Open Mindedness

circus (Photo credit: fsse8info)

       
           My dad was always coming up with ideas to try out for the juggling act that my family did as a sideline.  He wasn't afraid to try something different to see if it would work.  Sometimes his ideas did work and sometimes they ended up being something we could tease him about.  A lot of my dad's thinking rubbed off on me.

          When we moved to East Tennessee from the Chicago area in 1966 our show business market became rather spare.  Our Chicago agent didn't have much that we were close enough to take and the agents who booked shows around Tennessee didn't have enough to keep us working regularly.

          Not one to wait idly for something to happen, my dad gathered up some business directories and began contacting every company in a 200 or so mile radius.  He put together a promotional package with a form letter describing our show and sent out hundreds of them.

           After a while we started getting so many replies from companies that were having parties and picnics that we were working with fair regularity.  Not only was our act working, but my dad started up his own theatrical agency and started booking acts from all over the country.

             My dad opened up his mind and started thinking up ideas that seemed workable and then he tried them.  He tapped into a market that no one had previously contacted in this geographical area. He built up a clientele and he made money in his sideline show biz job.

             If nothing is happening for you in what you've been trying to do then you have to take action.  You can't just wait for someone to contact you because you have a good product that you're sure people will want.   Sometimes you just have to take the initiative and do what is necessary to tap into the existing market or create your own.

             The main thing beyond the action of getting something done is having an open mind to allow you to come up with novel approaches to do it.   Don't blow a lot of money that you don't have, but test the waters first.  Bounce your ideas off of friends or family members who have adventurous spirits.  Avoid negativity.  Allowing those with closed minds to influence you will make you afraid and doubtful and then nothing gets done.

            Successes start with dreams.  If you open up your mind to the realms of possibilities, dreams can become realities.

 And now for the letter 'O':

She's from a place exotic to many of us and shares many a dream with her readers.  Most of us know her as Oceangirl  from the blog Live High.    

       

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Networking

Description: Social Networking Source: own work Author: koreshky Date: 12/10/2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What is Networking?

         Isn't the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge mostly about networking?   Well, I am certainly qualified to answer that question and the answer is a big YES!  When I organized the first Challenge in 2010 it was to celebrate networking and to expand my network.

        During that first Challenge I increased my number of followers significantly as did most of those who participated.  From the onset the emphasis has always been on networking since that is primarily what blogging is all about.

        Networking is all around us in everything we do.  We have networks of friends, family members, and common interest groups.   We typically will have social networks and business networks.  Sometimes our networking systems of involvement will intersect or overlap.  In essence, our networks are the groups of individuals with whom we interact by exchanging ideas, information, support, or even contacts with other individuals who are in similar networks.

 How is networking vital to marketing and promotions?  

        Word of mouth is the best promotion you can get.  A testimonial from a true believer is more convincing that any paid advertisement.  You want to create a cadre of  followers, fans, and happy customers who will spread the word about you, your product, or your agenda.

         Creating a network is all about relationship building.  Many of you who are introverts may find this difficult at first, but it gets easier the more you do it.  Join local organizations, attend events concerning things you are interested in, and do whatever it takes to meet the people who can possibly help you directly or who can introduce you to the right people who might eventually be of potential help to you.  

Here's a Networking Experiment

        I have two blogs entered in the A to Z Challenge that I haven't promoted too much and consequently are under 100 followers.   My goal for everyone who enters the A to Z Challenge is to finish with at least 100 followers if they don't have that many yet.  This is also my goal for my two under-performing blogs.

         Let's try an experiment.  If you are not currently following A Faraway View and A Few Words please go to visit those blogs and follow them in order to help me reach the magic 100 followers on both of them.  After you have done this, leave a comment on each blog letting me know that you have become a follower and then leave me a link so I can follow your blog if I am not doing so already.

         While you're at it go ahead and follow this blog (Tossing It Out), Wrote By Rote, and the Blogging from A to Z Challenge Blog if you aren't following these already.  These are my other blogs and I'd love to see the following on these grow more as well.

        Then if you want to take this experiment one step further, visit the blogs of each blogger who has left a comment on my blogs and follow their blogs and leave the same kind of notification in their comments that you have left on mine--let them know you are following and leave your link so they can follow your blog.

         After a while, if a number of you have done this, we will have created a network--or at least added to the network we have in place.  Blogging is a microcosm of the larger networking world that you will encounter when you start marketing and promotions on a serious big time level.  Start now and see how it works for you.

More Networking for the letter N:

Nostalgia is the theme of Rosalind Adam's A to Z series at Writing in the Rain.  Visit Rosalind's blog and become part of her network and invite her to become part of yours.

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Media Matters!

Paying people to hold signs is one of the oldest forms of advertising, as with this Human billboard pictured above (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

      Have you included advertising in broadcast media and print publications in your promotional budget?    Probably not is the answer for many of us.   Advertising can be very expensive.  But media promotion can also be free or at least relatively cheap.

         Larger businesses and organizations and celebrities have public relations departments or agents who are responsible for getting word out to the media.  Most of us can't afford this, but that doesn't mean we aren't newsworthy.

          If you have a product that you want people to know about then you should try to find some way to make it newsworthy.  Start by assembling a press kit.  Include photos and print stories that can be dispersed to media outlets.  Include anything that makes what you have to offer stand out.  Provide testimonials from customers or other media sources.  Personalize the story of your product by relating your own story.
Look for every angle that makes you and your product of interest to the public.

          Once you have your product and your story developed, look for ways to tell the world about it.  Shoot for big targets, but don't overlook the small ones.  Many publications will print free announcements for upcoming community events.  If you have an appearance scheduled, make sure you let the local paper know about it.

         Get to know contacts in the media who will help you get noticed by guiding you through the proper channels.  Did you know that many communities have public access television stations that have talk shows that feature local people and businesses?  Their audiences are usually small, but it's a great way to get practice before the cameras so that you'll be ready when your big break comes.  And you never know who will be watching and what breaks can come from a local appearance.

          Offer to write a column or feature article for a local paper or a specialized magazine.  You will probably be working for free, but consider the work you put into this as a vehicle for advertising yourself.  Your name is your brand and your brand gives your product credibility.  Do whatever seems to make sense in getting yourself and your product known.

          And don't forget the vast array of internet options that we have within easy reach.  Most of you who are writers are probably thinking in terms of establishing your platform through blogging and social media.  These are grand ways to advertise yourself at little or no cost.  But don't just stop there.  Make appearances whenever possible on other people's blogs or internet radio.  If you have content to provide. look for sources that are looking for that content and can provide you a forum to get your message out.

          The topic of media presence is huge--much too big to be covered in a short blog post.  There are many books on the topic.  If you are about to embark on a media campaign or have found your past efforts to be unsuccessful, read up on the topic.  There are also some excellent blogs and websites devoted to this topic.  Do the research and talk to people who have experience, but most of all get out there and do something.

             Media matters to a marketing campaign, but you have to reach out to the media and let your voice be heard.  Then, once you've gotten noticed and made the big time, you can get your PR department to take care of things.

For the letter 'M' I've chosen two candidates:

Madeline Mora-Summonte at The Shellshank Redemption is having a Motivational Month of April during the A to Z Challenge.  Be sure to stop by.  As I write this she's almost at 100 followers--maybe we can break through that number today.

Nicole Ayers at Madlab Post has been a frequent guest on this site as well as on the A to Z Blog .  She is a frequent quality commenter on many of our sites.

You Asked For It!

M also stands for Marcus Clearspring who created the popular A to Z Navigation Buttons for last year's Challenge.   He's done it again.   For those of you who are interested in adding the buttons to your site visit Marcus's site Writing Investigated.

If you don't want to add the buttons to your site or would just like to test them out, there is a special site for the badges at http://a-z.marcusclearspring.com/

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