I got some steaks to review and we are currently doing giveaways of the product. Let that be my disclosure. I get paid in steaks. The products are excellent, and I wish they sold more variety in my area. (Still, Gary was nice enough to mail me some of their fabulous 100-calorie steaks). I didn’t used to eat red meat, but now, thanks to Chef’s Requested and a really good cook for a husband, I am a steak monster.

Just today I noticed that Chef’s Requested is holding a contest. The winner will receive $1500 to attend a blogging conference of her (yes, her.) choice.  They outline the rules here on Facebook. I love this. It shows again that they know that bloggers are key in helping them build their brand. And I certainly don’t mind passing it on to you.

If you’re a blogger, enter the contest. If you are a steak monster, buy the steak.

Right now we’ve got two courses and will be adding more (we’re also looking for instructors so if you want to teach something marketing related contact me):

How to Set Up a Facebook Page for Your Business

How to Build Media Relationships

I hope you’ll sign up and start your marketing education today. The classes start at $10 each. You can’t beat that!

Want a different topic? Feel free to suggest it!

British Airways just announced its Business Opportunity Grant program, which lets you, the entrepreneur, win airfare, hotels and shipping services for a year. They’re playing off studies that doing business in person is where it’s at, so they want to help you and your company do just that.

Got several business development trips sketched out for 2010, but not sure how to pay for them? This grant program is right up your alley. British Airways will give away 100 of these grants, and all you have to do is tell them about your company and your plans for next year. They’ll pick 100 winners, which is pretty huge!

Here’s what you’ll win:

• British Airways airfare for 10 round-trip Club World business class flights.
• 5 free British Airways World Cargo freight shipments of up to 500 kilos to worldwide destinations
• $1000 toward accommodation at Courtyard by Marriott
• 5 Regus Businessworld Gold Cards providing access to business lounges worldwide
• Canon PIXMA MX860 Wireless Office All-In-One Printer

Meeting people virtually is great, but we can’t forget the importance of face-to-face interaction. Even if it’s just an informal get together, conversations happen that wouldn’t otherwise happen online, which can result in new business for you!

So I don’t care who you are. If you have the ability to grow your business by traveling, enter this contest. Now. It ends September 30.

I help bridge the gap between PR and bloggers.

I’ve talked on this subject a bit on this blog, but not in depth. Still, it’s what I pitch to 90% of my clients. I help them garner product reviews and giveaways on targeted blogs to help expand their reach.

That’s a niche, right??

And so I’ve decided to work on branding myself as this bridge between the two. The branding will involve writing articles, giving presentations, doing interviews, writing more blog posts…the list will be endless.

And to help me stay on task, I’ve decided to inaugurate every Friday as Branding Friday. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes peek at what I’m doing to brand myself and I’ll discuss ways you can brand yourself as an Eggspert in your field. Deal? Each week I’ll give myself a task to do in the upcoming week. I’ll report back the following Friday.

What do you think? Do you have questions I can answer about how your company can use bloggers as a media resource?

My apologies. When I wrote the book review on Riches in Niches, I totally forgot that I was supposed to do a book giveaway! So here goes.

One lucky winner will receive a copy of Susan Friedmann’s book, Riches in Niches. All you’ve got to do is give us your best niche marketing idea.

Need some help getting the creative juices flowing? Here are a few ideas I’ll throw out there.

• Dog groomers could create flyers or email campaigns directed at veterinarians.
• Children’s clothing boutiques can work with local schools on fundraising projects.
• PR Consultants can offer free press release reviews.

How do you market to your niche? Or if you’re not marketing to a niche, just throw an idea out there. Susan and I (the 2 Susans, you may call us) will choose a winner on September 18, so get your entry in by then.

I just launched a new giveaway blog called GiveDaddy.com. We’re giving away a prize every day. It might be cash, a Starbucks gift card, soap, a book…you just never know. So far it’s been really fun, and I’m pleased with the positive response from my ever-growing social network.

But Marketing Eggspert/Susan, how can we support you in this new endeavor?

I’m glad you asked. Visit the blog and enter to win stuff. It’s not hard, and hey, you just might win.

If you have a business and would like to donate a product or service, email me. I’m also encouraging businesses that have overstock or last year’s model to donate those. It’s a terrific way to get traffic to your site from ours. And everyone loves free stuff.

Tell others. Put a link to GiveDaddy.com on your Facebook wall. Tweet about it. Be my brand evangelists because you love me. And I love you back for it!

And so I wrote another book. Go me!

If you are an entrepreneur (as many of you are) and want the quick and easy way to start marketing your business and seeing results soon, buy the book. I provide (just as I do on this blog) step by step instructions to make it brain-dead simple to do your own marketing.

Get your free sneak peek of the first chapter here. This is a cool tool called Book Buzz that lets you view pages of a book for free.

If, after you read Internet Marketing for Entrepreneurs, you have questions about any of the content, I’m happy to answer them for you.

And I’d love your feedback on the book!

I was recently contacted by the PR contact for Eggology, a company that sells egg products for people on the go. Now, normally I wouldn’t review food on my marketing blog. But the company happens to have a pretty good grasp of social media, so you know that tugged at my heartstrings.

On Facebook, they’re using their Page to share recipes with fans. So if you’re curious like I was to see what kinds of recipes you can make with egg whites, become a fan of their Page.

Eggology uses Twitter to connect with fans, link to articles relating to eggs and health, and communicate with others.

It’s a simple effort, but one that is working for them.

Here you can view my unboxing of the egg whites they sent me.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYHbp8IRM7k[/youtube]

So how do Eggology’s egg whites taste? I was surprised. I always thought of egg whites as being for people who would sacrifice taste for health, which doesn’t describe me at all. But they’re great! I love the way you pop the container in the microwave and it’s ready in 90 seconds. I like mine with salsa and monterrey jack cheese.

What about you? How do you like your egg whites? Eggology has agreed to give a 3 month supply of egg whites to the winner of our Eggcellent contest.

How do I enter? Just  follow Eggology on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook. Then leave a comment telling us how you would use Eggology’s egg whites, as well as where you’re following Eggology. I’ll choose a winner August 7.

I shoulder the guilt of disappointing my usually-quiet readers by not posting often enough. But today, I decided something.

THhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I love you guys, and you probably don’t mind if I only post (gasp) once or twice a week. It’s not forever, just for the rest of the summer, or until I find my head, which is packed in a box somewhere in my new house.

So jump up and down and scream if you want (actually, that would make me feel loved, in some twisted way). Or bear with me through the Strange Summer of 2009 and we’ll get up to speed in August.

In the meantime, put together a list of topics you want me to write about. I still have several books and reports to review for you, but feel free to throw more my way. I also like reviewing services like HootSuite and LotusJump, so if you’ve got those, throw them my way (and expect to wait a while).

Thank you for understanding.

Signed,

The Management

I thought I’d take a playful approach to a technical item most think is over their heads. They’re actually incredibly simple to use. But I wanted to create a story rather than talk about the product’s features.

Take a look and tell me what you think. Feel free to pass on to your friends for a laugh!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91J8lRCJsB8[/youtube]

For instance, here’s the list of activities they generated for my marketing & PR firm:

Whenever I have time, I just log in and complete a few of the tasks. They’re things I wouldn’t normally know about, so I like LotusJump’s ability to scour the internet on my behalf. Not all the tasks are appropriate, but they’re easy to delete.

They have a reporting system but it just shows how many tasks you’ve completed in each category. I believe they’re working to add Google Analytics to the accounts, which would help show which tasks actually generated traffic to my site.

This service is great for your website, blog, or both. Prices start at $24 a month, which sure beats those awful companies that guarantee top search engine placement (something no one can guarantee!)!

Let me tell you Egg’s story.

After finding myself out of a job in investor relations, I started freelancing. I wrote a few press releases, then realized that I’d probably get more work if I started a company versus being an individual. So I set out to find a name.

I was watching Funny Face, with my role model, Audrey Hepburn. She works in a bookstore at the beginning of the film…something like Embryo Books. I liked the idea that the word ‘embryo’ portrayed: giving birth to something. But Embryo Marketing was kind of gross. So I kept thinking. What else gives birth or life to ideas? EGGS!

And so Egg Marketing & Public Relations was hatched.

Since then, I’ve added staff and services, and we now offer everything from press releases to social media management. I’m proud to have survived the bad economy (and just barely at times) and been able to work from home. I love what I do, and hope to have many more birthdays.

My Gift For You

Now, I have a tradition to give others gifts on Egg’s birthday. So what I want to do today is offer you any of my marketing ebooks in The Marketing Eggspert Library for just $3 (Egg is 3, $3…get it?). They’re normally as much as $30, so this is a tremendous opportunity for you! But the offer expires at midnight tonight so get on it! Start your birthday shopping now!

PS The products are already marked down, so everything’s $3 today only!

The XShot is your solution to using your arm stretched out to take a photo of yourself or you and a friend (c’mon, we all have those). It makes it easy to take photos, and I was surprised that every one I took came out good (didn’t cut my head off). Here’s my video review.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk7svAXauyk[/youtube]

My apologies for the weird sound and bad quality video. I couldn’t use my Flip because it doesn’t have a tripod mount!

]]> http://www.sparkplugging.com/marketing/xshot-camera-extender-review/feed/ 2 http://www.sparkplugging.com/marketing/win-a-copy-of-quickbooks-pro-2009/ http://www.sparkplugging.com/marketing/win-a-copy-of-quickbooks-pro-2009/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 11:15:43 +0000 Susan Payton http://www.sparkplugging.com/marketing/?p=1108 And the winner is…Denise Edmondson! Thanks so much to everyone who entered. Denise, enjoy your QuickBooks Pro!

Intuit has given us 5 copies of Quickbooks Pro 2009 to give away to Sparkplugging readers! That’s a $199 value, baby! One copy will be given to a lucky Marketing Eggspert reader, and four others will be given away elsewhere on the Sparkplugging network.

Read Brandie Kajino’s QuickBooks 2009 review here.

So, now you can get your bookkeeping together and get your digits and customer information organized!

So, I bet you’re wondering how you win? That’s easy. Here’s how:

1. Leave us a comment below by the deadline, June 1, 2009 at 12:00pm (noon) PST / 3:00pm EST. (Be sure to include your email address so we can contact you if you win!)

2. Subscribe to this blog (if you haven’t already).

That’s it!

Winners will be announced Tuesday, June 2, 2009!

Please be sure to visit our giveaway sponsor:

They are running a Small Business Grant Contest – go and vote for your favorite HERE. There are some great small businesses up for some great prizes! Also, check out the Intuit Twitter peeps: @SharnQuickBooks, @kirasw and @rkeuretig

Good luck everyone!

Egg’s been helping businesses for nearly three years expand their reach through internet marketing and PR. Here’s a summary of the services we offer.

Social Media

We set up Twitter and Facebook accounts for our clients and update them on their behalf. We add relevant contacts and send updates on our clients, as well as links, and start conversations that pertain to their industries. We’ve successfully increased web traffic for clients 200%!

Press Releases

Press releases, as I’ve said it time and time again, are a great way to get cheap publicity. We write SEO-friendly releases and send them out via PRWeb, thus reaching thousands through news and niche websites. We also send them directly to targeted lists of editors, and encourage them to write a review or conduct an interview of our clients. We’ve gotten our clients placed in nationwide publications and websites!

Blogs

If you want to establish yourself as an expert, blogs might be for you. We can design and customize a blog template for you, write posts and promote your blog.

Email Marketing

Are you communicating with your contacts? You could be missing out on valuable business opportunities if you’re not. We can work with you to create email and newsletter campaigns to keep you on the top of the minds of future clients.

This is only a sampling of the marketing and public relations we can offer you. If you have a question or just want a free consultation, please contact me at 321. 280.6895 or email me. And I’m always available via Twitter!

I came across Elena Verlee’s ebook, “PR in Your Pajamas,” and just had to review it. It’s geared towards mothers with businesses, but the information applies to anyone doing his or her own PR.

This ebook is so simple and breaks down the public relations things I do every single day in a way that anyone can understand.

It breaks down the differences between publicity and advertising (free publicity = good; ads = not exactly bad, but people are tuning them out) as well as walks you through how to pitch an editor. I was glad to see that I’m doing the right things with Egg’s clients!

If you’re not already using PR as a means to get more sales, you need to be. Start with this ebook, reasonably priced at $29.

And guess what? One lucky reader will receive a copy of this ebook! Just tell me your PR disaster stories or why your business needs PR and this ebook. I’ll choose the story that amuses me the most. Contest ends 4/30.

What does that mean? All week long, I’ll be providing great content on Twitter. Tips, resources, people to follow, guest posts…you name it. But the best part is: I want you! I want you to participate.

Leave comments. Ask questions. Tweet my posts. Answer my questions on Twitter. Heck, you can even guest blog.

Watch my informative video on Twitter Tweek.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axXxDVbFeaU[/youtube]

So if you want to guest blog and have some value to add to the conversation on Twitter (no Twitter tips, please. I can find those everywhere), here are some things I’m looking for. If you have these, email me at susan (at) eggmarketingpr.com or get me on Twitter @eggmarketing.

• how has Twitter helped you succeed/get clients/grow your business?
• funny stories from Twitter
• how you use Twitter in a particular niche (NOT internet marketing please)
• also looking for great Twitter resources, like The Twitter Handbook. Send me links.

And then I realized, “That’s exactly what I do with marketing.”

A business owner comes to me and says, “Hey, I want to increase sales/make a splash online/get in magazines. What can you do for me?”

And right away I start concocting my special mixture of marketing mayhem. Maybe a dash of press release, combined with a social media cocktail, topped off with an email campaign. I find the right solution for each problem.

And just like bodies and sore muscles, no two marketing needs are the same. Each company has a different budget, goals, and even personality (they may be very reluctant to try something as “outlandish” as social media).

So bring me your marketing backaches (in the comments. Don’t show up at my office). Tell me what you’re looking for and I’ll try to massage out the pain and find you a clear path to growing your business.

What I’m saying is: I’m offering my advice for free (for a limited time only, not good in conjunction with any other offers, limit one coupon per customer, ask doctor if free marketing advice is right for you). If you need a good idea to grow your biz, leave me a comment with what you do, what your goals are, and what you have/haven’t tried when it comes to marketing.

This is not an April Fool’s.

I have the right to revoke this offer as soon as my inbox is inundated.

I am thrilled to announce that in addition to reading The Marketing Eggspert Blog, you can now get one extra dose of Susan each week on Dell’s Small Business Blog. It’s chock full of great advice for you business owners, and I’ll be contributing weekly entrepreneur tips on Wednesdays.

Check out my first post, 5 Reasons Your Company Needs a Business Plan TODAY!

Rosetta Stone, the company well-known for its language learning software, is offering its Irish (really Gaelic) program for free from March 12 to 19. So impress your friends at that St. Patrick’s Day bash this year by learning a few phrases in Gaelic!

Consumers can access the free Rosetta Stone Irish program trial by logging onto and www.rosettastone.com and clicking on the registration link (link will be live beginning March 12th). Free access to the lessons will be available from March 12 – March 19, 2009. The link should be live around 6 pm today.

Beannachtai na Feile Padraig (Happy Saint Patrick's Day early).