Free PR/Branding/Writing/Social Media Advice -- Just Ask!

                     

Friends, I'm planning and plotting and writing the second edition of the Amy Mac PR Newsletter. (What's this? You know not of what I speak? Please click here for the last issue!)

Here's your opportunity to get a little publicity, branding, social media and writing advice for free. Send me your question by clicking here. It doesn't have to be limited to the above categories, either. If you have a question about working from home, running a small business, writing your resume, working with a printer, setting up a blog ... whatever, just send it along. You can also leave a question in the comments, if you prefer.

Be sure to give me your contact information (just an email address will do, though a first name and  your industry will allow me to be polite (hi, Mom!) and give you the best possible answer) in case I need to get in touch.

For the next issue, I'll need your questions by Monday, April 22. Make sure you're signed up for the newsletter by clicking here!

Taming the Social Media Beast: 5 Easy Steps to Social Media Success

(Hey, Google Reader/RSS Subscribers: Don't miss a post ... click here to continue to get Amy Mac blog posts ... because Reader goes away in a few months!)

Whether you are starting a tiny business from your basement or you're a brand manager for a major conglomerate, anyone responsible for getting the word out about a brand has a vague sense they should be using social media much, much better.

Thing is, social media is overwhelming. You could always be posting more, tweeting more, updating your Facebook status more. Then you get to thinking "Is anyone reading this stuff? Is this really making any sort of impact, or would my time be better spent on traditional marketing? Or maybe just having a margarita and catching up on The Good Wife?"

I am sad to say, from a professional marketing and branding perspective, an effective social media strategy is paramount for connecting with your audience, and thus, you'll need to pour out that margarita (it's 9 a.m., for heaven's sake) and get cracking. Good news is, it's easier than you think to devise a winning social media strategy. In fact, I've broken it down into 5 easy steps:

TOSS the elaborate plan. Many social media efforts fail before they get started because there's too much planning. Nail down what you want to accomplish, make sure it benefits your audience, then GO.

FOCUS your efforts where your audience is most engaged. This isn't an all-or-nothing endeavor. Pick one place to focus, whether it's a blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram or whatever and focus your efforts.

STICK to a schedule. Determine how much time you realistically have to spend on social media, put it on your calendar, and stick to it 100% of the time. Period.

CREATE an ideas file. There's that little "I had writer's block" problem solved.

HIRE it out. Maybe social media just isn't your thing. Pay someone to do it for you. Investing in marketing is always a good investment, and a smart social media campaign will build your business.

See? Easy.

(This post is a recap of an article from my newsletter. Read the full article "5 Easy Steps to Consistent Social Media Success" here. Sign up for the quarterly Amy Mac PR newsletter here.)

Photo Source: chicagonow.com via ROAR pro on Pinterest

The Secret to Editing a Newsletter

Whew-whee. I have been editing and writing and proofing and linking and designing and changing this newsletter non-stop today and I do believe it's almost finished. Sure do hope y'all like it. If you haven't signed up, you can still do that in time for the very first issue ... I'd be much obliged. Click here to sign up. 

The secret to editing a newsletter? Hot pink felt-tip pens.

Now you know.

News You Can Use

When someone finds out I'm a writer with a background in branding and publicity, lots of times they'll have a related question for me. Sometimes it's about how to get better rankings for their website on Google searches, sometimes it's how to improve their staff's writing skills, and sometimes it's how to give their resume a boost.

These are always smart, professional folks who know getting a little advice can be a cost-effective way of building their business or personal brand. So in 2013, I'm going to start gathering up the most commonly asked questions, formulating my very best tips and pointers, and sending out a quarterly newsletter. It's my tiny way of helping my favorite small business owners and folks building their personal brands with a free resource for their marketing needs.

The newsletter will differ from the Amy Mac blog in that it will focus entirely on publicity, marketing, branding and business writing tips. So, ya know ... no stories about the kids, dogs, the hubby, or me accidentally trying to destroy the earth. But genuinely relevant information nonetheless.

I'd love it if you'd sign up! You'll get four emails in 2013, chock full of information. (This is an entirely different list than the blog subscriber list, so even if you already follow the blog ... please sign up for this, too!)

I expect the first issue to be ready in the next week, so sign up on the email form below soon! (You can also find the link on the sidebar of the blog.)

Subscribe to the Amy Mac Quarterly Newsletter!

Done? There now, wasn't that easy?

Muchos gracias....see you soon!

PS -- Have something you'd like me to address in the newsletter? Leave a comment!