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Granted, no team can function without discipline and ground rules. Things would collapse in chaos if everyone spent their work day aimlessly reinventing everything. The bad news is that over time, this kind of regimentation squashes the creativity companies need to grow and stay competitive. The good news is that it’s possible make room for creativity in a set of balanced business practices. If you want a fun and thought-provoking read on this subject, check out Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon MacKenzie.

How can you get more creativity out of your staff? People need to know that their input is valued and rewarded. How many of these killer phrases do you hear on a daily basis? “We tried that once and…” Or, “The problem is…” Or, “The reason that won’t work…” These little devils and their legion of cranky relatives are guaranteed to shut down the flow of profitable ideas into your business. The trick is learning to keep the internal editor from kicking in too early in the creative process. Try setting aside a time and place where it’s okay to capture spontaneous, half-baked thoughts without judging them. Let everyone’s minds wander on the possibilities first. The “editor” can sort and evaluate them later in a separate setting.

Yes, some ideas might sound wacky at first, but if you make a habit of allowing them to surface, they’ll inevitably reveal the seeds of a major new competitive edge. Remember how it felt to be picked for a school team or get accolades for that science project? Imagine what could happen at work if your whole staff felt that way. Making “what if” an official and protected part of your company culture can pay big dividends in productivity and profitability.

Part of the secret to getting publicity is remembering that reporters are people too. They have editors to please and a valuable, hard-won audience that demands fresh, interesting and useful content. The more you understand what media professionals are looking for when they’re trying to beat a deadline, the more attention you’ll get for your product or service. Here are a few key points to keep in mind:

Ask yourself “so what?” People don’t buy drills because they need drills. They buy them because they need HOLES! Your offering may be the next big thing, but if you can’t explain it in terms that matter most to the end user, your message is nothing but noise. Make the story more about the audience than your product by focusing on the key feature or benefit that would matter most to them.

Say it, don’t spray it. Whether it’s a reader or a reporter, you only have seconds to grab their attention. When you get a chance to speak up, don’t blow it by reciting pages of boring specs and formulas. Use a mirror to rehearse a few short interview points that focus on what your offering does to improve the recipient’s life in some practical way.

Get socially networked. Social media isn’t just for hackers and slackers anymore. Major brands from Southwest Airlines to Starbucks use social networking tools like twitter to make personal, two-way connections with their audience. You can learn to give your business an impressive digital presence without spending a fortune.

People who master these secrets gain thousands of dollars worth of free media exposure and you can too. If you want learn how to get noticed and not deleted, Unlocking the Power of Publicity by Robin D. Cook is the guide you’ve been looking for. In a practical, step-by-step language, Robin teaches you how to find the newsworthy part of your story and get reporters interested in what you have to say. People are out there waiting for your message and Unlocking the Power of Publicity will help you reach them with great publicity. Available online today from Wheatmark Publishing, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Many people have assumptions about how to properly gain publicity for their business, but a lot of these assumptions can be misleading or mistaken! Here are 5 of the top myths set straight to help you and your business succeed in the world of publicity.

Myth #1: The more people you send a press release to, the better your chance of having your story picked up.

Narrow it down! You need to think about specific demographics that you are targeting, and then tailor your release to those specific people/places. According to Australian Anthill Magazine, “Simply sending a general release to all and sundry doesn’t always work.” A customized, more focused press release that speaks directly to your target audience is more likely to get the reporter’s attention and encourage them to write about your topic.

Myth #2: Drafting a press release is your first step to gaining publicity.

It’s all about seeking publicity proactively and in various ways. Although press releases are still tried and true methods for gaining publicity, it’s better to start with “figuring out what your objectives are for your business, organization, or yourself if you’re working on a project or endeavor, as well as the goals for the media coverage and/or web presence,” according to PRandPublicity.com. Once you’ve crafted a publicity plan, decide what type of method you will use to distribute your message. For example, would it be better to post your message on a social network? Or maybe a quick email to a reporter about the topic is the first step you take before writing a press release. Think about your goals and different options and draft a plan.

Myth #3: Sales will always increase as a result of great publicity.

Great publicity will create awareness and can even make the phone ring, but it will ultimately be up to you and your staff to turn those calls of interest into sales and, finally, recurring clients.

Myth #4: Well crafted stories are guaranteed to be published.

Yes, it helps to have a good story, and this will increase your likelihood of being published, but there are certain things—breaking news, loss of staff, and other anomalies—that can contribute to the story being lost or forgotten. Also, there may be a multitude of other “great stories,” and not all of them will always be published.

Myth #5: If you do not have contacts, particularly reporter contacts, then you will not be successful.  

Success is all about networking and making the most of relationships that already exist. Evan Carmichael puts it beautifully as he writes that, as in most things, “the quality of your approach and what you have to say is more important than how many people you include in your mailout.”

Essentially, get yourself in there and become a part of your publicity work! Make the most of your circumstances, put effort into your projects, stay focused and pin-point exactly what you want, and you can be successful.

1. Start in the most obvious place: President and founder of Engage Selling Solutions Colleen Francis suggests focusing on existing relationships when looking for potential business. “Start by looking at your current customer sales database. You might be surprised by who you know! All too often, this step is skipped by companies who are hungry for new business,” says Francis. So, pull out the old business cards, start calling and emailing contacts that you haven’t done business with or talked to in a while. Your networks are the first place to start when seeking to boost sales.

2. Stick to the tried and true: Make cold calls, network and follow up. Listen closely to what your potential customers’ needs are. Make sure you are aware that you are really selling yourself – not the product or service. Sell results and solutions and never sell on price. There’s a reason these methods have been around for ages. They work. Globally recognized business coach, mentor, author and consultant - Jonathan Farrington has written a great article on The Twelve Golden Principles Of Selling that outlines this idea.

3. Don’t stop marketing efforts: In his article about how brands thrived during the Great Depression, Partner in Altus Alliance Dave Chase explains how important branding and, furthermore, marketing is during a recession. Popular companies like Procter & Gamble, Chevrolet and Camel cigarettes not only survived during The Depression, but flourished. Their refusal to cut back on marketing efforts is one of the reasons they were able to prosper.

4. Offer assistance rather than a product: Potential customers may not have the budget for what you are selling, so instead offer them advice or help by asking, “What can I do for you right now?” By being a resource to them now, you will create a memorable impression that they will remember when looking for your product or service in the future.

5. Fulfill a need: Every day, I hear that people aren’t buying anything right now. Well, that just can’t be true. Renowned speaker, trainer, consultant, and entrepreneur – Tim Wackel writes that sales reps should stop blaming the economy. “Companies still have to buy goods and services no matter what the economy is doing. They may buy different, they may buy less, but they still have to buy,” writes Wackel.

We are inundated in the digital age—especially those affiliated with the marketing industry. Social media has recently caused me to scratch my head and wonder whether or not all these sites are interpreting our lives and motives incorrectly? Are we lost in the translation?

While doing research for a marketing project, I asked from my fellow PR colleagues and friends who know me for advice. (Know: meaning, having physically encountered my face and grabbed lunch with.) When I asked my cyber world PR colleague the same questions/advice, he/she assumed my request had an ulterior motive; I was up to no good, selfishly seeking a secret of theirs. This was 100% not the case. Unfortunately, this person, who only knew me via social media, was not willing to offer any help for fear I was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. My other colleagues, whom I meet with on a regular basis, trusted me enough to know that I was not planning on stealing their clients. Why is this?

Does the lack of personal involvement cause social media users to look at us with a wary eye? Does social media help us trust people? We as marketing professionals want to be trusted, don’t we?

I take pride in the fact that my company wholeheartedly embraces face to face relationships and our clients love us for it. How 20^th century, right? Well, the age-old adage still holds true: people buy people. When we sell something, we’re really selling ourselves. Remember that one? Think about it, the reporter who you physically shook hands with and introduced yourself to, will be much more likely to respond to your email or tweet. The clients who you personally met and lunched with usually replies to you in timely manner, don’t they?

These days business is submerged in emails, social media space and countless other digital forms of communication. We keep pushing more and more internet sites to better communicate. But are we really communicating in a trustworthy way? Pokes, Becoming a Fan, Following—what are they really saying? Don’t get me wrong, social media is phenomenal. It is completely revolutionizing the way we do business, however, is it enough? I think that the elimination of the in-person factor will cause us to lose sight of what humans really respond to. Is physically getting to know someone completely dead? What would happen if more of us stepped away from the computer and connected face to face? I think we would be surprised with the results.

I think the clear answer is that we need both the tremendous reach of social media as well as face to face connections for all around success.

§         It’s essential to first understand what you’re striving to achieve and why. Is it increased awareness about your business? Is it a specific number of unique page views on your Web site? An increase in prospective consumer phone calls? Set goals that are manageable and attainable.   

2.      Strategically plan how your efforts will be measured and how you will get there

§         What procedures do you have in place to achieve your goals? Do you have an adequate budget? Do you have processes in place to manage the marketing efforts? Before implementing a strategy, be sure that you’re operationally sound.

3.      Establish ongoing measurements and tracking processes

§         Decide what measurement methods will best serve your objectives. Will benchmark and ongoing research meet your needs? Is it tracking the amount of media visibility or measuring Web analytics to evaluate emerging interactive activity?

4.      Evaluate your results and make appropriate adjustments

§         What have you accomplished? Were your goals attained? If not, evaluate what you can do differently. It’s important to have a flexible communication and marketing plan that you can adjust as necessary.