Social media has changed how people communicate around the globe. It's led political revolutions and even created pop culture phenomena. As businesses scramble to figure out how to harness the power of social media to reach new audiences...

Social media has changed how people communicate around the globe. It's led political revolutions and even created pop culture phenomena. As businesses scramble to figure out how to harness the power of social media to reach new audiences, a familiar marketing tool—the press release—has now gained fresh purpose. Press releases have become a vital tool and more important than ever in successfully promoting your company. Find out how you can leverage press releases and specific content to help investors, customers, potential employees and other target groups learn more about your company.

The New Face of Public Relations

Both large and small companies in every industry are now using social media as an integral part of their public relations and marketing needs. As social media continues to replace the traditional channels of brand promotion and communication, public relations has become synonymous with social media marketing.

For most businesses, public relations and social media marketing provide a solid foundation and baseline for brand awareness and general marketing campaigns. Before the advent of social media, companies had to go through a long and arduous process of contacting journalists who acted as gatekeepers. However, with social media, press releases are now: 

1. Key search engine optimization (SEO) tools that help investors, customers, potential employees and other target groups learn about and discover companies online;
2. Permanent parts of a company's public record, findable and downloadable for the foreseeable future; and
3. Direct communications tools that can deliver unfiltered messages to the masses.

 

Why Press Releases Are More Important Than Ever

Press releases have changed a lot over the years, especially since businesses have realized the importance of online marketing. But to use a press release effectively, there are some strategies. Here are some of the main reasons press releases have become so important:

• Announcing a new product or service. If you want to announce a new product or service, you can draft a press release and immediately get your news found on all major search engines and social media networks by using a press release distribution service. This also enables you to target thousands of journalists.
• Improving brand image. Because it has become so easy to publish and distribute a press release, companies can easily send out as many press releases as they want. Publishing more press releases more often is a good way to improve your brand's image.
• Images help drive interest. Press releases now include images, videos and other multimedia, which means you can convey your message and news stories in more interesting ways than ever before.
• Instant world-wide distribution. Before online press releases had became common, most press releases were sent only to journalists. If not deemed worthy of press mention, they lived in a binder, on someone's desk or in a building lobby. Now a press release can be distributed to millions of people around the world instantly through email and social media.
• Expanding public knowledge. By adding links to other Web pages within a press release, companies can direct readers to even more information about what they do.
• Viral possibilities. An online press release can go viral if people start sharing it over social media networks, thereby creating a buzz that was never possible with traditional press releases.
• Portability and convenience. People can read a press release anywhere on the Web or on their smartphones.
• Search engine optimization. By using specific keywords relating to your business, you can optimize your press release so people can easily access your company information through search engine use.

 

These are just a few tips to make the most of your press releases. Learn more ways topromote your company and access more advantageous tips as your social marketing strategy grows. Remember, the best way to ensure success is to create a plan, get started as soon as possible, and keep your press releases fresh.

MyPRGenie is a next-generation, cloud-based, PR and social media marketing platform. To sign up now for your FREE MyPRGenie Basic ($179 value) package and start promoting your company, go to: www.myprgenie.com/pages/legalzoom.

Just because you have a small business doesn't mean you can't compete against the "big boys." Leaving a home or small office sometimes is unavoidable, as overhead in a larger location can be pricey. However, there are many cost efficient ways to make your company look bigger, and you don't h...

Just because you have a small business doesn't mean you can't compete against the "big boys." Leaving a home or small office sometimes is unavoidable, as overhead in a larger location can be pricey. However, there are many cost efficient ways to make your company look bigger, and you don't have to break the bank while doing so. The five tips below will help transform your small business into a larger, prominent corporation, without leaving the comfort of your small business surroundings.

Tip 1: Create a Professional Logo

Your company's logo is the main representation of your company and does not have to scream out "small business." Your logo is the first impression the outside world will see, and a professional logo will not only lend your business credibility;it will be seen by those who many never enter your small business environment and can give your customers a "big business" feeling. This is usually done through custom logo design, but don't think you need a full-service agency that charges big bucks. There are numerous freelance graphic designers who have the skills needed to create a first-class logo at half the cost of agency services.

Tip 2: Create a Professional Web Site

A Web presence is critical in business today, and a professional-looking Web site will attract new customers and keep old ones coming back. And, there are many freelance Web designers who will create a savvy, professional site at an affordable price. 

Although it is important to have a Web site that is aesthetically pleasing, grammatically correct, and updated regularly, making your company look bigger virtually goes beyond the overall design of your site. One way to make your business look bigger is investing in your own domain name (i.e., Mycompany.com versusMycompany@yahoo.com). Having your own domain name will also personalize your email, having it as jdoe@mycompany.com versus jdoe@yahoo.com. This offers credibility to your company and the products you are selling, and it makes it easier for customers to find you when searching the World Wide Web.

Tip 3: Develop Professional Print Publications

Like your Web site, your print materials should also be top-notch and, again, this does not have to cost a fortune. Simple tactics like using heavy paper or card stock, or glossy paper instead of matte, can make a two-color print job look like a high-quality print job. Also, like the logo and Web site discussions above, if you cannot afford an advertising agency's design services, you may be able to find a freelance designer who will design a marketing package for half the cost. In addition, you can save money by having the designer send you the final project file then printing it in-house on a higher quality color printer or color copier.

Tip 4: Get Technologically Savvy

There are little technological "tricks of the trade" that can make your business seem much larger than it is. Little things like having a big city phone number forwarded to your home, setting up a professional voice message system, or having a Post Office Box instead of a home address will give your company the image of a large corporation. For example, for a monthly fee, a home-based business in New Jersey can rent a Manhattan phone number and have the calls forwarded to the home-based office. In addition, a Post Office box can be rented through the U.S. Postal Service or another mailing house. A P.O. box seems more professional and adds credibility to a home office than a standard street address, and is affordable for smaller corporations.

Tip 5: "Borrow" Office Space

Many small business owners either work out of the home or a one- to two-room office, which isn't conducive for larger business meetings and presentations. But, you can still have meetings with potential investors, vendors, or customers in a high-class meeting room by renting rooms in hotels or in local office buildings. Many hotels will provide lunch at an affordable price, and some office buildings will rent unused rooms by the hour or by the day. Or, you can rent a meeting room for a specified amount of hours a month for ongoing meetings and presentations. Renting a formal executive suite can give your company a professional appearance and make your business seem bigger than it is, allowing for a temporary solution to spending big bucks on your own luxury meeting facility.

Using some of the above tips will help boost your small business appearance, while saving money and still allowing you to work from home, in your one-room office or in that corner office. But, the outside world will see your company as the next Fortune 500 business. 

If necessity is the mother of invention, she has spawned some very young inventors. The following entrepreneurs took advantage of childhood to solve pint-sized problems and fatten their piggy banks.

Jacob Dunnack developed the JD Batball at age six. Jacob was frustrated when he'd rememb...

If necessity is the mother of invention, she has spawned some very young inventors. The following entrepreneurs took advantage of childhood to solve pint-sized problems and fatten their piggy banks.

Jacob Dunnack developed the JD Batball at age six. Jacob was frustrated when he'd remembered his bat but forgotten his ball during a visit to his grandmother's home. To prevent future mishaps, Jacob came up with the idea for a plastic baseball bat with a removable cap for storing balls. Jacob and his parents went to a designer to submit the idea to Toys "R" Us. The toy megastore liked Jacob's idea so much they started carrying the product. Now, that's one idea that definitely turned into a grand slam.

Krysta Morlan's experience with her own cerebral palsy pushed her to invent the portable Cast Cooler in tenth grade. Several surgeries had left Krysta trapped in hot, uncomfortable casts. Krysta's solution: the Cast Cooler, a battery-powered machine that funnels cool air into a cast via a plastic tube.

And, she has already developed a second invention, although Krysta has yet to even graduate high school. Prompted by months of tedious physical therapy in a swimming pool, Krysta created the Waterbike. It is semi-submerged, fin-powered, and has a rudder for steering. This idea definitely didn't sink since the bike can be used for therapy or fun.

K-K Gregory has also sought to make life a little more pleasant. At the ripe age of ten, she invented Wristies¨ to keep freezing snow out of her coat sleeves. K-K's Wristiescan be worn under mittens or gloves. Fingers are free and cuffs stay dry. Her samples were such a hit with her Girl Scout Troop that she brought her design to a patent attorney. The result? Nine years in business and going strong.

Adam Cohen is another born problem solver. In the fifth grade, he invented an alarm clock to wake him up with a pre-recorded message. By age twelve, his bedroom had become a laboratory stacked with his award-winning inventions. One invention was a nanoscale patterning technique using an electrochemical scanning tunneling microscope (STM) resulting in an Electrochemical paintbrush. Needless to say, Adam was not your average teenager. He became a Harvard student. With over 200 ideas pending, he hasn't slowed down on the inventions.

Richie Stachowski was both a corporate founder and a president by age 13. His product, Water Talkies,™ reaps about a half-million annually. At age eleven, Richie was snorkeling on a Hawaiian vacation. Frustrated that he couldn't communicate with his dad about undersea discoveries, he came home and designed an underwater megaphone. He used the internet for research, his home pool as a test lab, and $267 of his savings for startup capital. Richie's company, Short Stack, LLC, negotiated with major retail chains to carry his product. Water Talkies™ were a hit in the summer of 1997 and have kept people communicating underwater ever since. Who says vacations can't lead to great ideas.

Kelly Reinhart was another kid in need of practical solutions. She designed Thigh Packsat age six. The Thigh Pack is a holster for carrying kid's necessities, like portable video games. By age nine, she was chairperson of TPak International, a company with nearly $1 million in orders. Improvements and patenting followed. Plans have been discussed with Pentagon officials to see if the packs could be used by the military. 

Kristin Hrabar was nine years old when she was inspired by necessity to design herLaserdriver Tools. She was holding a flashlight for her dad during a routine home repair. Kristin thought it would be easier if the tool had its own light. She then designed the illuminated nut driver for her third grade science fair. Kristin patented her product by her eleventh birthday. Business was already looking bright by the time she turned 12.

Kavita Shukla had two patents (Smart Lid and Fenugreek-treated paper) and a company of her own by the time she finished high school. At 13, she invented a lab safety device for bottles containing hazardous material. She patented her "Smart Lid," which is still used. Shortly afterwards, Kavita accidentally drank contaminated water on a trip to India to visit her grandmother. Her grandmother's home remedy made from fenugreek seeds prevented Shukla from getting ill. The seeds that saved her inspired Kavita to develop packaging paper treated with fenugreek. The paper's purpose? To preserve and protect food. She is the cofounder and CEO of SAFEH2O.

Elise and Evan Macmillan co-founded and own The Chocolate Farm. This custom chocolate company has a twist - a farm animal theme. Elise started making chocolate with her grandmother at age three. She and her brother, Evan, started their own company about six years ago. The siblings are now teen millionaires thanks to the popularity of their cow-shaped chocolate lollipops and other chocolate treats.

Abbey Fleck was eight years old in 1992 when she invented Makin' Bacon. This device hangs bacon away from fat while it cooks in the microwave. Abbey's grandfather took out a loan on the family farm so they could produce the 100,000 dishes Wal-Mart required for initial distribution. Now, Abbey and her father co-own A de F, Inc. Each year the company produces and sells about 640,000 Makin' Bacon dishes. Abbey really is "makin' bacon" - her company brings in more than $1million annually in royalties. 

These amazing kids all invented things to express their creativity and solve problems. They all had the support of adults who encouraged and protected their creativity while helping them get access to the adult world. The result? Amazing products that came to life and proved adults don't have a monopoly on great ideas.

Many new entrepreneurs may think that getting business cards printed is a relatively easy thing to do. But, it is important to remember that your business card provides not only your contact information but a snapshot of your brand. Here are our top 5 key things to consider before going to p...

Many new entrepreneurs may think that getting business cards printed is a relatively easy thing to do. But, it is important to remember that your business card provides not only your contact information but a snapshot of your brand. Here are our top 5 key things to consider before going to print so that you portray your company in the best light.

Selecting your Company Name, Logo & Brand

Be sure to choose the right name for your business, and also make sure that the company name is cleared for use. Using the name of your corporation, LLC or DBA is a common choice. Additionally, you may also want to brand your company name with either a logo, graphic text or both.

Logo & Branding

Many entrepreneurs will try to cut corners by designing their own logo or using stock images from the local printer. This is cost effective and very inexpensive. However, the final design could look "homemade" and "unprofessional". Remember your business card represents you and your company. A professionally designed logo is worth the investment.

LogoWorks' Startup Package is perfect for the serious business owner, which and includes a logo design, stationery design, 3 page website and 500 free business cards. All for under $1500. They also offer stand-alone logo design services, where a team of professional designers will create your company logo from $300 to $600. Click herefor more information, plus get $30 off any service.

If you have the resources (i.e. money), hiring a graphic designer or a branding consultant to create your logo is a great option. The only drawback is cost which can range from hundreds to several thousands of dollars. During the startup phase, spending tons of money for a logo may not be the right choice, especially when cutting costs is crucial. One alternative that many entrepreneurs have relied upon is outsourcing to online logo companies to get their creative projects designed without the high ad agency fees.

Now once your logo is complete, the final task is to trademark your company name and logo to protect your logo from infringement and imitators.

Company Website and Email 

If you haven't done so already, you will want to secure the website domain name(s) and showcase the website address on your business card. Regardless if you're an internet business or not, you should invest in a company website. You don't have to have full website up and running before you start handing out business cards. Just be sure to buy the domain name(s) and put up a "coming soon" page with your company contact information.

Once you have the domain name, you can also set up email accounts so you can send and receive company email. You can start thinking about how to design and build your website later when you have time to plan and develop your website strategy.

WebsitePros has a great, no-strings-attached, free website trial offer where they build a completely functional website. You can decide in 30 days whether or not to purchase. If you are only looking to secure your domain name and set up your company email, NetworkSolutions.com offers low cost domain names services with strengths in website security and is one of the most established domain name providers in the industry.

Some business owners may use free email (and website) services to cut costs such as Hotmail, Yahoo Mail (and MySpace). The drawback is that you may compromise the professionalism that is conveyed with an address from name@yourcompany.com.

Phone and Fax Numbers

You should also put some thought into what phone and fax numbers to print on your business card. Depending on the type of business, you will want make sure you secure proper communication services for your operations. Many startup entrepreneurs will consider using their cell or home phone as their main phone line. This is another way to cut costs, especially during the start up phase. However, you'll want to make sure to maintain the professionalism of you and your business.

Ring Central offers a free 30-day trial for a fully functional virtual phone system. Click here to learn more. GotVmail also inexpensive virtual phone systems designed for entrepreneurs. Make your company sound " big" with GotVmail, starting only at $9.95/month (with a 30-day money back guarantee). Click here to learn more.

Fonality is another option for those of you that need a little more sophistication and functionality with your phone system. Click here to learn more about their cost-effective, enterprise-class business phone systems. Be sure to ask for a free consultation.

Business & Mailing Addresses

For startups and home-based businesses, using your home address or a P.O. Box as your business address initially is probably fine. Let's face it until your business is successful and stable, committing to a multi-year, commercial lease can be risky (which is probably why you're running the business from your home).

Another alternative is to consider using a virtual office service which allows you to use a real business address in most metropolitan cities across the U.S without the risk of committing to a multi-year commercial lease. You can also take advantage of mail forwarding, answering services (live or automated), meeting/conference rooms, internet access, work stations, and more. Ranging from high-end "Park Avenue" locations to standard commercial spaces in your local area, a virtual office can help your company look more established and stable as a company. If you need to set up a virtual office, Regus.com is a the industry leader with over 350 locations in the U.S.Click here to learn more. LegalZoom members also get one month's rent free!

Printing Services

There are a variety of options for getting your business cards printed. But before you do, go through your Rolodex of business cards and rate them in terms of design, layout and overall branding. You'll notice some businesses have invested time and money on the layout and design of the card, whereas other companies have used standard templates and stock images. The differences should be night and day.

If you're serious about your brand and image, have your business card designed by a professional. If you're using designer to create your logo, you may want to also request company letterhead and business card designs to complete your corporate identity package.

Once you're ready to go to print, you'll have a few options. Your local printer is one option, especially if you need that face-to-face service and local access. Printing online has also become very popular and inexpensive, as well. Be sure to get a few quotes and comparison shop. Another good resource would be your graphic designer, as she/he will usually have a few good printing contacts in your area. VistaPrint offers a variety of free (and low cost) printing services. To learn more about free and premium business cards, click here. LegalZoom members also get 25% off any service.

Are you ready to get started?

As you can see there are a variety of things to consider before printing and handing out your business cards. Regardless if you like it or not, your business card makes a statement about your company. Good luck with your new business. Feel free to email any questions or comments to ekim@legalzoom.com.