, but I would like for you to scroll down to the bottom of this current post and take note of what the ad is about.  Also if you are inclined to do so, scroll down the sidebar and tell me what ad you see right now and you can also scroll to the bottom of the page to see what that ad is.   Please tell me in the comments what was being advertised on your screen.

         For example, as I write this piece, looking at my Tossing It Out page for today I see a cell phone ad from AT&T.  In the sidebar there is an ad for a brand of tea.  At the bottom of the page is another ad for AT&T.   At Wrote By Rote (my memoir blog) there are ads for Dun & Bradstreet, Sports Authority, and See's Candy (mmm--I'm composing this post the day before Valentine's Day).    Moving on to my dream blog A Faraway View I see two ads for Dun & Bradstreet and one for an astrology website.

        For the most part I know why we see some different ads as we look at the same blog page and why we might be seeing the same ads in other cases.  Do you know why you are seeing the ads you are seeing?  Does the presence of Google Adsense on a blog bother or offend you in any way?   Would my blog look better without the ads or would you even notice that they were not there?   Are you annoyed by a page that's filled with images of books, badges, widgets, awards, and other images?    Would you prefer mostly a page filled with text?   Do you even think about such things?

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What Works?...and what doesn't

What's Happening?
         
        Anyone who has been following my blog for some time is probably aware of my keen interest in the topics of marketing and promotion and how the two can be used effectively in blogging.  I'm not going to delve too deeply into my own thoughts on marketing as you can do a search of my blog under the terms "marketing" or "promotion" and come up with plenty of posts on those and related topics.  

        In fact my A to Z theme in 2012 was marketing and promotion and those posts would be a good place to find out some of my thoughts on the subject as well as get an idea of what the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is about.   If you want to read the first installment of that series you'll find it here and then just continue on if you want more.

        The current blog event is about what you bloggers think and have to say about marketing, promotion, and related ideas.  There's no magic formula that I know of that makes for successful marketing.  Sometimes what works in one instance may fall flat in another.   Other times totally absurd ideas may work in a big way. Some ideas are fairly tried and true while others are just a shot in the dark.  Sometimes they work and and sometimes they don't.

       With What Works....and what doesn't we want to get some idea of what some of you may have actually tried or observed.   We hope to learn some of your philosophies, psychological insights, hard factual data, or your pipe dreams about marketing.   We want to try to figure out What Works...

Why What Works...?

     In November Yolanda Renée and I were having an email interchange about the guest post she did at my dream blog, A Faraway View.  We were examining stats and experimenting with different tactics to see what worked in drawing visitors to the site.  A Faraway View typically is a low activity blog, but our combined efforts brought considerably more viewers to her post than I usually get.   Though the numbers for that post are still low, through our combined marketing efforts the post garnered some of the highest views and most comments of any other post on that site.  Was it due to our marketing efforts?

          During the course of our exchange I came up with what I thought might be a good idea for a blog event.   The "blogfest" should have a wide range of interest among most of our followers since we all are promoting something whether we admit to it or not.   This would not be just a fun blogging exercise, but " a blogfest with information you can use."

        The premise would be for participants to tell about a marketing idea they've used that worked or one that didn't work.  Their post could describe a campaign that succeeded in a big or small way or one that failed drastically.  This wouldn't only be limited to authors but also apply to those who have gone into business,  observed in another business campaign, participated in an organizational event, helped their kids with a fundraiser, or anything where a bit of promotion was necessary.  In other words this is a blogfest anyone could participate in and everyone can learn from.  Posts can be informational, a personal experience account, or a funny marketing story.  Experience gained from a promotional effort in one area can have applications in other efforts.  

         The ultimate goal is to learn what others have done right that we all can use and what to avoid.  Hopefully we can get marketing stats like Yolanda and I were doing in our study and other hard data that might be compiled into specific or fairly decent conclusions.   We want to know What Works... and I'm sure many of you would find this type of information useful as well.

Also Brought to You By:

         Since I've had more than a few interchanges on the subject of marketing with my good friend Jeremy Hawkins, I contacted him to bring his knowledge to the table.  I know Jeremy is very interested in marketing since he has a number of ventures going.   His artistic expertise provided us with a super cool logo for the event.

        And of course no great blogging event would be complete without Alex J. Cavanaugh.   Alex has mastered the art of cross promotion, building his name, blog recognition, and brand by promoting others.  I owe a special thanks to Alex for being at the helm of this event while I was on vacation and during my subsequent illness.  That's why we call him "The Captain".

Be sure to check out all the blogs of the hosts.  And if for some reason the Linky List does not appear on my page you should be able to find it on theirs:

Arlee Bird - http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/

Yolanda Renee - http://yolandarenee.blogspot.com/

Jeremy Hawkins - http://www.beingretro.com/

Alex J. Cavanaugh - http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

Now let's find out What Works...and what doesn't.  
Here's the list of participants!  

<!-- end LinkyTools script –> *****
Remember--if you don't see the Linky List here then check the other participating sites.  I've been having some computer problems.

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