Good public relations begins with a media kit. And if you plan to do business online you should seriously think about developing an online media kit. But what should go into it?

Your online media kit should make it easy for members of the media to learn more about you and your team. What you do, why you do it, who your target market is, and anything related to community that you do as well. Your media kit is the resource that journalists and other media will refer to when they are looking for someone to interview or gain research and knowledge about a particular topic.

So does a good media kit consist of?

First, it should include your biography. Not a book, but a few paragraphs that say where you’ve been and what your credentials are. Ask the question, “Why am I the expert” and then give the answer.

Next, include some information about what it is you are trying to accomplish. The Small Business Mavericks media kit includes a backgrounder, which is a sort of online white paper that offers statistics and insights into the market that I’m trying to tap into. This can read as an HTML web page or a .pdf download. Something similar for your business that explains what you do and why should also be included in your media kit.

If you have other media mentions such as interviews, quotes in news stories, features articles, op-ed pieces - anything at all - then include those. Media people like to know that you understand what they are looking for and will be sensitive to the news cycle.

Finally, press releases. If you have any press releases that you’ve distributed online or have sent out to media in your local area or nationally then include those. Sometimes, a press release is all a media person needs to answer a question and they won’t have to bother calling you. They can just quote the release.

Other things you can include in your media kit are:

• Videos
• Podcasts
• Articles you’ve written
• Social media profiles
• Testimonials or endorsements
• Photos

Anything that will help a media person do his or her job and find information quickly is a good idea to have in your media kit. Take a look at the Small Business Maverick media kit.

One often overlooked method of link building is to use press releases to drive traffic to your website, but don’t make the mistake of using press releases solely for link building purposes. That’s not their primary purpose.

Still, a well placed press release can be a big boost to your search engine marketing by providing one or more high quality, relevant links back to your website.

The first thing to remember is to only submit a press release if you have something newsworthy to promote. Your sale on corned beef next weekend is not newsworthy. Sorry.

However, if you sponsor a community Corned Beef Hash banquet and invite the entire community then that could very well be newsworthy and therefore worthy of a press release. But make your event attractive before you start promoting it. Invite some local talent to give a show, have one of your employees dress up as the Corned Beef Hash Man and waslk around your store’s parking lot giving out free samples of corned beef and other goodies, and throw in some unique festivities and even games with door prizes. Make it a huge event.

The more spectacular you make your event the more likely you’ll get people to come, and the more likely you are to get your press release noticed. Once you start promoting your event, write up a press release with the pertinent information in it and submit it to several press release distribution websites. Get your press release in the right places and you’ll likely find some news agencies picking up and running it as is or calling you for an interview. Those activities can lead to inbound links to your website as well as high quality traffic to your event.

If you run a local business online or have an online presence for a local business - for that matter, if you are a local business at all - then you should work on your relationship with the local press. There are some great opportunities for free publicity just by becoming an expert in a topic that journalists might like to cover.

If you read your local newspapers you’re likely to find stories that touch upon what you do in your business. When you see those stories it’s a great opportunity to send a short note to the editor and offering yourself as a credible expert to call upon when more stories of that nature pop up. Newspapers reporters all have a list of resources to call for certain types of stories and you want your name on that list. But be subtle. You don’t want it to seem like you are begging and you don’t want to be too pushy. You want your initial communication with a news person to be short and respectful:

• Be friendly. Nothing annoys news editors and reporters more than a pushy person looking for free publicity.
• Be helpful. There is no substitute for helpfulness.
• Write a short note about how you liked an article on such-and-such topic. Be positive.
• Be specific about what you liked.
• Offer yourself as a resource in the future, but don’t be too pushy or aggressive.
• Wait. This is one instance where persistence doesn’t pay off. You’ve made your offer now wait for a call. There likely won’t be articles on your topic every day. If you see an article in the future that you could have been consulted on and weren’t, send a short reminder but nothing too pushy.

Being an expert consultant for journalists working on stories is one of the best ways to get free publicity, but you have to finesse your way into it. Being overly aggressive can kill your chances.

Credibility is perhaps the most important characteristic for any small business owner. Customers will not do business with you if they don’t trust you. They must believe in you if they are going to hand over their hard earned money. But how do you get them to trust you when they don’t know know you?

It’s a good question. And it really all boils down to one thing: Authenticity.

Don’t try to be something you’re not. Be who you are and be honest about it. Don’t tell tales, communicate through fables. Be a teacher and a mentor, not the class clown. Never give up, but give in every now and then. Don’t sell yourself (or your customers) short, but sell them on your expertise with honesty, integrity, and courage.

You want your customers and potential customers to see you as the authority in your niche. To do that, you have to build in certain habits to your daily routine. Always do what you say you’ll do. Follow through on all your promises. Under-promise and over-deliver. Encourage conversation. Take criticism well. Be the change you want to see in others. These traits build trust. Oh, and cut out the fluff.

Things are starting to happen. President Obama’s stimulus package is now in place, and people are just plain tired of being miserable. Besides, it’s spring. We’ve endured the winter, the economic kick in the gut, the financial fall out–but life goes on. Some people are fortunate enough to get new jobs, and even the real estate market showed a small sign of life last month. If you’re a small business and you’ve been limping along, it’s time to make some plans.

Eveyone has had to tighten the reigns, and even though it’s going to be a slow comeback, it’s time to think about the future. We had to nix those three and five year goals we made back in 2007, 2008 because it’s a “new economy.” But that doesn’t mean that you can’t regroup and make more realistic plans.

Stage Your Comeback by Asking These Questions:

What have we learned?
What are we really good at?
What’s the meat and potatoes of our business?
What areas can we specialize in?
How can we protect our business financially?
How can we best care for our employees and meet our financial goals?
What online and traditional marketing techniques have worked in the “new economy,” and what has proved less useful?
Who are we networking with–and who should be we networking with?
Are we using our tools (website, blog, e-newsletter) to build an online presence?
How can we incorporate “green” practices in your business and personal life?

Everyone’s office is leaner. Perhaps you moved your small business home, or had to cut your staff. Perhaps you sold off some of your product line or tailored your services to meet the market. Maybe you’re now offering maintenance to your customers more than you’e selling them new products. That’s okay. Now you know–what works and what doesn’t.

Begin to stage your comeback. Most likely, it’ll be a bit more conservative than those goals you made back in 2007/2008, but we’re different now. We’re all grateful to work, grateful to have a business, and we’re adjusting.

Your small business could make a difference–in your community, your online community, with your loyal customers who have stood by you. As you move forward–know that as our country rebuilds, you’re part of the new foundation.

In our current economic challenged times, you may be trying to cut every corner possible, and while that’s one way to save money, in marketing, you may choose to take a different approach. Small businesses oftentimes stay in business because they have something unique to offer. Why not take that one step further and ask yourself what’s your specialty?

One thing I’ve noticed is that while many businesses are hurting, others are thriving. Why? They have what people want. And believe it or not, not all customers are looking for the cheapest Many are willing to pay a higher price to get a premium product or a specialty service.

What products or services do you get the most feedback on? What gets the most word of mouth advertising? That’s your niche. Take the time to develop that area of your business and then watch the results. Do you notice a response?

Consider starting a second website just for your specialty line. If you’ve learned a lot about search engine optimization (SEO), you may welcome to chance to create a website from ground up–choose your domain name based on your niche service or product and with specific keywords that set you apart from your competition–and then post your website on search directories. Remember, you can link between the two sites and point to content you’ve created that features both sites.

It’s ironic, but it just might work. Instead of tightening the reigns, narrow your focus.
Promote what you do really well.
Market to the segment of the market you fit,
You may just find that your small business will begin to flourish–by specialized marketing.

Isn’t it great when someone suggests something you haven’t thought of that turns out to be a great idea? There are a few surprising strategies that might be perfect for your small business site. Some are so basic you might have overlooked them, and others will come as a total, “How did I miss that?”

Five Surprising Strategies to Boost Links on Your Small Business Website:

1. Have you registered with your local Better Business Bureau and Chamber of Commerce? Please tell me you have! If not, get going because believe it or not, they’ll provide links to your site.

2. Deep link to your other webpages. If you’re not sure what that means, check out my post on deep links. Refer to different posts so everything doesn’t go back to just one anchor text. Mix it up and use your own great content.

3. Post your services and products on Craigslist and other online classifieds. Even if you don’t get a bite, you get a link. Don’t worry about it being a “no follow” link, just check out Google Analytics and note how many people came to check out your site from your Craigslist post.

4. Comment on other people’s blogs. Be helpful, and always, always sign it by listing your website—even refer to a post they might find useful.

5. Join Squidoo. It’s a user-generated website (sort of a community of webpages called lenses that are placed in subjects/areas of interests. They can hold photos from Flickr, blogs, YouTube videos, eBay auctions, Google maps and various assortment of links. The best part is that Squidoo is huge—in the top 500 most visited sites worldwide (in the top 250 sites in the U.S.). Google loves Squidoo, and you get to list your website on it. Oh, and it’s free.

Take the next few weeks and try just one of these strategies. You’ll make new connections, expand your market, boost links, and hopefully increase your traffic to your website.

iPods and other .mp3 devices are quickly becoming people’s most valued possession.
These devices are allowing people to download music, books, and helpful information they can listen to at their convenience–whle jogging, in the car, or working out.
So why not offer them a podcast? You might offer some how-to hints or a great interview about what you and your small business has to offer.

You don’t need fancy equipment to create a podcast, and uploading it to the web, including podcast directories, and to your website is easy and quick.

What exactly is a podcast?

• A podcast is an audio file you can create on your computer that’s in an .mp3 format.
• A podcast is an audio file and is a recording, much like a radio show–in fact, many radio shows use podcasts.
• You can upload a podcast with an RSS file to a server—and place it on your website or other websites.
• Anyone who wants to listen to your file simply has to download a podcast program that will allow them to hear your podcast—any time the like.

“But I don’t have anything to talk about!” You protest.

Sure you do. You own a thriving small business.
You help customers and clients all day.
You offer products, service, advice—people ask you questions, you have to explain instructions…
If you can do this in person, you can do this on a podcast.

Visit Podcast.com and spend some time listening to other people’s podcasts.
Listen and note what you like. Are you drawn to an enthusiastic speaker who opens with a joke?
Or would you rather go with a more “expert-in-the-field/professional tone?
Study a few of them while you’re in the car and then practice your own.

Start practicing your first podcast by making it short. Anywhere from 1-10 minutes, max.

Many podcast shows offer even a one or two minute clip such as Sixty Second Science, a popular downloadable podcast available on iTunes.

Consider starting with a relevant story that poses a problem (for example, a man with a leaky roof that no matter what he patches it with, it still leaks), and then at the end of the podcast, wrap it up by “solving” the guy’s problem with your product or with the help of your service technician going the extra mile. In between, offer a couple of tips.

Start your podcast with a question, a statistic, or even a joke—if it’s a good one, but make sure you’re offering content. Most people either want to learn something or be entertained, so make sure your podcast falls into one of those categories.

Before the details overwhelm you, know that there are how-to-create-a-podcast programs out there that make this so simple. One of the most well known programs for creating podcasts is Audacity.
Audacity is free, and it’s great for beginners—and even offers more advanced levels for those who like a bit of a challenge. Audacity also offers a Mac OS9 or X version as well as a Windows, Linux/Unix version as well as extensive tutorials.

The next obvious step is that you have to purchase a microphone. You can pick one up at a major electronics store or purchase one online. Make sure your microphone is a unidirectional, dynamic-type, and go with a decent mid-range price range just to get started.

Other sites to check out include: Blog Matrix, Podomatic, Podcast Directory.com, and Podcast Alley.com. All of these sites offer vasts amounts of information about how to create your podcast files, what to feature, and how to market them.

Be sure to mention your podcasts on your social media contacts and in your emails and e-newsletters. There are also many blog radio websites that might consider playing your podcasts, but you’ll need to send a short query email and offer them a sample podcast for them to review.
Your goal is to build an audience, and to do that, you have to let them know when new offerings are available.

With your computer, downloadable software, and a microphone, you can start podcasting.
More and more people are on the go and would rather listen to a short program with earphones or in their car than to stare at a computer screen.

Why not give podcasting a try?

If the whole social media concept has you baffled, one that is truly worth your time to investigate is LinkedIn. LinkedIn is for business people and is considered a professional network that has an impressive 35 million registered users connected to 170 business related industries.

LinkedIn uses a “gate-access approach,” which means that connections are made from preexisting relationships or by “introductions.” That means that rocker dude isn’t trying to hit on pretty girl just because he likes her wallpaper which is fancy name for how she decorates her page and what’s playing on her iPod.

LinkedIn is for business people who know that social media networking is the new “power lunch.”

LinkedIn is about contacts. The list of people you know is called your “connections.” You can invite other business people to join LinkedIn by email, (even if they haven’t joined LinkedIn, you can invite them) so who you know matters—and who they know—matters.

Your list of connections will grow and can be used to help you find a job, check out a job candidate, find new business opportunities and grow your network community with fellow business people who are there for the same purpose.

Now that you know a little about LinkedIn, you’re probably thinking about joining. Like all social networks, it’s smart to learn how the system works in order to reap the maximum benefits.

Join Caroline Melberg for this fantastic workshop:

Ok, I’m LinkedIn… Now What?!?
How to Use LinkedIn to Find New Clients and Grow Your Business

The workshop will cover:

• What LinkedIn is and why you should care
• How to network on LinkedIn
• The essentials of creating a power-packed profile that shows up in the LinkedIn search results
• How to use LinkedIn to find new clients or customers and grow your sales

This workshop is so popular that Caroline has had to add an additional LinkedIn class.

Workshop date: February 19th, 6p.m.

It’s a BYOL, Bring Your Own Laptop class where we’ll log-in to your profile and make changes that will make show you effective strategies for using LinkedIn to grow your business.

For more information and to register, go to: www.SocialWebTraining.com and click on the February 19th class today!

In science, it’s call the carrying capacity. When a species multiplies to a certain level, it tops out its resources of food and territory. After that, the population plateaus, and can even decline.
I think that’s what has happened in the world of email. Most of us have an overflowing inbox.
While email is still a smart small business marketing tool, it’s time to make sure you have something to offer before you press “Send.”

A few years ago, it was exciting to hear “You’ve Got Mail.” Now, with blackberries dinging every two seconds, most of us have to spend a good day once every two weeks just catching up on emails.

Email Do’s and Better Not’s:

• State the purpose of the email in the subject line—and deliver in the first sentence or two. Keep those sentences short. Even if your email is deleted, they should know what it’s about without opening it.
• Make sure there’s “white space” around your words. Create emails that are easy to glance at—even if you happen to talking on the phone and reading a file at the same time. Use bullet point when possible.
• If it’s a reply, respond quickly (within 48 hours, if possible). People are sensitive about being email ignored.
• Answer their questions. It’s a sign of respect, and no one’s got time to ask something twice.
• Address them personally when appropriate—you’ll be much more likely to receive a personal response (such as an order!)
• Avoid attachments, if possible. It’s better to direct them to your website to download a large file.
• Lay off the high priority exclamation point. If it’s that time sensitive, pick up the phone.
• Don’t CAPITALIZE. It’s considered shouting.
• It’s okay to add a disclaimer. The disclaimer stating that you have checked for viruses makes some feel a little more at ease.
• Reread your email before you press send. Take the time to spell and grammar check. It’s less embarrassing than having to resend to correct a major faux pas.
• Reply to All should not be overused, even for promotional purposes.
• No emoticons. Your business isn’t the place for a bouncing happy face.
• Don’t do a “Request Receipt.” People don’t want to feel pressured to read your email and respond immediately.
• Don’t overdo the bc or cc. field. People don’t like their email addresses shared.
• Email discounts, contests, helpful hints, e-newsletters in a consistent manner.
• Use that e-signature at the end so that viewers are encouraged to check out your website.
• Do state if your emails can be forwarded. Your goal is to get your name out there.
• Last, don’t abuse your email address privileges. Only send your e-viewers relevant business related information, but keep your tone business-casual and inviting.

Small business marketing is about connections. A short, relevant email offers something new and respects other’s time.