Mary Schmidt Marketing Troubleshooter

When talking about marketing with potential clients I frequently hear this. And, sure, don’t we all love to see our name in print? (Look, Ma! I’m a poobah!)

But, and this is a big BUT - having your and/or your company’s name in the paper (or out on the Web) doesn’t automatically translate to business, or even attention. People have to: a. notice you; b. be interested enough to actually read the article or column; c. remember you when they want to buy something you’re selling. The real kicker is that you’ve got to be selling something wonderful. (The best marketing glitz in the world doesn’t make up for blah products and poor service.)

Also, just because your competitor is in the paper “more” doesn’t mean they’re doing marketing any better than you (particularly when most of their press is basic announcements re contracts, organization changes and such. Yawn.)

P.S. I’ve been in the paper quite frequently, even on the front page of some…been quoted in magazines like Fortune back in my Corporate America days. And, I’ve gotten quite a bit of good business from my press…yet, here I am - still working for a living and flying commercial.

If you’d like to leave a comment, please do so. It may take a bit to show up since I hate making people type in little letters (I can’t read most of them myself) - so I moderate all comments. Feel free to disagree - debate is healthy. However, I’ve blacklisted the worst obscenities, including the “f” word, as part of the troll wall.

Tags: marketing, marketing troubleshooting, public relations