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Tammy Donnell, Founder of BRND Agency, Reveals Three Branding Mistakes That Can Kill a Business Before It Even Gets Started

A brand is considered to be one of a company’s most valuable assets and helps people instantly identify a company, product, or service. In addition, great branding helps ensure brand consistency so that a business is presented in a cohesive manner across all marketing channels and platforms. The primary goal of branding is to build trust, and credibility with customers and clients, which leads to brand loyalty.

“When business branding is done correctly, it will differentiate a company from the competition and connect emotionally with its customers so that a trusted relationship is formed that can stand the test of time,” according to Tammy Donnell, the founder of BRND Agency. She says there are three branding mistakes that can be the death of a business.

Mistake #1 – Failure to communicate the business’s origin story. Every business has an origin story and it is the foundation of a business that starts as a solution to a problem, an idea, a vision, or a new discovery. “Consider the origin story as a warm handshake, the kind of genuine handshake where the other person uses both hands, which creates a deep emotional connection with a person that becomes a friend for life,” Donnell advises, “People connect through stories since people buy from people. This origin story connects the business emotionally to its customers or clients and creates a loyal, trusting, long-term relationship.”

Mistake #2 – Failure to connect with authenticity. Every business has a set of values, a mission, and a message and if this is not communicated in the proper tone and with a unique selling proposition, the business will fail to connect with their ideal audience. Many businesses fail to share these authentic emotional connection points with customers and clients that are an important bridge that connects and creates community.

Mistake #3 – Failure to create a seamless brand consistency across all marketing channels and platforms. A well-crafted brand requires consistency in messaging and visuals starting with branding guidelines for websites, funnels, social media, and copywriting. Donnell says, “It’s like a well-tuned orchestra that requires each instrument to be played harmoniously and the continuity ensures that customers and clients not only recognize and identify a brand, but that they are happy to share it with their friends and family.”

Branding often seems overly complicated and it can be overwhelming for business owners. Tammy Donnell helps businesses of all sizes build their brand across every digital medium and expand their digital footprint with consistency and clarity in a way that seamlessly works together as a cohesive brand. She works with clients based in the U.S. and worldwide and you can connect with her at BRNDAgency.com to discuss business branding strategies.

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Business Marketing & Sales Professional Services Services U.S

Marianne Schwab, Former TV Talk Show Producer, Reveals Two Reasons Local Talk Shows, Not Newscasts, Can Be a Better Way to Promote a Book or Business

Are local TV talk shows more effective at promoting a book or a business than a local TV newscast? Evaluating options for broadcast public relations opportunities may depend on the type of event, product, or business message a company is promoting.

Marianne Schwab is a former national TV Talk Show Producer and works with business clients to get their stories featured in local television programs across the country. She says, “In today’s broadcast media landscape, there are two primary television formats for book authors and high level entrepreneurs to capture publicity – local TV newscasts and local talk shows. My clients come to me because they want to get featured on television, but they often don’t understand the good, the bad, and the ugly of getting interviewed on a local midday news program versus a local talk show. I work with them to navigate this territory and help them transform what could be a mediocre interview into a memorable one.”

Local TV newscasts typically involve a team of reporters who gather information, conduct interviews, and produce an edited video segment for the anchor to present on air. The anchor may also occasionally interview a guest at the news desk or via satellite and/or zoom. The tone is serious and the program has a mix of hard news stories and some lighter human interest pieces.

In contrast to local newscasts, local TV talk shows take a more casual and conversational approach to interviews and include a mix of lifestyle information and segments that include cooking, health, fitness, and new products, plus feature work-at-home and small business topics, as well.

According to Marianne Schwab, there are two main reasons that talk shows are a better option to promote a book, product, or brand.

1. TV Talk Shows are More Friendly Toward Promotion. Marianne says that local talk shows tend to conduct a more friendly interview in a way that can clearly position the guest as an authority in their field of expertise, “But it’s more than that,” she continues, “TV newscasts only allow one product mention in the interview and can be more into gotcha moments plus they’re often only interested in sound bites so when they edit the story together, they may actually quote your sound bite out of context so it fits the story they want to tell instead of the one you want or envision. Talk shows, on the other hand, will allow several mentions of a product as long as it’s not over the top and they’re generally open to working with the guest’s suggested questions since they want to produce an infotainment type segment. In news, this is not allowed.”

2. TV Talk Shows Have Longer Segments. The amount of airtime a guest will get on a newscast versus a talk show is an important consideration. “The difference between the time you get on a TV newscast can be several minutes less than a talk show segment, especially if you’re part of a taped interview in a broadcast. Typically you’re only allotted a 15-second sound bite as part of a 90-second story. I generally find that the news story will be too short to really provide the best value to the client. If they do an interview via satellite, our clients get a two-to-two-and-a-half minute interview.” She continues, “Local TV talk show segments, on the other hand, typically run three-to-five minutes and that’s more than enough time to give several problem solving tips that position you as the expert and end with a meaningful call to action that lets viewers know how to reach you or purchase your book or product.”

While local TV newscasts and talk shows serve different purposes, they both play an important role in informing and entertaining viewers. TV newscasts provide a quick and efficient way for viewers to stay informed on current events, while TV talk show interviews are geared more toward a news viewers can use format. “Over the past 25 years, I’ve booked clients on over one thousand local TV newscasts and local talk shows depending on the type of story they want to publicize. For example, if we have a client with a story that’s time sensitive and hitting other headlines like in 2018 with the volcano eruption in Hawaii, then it made sense to contact news programs because the event was already on their radar. We provided a Volcanologist for anchors to interview and correct any misinformation being reported so visitors could determine the islands were not threatened in the way some newscasts made it seem.”

By law, newscasts and talk shows are required to acknowledge when they use an interview that has been provided by a third party, like a broadcast public relations agency, business, or author who has been interviewed on the program, provided video, and when a product is mentioned during the interview. For that reason, programs are required by the FCC to inform the audience that the interview is sponsored content even if the person being interviewed is not paying a fee for the segment. 

Marianne Schwab has worked as a producer in New York and Los Angeles and is currently the Executive Producer of CMP Media Cafe. She is dedicated to helping experts, book authors, and high level entrepreneurs land TV Talk Show interviews in today’s complicated media environment so they can promote their business, product, or brand in a way that makes anyone who sees their interview fall in love with them, their message, and their mission. She shares public relations tips on Instagram and has created an online training that shares her insider secrets to promoting a business on TV talk shows with details for the types of experts producers love to book as guests.

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Marianne Schwab, Former National Network TV Talk Show Producer, Exposes Five Mistakes High-Level Entrepreneurs Make with Talk Show Interviews

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Getting invited to appear as a guest on a TV talk show can be a valuable opportunity for experts, authors, and high-level entrepreneurs to share their message with a broad audience and establish credibility. However, it’s essential to be aware of the challenges that come with securing and preparing for such appearances on television and how to avoid common mistakes that could derail a media interview.

The media landscape is constantly evolving, and it can be challenging to keep up with the latest trends, preferences, and best practices. Marianne Schwab, a former national network TV Talk Show Producer, understands the good, the bad, and the ugly from what can go right to what can go terribly wrong and she shares her insights on some the biggest mistakes high level entrepreneurs make when they get talk show interview opportunities.

Mistake #1 – Not understanding that it’s all about the media hook and story angle. Anyone who wants to be a guest on a talk show needs to understand what producers want and it’s really pretty simple. According to Marianne, a media hook will be the number one reason a producer will look at a pitch to decide if an expert will make a good guest. “The media hook is really about how producers will promote the segment or title it on their website so viewers click to watch it online. For example, one of my clients is a Canine Caterer and she launched a cook book for dogs that also had two pages of toxic foods to avoid giving your dog. Our media hook was, ‘Toxic Mistakes Dog Owners Make.’ This is the sort of hook that you can almost hear the host of the show say, like ‘Coming up next,’ or ‘Stay tuned.’ That’s the type of media hook producers love.” 

Mistake #2 – Not understanding the amount of preparation needed before the interview. TV talk shows can be intimidating even if an expert has lots of YouTube videos or Facebook Live experience. Marianne has prepared clients for hundreds of interviews, “Without the right preparation and coaching, it can be challenging to come across as confident, articulate, and engaging on camera. For the newbie talk show guest, they often think once they’ve booked the interview, all they have do is show up and answer questions, but that is a recipe for disaster. You don’t show up for the World Series and treat the game like a batting practice. If you want to hit a home run with your interview, you need to dial in your message so you can maximize your three minute interview and then prepare it so you come off authentic and confident and this can take between five to ten hours.”

Mistake #3 – Not understanding what to look for when hiring a publicist. Hiring a publicist is the best way to fast track getting television interviews, but not all publicists specialize in broadcast or have those contacts.  Marianne advises, “You want to work with a publicist who specializes in broadcast P.R. and has media connections with producers. Also, look at their track record for clients they’ve booked on talk show programs. Since I’m a former national network talk show producer, I can guarantee that my clients will get on network quality local talk shows since I have strong relationships with producers all over the country.” So look for publicists with talk show media connections because ultimately, producers work with trusted professionals.

Mistake #4 – Not understanding that the first talk show interviews will be a local talk shows. Even if an author has had a bestselling book, it’s no guarantee they’ll land an interview on a national talk show. In fact, it’s unlikely, according to Marianne, “As a producer for national talk shows, I always wanted to see that guests had been on other talk shows and that meant local talk shows. I knew if they could do well on those shows, they’d be great on my show since my job was literally on the line if I booked a bad guest. Local talk shows on network affiliates are an excellent training ground for experts and high level entrepreneurs to master on camera media appearances while building credibility as a go-to on-camera expert.” 

Mistake #5 – Not understanding that talk shows are about publicity and NOT marketing or advertising. One of the most difficult things to understand about talk show interviews is that they are not marketing or advertising platforms so the approach has to be informational in nature with a soft call to action. Marianne shares, ” No amount of advertising can get you the credibility that appearing as a guest in the editorial framework of a talk show because at the end of the day, advertising is saying that you’re good, but public relations is getting someone else, in essence, to say it for you. Anytime you’re interviewed, you’re not just perceived as an expert, but you’re elevated to an authority in your industry.”

High level entrepreneurs often look for a direct ROI from talk show appearances, but successful public relations is not measured in the same way that a successful marketing campaign is measured. Overall, getting on a TV talk show and leveraging it correctly, can give an entrepreneur the instant know, like, and trust factor with potential clients or customers that can ultimately seal the deal on purchasing decisions.

Marianne Schwab has worked as a producer for over 25 years in New York and Los Angeles. She is currently the Executive Producer of CMP Media Cafe where she works with clients to develop compelling media hooks and story angles that get them TV and radio interviews in today’s complicated media environment. She shares tips on Instagram and has created an online training that shares her insider secrets to promoting a business on TV talk shows and details the types of guests producers love to book as guests.

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Is Fido a Foodie? Then Say Bone Appetite to This Purrfect Treat! eCommerce Sensation Unveils PetCakes® for Retailers

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Orlando, Florida – March 7, 2023 – Cats and dogs everywhere will want to get their paws on the most innovative treat at the Global Pet Expo 2023 in Orlando on March 22-24 as Melinda Kirk Stenger, also known as the Canine Caterer, debuts PetCakes® Complete Baking Kits for Cats and PetCakes® Complete Baking Kits for Dogs branded exclusively for brick and mortar and large retail stores. 

Melinda, who has over 20 years of canine culinary experience, is the creator of the award-winning PetCakes line, the first ever DIY organic microwavable pet treats for both cats and dogs that created a large presence on eCommerce platforms like Amazon and Chewy.com and has generated over $25 Million in online sales. PetCakes is a solid favorite with pet moms and dads who want to pamper their pooch or princess kitty and has received over eleven thousand 4.5 star reviews for the PetCakes birthday kit alone.

“What people don’t realize is that many dogs are allergic to wheat, corn, and soy, which I discovered with my rescue dog, Bella,” Melinda says. “She’s a deaf Jack Russell mix, my official taste tester, and the inspiration behind everything I create including PetCakes. For our retail rollout, we’ve created complete baking kits that are made with the finest human grade ingredients plus we source and make everything in the USA.” 

Each kit makes six fish shaped cakes for cats or two bone shaped cakes for dogs plus 24 frosted mini cupcakes and pet parents can customize flavors or add healthy toppings and includes:

  • One fish shaped re-usable pan (for cats) or One bone shaped re-usable pan (for dogs) 
  • Four cake mixes
  • Two frosting mixes
  • Both microwave and oven instructions.

“People think it’s too complicated and time consuming to cook for their cats or dogs,” Melinda says, “but this makes it so easy and why I developed PetCakes Complete Baking Kits for both cats and dogs so parents and kids can have fun and bond with their pets in a unique way while cooking for them.” Melinda has also created complete baking kits for all occasions pet parents want to celebrate with their furry friends including birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and Christmas, with purrfectly nutritious, homemade treats that will have tails wagging.

The PetCakes Complete Baking Kits for Cats and PetCakes Complete Baking Kits for Dogs retail at $24.99 and will be available to pet owners and their furry families at select retailers across the country later this year following their launch at the Global Pet Expo. Melinda is excited to be at the show this year and shares, “When we launched PetCakes in 2010 as a completely unknown company and brand, we were thrilled to win ‘Best New Product of the Year’ here and now we are back and hope to earn that honor again in both cat and dog divisions with PetCakes Complete Baking Kits.”

Melinda Kirk Stenger will be meeting with buyers and retailers at the PetCakes Booth #5804 located in the Boutique Section at the Global Pet Expo 2023 where she is also available for media interviews and product previews. Find out how to order a PetCakes Birthday Kit for those special furry friends at ilovepetcakes.com or follow Melinda on Instagram.

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Marianne Schwab, Former National Talk Show Producer, Reveals Five Mistakes Businesses Make When Hiring a P.R. Agency or Publicist

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Hiring a public relations agency (P.R. agency) or publicist can be a great way for businesses to improve their image and reputation, as well as increase their visibility. However, it’s important for businesses to avoid making mistakes when choosing a PR agency or publicist, since these mistakes can lead to wasted time and money, and even damage to the business’s reputation.

As a former national network TV talk show producer, Marianne Schwab has worked with P.R. Agencies for over twenty-five years and shares some insight on what to do look for to make a good match with an agency and the business they’ll be representing. She says, “When I produced daily talk shows, I got a lot of pitches from P.R. agencies and some were great, but many publicists were kind of clueless and didn’t understand how to effectively pitch television talk shows to get results for their clients. Overall, publicists are generalists in P.R. and have to pitch print publications like magazines and newspapers or online publications so pitching broadcast outlets like podcasts, radio, and television talks shows and news programs requires an entirely different skill set and contact database that many publicists don’t have.”

Schwab says when businesses or entrepreneurs hire a PR agency or publicist they need to avoid making these mistakes because they won’t just cost money, but they’ll end up with little to no media results which is the goal when investing in a public relations campaign.

Mistake #1 – Not doing their homework. It’s important for businesses to thoroughly research and compare different PR agencies or publicists before making a hiring decision. This includes looking at the agency’s or publicist’s track record, understanding their approach to P.R., and getting references from other clients that include the media results. Schwab says, “It’s also important to look at the types of clients they have worked with and are currently representing for two reasons. First, they need to be the right fit for your industry or aligned with your brand, and second, confirm that they do not currently represent any competitors which would be a conflict of interest. This can sometimes be tricky if you’re thinking about working with a brand that specializes in beauty and skin care. On one hand, they have developed media contacts for that industry that can help you, but on the other hand, they may represent competing products or brands and that can be an issue.”

Mistake #2 – Failing to set clear and realistic goals or objectives. Before hiring a PR agency or publicist, it’s crucial for businesses to have a clear idea of what they hope to achieve through public relations. Goals might include increasing brand awareness, improving media coverage, or managing a crisis, but should also be measurable like securing a specific number of placements in print and broadcast with a specific number of impressions for the audience as well. “PR campaigns do take time to get traction and produce results so you need to be realistic about the time not only needed to achieve these goals,” Schwab says, “but also do not expect national coverage when local media may be far more effective and realistic.”

Mistake #3 – Not communicating effectively. Communication is key to the success of any PR campaign. It’s important for businesses to provide their PR agency or publicist with all relevant information they need to represent the client, including details about the business and its products or services, as well as any challenges or issues that need to be addressed. In turn, the PR agency or publicist should keep the business informed about the progress of the campaign and any opportunities or challenges that arise.

Mistake #4 – Not being open to expert consultation or feedback. A good PR agency or publicist will provide honest and constructive feedback to help the business improve its PR efforts. It’s important for businesses to be open to this feedback and be willing to make changes based on it. Marianne Schwab advises, “Remember that you have hired an expert and your results will depend on how much you respect their advice and heed it. I always love when a client is open to ideas that may push the envelope just a bit since those are the pitches that get the best results.”

Mistake #5 – Overpaying for services: There are also other considerations especially when it comes to the fee for public relations services. “I’ve seen some small businesses and entrepreneurs get talked into buying ‘too much P.R.’ for the size of their business. Retainers for small agencies start around $3,000 per month and the major P.R. agencies charge up to $25,000 and more. Small companies don’t need a big agency and it breaks my heart when I see them invest a boatload of money and get little to no results in media placements especially when I know I can guarantee meaningful media placements for clients,” Schwab comments.

By avoiding these mistakes, businesses can improve their chances of success when working with a PR agency or publicist. A well-planned and executed PR campaign can be a valuable investment for any business, helping to build its reputation and reach new audiences.

Marianne Schwab has worked as a producer for over 25 years in New York and Los Angeles. She is currently the Executive Producer of CMP Media Cafe where she works with clients to develop compelling media hooks and story angles that get them TV and radio interviews in today’s complicated media environment. She shares tips on Instagram and has created an online training that shares her insider secrets to promoting a business on TV talk shows and details the types of guests producers love to book as guests.

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Business Marketing & Sales Media & Communications Professional Services U.S

Ross B. Williams, Founder of Modern Profits, Reveals How Personal Branding Can Be a Game Changer for Entrepreneurs

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Personal branding has become one of the most important foundations for entrepreneurs as they build a business and professional reputation to promote their image to their ideal clients and there are three crucial keys to ensure personal branding success. Unfortunately, if these are not part of the initial business strategy, it can derail the best laid out plans since personal branding is much more than color combinations, fonts, and a cool logo. It is, in fact, an essential ingredient for every aspect of marketing a business that includes websites, social media posts, advertising, and everything digital.

Ross B. Williams, founder of Modern Profits, is a Personal Branding Strategist and he says, “When personal branding is done correctly, it will differentiate you from your competition and elevate your reputation, but business branding is very different from personal branding. Not only do you need to understand the difference between the two, but you also must understand why you need both. You can be successful at your business but if your personal branding is not aligned with who you are, you are missing opportunities that ultimately affect your bottom line.” 

Williams, who was recently interviewed on Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend, the local ABC-TV station, has a unique background as a personal branding strategist.  He has contributed multi-seven–figure sales revenue to several companies with his mastery of sales and uses his business building skills and digital marketing expertise to help successful business owners dramatically increase revenue by transforming their personal brand.  When he works with his clients, he incorporates three crucial keys to ensure personal branding success.

1. Personal branding should reflect the entrepreneur’s authentic self. A personal brand should be an accurate, yet authentic, version of who the entrepreneur is so they attract the types of clients with whom they want to work. According to Ross B. Williams, this is crucial for ultimate success, “I see a lot of successful entrepreneurs promoting their lifestyle on social media, for example, but I have no idea what they actually do, what business they’re in, or how I can help them by referring business. If people don’t know what you do, they can’t refer business to you and that is why a personal brand is so important.”

Ross continues, “The ultimate point to keep in mind is that people buy from people so your personal brand is a reflection of you even when you’re not the face of a company. Since you are promoting yourself, you need to create your branding assets according to your personality. If you are selling something that’s not true to you, others will feel it.” 

2. Entrepreneurs must build their personal brand alongside their business brand. Today, more than ever, it’s not enough to build a business brand, but entrepreneurs need to build a personal brand in tandem as they build their business. Why? Williams advises, “It’s imperative that you begin with the end in mind. If you have an exit strategy when you build your business to sell it five years down the road, you only want to be the ‘face’ of a successful business without having your name tied to the brand because if you do, you can’t sell your business as a separate brand.”

Ross goes on to say, “If you choose to sell your business someday without a personal brand developed alongside your company, you’d have to start another business from scratch and cannot use your name on your business.”

3. The logo and color combinations are just “gift wrap” for a personal brand. Many entrepreneurs start their personal branding with a logo and branding board, but it is much more complex and scientific, according to Williams, “Personal branding starts with how you make people feel with what you do in your business, how you want to be portrayed and have others see you, then you wrap it in colors and design. The graphic designer understands the creative color combinations, fun fonts, and logo design, but most don’t understand which colors, and even fonts, trigger emotions and attract clients to buy from you before they even get to peek inside the box. These are psychological touch points that can dramatically increase sales and ultimately revenues.”

Content creation for personal branding can be overwhelming for most business owners and that’s why Ross B. Williams has put this all together in a done for you package that’s simple for any business owner. The key is not to build a little bit at a time and then try to bring it all together since that’s chaotic or doesn’t match. “Effective personal branding demands that social media, photos, graphic design, and media are cohesive and congruent so that it extends your digital footprint and your omnipresence.” Ross concludes.

Ross helps coaches, consultants, entrepreneurs, and business owners build their personal brand with his brand accelerator package. This helps entrepreneurs perfect their messaging and expand their digital footprint with a website, funnel, social media, and press that seamlessly work together as a cohesive brand that people remember and buy from. 

Ross B. Williams works with clients based in the U.S. and around the world to develop personal branding strategies that get results. He is available for Personal Branding Strategy sessions and can be contacted at RossBWilliams.com or connect with Ross on Instragram.

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Three Biggest Networking Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make That Cost Them Referrals

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In recent years, the impact and importance of networking became even more evident and, for most business owners, this awareness did not always translate into additional business for the time that was invested. Networking for referrals can be the most cost effective way to build a business, yet most people miss 80% of the referral business they could get due to several mistakes made when meeting a potential referral network. 

“Networking is easy, but not necessarily simple,” advises Debbra Sweet, a leadership performance coach. “In fact, effective networking, whether online or in person, requires skills to produce the results you want that lead to getting referrals and new clients and ultimately increase revenue.”

Sweet is a Certified Trainer of Strategic Word of Mouth Referral Networking and she’s been teaching business owners her unique skill set for over 25 years and led businesses to produce over $54 Million in closed revenue in the San Diego area in one year.

“Since online networking often edges out in person meetings, it’s very evident that we are actually more disconnected than ever on how to be effective with our networking time,” she says. “Many professionals are wonderful at what they do, but that does not make them great networkers. Effective networking needs new skills, insights and clarity of intention for results.”

A global survey that Sweet took part in found that 91% of people agree that networking is the largest factor to business growth, yet the soft skills required to network effectively are rarely taught, leaving a gap of knowledge on how to network to get referrals and ultimately build a bigger business.

Debbra Sweet says there are three common mistakes that most people make when networking online and offline that can cost them referrals.

Mistake #1 – Showing up unprepared. “One mistake I see business networkers consistently make is they show up unprepared without determining an intention before they arrive. They ‘wing’ their networking time and talk. Winging it is not a strategy. When you network, people can tell quickly when you lead your conversation this way. Most people think that simply because you meet a person and you can have a conversation with them that that is networking,” she says. “They assume a casual conversation will convert to referrals but are very disheartened that it doesn’t. You have to have a networking plan.”

Mistake #2 – Not understanding how to navigate different types of networking events. There are many different types of networking events including casual, professional, social, and service oriented to name a few. Sweet advises, “The framework for effectiveness with your time is understanding the network, and how to network in, up in each situation- while reflecting your leadership and building your brand reputation along the way. You can be authentic and network anytime, anyplace, anywhere – with professionalism. But to do that and build trust along the way starts with knowledge of how to show up regardless of the environment.  How you network is a direct reflection of how you show up and serve in your business.”

Mistake #3 – Attempting to close a sale prematurely. A lifelong entrepreneur is no stranger to successes and shortcomings that impact both personal and professional networking outcomes. “It’s important and vital to understand the distinctions between transactional networking and relationship networking needed to create trust that will allow you to close a sale. Pouncing at the first ‘hello’ is not the way to earn trust that leads to ongoing referrals. This may seem obvious to some, but like a good cup of coffee – it’s better brewed versus instant.”

As a networking leader with decades of firsthand experience, Sweet is deeply passionate about helping others learn the skills needed to create relationships through networking that dramatically increase revenue for businesses. She shares, “You don’t have to be perfect in your skills, just be open to learning how to improve them to become a networking leader. Learning how to extend your support to help someone you meet and then organically weave an invitation to support you is a natural way to implement the law of reciprocity that leads to building the backbone of networking – trust.”

Debbra Sweet is a New York Times bestselling author, keynote speaker, business strategist, and leadership coach based in San Diego, California. She’s the innovator of the Circle of 10™ Effective Networker Training Program and has created a complimentary guide, Top Ten Networking Mistakes That Prevent Referrals, that reveals how to network confidently and receive an abundance of referrals to successfully build a business.

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What Every Business Needs to Know About the Difference Between Marketing and Public Relations

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Small business owners often have a difficult time on how to understand the difference between marketing and public relations because it can be complicated and the lines between the two can be blurred. In fact, with the explosion of digital marketing in the past several years, many entrepreneurs understand the value of a sales funnel over a website since it gives them a way to not only introduce a new product or service to them, but also capture information and sales to see a direct return on investment (or ROI).

Marianne Schwab is a former national network TV talk show producer who now works with entrepreneurs and small businesses to get them broadcast interviews to help them promote their business and says, “Understanding the difference between marketing and public relations will help you learn how they best work together to make a massive impact with your campaigns. In a nutshell, marketing creates demand for a product or a service through advertising, while public relations builds trust with the general public through media interviews and features in TV and radio broadcasts, podcasts, and online and print publications. In other words, advertising is saying that your business or product is good, but public relations is getting someone else to say it for you. That is how to build credibility for a product and authority for a company spokesperson or executive. In fact, no amount of advertising can give you the credibility that being featured as an expert in your industry on a newscast or lifestyle program can.”

One of the primary traffic sources for businesses online and offline these days is social media advertising on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more. This marketing method can be very effective for brand awareness and generating sales for small businesses. However, at the end of the day although it’s a great way to get a product or company on the radar of potential clients and customers, it doesn’t necessarily build credibility.

According to Marianne Schwab, “One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen my clients make over the years, especially my Fortune 500 clients, is they do not synergize their public relations and marketing campaigns. They invest a boatload of their budget into the P.R. Department and Marketing Department and they don’t talk to each other and actually act like they work on completely different planets. That is losing the opportunity for a ton of potential and additional revenue.”

Marketing is all about the return on investment (ROI). For example, depending on the ad sales team experience, a company can strategically invest $3,500 in social advertising and expect to double that amount with incoming revenue. Public relations contributes to the ROI by building credibility in a way advertising cannot.

“The best campaigns I’ve seen are the ones where P.R. and Marketing work together,” Schwab continues. “For example, a publicist books an interview for a local or national talk show and the marketing team then buys ad spots for the same show so that the brand, product and message is optimized from the featured interview. The audience doesn’t just hear about the product in the interview for credibility, but then the ads during commercial breaks make the essential imprint in their minds that lead to sales.”

There is no magic number that guarantees a sales since the primary factor is does the product solve a problem the client wants or needs. In general, it takes a minimum of seven impressions before a prospect will buy. Now, thanks to the internet, the number of touch points needed before a sale in 2020 was eleven and have since increased exponentially according to Forrester Research.

Marianne Schwab has worked as a producer for over 25 years in New York and Los Angeles. She is currently the Executive Producer of CMP Media Cafe where she works with clients to develop compelling media hooks and story angles that get them TV and radio interviews in today’s complicated media environment. She has created an online training that shares her insider secrets to promoting a business on TV talk shows and details the types of guests producers love to book as guests.

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Three Key Reasons Experts Need Media Coaching For TV Talk Show Interviews

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Being a guest on a TV talk show or radio program is a great way to build credibility as an expert in an industry. However, it’s not as easy as many experts make it look, especially those who are well seasoned in how to interview with the television media.

Generally, this is how it works: An expert like an online entrepreneur, influencer, or possibly a non-fiction book author hires a publicist and then that publicist may succeed in booking a coveted TV interview for their client to promote their brand, product, or service. 

What most of the clients don’t understand is getting booked on a TV interview is the first step and what happens next determines if a client gains the credibility they’re looking to achieve with an engaging on-camera interview or dismantles it all together if they are not prepared.

Unfortunately, many publicists will only help a client prepare with very basic media training and according to Marianne Schwab, a former national network TV talk show producer, “Some publicists do an amazing job of prepping their clients for an interview but so many do not and drop the ball. When I was working on Live daily talk shows, I’d work directly with expert guests to develop the interview segment into our show’s version of infotainment. Guests only have about four-to-five minutes to nail their topic or demo and my job was on the line if each segment wasn’t the best it could be or if a guest was a flop.”

Media coaching, also known as media training, is a valuable service that is available and essential for experts who are just starting out to get booked as guests on talk shows. Depending on the coach, they not only help clients maximize the time they have for the interview by dialing in a targeted yet engaging message, but they also prepare them to look confident on-camera. Here are three key things to know about media coaching before a scheduled TV talk show interview:

1. Experts Make Interviewing Look Easy. The biggest secret TV viewers may not know is that even the most experienced on-camera experts prepare and rehearse for every single TV interview. Schwab says, “Think of it this way, professional baseball players don’t show up for the World Series like they’re there for batting practice.  They spend thousands of hours preparing for the big game under the guidance of their coach. TV interviews work the same way – you don’t just show up and wait for the questions to be thrown at you when you can prepare responses in advance.”

2. Avoid Looking Like Bambi in Headlights. Media coaching is essential to learn the skills of mastering your message and time constraints of a TV interview, handling nerves, and according to Schwab, “You only have one chance to get it right when it comes to a talk show appearance and that’s where media coaching comes in. Knowing what to say when you get a curveball question so that you have a response and not a reaction is key to an on-camera delivery with poise and polish.” 

​3. Skipping Media Coaching is a Recipe for an On-Camera Disaster. As a producer, Marianne Schwab’s number one goal is to make sure that when her clients get in front of the camera that they look and do their best. “Every expert that I’ve ever worked with for TV appearances invests time in preparing for each and every interview so that when the red light on the studio camera goes on, they look like they’re making it up on the spot, but what most people don’t know is that they spent hours making it look effortless. If you skip media coaching, you’re gambling with your reputation since you could derail your credibility and all you’ve worked so hard for when landing a TV interview,” she concludes.

Marianne Schwab has worked as a producer for over 25 years in New York and Los Angeles. She is currently the Executive Producer of CMP Media Cafe where she works with clients to develop compelling media hooks and story angles that get them TV and radio interviews in today’s complicated media environment. She has created an online training that shares her insider secrets to promoting a business on TV talk shows and details the types of guests producers love to book as guests.

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Leisure Activities Lifestyle Travel U.S World

Adventures in VolunTourism: The Most Rewarding Hawai’i Vacation Experiences Not Found in Guidebooks

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Hawaiʻi has always been a favorite vacation destination but most tourists don’t know that some of the best adventures NOT found in any guidebook and they may be missing out on some of the most life changing experiences that the islands have to offer that go far beyond the beaches and popular attractions.

Visitors have been eager to return to Hawai‘i to enjoy its natural beauty and the spirit of the islands rooted in native Hawaiian culture. The Hawaiian islands are legendary for their stunning natural beauty, plants and animals that exist nowhere else in the world, and the tightly knit community of 1.4 million residents that welcome visitors with the Spirit of Aloha to the tropical place they call home.

John De Fries was born and raised in Waikīkī and is the President and CEO of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA). In recent TV interviews, he shared, “It’s time to reclaim all the things we love including travel and experience destinations on a much deeper and meaningful level. Hawaiʻi’s beautiful beaches are always a main attraction, but we have so much more to offer.”

Most visitors don’t know that the Hawaiian islands have amazing voluntourism opportunities where they can be part of a circle that enriches everything and everyone. In fact, through the Mālama Hawaiʻi Program, visitors can engage in volunteer activities working alongside members of the local community to experience Hawaiʻi on a much deeper and connected level, so they return home more rejuvenated and inspired by this unique experience. 

De Fries says, “Mālama means to care for and whether you’re visiting the islands or Hawai’i is your home, we have so many ways to work with our community side by side and immerse yourself in our unique land, ocean, and unique wildlife projects so that you’re not just a visitor, but you can become part of the fabric of our islands as well.”

Some of the voluntourism experiences include hiking deep into Hawai’i’s forests to plant native trees that are being permanently threatened. Also, Hawaiian monk seals, green sea turtles and coral reefs are highly endangered and visitors can get involved in projects to replant coral reefs or self-directed beach clean-up that help protect marine life. Finally, one of the world’s most famous battleships, the USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor, has a restoration project that visitors take part in to help preserve this iconic American treasure.

John De Fries concluded, “We’ve also implemented a reservation system for certain tourism “hotspots” like Lēʻahi, or Diamond Head State Monument, to distribute capacity for the well being of natural resources, visitors, and residents. Traveling to Hawai’i comes with a kuleana, or responsibility and privilege. A kuleana to not only care for the land, but for all the people and wildlife who call the islands home and we’re inviting tourists to join us in that effort.”

Hawai’i is home to unimaginable beauty and living things that inhabit Hawai’i are found nowhere else in the world and that is why it’s essential to protect the islands for future generations. To find about more about how to take a trip that gives back, visit GoHawaii.com/malama.