SageEden plans donation to AIDS Foudation

We’re 11 days into 2012, and what better way to set the pace for the year than to give to charity!

Tomorrow SageEden will be presenting The AIDS Foundation with computer equipment, which was purchased with the money we made from the silent auction at Constellations, our networking and re-branding event.

A number of businesses donated items to help us raise money, including BTC, Suntime, Via Caffe, Cheesecake Heaven, Designer’s Image Boutique, Final Accents, Blue Lagoon Island, Beagard Land and Sea Designs and Nails by Marcia. We are so grateful for those who gave so generously for this cause.

If you are interested in organizing a charity event, having an auction is a great way to do so. It is not only a relatively simple method, but it can be fun as well. Your organization can choose to buy items for persons to bid on, or you can solicit businesses to donate goods and services.

The latter may seem laborious, but you will be surprised at how many businesses want to donate to a good cause! When you call or visit a business to ask for a contribution, ask for the person/department that deals with marketing. Let them know the details of your event and what specific item or service you would like them to donate. Then, don’t pressure them to give you an answer on the spot. Get their email addresses and follow up with a letter detailing what cause the money will be used for and how this is a great marketing opportunity for their business. We highlighted our sponsors on our blog, Facebook page, flyers and invitations for the event.

Simple, isn’t it? For minimal cost and effort you can reach your philanthropic goals for 2012 and market your organization.

For help organizing an amazing charity event, visit sageedenmedia.com!

Wacky marketing stunts that failed

As a follow-up to Wednesday's article, I want to present you with some marketing stunts that didn't achieve their desired goal. These are hilarious, but the funny factor isn't the only reason I am posting these.

Marketing requires planning! Don't waste time and money doing a stunt that won't work because you didn't plan it properly. Here are a few prime examples of that:

1. Snapple

Snapple ambitiously set out to make the world's largest popsicle made of frozen Snapple juice. The problem? 80-degree weather! The 25-foot tall, 17.5 ton kiwi-strawberry popsicle melted and juice ran out of Times Square and into the streets of Manhattan. This snafu is now infamous -- but they say any publicity is good publicity? Right?

Marketing Lesson: Check external factors and come up with a Plan B.

2. Vodafone
At a rugby match, two streakers interrupted the game wearing only strategically-placed Vodafone logos. Streaking is against the law, so of course, the police got involved. The streakers were arrested before the game was over, and a Vodafone rep was forced to apologize for encouraging the unlawful action. The company ended up donating $30,000 to a campaign aimed at reducing sports injuries.

Marketing Lesson: Any marketing stunt that requires you to break the law is a bad stunt.

3. Pepsi

In the Phillipines, Pepsi has always been #2 to Coke. In an attempt to overtake Coke, Pepsi started a "Number Fever Promo" -- they offered prizes of up to P1 million to those who had bottle caps with winning numbers on them. When #349 was announced as a winner, tens of thousands of Filipinos were winners -- but Pepsi refused to pay them all, claiming that the caps did not contain the proper security codes because of a computer glitch. Lawsuits and riots ensued and Pepsi remained at #2.

Marketing Lesson: Cross your T's and dot your I's when executing a stunt like this!

4. Dell
This year, to celebrate the release of the new Dell Streak tablet, a sales manager decided to boost employee spirit and make the release a memorable event. To do this, he got a person dressed as a biker in all black (including a mask) storm into the building and gather all 400 employees in the lobby. The stunt was designed to show the Streak working with Harley Davidson, but it just made people afraid and prompted them to call the police -- especially after seeing the man carrying "two metallic objects" in his hands. To  make matters worse, the man refused to cooperate with the officers and tried to continue with the stunt. That landed him in jail. This was definitely a marketing fail.

Marketing Lesson: In this age of violence, don't make people panic.

Hope you enjoyed!

Wacky marketing stunts that worked!

Hello everyone! Hope your day has been as good as ours.

Recently, I was reading an article about some interesting marketing tactics that big companies have successfully executed. Marketing is all about thinking outside of the box, and here are a few examples of where this was done.

1. Maui Beverages
Because this company wasn't well known, their PR department suggested something fun to reflect what their company was all about. They changed their executive titles from "Chief Executive Officer" and "Chief Technology Officer" to "Chief Entertainment Officer" and "Chief Tasting Officer". Then, the company founders hosted an annual conference of food and beverage trade writers. They threw a huge island-themed party  where they gave out free sunglasses, and of course, free samples of Maui Beverages. Naturally, after all of this, the company started getting a lot of press coverage, which translated into big money. Their annual sales have gone from $6 million in 2004 to a projected $10 million by year's end.

Marketing Lesson: Don't pray for someone to notice your under-the-radar company. Be exciting and creative, and guarantee that people will.

2. Half.com

Half.com is a retail site with serious discounts on a variety of products. To promote the site, Half.com paid Halfway, Oregon, to change the name of their town to Half.com for one year. They gave Halfway $100,000, computers for the local school and other financial subsidies. This caught the media's attention and Half.com became very well known. Five months later, eBay bought Half.com for $300 million.

Marketing Lesson: Creativity works and money talks.

3. GoldenPalace.com
Online casinos are legally restricted from advertising in traditional media, GoldenPalace.com had got to be creative to grab the public's attention. They have done stunts that include paying people to tattoo their logo on  body parts to purchasing William Shatner's kidney stone and auctioning it off for charity. But their most famous stunt had to be when they bought a partially-eaten grilled cheese sandwich for $28,000. This pricey sandwich was special because the Virgin Mary's likeness had been burned into the bread. All of the big news networks covered the purchase, which was an advertising steal at under $30,000. After the purchase, they extended their publicity by buying the pan that cooked the sandwich and selling t-shirts with the image of the sandwich. The sandwich even went on a world tour and later sparked the GoldenPalace.com World Grilled Cheese Eating Championship.

Marketing Lesson: Sometimes being outlandish pays off. Just make sure that the marketing stunt fits your the character of the business.

Hope you all enjoyed these marketing success stories. Use them as inspiration when designing your marketing stunts. If you need some help, get in contact with us at sageedenmedia.com!

SageEden CEO featured in the Media!

Hello all!

Exciting news once again for SageEden -- SageEden CEO Sharell Carroll was featured in the Thursday issue of The Punch in the "Woman in action" section. 

This was another great opportunity to put SageEden in the spotlight and expose the company to new publics. If you know of media opportunities to highlight your company, take them!

Stay Connected-Get Involved with Community Events!

This past weekend, Team Sageeden Media Group participated in the SelfStarters Trade Show which showcased several businesses owned by Bahamian Entrepreneurs 30 and under.

It was also a great networking opportunity and we were able to get local media coverage in the press, via print, radio and television.

With this in mind, I wanted to remind you that there is no event too big or too small to participate in. Try to get involved with your community through trade shows and other gatherings that will give you marketing exposure and assist in promoting your company. You never know where your next client will come from so just be ready to jump in and participate.

Things to enhance your display set up at events like trade shows include:

Preparation: Be prepared in advance to have a lovely display set up. Knowing who your audience is helps a lot as well. Also try to have items that would be interactive and a sign in sheet so that you can remain in contact with those passing by or who are directly interested in your services.

A large banner: Ensure that your banner displays your company’s logo and slogan as well as a brief listing of your products or services. Remember that most people are visual so including a few photos of your various events or actual products would be beneficial.

Flyers and business cards: Don’t spare the expense! Ensure that you have eye catching and creative flyers and business cards handy because people who stop by your booth, or table will need something tangible to get in contact with you.

Visual Aids: These could include a computer screen or monitor that will portray video footage or even photos of your company’s activities.

Flowers:  Even if you don’t sell flowers, they can be a great accessory for the table. When setting up your displays, try to have something eye catching for your potential clients to notice.

People with personality: No matter how great your company is, if you don’t have the right faces and people sharing the information with those passing by, then all the effort is in vain. Smiling faces and genuine smiles definitely draw people in!

Lights camera action! Get ready to experience the best that life has to offer you as an entrepreneur who is making things happen.

Remember that your attitude determines just how far you go and grow. Life can be beautiful when you begin to believe that it can. No matter how difficult it may get, awaking to another day gives one hope that the best is still yet to come.

As the year wraps up, keep pushing. You never know where you will meet your next million dollar client, so treat everyone with respect and kindness!

All the best to you and yours!

Essentials for marketing a small business

Hello everyone! Hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday. We're so excited here at SageEden. Our website is up and running -- sageedenmedia.com. Please visit it to find out more about our services and how to contact us.

In light of this small but significant achievement, I have decided to write a blog post about starting a small business. Recently, I have met a number of people who are striking out on their own. They have come out with creative ways to generate income and become their own bosses. So, this is dedicated to all of you! After you've created a sound business plan, gotten a business license and found your start-up money, here is what comes next.

1. What's in a name? Everything. Give your business a name that people will remember and will make it stand out from competitors. Don't give your business a name that can easily be mispronounced or sounds weird. If you do, people will have a hard time searching your business online or finding you in the phone book. And finally, don't get into legal trouble -- make sure that the name you want for your business is unique.

2. You NEED a Logo. The importance of a company logo is often underestimated, but it it vital in building brand recognition. Being recognized is the only way to be known by the public. Being known by the public is the only way to generate income. See why it's so important?

3. Get business cards. Business cards are an awesome way of networking effectively (and cheaply). Get a professionally designed card that you can hand to anyone, whether you meet them in a seminar or in the supermarket. Keep them on you at all times -- you never know when you'll meet a potential client or investor. Ensure that when you hand out the cards, you are not disingenuous. Engage the person in conversation and explain to them what you do. If you just hand them out to every person you see, it's a guarantee that the card will end up cleaning someone's fingernails.

4. Get Facebook fans. We've preached time and time again the importance of social media. It's all free, so don't limit it to Facebook -- join Twitter, Linked In and any other sites where you can get an audience. Remember to keep the accounts active and engage your visitors.

5. Add a signature to your email. It's free marketing every time you send someone an email. Take a look at the one we use here at SageEden. It includes our logo, services and contact information.

This is just a little information to help all of the aspiring millionaires out there. We do have a few other tips and tricks up our sleeves, so get in contact with us at sageeden@gmail.com for info on marketing packages that can help your business to flourish -- they start from just $100.

See you tomorrow, same time, same place!

Re-Branding? What about your website?

SageEden International Media Group is re-branding itself. An aspect to this goal for us has been updating and re-vamping our website. The old website had a lot of what we did formerly- our vision for the company has changed and with that we needed a new look. We believe at SageEden that a powerful website is worth the biggest building in your city because the building will get you local and some international fame, but the website is seen and felt through millions around the world.

A website is used as a way of marketing your company’s brand & products to potential customers before they have a chance to experience your products firsthand. Unlike your company's office that may be open from 8-5, Monday thru Friday, your company’s website is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is a global economy and your customers are not just the persons who can physically go through your product. 

Having a company website is a great way to increase the sales of your products. You have products- get them to the persons who need them, in and around your area. It is also very cost effective,  look at the cost of producing a magazine or newsletter monthly as opposed to updating your website and having a blog about your company and its services.

Having a website that is easy to manage is also a great way to let your customers know what your products are and update them on new aspects of your company as you grow. It also decreases customer frustrations as they have the information and ideas they need even when you are unavailable for consultation. This improves customer service, by providing answers to questions your clients have in an easy to read format that they can get to at anytime it is convenient for them. 

What we like about a wonderful website is that it helps you to present a professional image and to promote your services. Our website’s main goal was to do this. To give persons an image of who our company was that reflected our vision. Your competitors (especially the more established ones) have their marketing and brand together- you are trying to get everything together.

Below are some tips we used when creating our website’s new look and copy:

• ·         Look at your competitors’ websites for an idea of what you like and don’t like.
• ·         Ask around for general advice on what websites in your line of business others go to frequently.
• ·         Ensure that the copy for your website is short & sweet.
• ·         If your company is selling anything- make sure you have photos of your products or services, pictures capture the imagination and attention quicker.
• ·         Bold colors, excessive amounts of bold fonts & distracting graphics can if used incorrectly be a bad thing.

Don’t forget to always cater to your customers wants before they even know they want it- this is what your website should ultimately do. For further tips, or if you need help with your company’s website- feel free to contact us at SageEden International Media Group.

Until the next time check out our brand new website up today: www.sageedenmedia.com

Constellations...A Networking & Rebranding Event

We at the SageEden team are sooooo excited about our relaunch event this Thursday!

Since its incpetion, SageEden Media Group has been on a path of evolution and revolution adding and revamping services and products.

At Constellations, we will be unveiling our new logo which embodies our corporate yet creative culture. Additionally, we will be hosting a silent auction which will raise funds for donation to children living with HIV.
Our amazing silent auction partners have made this possible.

We would also like to showcase the internationally renowned Compass Point Resort who is the major corporate sponsor for this event. Not only are they providing a beautiful venue, but food and drinks as well.

Our special entertainment includes: Lenelle Michelle Mime, Kim Welcome and Giavanna Knowles with Daniel's Den musicians.

Our event will also serve as a reminder to clients and potential clients of our services which include Advertisement Production, Development of Business Presentations, Event Media Presentations, Marketing, Public Relations, Corporate Training, Event Coordination, Image/Product Branding, Media and Image Consulting, Motivational Speaking and more.

Overall I wish to say thank you to all of our supporters who have helped SageEden become the success it has become. Without you it would not have been possible, so let us say "Thank you!" See you on Thursday!

 

The power of a company greeting card (and how to do one right!)

It is almost hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner again. This year, SageEden has added yet another service to its growing list -- corporate greeting cards. Sending greeting cards to clients and customers at year's end is a great way to thank them for their patronage throughout the year. It shows your appreciation for their business, and even if they are not regular customers, it reminds them that they should be.

With that being said, here are some tips on creating memorable cards for your clients.

1. Don't be cheap. Send only high-quality cards. The card you send will be a reflection of your company. Don't try to cut corners to save money -- your company will look like one that cuts corners.

2. Don't alienate people. Be considerate of the fact that everyone has different beliefs. Don't use this as a time to impose yours on anyone. Use cards that read "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" so that whether they celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa or Hanukkah, your card will be appreciated.

3. Be appropriate. Even though you might find a cheeky card funny, not everyone else will. Some people might even be offended by it. Stay on the safe side when choosing a design.

4. It's not about you. Don't use your greeting card as a mini-billboard for your business. Give them greetings and thank them for their business. They'll know who the card is from in the signature.

5. Personalize it! Hand write a personalized message inside the card for each recipient. It may be time-consuming, but it will be appreciated and remembered by each person.

If you are going to send greeting cards, do it right with the help of SageEden. We have the tools and expertise to make sure that you impress clients and keep their business. Thanks again for reading!

The rich rewards of charitable donations

This month, SageEden will be hosting a networking and re-branding event called "Constellations". The event will be an awesome one, with the opportunity to eat great food, meet successful people and bid on great items donated to us by local businesses. The proceeds of the auction are going to the AIDS Foundation, specifically to help out a tutoring center that teaches children with AIDS. We are beyond excited to help such an worthy cause, and anticipate making enough money to really make a difference.

The altruistic aspect is good enough reason to give. It definitely builds morale knowing that you and your company helps people in a big way (we're definitely excited at our office!). But being in the business that we are in, we put on our marketing caps and started thinking about charitable marketing.

If you do decide to donate to a charity to promote your business, make sure that you choose a cause that people care about. In other words, choose something that will: a. tug at people's heart strings and start creating positive associations with your business and b. garner press coverage. Choosing an questionable or controversial cause will not help your business' public image. Make sure that when you send out a press release about your donation, the media will find it appealing enough to publish.

You can also create more publicity for your business by asking your charity to recognize your business in their publications. For example, if they have a monthly newsletter, ask whoever you are working with if they can highlight you in an article accompanied by an advertisement. To further market your business with those associated with your charity, you can give them company t-shirts and hats, or give them discounts on your company's goods or services.

Additionally, you can make your charity market your business for you. One suggestion is giving them coupons to sell for your business and allowing them to keep part of the proceeds. You can also designate certain products or services for charity, and the charity can promote those items. Even hosting an event is a great idea -- allow them to sell the tickets and keep all of the proceeds from the event, while your business benefits from the incredible marketing opportunity.

And don't forget the networking opportunities that come with affiliation with a charity. You will get the opportunity to meet many other people at charity events. Get their contact information, invite them to your events, send thank you cards and do whatever else you can to keep them in your network -- you never know what it might lead to for your business.

When your organization gives to charity, aside from the warm and fuzzy feeling you get inside, it puts your organization in a positive light. At the end of the day the charity of your choice will appreciate your generous donation and you will promote your business using charitable marketing. Everyone wins!

However, there is nothing wrong with giving just for the sake of giving. If there is something that you as a business owner feel passionately for, give quietly. There will always be opportunities for charitable marketing, and whoever you share with will benefit from your gift regardless of whether you profit from it.

Ways to Increase Engagement on Facebook!

A reoccurring theme I have noticed within the small business and nonprofit arenas is Facebook engagement. Everyone is aware of the importance of engaging on Facebook, but cannot seem to get enough audience involvement to truly make it worthwhile. So, here are my secrets to increased Facebook engagement.

Ask Questions!

When you are sitting in a coffee shop, or at a work mixer, the best way to engage with someone is to ask questions. So it goes without saying why this tactic would generate more responses on Facebook. However, there are a few tricks to this trade. John Haydon sums up the key to asking questions superbly in his “16 Ways To Get More Comments On Your Facebook Page” post. He says:

“Asking questions are probably the easiest way[s] to get fans commenting. But keep in mind that Facebook fans don’t like homework. If they have to spend time trying to understand a question, they’ll be less likely to answer it.”

The takeaway here is to be simple in your questions. These are my top 5 question types:

• Yes /No
• True/ False
• Requesting Tips or Recommendations
• Ask “heart string” questions
• Specific Questions

An added benefit of asking questions is that you get a better understanding of your audience based on their responses.

Responding to Comments

One of the first things I learned about engagement is that the company, brand or person behind the blog post, Facebook post, or Tweet, should almost always respond to comments. The key to replying according to Guy Kawasaki is to do it:

• Fast: Within 24 hours
• Often: Reply to everyone’s comments, and comment on your fans/followers’ posts as well

Always responding to comments may not be the best practice for all cases. A company should never directly defame their critic over social media. There are two large companies that do this well and use different approaches:

• Dunkin Donuts: hardly ever addresses negative criticism, instead their fans/followers respond
• LivingSocial: always takes negative conversations away from social media, by publicly requesting the follower/fan to call or email them

While it is important to engage it is equally important to stay away from conducting negative conversations over social media. By doing this you ensure that they do not evolve in a public arena, and that you are not feeding the media negative information.

When to publish a post

Everyone knows that it is important to share information on Facebook. But did you know that you could generate up to 20% more engagement by sharing it at specific times? Below is a table designed by Buddy Media which indicates when publishing information should generate the most engagement. Over the course of two weeks in January - February 2011, they analyzed the Facebook posts and engagement rates of approximately 200 clients, to generate these results:

Strategies for effective Facebook wall posts

By timing the publishing of content when fans/followers are most likely to be on Facebook, companies/brands have a higher probability of being seen in newsfeeds and updates. These results do not mean that all information should only be shared during this time. It simply implies that if you follow these steps your engagement should increase.

What are your secrets to increasing engagement on Facebook?

Developing an awesome business website

For those of you who don't think it's important to have a strong website for your business, you need to immediately change your way of thinking. Your business' website is a chance to make a first impression -- and the first impression is the most important one.

These days, whenever people hear about your business, they won't be looking for brochures or fliers. These things are dying a slow death. Instead, they'll whip out their smart phones and iPads and put your business name into a search engine. If you're serious about your business, make sure the first thing that pops up is your website -- www.yourbusinessname.com.

I've seen some pretty terrible websites -- ones that have literally made me cringe. But again, here I am with some awesome tips that can help you with what seems like an incredible feat -- creating an amazing website.

1. Don't do information overload -- When people see paragraph after paragraph of information, they will not bother venturing any further into the site. Don't burden people with having to search for nuggets of useful information mixed in with mundane and unimportant details. Instead, choose the most important things about your business and feature them on the front page. Organize the other information into pages that visitors can choose to click on if it is something they are interested in.

2. Free is not always best -- There are many web hosting services that offer you free templates for your site. Sometimes you get your money's worth with templates that are very generic, boring, or just generally painful to the eyes. Find a website designer that will give your website the professional look it needs, as well as make your website reflect what your company is all about.

3. How do I reach you? -- This may seem obvious, but please remember to list ways for potential clients to contact you. I have visited sites that, apparently, were just up to make known to me that the business exists somewhere on planet earth. At the very least, make a reliable phone number and email address available to viewers, and make sure that the contact information is easy to find.

4. Give them a reason to stay -- Use sticky content, also known as content that attract site visitors and makes them stay. Sticky content includes blogs, videos and articles that turn visitors into customers. "How?" you ask? The longer people stay on your site, the more likely they'll turn into buyers.

5. What do you do? -- Don't make visitors have to guess what product or service you provide. Make it palpably clear from the first page what your business is all about.

6. Security is key -- If your website collects information from visitors, ensure that security systems like SSL (Secure Socket Layer) are in place. This will keep sensitive information safe and show site visitors that your business cares about keeping their personal data safe.

Branding

"A brand is a customer experience represented by a collection of images and ideas; often, it refers to a symbol such as a name, logo, slogan, and design scheme. Brand recognition and other reactions are created by the accumulation of experiences with the specific product or service, both directly relating to its use, and through the influence of advertising, design, and media commentary."[1]

Branding, we’ve all been privy to it in some way or another. Whenever we think of corn flakes one name comes to mind- Kellogg’s®, cameras we think of Kodak® or Nikon®, online shopping we think of Amazon.com® by now you get where I am coming from. Brands are a part of our everyday life.

In the Bahamas we experience brands daily. For instance, when a Bahamian woman is pregnant or planning a wedding everyone expects her to register at Kelly’s Department store. Whenever Bahamians want to get anything Apple® related the first place they call is Custom Computers. And so on and so forth for insurance, groceries, electrical supplies, shoes, clothes etc. We have been ‘brand washed”.

There is nothing wrong with brands and the companies with the brands both locally and internationally spent lots of time building their brand. And it is worth it because many people refuse to buy certain brands because they are comfortable with another. The question one (especially a smaller company) may ask is why do I need a “brand strategy”?

Branding is all about identity. It identifies you from the herds of other competitors both locally and internationally. You want people to know who you are & the standards your company has. Picture with me the Wild West Slaughter House where there were thousands of cattle ready for slaughter and ten owners arguing over who brought the best cows and in the most abundance. How did they solve this? By branding their animals beforehand a whole lot of disagreements were stopped. The slaughterhouse couldn’t say that Owner B’s cattle were Owner A’s because the brand differentiated whose it was.

Whose company is yours? What quality does your company have? Your product is quality- if you want to be differentiated you have to market your company’s brand in a way that no one can confuse you for your competitor. This is how you find & form your niche market- by branding.

The first and biggest aspect of branding is your reputation. This can make or break your company. Recently I heard a friend complaining about a store she visited that had amazing prices but very bad service in terms of item repairs & customer service. She went on to tell at least ten other persons who in turn shared with their friends. You can see how this goes. That store lost at least twenty potential customers. As you are developing your brand’s reputation remember to give quality service with quality rates to each customer who enters your establishment.

After your reputation a really close second is your logo. In Graphical Communications we were taught how to create Ideograms and learned the power behind them. Make sure that your logo is clear and different from the rest. A clear cut logo will take your company to places that no one else’s has. For instance wherever you see the mouse ears you think of Disney®, when you see the apple you think of a Mac® or even a more recent brand of the “F” in the blue box for Facebook®.

Finally another big aspect of your brand is to find out of the box ways of marketing your company. Locally over 17 years ago one company decided to give back to the community through the schools. They partnered with a local supermarket and donated a lot of computers and reading books to the public & private schools. When they did this they made sure that everyone remembered that if I want educational items I can go to that one company. They are still reaping the rewards of that gutsy move.

If you need help with your company’s media campaign, your brand strategy & marketing tips contact us at sageeden@gmail.com for further information.

Foot notes:

[1] Marketing Power Online Dictionary (http://www.marketingpower.com/_layouts/Dictionary.aspx?dLetter=B)

NB: We are not representatives (at the moment), nor do we endorse any brand or company mentioned in this blog post.

Non-Conventional Ways to Promote Your Business

Hello dreamers, thinkers, and achievers!!!

Daily, our world is becoming smaller, and this wonderful melting pot allows for numerous benefits, depending on your perspective. If you are one who sees the glass half full rather than half empty, then you will be amazed at what you can do through networking and the application of modern technology for your business.

Many times small businesses that are working on building their brand through providing products or services, find that the budget for marketing or public relations is minimal to non-existent. Trust me, I know the growing pains all too well. However, it is essential that if you are not able to afford the high end agency fees, you find a way to implement a marketing strategy that will create a buzz about your company...that is, if you truly want it to grow.

I'd like to share on some of the creative ways that you can simultaneously affect change and increase your brand awareness.

Recently I was in a local pageant where I learned so much about myself, communicating with others, staying organized, and how to raise sponsorship dollars!! It was an amazing learning experience that I would not trade for the world. While I placed 1st runner up, the opportunities I had to share love, life and God with others was invaluable, and guess what else made it worthwhile?

I was able to represent SageEden because it was my title sponsor. Sponsoring or entering a local or international pageant is a great way to promote your business and support your community.
With little effort, my company gained a household name as being one of the leading boutique marketing/pr training and event coordination organization through repetition of its name within the media (print, radio, television)

Each time the name Ms. SageEden was called to answer a question or receive an award on Pageant night,  a feeling of new beginnings and amazing opportunity came to mind. (and thousands who I probably would have never reached or come in contact with, became acquainted with us)
The more you expose yourself and your company to the global village we call our world, the more accountable you are to produce quality work, maintain a high standard of excellence and do amazing things!

While I wanted to share my personal experience of subtly but profoundly promoting my business through sponsoring a local pageant, this also serves as a reminder of other ways you can build your brand.

Consider the following: 

• Create a jingle or really cool commerical that you can circulate via all the social mediums.

• Wrap your vehicle in paraphernalia that would clearly outline what your business is about and the services you offer. (mobile marketing)

• Stage a photoshoot, then circulate the photos via email and social networks along with media houses. (include detailed captions and provide some info on your business as well)

• Sponsor community building events.

• Partner with other larger complimenting companies that host large annual events and volunteer your services.

Remember that starting up a flexible and afforable media campaign definitely calls for strategic thinking and sacrifice of time if not money. You can do it, just allow yourself time to get creative!
If you need additional innovative ways to get started with your customized media campaign, share your thoughts, or email us at sageeden@gmail.com.

Ways I Embrace My Audience

The best way to be most effective when training or presenting, is to be fully engaged with your audience.
How do you do that one may ask...

Whenever we are called upon to train or present, we ensure that we do the necessary research. Here are some tips to get you prepared for your next speaking gig!

1. Research your topic extensively.
Try to find out as much information you can before you begin writing your presentation. Ensure that you make it highly media oriented, and visual. People are drawn to images more than words. It also helps if you bring your personality to the presentation as well!

2. Know your audience.
This will help you win them over. It's important to share anecdotes and some personal experiences when you are speaking. It adds flavor to your mix!

3. Know your presentation by heart.
In the event that something may happen to your written notes, or even if the powerpoint presentation you prepared has "technical difficulties" you can still win your audience over by speaking from the heart.
Passion for something always outweighs abilitiy to do something. Once you have practiced your presentation, you should be able to share it with others in a way that will be conveyed as genuine, relevant, and informative.

4. Connect with your audience through eye contact.
It's true that the eyes are the windows to the soul. With this in mind, it's vital to look your audience in the eyes while you are presenting. If you feel slightly intimidated, or nervous, find a few friendly faces in the room, and focus on them. However, be sure that you feel connected to them, and they feel connected to you. Another great way to establish a connection during a speech or presentation, is to ask rhetorical questions, request volunteers, or ask situational questions that would get the audience thinking, and also responding.
Your ability to connect with your audience will make the difference in your presentation. This will also decide whether you get called again in the future to speak :)


5. Ask questions and allow for discussion!
Many of us have heard presentations where we thought that the information was useful and the speaker did a great job. One thing was missing....there was no room during or after the presentation for discussion or questions.
One of the best ways to test your effectiveness as a presenter is to initiate a discussion  afterward. Ask someone to give a synopsis on what they have learned. Don't be afraid to answer questions from your audience. This allows you to be viewed as more credible. Remember that once you have prepared yourself, and researched your topic, you are ready to go!
Don't try to be someone else when you are presenting. Build your brand by bringing your unique personality and charisma and go ahead and WOW your audience.
If you need further media coaching, or presentation training tips, SageEden Media Group would be happy to assist. Email us at sageeden@gmail.com.

All the best!