Your pitch should not be all about you, it should first be about my audience and next me the blogger, and how my readers will benefit from your product or service, and how I the blogger will benefit by posting about your product. [Italics mine]  As a blogger this is what I care about; relevance, quality, traffic, exposure, and revenue.

So many people pitch from a purely self-motivated perspective.  They forget that, whether it’s a blog or a major newspaper, audience matters.  If you have the demographic wrong or are just plain opting for the blanket cover-every-possible-base approach, your chances of success are woefully small compared to if you targeted one or two publications that you researched, read, and analyzed.

Bottom line:  do your homework.  A little respect for the people who could enhance your career goes a long way.

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From mailers to full-blown marketing campaigns, banks are struggling to get a message of stability and calm in front of anyone they can (even high school wrestlers).

But can a bit of advertising save an unstable product?  It remains to be seen.  As you take in the new “we’re safe; we promise” message, though, remember that American manufacturers and banks were able to feed consumer impulses over almost two decades during the Great Depression (when nobody had any money) and World War II (when nobody could spend it).  As we keep saying over and over again, the savvy players in the economy are going to keep marketing even when the chips are down.  And guess who you’ll remember once your stock is riding high?

thanks to icathing for the photo

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Read our testimonial here!

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Here at VOCO Creative, it’s a reflective and productive time.  We’re making big plans for the future and focusing on our own marketing and branding campaigns to make sure there is a future for our business.  With all the news about economic instability, it’s easy to freak out and buy into the financial panic that prevails on every television set and headline.  In that vein, I’m loving Christine Kane’s post on stopping a recession in its tracks (can you tell she’s a blog favorite?).

Advertising Age ran a great article about how important it is to continue advertising and marketing during a downturn.  Though people are cutting down on spending, an eyes-on-the-prize approach will float any business during this recession.

The OMD study tested consumer feelings about advertising and found that 81% said advertisers need to continue to communicate about their products during a recession, adding that they’ll be more receptive to cost-savings messages and products that are positioned as investments.

My mantra as I help my clients move forward through uncertain times:  Panic?  Bad.  Progress?  Good. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

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I love success stories (who doesn’t?).

The latest?  Client Rachael Shayne just got contacted by none other than US Weekly…who found her due to VOCO Creative’s search-engine optimization!  Not too shabby…congratulations to a wonderful stylist and a great friend.

Think you could benefit from higher search engine placement?  We can help.  SEO is a great investment for businesses looking to increase their piece of the online pie.  Better yet, you can easily measure the results, track your progress, and build on past successes.  That’s what I’m talkin’ about.

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Surprise! As small business owners, we too juggle with the “everything on one plate” syndrome.  At any given moment I am juggling accounting, project management, sales, deadlines, vital iPod Touch updates…and it’s easy to let our own marketing efforts go to the wayside (hence my sporadic blogging!).

Today’s revelation:  oh, right.  We have to walk the walk.  That means treating ourselves like our own client.  We know what to do.  Now we need the milestones and discipline to make the difference between valueless promises and kick-ass fabulosity.

Off to polish our plan for world domination to a fine luster…

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Lessons learned:  we have an incredible support team here at Voco.  It’s a blessing to deal with a crisis with laughter, strategy, and relative calm instead of falling into a chasm of panic, defeat, and frustration.  Definitely one for the record books, though.

What’s the latest crisis you’ve averted?  I’d love to know.

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I’m still in the process of achieving the perfect balance, but I think I’m well on my way. Here are seven of the top ways I’ve managed to achieve a relatively sane work-life balance:

1.  Intention, intention, intention: Balance can’t be achieved without getting clear on what you want, how it looks, and why you’re pursuing it in the first place.

2.  Cultivate healthy boundaries: This has become my mantra in both personal and work arenas.  I serve myself and my clients better when I have distinct boundaries as to time, scope of project, and ways in which I am contacted.  This means milestones, deadlines, and clear expectations.

3.  Enforce: It’s not fun to draw a line in the sand.  After all, nobody likes to break out of the “nice guy” mold, even when it means sticking up for yourself.  Still, boundaries are useless without diligent and kind enforcement.

4.  Play: One of the many reasons I quit my corporate job was because there was no sense of passion, fun, or levity.  If I recreate that in my own company, I’m defeating the whole purpose.  I take regular breaks to play, read gossip rags, and joke with my business partner.  This is a non-negotiable part of my job.

5.  Forgive yourself: I joke that I’m a recovering striver.  Years at a top-tier women’s college and with top-tier ambitions will do that to you.  Unfortunately, my perfectionist and people-pleasing tendencies won me a big fat case of anxiety, anger, and self-flagellation.  Today, I try to forgive myself for the long to-do list and my many failures in business.  Work without guilt is one step closer to being in balance.

6.  Disconnect: Everyone has their guilty pleasure.  For me, it’s an afternoon or evening away from the computer with one of my favorite books from childhood.  Add a hot bath, some tea, and the sounds of my partner puttering around the house, and you have a less stressed Erin.  Taking a break from the wired life can seem counter-intuitive when you want to get stuff done, but I’ve found that in the long run it leads to more energy when it’s time to get real.

7.  Re-evaluate and don’t be afraid to tweak: I like to check in with myself when I’m stressed and re-prioritize my to-dos.  I ask myself questions like why does this feel icky?  Is this really necessary?  What can I delegate?  What can I change?  We are all works in progress.  Constant vigilance and some gentle changes can help to keep work-life balance on track.

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As of right now, I am not sure why brushed metal gives that impression, but it does. My theory is that it just isn’t glossy. Which reminds us a bit of the 80s. Glossy and high color and nothing natural. And brushed metal is the look of the future, literally the Bill and Ted future, but take away the glossy. This brushed look evokes calm, and purpose, and restraint. And now I am making myself giggle, because I am waxing eloquent about a lipstick tube and a Bill and Ted future. Thursday here I come.

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They make you forget they are selling faucets, but rather investing in a work of art. All of the sudden it is a must have, high-end seeming product.

Never do they mention affordable art, because at that point it cheapens the product. Instead, they pull it off as high-end, but the sheer number of ads they have in magazines and on TV betray the idea that they are in fact marketing for the general populace.

The picture on the right is a brilliant piece of advertising. Of course, I am trying to figure out where to put a Kohler faucet in my already finished house. I feel as if I need one to be the chic, downtown urbanite I claim to be.

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