G.Gilbert,

Thank you. I REALLY enjoy helping ACTION takers... not just takers!!!

Posted: Sep 12, 2010 8:10am
♦♦ "SHARING WHAT YOU KNOW" ♦♦

Something I have taught for years (to entertainers and others) is
"How To Get An Extra $300 (or more) Per Month And Build Credentials Just By Sharing What You Know With Others" -- this is not a new concept however my "twist" on it CAN be very lucrative to you.

Magicians George Gilbert and Kris Bentz saw this in action first hand July 2010 and Dennis Haney of the world famous Denny & Lee Magic Studio will also tell you the success of what I share in this free report ...using this information gives me new clients and brings PAYING customers into his magic shop EVERY-TIME I do it!!!

Get Your Own Free Copy:
http://www.davidbreth.com/Teach-What-You-Know

In this brief (free) report I (David Breth) share an insight which you too can use with NO out of pocket expense.

P.S. When you visit my web site (http://www.davidbreth.com/Teach-What-You-Know) to get your copy of my report... do NOT just sign-in for your free report... no, no, no get a pen and note pad and take copious notes!!!

Read, then re-read each and every page and email you are taken to in order to "confirm" your report... this process has proven very success for me... (The "secret" is in the "system" / the process).

P.S.S. be sure to create a folder in your email for my emails from (david@davidbreth.com)

This one I got David.It was the one about Monday's marketing tip that don't load
Thanks

Don

Hi Don,

If you grabbed your owe personal copy of my "Make Money Sharing What You Already Know" then you do not need the Monday's marketing Minute since they are in the same system.

P.S. If you have questions do not hesitate to ask (http://www.DavidBreth.com/Help) if I do not know the answer(s) I will strive to locate the answer(s) from someone who does and I may not tell you what you want to hear but I will not lie to you.

I subscribed, I assume it is the one that you get 1 e-mail a day?
Thanks

Don

Not so great, poor or mediocre magic will not support an act long term and hurts that act and the business in general. Who hires them back?


and I'm ranked the #1 magician by Gigmasters (woop de doo) in MD, VA, PA, DE, CA, TX .... Nationwide in the USA except NC

and that raking has depended in a large part on giving outstanding performances so ... poor or mediocre magic may not, can not and will not support an act long term

Posted: Sep 12, 2010 2:56pm
About David Breth, your welcome.

Everyone I said is true, David and I have shared some ideas and work that was mutually beneficial and David is far ahead of the marketing I do

Please don't let me attitude or words keep you away from the worthwhile info David provides

There are some good sources at marketing (for magic) and some not so good sources. For me the true benchmark of how go the info is ....

is how busy and successful at booking is (or was) the provider of the info

I have only purchased 6 or 7 books/courses on marketing, 3 of them being specifically for magicians. I won't list them all because that would only demonstrate what was effectively marketed to me.

I do have to say that I wasted a lot of money following direct mail campaign advice to a tee on 2 occasions with No results. I turned back to concentrating on my show. It's all been useful experience, and I'm am happy with every purchase.

The one course I bought that really helped with the way I think about marketing is Eric Anderson's marketing material. His back story insights, promo guide, and all the bonuses (including some really commercial magic effects) really helped me. Without trying you will be branding yourself and then the marketing is spelled out from there. Really practical.

Having said that, there is material I didn't buy that has put money in my pocket for the last 6 months. Not because I pirated it, but because its not for sale. I have been so busy using David Breth's free insights and information that I haven't had the time to buy and read the full books. (sorry David!) I know I will be picking up all the other material soon, and he provides so much information up front that I should be putting a check in the mail right now. David's clients are not usually magicians (though that is what he does). they are small businesses that need effective, cutting-edge strategies to improve the quantity and quality of their clientele. When I saw David in Baltimore a few months ago I wasn't surprised by what he was doing. I was surprised by the fact that he was doing exactly what his "Make Money Sharing What You Already Know" book said. I thought there must be something more to it that he hadn't shared. Its all there. And its free.

I am a big proponent of what David is doing because it has been effective for me in such a short period of time. And I have seen it work for him as well.

If you have a large touring show with 20+ employees don't bother with either of these courses. But if you need to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and put something in place so those high-end sales courses will finally make sense, I think you can't go wrong with David Breth and Eric Anderson.

Kris Bentz
Seamless Magic

Kris,

Thank you for your consideration... It truly was a pleasure meeting you this summer when you flew into Baltimore from Dan Diego, California (I am not saying this due to the nice comments).

As you experienced first hand my direct response marketing and advertising tactics are ethical, different than most and come from in the trenches (hands on). My passion has always been to really help others achieve their own success (not to pump myself up into something I am not)... as long as they are willing to put the effort into themselves I will strive to find the missing "element" which may be slowing them down (in most cases it is something small like not having a solid MPO).

P.S. As you also noted I will not just make something up to make myself sound smarter than I really am...(if I do not know something) I will search those people in the know and direct you to them.

Again, thank you Kris.

Posted: Sep 12, 2010 6:49pm
If you visit http://www.BusinessMarketingMatters.com

or

http://www.davidbreth.com/businessmarketingmatters

Within 30 seconds you will be taken to "How To Get An Extra $300 (or more) Per Month And Build Credentials Just By Sharing What You Know With Others".

Posted: Sep 12, 2010 7:15pm
**Vick - ..."I'm ranked the #1 magician by Gigmasters"... the fact is (as you and I know) for most people their 'perception is reality' so many believe (due to what they state when they call me) if you are ranked #1, 2 or 3 in the major search engines you must be really good to great.

**Group - Having high rankings in the search engines is fine however if you do not have a high ranking show to match this also hurts those of us who do. Fact is one of my press releases STAYED #1 on Google news for OVER 12-months and the calls I received from this was AMAZING (not to mention the money people paid me to coach them about how to effectively use direct response style press releases) but, But, BUT I have a good strong show which people place high value on.

Look at one of Jack Turk's videos here ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV0wtiCcJ8g does the value he describes on his website appear in his showmanship? YES!!! You see his web site makes BIG claims BUT he backs them up with solid performances.

or

Take a magical journey with Illusions by Vick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRXTcK3PVR8 now notice two different styles yet both Vick and Jack deliver value and NOT JUST A FEW TRICKS but they take props and transform them into effects.

Bottom Line: You can market yourself to the point you are busy, Busy, BUSY however if you do not deliver real value in your "PERFORMANCES" then all the marketing know how is not worth achieving just so you can brag that you are doing a gazillion shows every week.

David,
You're embarrassing me ;-), that was shot with one camera just a few days after working with Joanie Spina

This is about the same but better and more stuff, I like it a little better
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjliHmdhp0g

Here is a shorter version that zooms in a little more
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGyidNnyRpY

Bottom line is you have to deliver, a show, emotions, feelings, thoughts and something special for your audeince

Either in the show ... or in your marketing

or best ... in both

Posted: Sep 12, 2010 8:14pm
Now that I've protected my frail little ego ;-)

The VERY IMPORTANT point being made here is

YOU HAVE TO HAVE A QUALITY PRODUCT (show) to market

I watched 15 seconds of Jack Turk's video and knew he has something substantial of high quality there, he is reaching his audience

About the Gigmaster's thing, I have a good show to market, a quality product to delivery that I promote and stand behind. Gigmaster's ranking is by bookings, reviews and money earned over the past 6 months.
http://www.gigmasters.com/Search/Magician--MD.html

(yes it's true I have been booked twice as much as any other magician in MD, DC and VA this year)

I try to deliver an outstanding quality show every time out, for every client, every where. It's what they pay for and it's what I have to give

Here's a tip about marketing for you, it is easier to retain a client than it is to get a new one. I've already realized the customer acquisition cost with an existing client, they know me and my work, what they can expect.

It's also easier to gain new bookings at a show than it is to get them anywhere else, every show is a huge opportunity for new work

Magicians (entertainers) are constantly being asked to contribute their services to charities and other organizations like school, scouts, church, etc., ... So what can you do to make it work for both of you so you are not spending money you do not have at the moment????

"How To Turn Your Generous Donations Into High Profits"

Next time you are approached to donate your entertainment services to a community, synagogue, PTA fund-raiser, charity, etc. donate a hundred, a thousand dollars (more or less) worth of discount tickets instead. The person who purchases or wins these tickets can then turn them in to buy your services for a discount.

You, in turn, can offer to donate 10 percent of your profits to the organization. When you present the donation check, publicize it with a press release (the media LOVES this type of story)! You can even go as far as to create a giant card-board check and hand it over game-show style, alerting the local newspaper to the photo op (I have successfully taken this approach and have received some very nice media coverage)!

**One area where I have successfully taken this approach is for my birthday party packages where I up-sell my magic work-shop after the birthday party magic show. Again, if you have questions about this approach please ask http://www.davidbreth.com/Help

-Fellow magician (entertainer), Do not just barley survive THRIVE!!!!

Earlier this thread was asking what works in the UK? Well I'm in Australia 'across the other pond' so this might have some similarities.

Last week I ran a quick test of David's press release info after seeing Jon Armstrong locally here in Adelaide.

This was my first ever press release, so it was without planning for the Search Engines, and only submitted to 2 free places.

Results?

It was Top 10 on Google in Australia for 2011 Adelaide Magic Conference (a term mentioned only once at the bottom of the release) the very next day.

And is now Top 3 for our local magic club's name ie 'bomb shelter magic' in Australia:
http://www.google.com.au/search?q=bomb+shelter+magic

What works outside the US?

Well it seems like this does.

Thank you WordofMouthMagic (Martin),

I am thrilled you are getting the results I said you would and I appreciate your willingness to share openly something others may be "shy" to share for fear of “competition”.

One thing I KNOW (FACT) which has really helped my business grow was when I realized other entertainers in my area are NOT my competition you see the reality is we all offer different show styles and if we strive to enhance each other (yes, even sending shows to each other) it does various things for you and your business like…

Creates a bigger perception (name) for you in your area (you become known as the “go to” person for entertainment). I know, I know I can hear you saying, ..."But if I send them a show they will take this customer and I will lose possible future shows, etc."...!!!

Hold on dragon breath.

You see first it is vital to set-up positive relationships with those in your area and industry who share common ethics and integrity and also deliver a solid product (show) then this almost always guarantees you will not be left in the cold for future shows.

Example: If a mother calls me to perform a magic show for her son’s third birthday party I will simply “sell” her on another entertainer in the area (since I do not specialize in this age group), the other entertainer does the same when someone calls and they are looking for someone to entertain for their daughter’s sixteenth birthday celebration. It is a win/win.

Please feel free to ask me any questions about this I may not tell you what you want to hear but I will not lie to you.

Posted: Sep 14, 2010 10:35am
Email Templates Follow-Up!

Below is an actual real-world example (meaning this is something being used by real customers and for this example I have permission from this customer to share this and their results with you) of a "follow-up" email template I created for one of my customers (yes, you are correct this is not 'rocket science' HOWEVER the success rate is what is vital here).

You see like this example I instruct my clients to send a "let me re-introduce myself" email approximately 24 - 48 hours after they meet then if they do not receive a reply from the first email (which is very rare) they send the second one (Two Week Follow-up - The two weeks is not set in stone it may be a few days, etc. just depends on the conditions).

***Now please note I am using one of my clients who is not an entertainer for several reasons and one of these reasons is so those who may read this and believe their target market is different and they could never use these "types" of methods to market to their market can (magicians, clowns, caricature artists, face painters, etc.) - - as Dan quickly learned.

His first words to me were (which I have heard MANY times from almost every client before coaching begins) "Dave, I am a gardener my business is different you are marketing magic shows and my customers are buying fresh produce"... - - well as of today for EVERY email he is sending using the templates below his response rate is not 20%, 44% or 90% it is 100% - - he gave me permission to publish his information in case you still can not see how this system “type” could possibly work in your entertainment business (if you must contact him to prove to yourself this works PLEASE respect his privacy and only do so if you require proof or if you want to buy fresh peppers).

BTW: His web site is only a few days old (September 2010).

So without further ado, here are the email templates you can swipe and use as your very own (PLEASE CHANGE TO NAME, TELEPHONE NUMBER, WEB SITE AND AD COPY TO MAKE THEM YOUR OWN).

***NOTE: You do NOT have permission to sell these or use these if you are attempting to consult people using these templates - - please respect this request... these are for your personal use ONLY - - period.***

P.S. If you want personal help implementing this "type" of system I highly recommend you contact Jack Turk and / or Jim Snack.

********************************************************************

NAME,

It was a pleasure meeting you yesterday at the Bowers Pepper Festival because I know you met many people throughout the day I am following-up to re-introduce myself. My methods for growing are consistent with organic standards (pesticide and chemical free); my fields are based in Harford County, Maryland where I specialize in growing peppers, garlic, onions and herbs.

P.S. As my new website grows I would like to add your website link on mine, please let me know which web-page you would like me to place on my website.

Organically yours,

Dan Heiles
DanHeiles.com
(443) 803-2944

Two Week Follow-up if no response:

Hi NAME,

Two weeks ago I emailed you a follow-up email a day after we met at the Bowers Pepper Festival and since I have not heard from you I am wondering if you just became busy or maybe one of those email gremlins gobbled it up ; )

In either case here is the original email for your convenience.

Original Email:
It was a pleasure meeting you yesterday at the Bowers Pepper Festival because I know you meet many people throughout the day I am following-up to re-introduce myself. My methods for growing are consistent with organic standards (pesticide and chemical free); my fields are based in Harford County, Maryland where I specialize in growing peppers, garlic, onions and herbs.

P.S. As my new website grows I would like to add your website link on mine, please let me know which web-page you would like me to place on my website.

Organically yours,

Dan Heiles
DanHeiles.com
(443) 803-2944

Hmmmm

It's a bit like those people who brag about being Google #1 for
some obscure term in some tiny locality.

You would impress me more if you told us how many people searched for
bomb + Shelter + magic each month
and then how you dominated that highly contested niche market.

Hi bubbleburst2004,

WordofMouthMagic's mention of this was and is not to "impress" --please re-read his post again without reading between the lines.

If WordofMouthMagic or I wanted to "impress" either of us could brag how our web sites rank #1, #2 and #3 organically in the major search engines for our targeted market and for the key words people use (oh, and our web sites rank #1, #2 and #3 organically in the major search engines for our targeted markets and for the key words people use - - he is "down-under" and I am here in the USA and we both have different target markets but our web sites have VERY high viability for our target markets), but WordofMouthMagic's focus was / is on implemplimentation (action).

If one was to take the same steps they can use the same method to rank their blog and web site on the front of major search engines for the key words people are searching for (WordofMouthMagic fully understands no one is searching with these key words... this is why he stated ..."I ran a quick test "... He is merely sharing what a "quick test" can do and if this result is from a test how much more could a real hard-core all out direct response marketing assault do)).

Your point bubbleburst2004 of trying to "impress" would be well taken if this thread was to try and "sell" the readers on a system, product or service (which I have not intent or desire to do - - this is why I am directing the readers toward experts like Jack Turk and Jim Snack) however I believe the goal from WordofMouthMagic's perspective is only to get the wheels of action moving forward in the readers minds.

I hope this helps clarify somethings and if you ever have questions please do not hesitate to ask.

Posted: Sep 15, 2010 7:49am
Get your web site or blog allot more visibility in the major search engines.

Okay, let's get started...
5 Quick “Dirty” SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Tips To Get Website Traffic Fast!

On the Internet, one of the most significant keys to success is getting website traffic. The more targeted visitors you have, the better your sales and profits. Presumably you have a niche and you know your keywords, and regularly conduct keyword research to stay on top of what is popular. Based on those assumptions here are five quick and easy tips to get website traffic fast!

Tip #1 - Make sure you are actually tagging your keywords.

Do you spend a lot of time optimizing your content and then neglect to tag them on your web-page? Tags are where search engines look and if there are no tags they will pass right by your web pages. Here is a quick brief on tags.

There are a number of tag types including,

MOST magiican web-sites are NOT doing this...
ONE OF IF NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT TAGS OF ANY WEBSITE!!!
* Title tags. Title tags are quite possibly the most important place to situate your keywords. Here’s what they look like - <title>Primary keyword phrase here. </title>

Your title tag is where you place your primary keyword or keyword phrase. The sentence will describe your business in less than 90 characters.

* Header Tags. Header tags are next in order of importance to search engines. They are ranked in order of importance and look like this - <h1>Primary and/or Secondary keywords here</h1>

The “1” designates this header as the most important header on the page.

* Meta Tags. Meta tags provide the small descriptive text found underneath the title tag on the search engine results page. Like title tags these should be kept brief, informative and up to date.

* Alt Tags. Alt tags are used to provide a text description of a graphic. Each graphic on your site should have a description and an alt tag.

Tip #2 - Add content to your site daily

RICH CONTENT is essential for traffic and a top search engine ranking. Content is what search engine spiders look for and index - without it there is nothing to index or rank. Give visitors and search engines a reason to visit and index your site. Make a commitment to provide daily, optimized content and your traffic will soar.

Tip #3 - Procure valuable and relevant incoming links

The more websites which link to your web-pages the more valuable search engines perceive you to be, though not all links are created equal. Search engines give more leverage to links from sites which are popular and credible and from sites which are relevant to your website topic.

There are different types of links.

- A direct link looks like a basic website address, for example, http://www.yourwebsite.com

- A text link occurs when the web-page address is embedded in the text. Readers simply click on the link and are redirected to a new website page.

- If the link is to an internal web page, for example an article published on a website, rather than the home page, it is called a “deep link.”


You can encourage linking to your web-site by:

* Adding content to your site.
* Submitting to article directories.
* Publishing press releases
* Blogging and participating in social networking forums, chat-rooms and social networking sites.

Tip #4 - Be Social!

Now more than ever before, internet marketing is about building a community. Whether you offer a forum on your website or you participate in social networking sites, social networking is a valuable traffic generating tactic. Sites like Facebook and Twitter can be powerful tools for generating targeted links and traffic to your site – create a profile and then post comments, links to your site and ideas which generate conversation (engage your audience).

Get involved - many chat-rooms and forums are industry specific, find those which cater to your industry, and begin participating. Speak to and connect with a highly targeted audience.

Tip #5 - Advertise for more exposure and traffic

Advertising, when handled strategically, can be used to promote your content and products or services. PPC advertising is often the tool of choice because you control the advertising budget on a daily basis and have the tools to test and track your advertising efforts. Once you have honed your PPC ads the return on investment can be phenomenal in terms of traffic and purchases.

CAUTION: Unless you hire a TRUE PPC expert this can cost you more than you get in return!!!

For maximum results, create a traffic and SEO 'strategy'. Out-line your plan and your goals and then take the necessary action. Take advantage of these five traffic and search engine tips to boost your entertainment business.

Excellent point bubbleburst2004.

It would also impress me more if that was the case - BUT I would also expect to do more work than write a non-SEO optimized 1-pager and submit it to 2 free sites.

Remember also that I'm in Australia, and I'm commenting on people saying they can't use the US/Canada marketing material in their home city/country. I disagree.

In my experience, SEO techniques often work BETTER outside the US because there is less SEO awareness and competition. I suspect it is true of many other marketing techniques as well.

Heck I got on the first page for weight loss in my city of over a million people. All it took was buying the right domain name (my first choice was actually available - try doing that in the US), putting up a 5 page blog, and having a couple of solid backlinks!

A bunch more backlinks and one more post and now I'm #1 for an "obscure term" that targets an ideal client for my medical counselling practice - http://www.google.com.au/search?q=weight+loss+adelaide

All because I learned from the best in the US. So now what seeeeems to others in my home town to be like marketing 'magic' - isn't at all - 'when you know the secret'.

The Title tag should be kept to around 65 characters.

It is not a character limit but a pixel limit and depending on browser / screen settings you can get the ... with over 65 char.

as far as competition.. there is very little competition ANYWHERE for localized terms
although it is getting harder

MikeClay,

Very good (solid) points.

Thank you,

Posted: Sep 16, 2010 8:37am
Hello everyone,

In MikeClay's web-site there is an article titled "Why Search Engines Hate Your Pretty Website" - - this is something I have taught for years however Mike has put it into a concise format which I find easy to read and understand so go get it...

http://askmikeclay.com/category/online-marketing-quick-start

Posted: Sep 17, 2010 11:56am
Hello Fellow Entertainer,

Congratulations You are about to learn how you too can create more publicity on the Internet and off for your entertainment business without spending tons of cash.

Press releases are a highly effective promotion method, but first let's go back to the beginning...

What is a Press Release & Why Your entertainment Business Needs Them
==============================================

A press release is a newsworthy story about your entertainment business that you submit to various media ~ newspapers, radio, television, magazines, etc. If they are interested in your story, they may just interview you or run your press release in their publication.

The general public is more receptive to a news story than ad. A press release may be your key to getting your story published. Having the media do a story about you is like an receiving an endorsement of you, your web site and your products. Most importantly, sending out a press release is far cheaper than purchasing an ad.

A formal press release follows a specific format and is sent to solicit interest in your entertainment business.

However you send your press release, it is important to remember that a press release is not an advertisement about your entertainment business. It is a newsworthy story that the media might just be interested in picking up.

Send out a press release every time something new is happening with your web-site and entertainment business, but make sure it is newsworthy. Do not send out a
release because you now carry a new balloon color or when you buy a new deck of cards.

Here is just a small sampling of ideas.

1. The Launch (or re-launch) of your Web-site:
What is unique about your site? What problem does it solve for your visitors? What are the benefits to your visitors?

2. Adding New Services & Products:
Again, make sure it is newsworthy. Make sure to focus on the benefits and why your target audience would be interested in the new services and products.

3. Events:
Announce your special events like public speaking engagements, open houses, seminars, a fair you are arranging, etc.

4. Fundraisers & Donations:
If you are running a fundraiser or making a considerable donation (ex. 50% of your sales for the month of September), write a press release about it. It will bring attention to your entertainment business and help you run an even more successful fundraiser.

5. Major Awards & Accomplishments:
If you've been given a prestigious award, write a press release about it. Just keep in mind, a press release is not your opportunity to brag about yourself. You still need to focus on how that award shows you can help others.

Get creative and always make sure your news is of interest to the people who read, listen to or view the media you are submitting to.

Coming in my next post - Writing a Press Release
& The Technical Details

Designing Profitable Strategies For Entertainers,

David Breth

P.S. If you have questions just ask.

Getting harder yes. Try searching for Maryland Magician - ie David Breth's neck of the woods. The competition has certainly hotted up there

Oh, and the press release I mentioned that went to 2 free sites, is now on #3 and #4 and #7:
http://www.google.com.au/search?q=bomb+shelter+magic

Ohh WOW ... that article should have been on the MMG site... the askmikeclay was a test site... and we ran a scraper on it... so I shut it down to let it age and get it back out of the sandbox.... (its out now, but I havnt redone it yet)


I will copy it over before we delete that site (and rebuild it.)

I hope you have come up with some great press release angles for your publicity campaign. Today, we are going to talk about how to write a press release and all those pesky technical details.

Writing a Press Release & Technical Details
==============================================

Your press release should include a few essential components. They are:

1. Date Instructions
"For Immediate Release";
"For Release Before [date]" or
"For Release After [date]"

Use one of the latter two if your press release is of a time sensitive nature. For example, if you are holding a public speaking event, you will want to use the "For Release Before [date]" and make sure you input the final date for registrations.
If you are using the "For Release Before [date]" ensure you are sensitive to media deadlines. Send your release out well in advance.

2. Headline

Write an attention-grabbing headline. Make it benefits-oriented (why would it be of interest to people?) and descriptive. Avoid hype and promotional language ~ remember, this is a news story.

3. Contact Information

Include as much information as possible here. Make it easy for the media to contact you. Include your phone number, address, company name, fax number, email and URL. Include the hours you are available at the listed phone number and add an after hours
phone number, if applicable.

4. Summary

Before you get into the body of the release, write a sentence or two to summarize your press release. Make it interesting, you want the recipient to keep reading. Also, include the area to which this release is relevant.

5. Content

This is the meat of your press release. Again, write a benefits-oriented story. Think of the target audience as you are writing. Your target audience is partly the editor or reporter who will be reading the release. Ultimately, however, your target audience is that editor or reporter's readers or audience. You need to write a story
that will be of interest to them.

The first paragraph should answer all the important questions - Who, What, Where, When, Why & How? You only have a few seconds to keep an editor's or reporter's interest. Here's your chance.


6. Signify the End of Your Press Release

The end of your press release is shown by a few simple characters. Place ### at the end of your release.


Coming in the next tutorial: Write a Press Release that Will Get Noticed.

As always, contact me with your questions http://www.davidbreth.com/Help

Posted: Sep 22, 2010 9:50am
Hello Again,

By now, you know you must write a press release which is newsworthy and you must avoid having your press release sound like an ad. Reporters and editors receive many releases each and every day...you only have a few seconds to grab their attention. Here are a few tips that might help:

1. Use an attention grabbing headline

2. Use the first paragraph to answer all the important questions like who, what, where, when, why & how.

3. This story is for your readers (the editor/reporter and ultimately, their audience) ~ tell them why it would interest them

4. Avoid the hype. Do not use big words and adjectives. Stick to the facts.

5. Focus on benefits: What problems do you solve for your customers or website visitors?

6. Back up your claims with facts and statistics.

7. Consider sending out a Press Release Kit, instead of just a simple press release. Here are the elements you can include:

- Letter
- Press Release(s)
- Business Fact Sheet
- Your Biography
- Samples, Photos, etc.
- Company Literature
- Your Business Card

If you sell magician services, imagine what attention you can receive by sending a cool magic trick. However, keep in mind that although your sample may be appreciated, the information you sent may not be read.

You need to evaluate the cost of sending a full press release kit. You may want to indicate that you will send samples upon request as an alternative.

However you decide to send your release, you need to stand out from the crowd. You need to create a press release would interest the editor and his target audience.

Next time I will share: Press Release Distribution Tips - Where to Send Your Press Release

Designing Profitable Strategies For Entertainers,

PS; If you have questions just ask.

David Breth

Posted: Sep 23, 2010 8:29am
Okay I am back,

It is time to find out exactly what you should do with that press release you have carefully crafted. Here are some distribution tips.

You need to build a media list and this will likely take some time. Start local and small.

Local and/or small media are most likely to be interested in your story and it is the perfect way to hone your release writing skills. Besides, a lot of the larger media outlets scan the little guys to find stories to pick up.

**I have found much success with community college newspapers.

Try newspapers, trade journals, topic specific magazines, websites, radio shows, television show ~ whomever would be interested in your topic. Do not send your release to just anyone, or you could be accused of spamming.

Always remember to get specific contact information for your press release. A release
address to a particular person will receive a lot more attention than a general release sent to the media outlet.

Familiarize yourself with the editor or reporter's work. Find out the method they prefer to receive press releases. Do not automatically send them by email... some will prefer mail or fax. Find out their deadlines.

If you are sending your release by email, never send an attachment. Copy and paste your release into the body of the email. Never send a bulk email. Address emails individually

How to Build Your Distribution List:

1. For your local media, check the publication or their website for information on how to submit a release.

2. Do a search on your favorite search engine for websites in your industry that might just be interested in running your story.

3. Here are a few websites to help you build your list:

- Media Post http://www.mediapost.com/ - extensive
directory for US media
- NewsLink.org http://newslink.org/ - directory
for a number of countries
- ABYZ News Links http://www.abyznewslinks.com/ -
directory for a number of countries

4. Submit your press release to a few online news-wires and news websites. There are a number which require payment, but they may be outside your budget.

Here is a free one:

- Free Press Release - http://www.free-press-release.com They do an excellent job and are free. You can also donate to Free Press Release to receive better placement for your release.

Remember, it will take time to build a great media list, but the rewards will be worth it.

Designing Profitable Strategies For Fellow Entertainers and Entrepreneurs,

David Breth

Posted: Sep 24, 2010 7:48am
Congratulations on taking the first step to creating more publicity for your magic "business" without spending tons of cash.

REMEMBER:
Press releases are a highly effective promotion method, but first let us go back to the beginning...

What is a Press Release & Why Your Magic Business Needs Them
==============================================

A press release is a newsworthy story about your magic business (NOT AN ADVERTISEMENT BUT SOMETHING NEWSWORTHY) you submit to various media outlets ~
newspapers, radio, television, magazines, etc. If they are interested in your story, they may just interview you or run your press release in their publication.

The general public is more receptive to a news story than ad. A press release may be your key to getting your story published. Having the media do a story about you is like an receiving an endorsement of you, your web site and your products. Most importantly, sending out a press release is far cheaper than purchasing an ad.

A formal press release follows a specific format and is sent to solicit interest in your magic business.

However you send your press release, it is important to remember that a press release is not an advertisement about your business. It is a newsworthy story that the media might just be interested in picking up.

Send out a press release every time something new is happening with your website and business, but make sure it is newsworthy. Do not send out a release when you now carry a new balloon color.

Here is just a small sampling of ideas.

1. The Launch of your Website:
What is unique about your site? What problem does it solve for your visitors? What are the benefits to your visitors?

2. Adding New Services & Products:
Again, make sure it is newsworthy. Make sure to focus on the benefits and why your target audience would be interested in the new services and products.

3. Events:
Announce your special events like public speaking engagements, open houses, seminars, a fair you are arranging, etc.

4. Fundraisers & Donations:
If you are running a fundraiser or making a considerable donation (ex. 5% of your sales for the month of September), write a press release about it. It will bring attention to your business and help you run an even more successful
fundraiser.

5. Major Awards & Accomplishments:
If you've been given a prestigious award, write a press release about it. Just keep in mind, a press release is not your opportunity to brag about yourself. You still need to focus on how that award shows you can help others.

Get creative and always make sure your news is of interest to the people who read, listen to or view the media you are submitting to.

Keep Reading and applying what you are learning... you will be glad you did...

Okay, I have a little writing challenge for you. If
you are currently working on a press release, get that out
now. Or if you are not working on one, grab a recent release.

Go through the release and cross out every single adjective.
If you are not sure what an adjective is, according to the
Webster's Dictionary, it is:

"The part of speech which modifies a noun or other
substantive by limiting, qualifying, or specifying and
distinguished in English morphologically by one of several
suffixes, such as -able, -ous, -er, and -est, or
syntactically by position directly preceding a noun or
nominal phrase."

Some common adjectives are:

• better
• very
• wonderful
• beautiful
• best
• amazing

Adjectives are useful in our everyday discussions, but when
we add them to our press releases (and our sales copy), they
tend to sound promotional and a bit like hype.

Ex.

"Amazing New Magic Show Technique Offers Very Best Solution To Fund Raising"

What is your proof that your product is truly amazing and is
the BEST solution? Words like very offer little meaning -
they just emphasize a word, but really offer no proof. You
need to make your press release more meaningful.

So, if you remove your adjectives, you are forced to
describe in real concrete terms what is amazing about your
product and why it is the best. Here is a better headline
than the one above:

"New Fund Raising Technique Improves The Financial Status for Charities"

See what I mean? Yes, some adjectives will remain (see, I
still have the word "new" in the headline to illustrate that
is a new technique), but most can be omitted and replaced
with more concrete details.

Until next time... be well and use this information in good wealth.