Write On ~ Creative Writing Services

There’s a big buzz about branding right now.

I’m always curious to see what people are saying because I’m no stranger to the branding process. Back in ‘the day’ I used to work for an ad agency and I’ve worked on branding and image campaigns from start to finish (although, truthfully, branding is an ongoing process).

Anyway, there seems to be a lot of confusion about what branding really is. Some people think it’s a logo. Others swear it means creating a really cool television spot. And, others are simply mystified by the thought of branding.

To demystify branding for you, I’ll share the simple definitions that I included in the training materials I created for the Idaho Small Business Development Center several years ago. This clearly illustrates the difference between your logo and your brand because your logo is not your brand and your brand is not your logo.

Logo: An identifiable insignia that represents a company.

Brand: The overall impression and experience that your customers receive from your business.

Simply put: branding is EVERYTHING you do to create the overall experience and feeling that your customers get from doing business with you. Your logo is just one element of your branding.

With that being said, I’m interested to listen in to an upcoming call with my mentor Ali Brown and her mentor Anne McKevitt. They are going to dig into branding and share some dos and don’ts.

Anne is also going to share her thoughts on branding in relationship to social media like Twitter and Facebook. In fact, Anne’s going share exactly what she shared ? about branding that really caused a great BIG stir (and ticked a lot of people off) at Ali’s live Shine event last year.

I may just agree to disagree with her on that aspect of branding and social media. I believe there is always more than one way to do things. I won’t argue that her methods don’t work (look at what she’s done for Ali’s business & clearly she’s knows what she’s doing or she wouldn’t be a billionaire) but I will say there’s some real merit to social media.

And, although I don’t put my face on my business card (something Anne thinks is a branding mistake) I do know it works for many people - especially those active on social networking sites and live networking events. I’m  personally am a bit of a rebel and break a ’branding’ rule by having my business cards printed on glossy, thick card stock and I don’t plan on changing that any time soon.

I’m going to listen in with an open mind and see what I can learn. Maybe I’ll change my mind. How about you?

Anyway, I’m curious to hear your thoughts and I’d love for you to weigh in before and after the call. You can save your spot on the call by following my affiliate link here

Meanwhile, what are your stuck spots about branding? Do you have a clear picture of the branding process? How do you see the branding process evolving in light of social media? What do you think about pictures on business cards? Don’t be shy, weigh in here.

It’s commonly assumed that PR means “press release” but this is misleading and frankly, not true. “PR does not = Press Release” although, press releases are directly related to PR. Often people are unsure of what PR, publicity and press releases really are. They are all related but each is different and has its own function which works symbiotically with the others.

PR is actually an abbreviation for public relations. Press releases are a part of public relations and they generate publicity but they are not PR (they are a part of PR). At the same time, press releases may generate good public relations.

Are you getting confused yet? Let’s simplify this by taking a quick look at the definitions of each provided by the Wictionary (a great, open source dictionary) and Websters Dictionary (my hard copy favorite).

By definition, Public Relations is communication by a person or an organization with the purpose of creating a favorable public image; commonly referred to as PR.

So, in essence, Public Relations are really the strategies surrounding your overall business presence and message. PR is the foundation that allows you to be ready for publicity when it comes your way it’s your core message, business values and image. While any form of communication can be considered public relations including newsletters, ezines, letters, blog posts and yes, press releases, they must all be a part of a much bigger PR strategy.).

Publicity is what is generated by public relations. By definition, Publicity is an act or device designed to attract public interest, specifically information with news value issues as a means of gaining public attention or support.

When you create public relations (communications) it can generate publicity (public attention). Generally the goal of publicity is to gain UNPAID media exposure including ink (print exposure) and air (broadcast mentions), increase word of mouth and get more clients. Publicity is golden to your business because third party endorsements are more believable than paid ads.

By definition a Press Release is an official written statement that is sent to the media so that it can be publicized (although press releases are not crafted just for the media anymore).

Press releases are often referred to as news releases. They are essentially one in the same. However, the term “News release” can be used when the release is not intended solely for media distribution. For example: Online distribution of your news is a no-cost to low-cost way to establish credibility, help customers find you online and increase your online search engine rankings. So, the goal may not be mainstream media attention when you submit online and it would be appropriate to use the term “news release” instead. Either way is perfectly acceptable.

Basically press releases are both a public relations and publicity tool depending on your overall strategy.

Does your business have the three P’s (public relations, publicity and press releases) covered?

1) Do you have an overall Public Relations Strategy that defines your brand, how you want people to perceive you and what you want to accomplish in the way of publicity?

2) Do you create public relations materials to earn publicity based on a specific overall strategy?

3) Do you share your news via press releases, strategically in accordance to your overall PR plan?

If not, it may be time to start focusing on your P’s

P.S. When writing this article I was looking for a great example to share from an article I had once seen in Readers Digest- thanks to Shannon Cherry ( a fellow PR pro) for posting this excerpt on her blog.

“If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying “Circus Coming to the Fairground Saturday’” that’s advertising. If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that’s promotion. If the elephant walks through the mayor’s flower bed, that’s publicity. And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that’s public relations.

If the town’s citizens go the circus, you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they’ll have spending money at the booths, answer their questions and ultimately, they spend a lot at the circus, that’s sales.”

- Reader’s Digest, “Promoting Issues and Ideas” by M. Booth and Associates, Inc.

What are your favorite PR strategies? Do you have a PR plan?

Technorati Tags: marketing, publicity, PR, Public Relations, press releases, online press releases, press release strategies, PR strategies, public relation strategies, www.writeoncreative.com, www.writeoncreative.com/prcall, how to get publicity, the difference between pr, publicity and press releases

I’m REALLY EXCITED. I’d love for you to join me Tuesday January 12th at 5 p.m. PT, 8 p.m ET as James Roche quizzes me about No Cost to Low Cost Online Press Release Strategies.

Sign up here or read on to learn more (there is NO cost to attend).

You may already be familiar with my passion for online press releases. I LOVE what press releases have done for my business and even more than that I LOVE the process of working with people on their press release strategies. But, more on that during the call. I’m keeping this short and sweet since I’ve been sending a ton of valuable resources your way lately.

The call is absolutely FREE to you!

James is going to ask me all about online press release strategies and how I’ve used them to market my business and to help my clients…

* Double opt ins for online teleseminars

* Help a new author get exposure and win awards

* Get “ink” and interviews in mainstream media

* Support grassroots marketing campaigns to help sway public & public officials opinion

* Increase search engine rankings

* Reinforce credibility resulting in testimonials from BIG NAME marketers

* Earn new clients and projects

I really hope you’ll be there because online press releases are a no-cost to low-cost way to build your business and I want 2010 to be your best year ever. Go ahead and register here.

I’d love to have you on the call because it’s an absolute honor to have James Roche interview me. If you’ve been a part of the Write On Community for any length of time, you’ve undoubtedly read about how much James has helped me and my business. So, jump on the line to hear us discuss No-cost to Low-cost Online Press Release Strategies.

Oh, and if for some reason you’ve missed the information I’ve sent about James in the past, you can check him out here. (And, YES, that’s him in the picture with Ali Brown and me and I am an affiliate for his services because I believe in what he does THAT much).

Technorati Tags: online press release strategies, increase credibility, get better search engine rankings, organic search engine rankings, free teleclass, James Roche, Lisa Manyon, get more clients, get media exposure, www.writeoncreative.com/pressrelease, www.writeoncreative.com, ali brown

Do you have a plan to build your business in 2010? It’s been proven that investing in marketing mentors helps build momentum, increase contacts, refresh creativity and in turn boost income. ? That’s why I’m curious to know who your mentors are.

My favorite mentors are Ali Brown, James Roche and Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero because to be frank they have always delivered what they promised to deliver. This isn’t always the case and you need to choose your mentors wisely. I’m bringing this up now because if you haven’t invested in your business for 2010 and you don’t have a mentor to help you along the way, I personally believe you’re making a big mistake. So, I want you to know about an opportunity to get valuable information to build your business in an ongoing basis in 2010. I believe you only have till January 13th to take advantage of this program. So, here it is.

You have the opportunity to invest in a program that will change your business IF you commit to it and do the work (this is a key ingredient to success — there really are no magic bullets).

Anyway Ali announced that she’s offering a new tier of the Millionaire Protege Club for 2010 and Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero is going to lead this tier. They offered a preview call (maybe you were on it and if so, you’ve probably already invested) and if you missed it, here’s a snap shot of what the program entails.

Ali and Lorrie revealed…

“Your 11 Best No-Cost to Low-Cost Marketing & Business Strategies for 2010!”

The cool thing about this is that I incorporate these strategies in my business and THEY WORK. So, when you join the the Gold tier you’ll focus on one of these business building strategies each month.

Cut to the Chase here to learn the program details or read on to discover the topics included.

Here’s a sampling of what the Gold tier covers:

1. Social Media – How to Maximize These Free Marketing Tools Without Wasting Your Days Away

2. Website Must-Haves: 7 Components of an Irresistible Website

3. Grab Their Attention With Your Online and Offline Powerful Marketing Headlines

4. Ezines, Blogs, and Print Newsletters: New Ways to Use Them to Build Your Professional Fame

5. Your First VA: A Step-by-Step System to Finding and Working with Your First Virtual Assistant

6. Online Shopping Cart Basics: Your Simple Guide to E-Commerce

7. In-Person Networking Secrets to Building Your Business with Personality and Confidence

8. Teleseminars: A Quick and Easy Guide to Hosting Your Own Cash-Creating Phone Calls

9. Webinars, Podcasting, and Video ?€“ Multi-Media Alternatives that Get Your Brand More Attention

10. Joint Ventures and Affiliate Marketing: Create Passive Income With Strong Relationships

11. Speaking and Hosting Your Own Events: Behind-the-Scenes Truths

Even though I implement many of the strategies, I’ll be listening in as a refresher because I firmly believe you must always be open to not only learning new marketing strategies but developing stronger strategies with the methods you already use.

Plus, this program is conveniently delivered as monthly training calls, Q&A calls, recordings, transcripts, and many other added benefits. So, you don’t have to travel (another money saving? strategy).

That’s it. Just didn’t want you to miss out on this? opportunity. And, ? when you are ready to join, please use my affiliate link here. ? I believe? registration? is only open through January 13th, so don’t delay.

Technorati Tags: Ali Brown, James Roche, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero, Millionaire Protege Club Gold Tier, money saving marketing strategies, marketing, mentoring, mentoring programs, Lisa Manyon, www.writeoncreative.com

It all started innocently enough. Maggie Keenan (Twitter handle @MaggieKeenan) and I (Lisa Manyon ?€“ Twitter handle @WriteOnCreative) were both being social on social networks.

I posted a question on Facebook that asked: ? ?€?I think it would be fun to be a professional gift giver w/ an unlimited budget to delight others. What would you give & why??€?

This sparked some interesting discussion and Maggie took note (we both have a passion for giving and helping non ?€“profits in particular).

Then the magic began. I thought about the recent Facebook craze of women posting their bra color in their social media status to support breast cancer. Fair enough, it?€™s a good cause. BUT, what about taking action to REALLY make a difference. I sent the link to the bra gig to Maggie to ponder, too.

In the spirit of the aforementioned question I posted on Facebook ?€“ I immediately thought about a blanket drive and then I thought about all the cold and hungry people within our own communities. Maggie was on the same wavelength (one of the reasons I love her dearly?€”and yes, we are real friends, Twitter pals and Facebook friends, too).

Maggie suggested we involve a young gentleman by the name of Zach Bonner or @Zach_Bonner on Twitter. He?€™s the 12-year old Founder of the Little Red Wagaon Foundation a program designed to help homeless children. (what an inspiration). So, we?€™re asking you to either support what we?€™re challenging you to do (donate your time, a blanket or some food) or send Zach a donation if you can?€™t find it within yourself to actually take another action.

Enough said: Here?€™s how you can make it happen.

1. Post the information you’ll find below on your Facebook page, blog etc. to spread the word.
2. Take an action yourself
3. Post one of the status suggestions in all of your social media status sections.

That?€™s it. Together we can make a difference.? Give on!~

Here’s your suggested post to send to FB friends to spread the Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should Be Cold or Hungry campaign.

Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should Be Cold Or Hungry

People in your community are cold and hungry. You might not see them on the streets in your community but they are there. Or you may live in a community where it?€™s more than obvious (Hello, Seattle, Los Angeles, Detroit?€¦). Maggie Keenan (@MaggieKeenan ?€“twitter) and Lisa Manyon (@WriteOnCreative ?€“twitter) are no strangers to giving. They?€™re challenging you to do the same. So, donate a blanket or food to someone who needs it. Perhaps someone you see on the street or contact your local giving agencies. There are Community Partnership Act programs across the country, homeless shelters and food banks, too. Or, if you cannot donate an item, donate your time to a local soup kitchen. Let?€™s make a difference. Let?€™s put any judgments aside & give unconditionally.

The Help Starts @ Home movement was inspired by the social media craze of women posting their bra color to support breast cancer. Maggie & Lisa support breast cancer too BUT they?€™re taking this a step further and challenging you and your family to take action and make a difference. After all, we don’t help. who will?

Help really does start at home and no one should be cold or hungry. Post this to your Facebook wall, pass it on to friends, add it to your blog, send it to your newsletter subscribers & when you?€™ve taken action, post this in your status on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or whatever social media platform you choose.

Think of the impact we can ALL make. Oh, and if you really cannot find the time to take action and donate a blanket or food, please consider sending a donation to the The Little Red Wagon Foundation. Zach Bonner (@Zach_Bonner ?€“ Twitter) is the founder. He?€™s 12-Years old and dedicated to helping homeless children. Check him out on Twitter or at http://littleredwagonfoundation.com/ .

Now go forth and GIVE. And, when you do, add our Twibbon to your Twitter profile (thanks @ShelbyCollinge telling us about Twibbons) to your Twitter profile to show united support for Help Starts @ Home.

Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should Be Cold Or Hungry ~ I donated to (insert item & name or organization here)

Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should BE Cold Or Hungry ~ I donated a blanket & food today

Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should BE Cold Or Hungry ~ I donated to Http://littleredwagonfoundation.com

Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should Be Cold Or Hungry ~ I volunteered in soup kitchen today

Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should Be Cold Or Hungry ~I volunteered in a homeless shelter today

Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should Be Cold Or Hungry ~ I volunteered at a Food Bank today

I believe 2010 is the turnaround year for many businesses, yours included. So, I want to keep fueling the conversation about what has been working in your business and what hasn’t or isn’t. I’m also sharing some really personal insights about what works for me and what doesn’t work for me and I want to hear from you.

Not only do I want? I want to hear about what has and hasn’t been working for you, I want to? let you know about a program that can help you restructure your business for success that really feels good to you and ultimately helps others (but we’ll get to that in a? minute) .

If you are at the make it or break it point in your business and you’ve felt like throwing in the towel, this is perfect for you.

In the spirit of transparency I‘m going to share one of the mistakes I was making in my business in 2009. I was hiding behind positive thoughts. Now, you may be wondering how “positive thoughts”can be a mistake. Here’s what I mean.

I am firm believer in creating my own reality. And, in doing so, I use positive thinking to keep myself on track, realign my beliefs around money and generally move myself towards a better place mentally. That probably sounds good and it is to a certain degree. The mistake I made was focusing solely on the reality I have created for myself and not fully appreciating how the economy has really affected many businesses, families and our Country.

In fact, one of my biggest pet peeves of 2009 was the phrase “in this economy….” I really felt like people were focusing too much on the doom and gloom when in reality, financial strain was and still is reality for many people. Once that light bulb went on and I realized that my positive thinking was not enough to change the reality for everyone else, I changed the way I was doing business.

I took some drastic actions that included tearing my business down in order to build it back up. This included a website and image revamp for me but it could be that your business only needs some minor tweaks to get to where you really want to be.

That’s why I think it’s important to carve out some time and tune into what Christine Kloser and Molly Luffy have to say. Not only do Christine and Molly have firsthand knowledge of how difficult business challenges can be, they have each individually engaged the reinvention solution in their own businesses. So, they are the real deal. ? Plus you can win a FREE business makeover just for listening in on a F R E E call this January 14th at 1:00 pm PT / 4:00 pm ET.

Check out this short video to see what I’m talking about:

You’ll know in your heart if this is where you need to be to really take a hard look at what’s working for you and what isn’t. ? I’ll listen for you on the call.

Until then, tell me what you’ve been hiding behind? What do you need to change to make 2010 THE year for you?

Oh and by the way, ? I don’t ever pass on resources that I don’t believe in. I’ve had the honor to connect with Christine personally and have been impressed with her work. Although I have not yet met Molly personally, her energy is amazing and I’m sure you’ll agree. That’s why I am excited to be an affiliate for Rebuild My Business and to share this information with you. ? Will 2010 be YOUR year?

Technorati Tags: Christine Klosure, Molly luffy, Rebuild My Business, business success, marketing basics, marketing, www.writeoncreative.com, Lisa Manyon, marketing resources, what’s working in business

One of the hardest things about being an entrepreneur is being objective about your business. This is especially true for heartbased entrepreneurs because we have created businesses that are an extension of ourselves. Because of this we can sometimes take business success and failure very personally.

Throughout the past year, I took a long, hard look at my business and I let trusted friends and mentors help me with the process. It wasn’t easy and at the same time, I needed to know what was working and what wasn’t. AND trust me plenty of things were not working. Do you ever feel like you’re giving your all and things still aren’t where you REALLY want them to be in your business?

If so, that’s OK and in fact, knowing you need to make adjustments in your business is a great sign that you’re ready to make this YOUR YEAR. Seriously, the entrepreneurs who make it are the entrepreneurs who know when they need help.

That’s one of the reasons I’m focusing on proving resources to my community, peers and friends that will really move you into a place where the success you’ve dreamed of can finally be yours.

I urge you to invest the time to be on this free call with conscious entrepreneurs Christine Kloser and Molly Luffy. If you’ve been faced with the fear of failure, exhaustion and you’ve questioned your business direction, it may be time to restructure instead of giving up.

Christine and Molly know the challenges first hand, and they have each individually engaged the reinvention solution in their own businesses. So, they are the real deal. ? Plus you can win a FREE business makeover just for listening in on a F R E E call this January 14th at 1:00 pm PT / 4:00 pm ET. Listen now to this short video:

You’ll know in your heart if this is where you need to be to really take a hard look at what’s working for you and what isn’t and honestly, I believe this is the key to making it or breaking it in 2010. I’ll listen for you on the call.

And in the spirit of full disclosure, I want you to know I don’t ever pass on resources that I don’t believe in. I’ve had the honor to connect with Christine personally and have been impressed with her work. Although I have not yet met Molly personally, her energy is amazing and I’m sure you’ll agree. That’s why I am excited to be an affiliate for Rebuild My Business and to share this information with you. ? I value you and appreciate you and thank you for your continued support and trust. I cannot wait to see what 2010 has in store for you.

Take a look at what’s working in your business and more importantly what isn’t. Feel free to share your observations here. I’d love to hear what’s going on with you. ? What’s working for you? What isn’t?

Technorati Tags: business success, Christine Kloser, Molly Luffy, real business success, business building tools, business rebuilding tools, win a business makeover, free call, Lisa Manyon, www.writeoncreative.com, free teleseminar, marketing

When you?€™re looking for quick tips for beauty and business, the place to go is The Red Lipstick Report. You?€™ll find savvy, sassy tips to be the best that you can be.

Tamara Gold of the Red Lipstick Report has a knack for illuminating your inner beauty so you shine on the outside. She provides proven business resources and beauty tips ?€“ the perfect blend for a bountiful life.

I am impressed with Tamara and her ability to help you enhance your own personal style! I?€™m honored to have participated in her ?€?Spotlight Interview?€? where we discuss the importance of sharing your gifts with the world so you can help more people. Visit http://theredlipstickreporter.com/spotlight-interview-lisa-manyon/ to listen in and get some free goodies.

It is said that beauty comes from inside. I believe that is where it starts. And, at the same time what?€™s on the outside counts, too. Be sure to sign up for The Red Lipstick Report updates so you can start transforming your life.

What are some of your favorite beauty and business resources? I?€™d love to hear what works for you. Please, share them here?