Page 141 - Social Media Marketing

Building a Brand through Shameless Self-Promotion 125

Pay it forward. Art Fettig clearly points out the distinction between
giving to get and giving to give in his book, The Platinum Rule.
As Fettig points out, most people expect payback when they help
somebody, and that can often transform a good deed into bitterness
when the payback never comes.

To avoid the ugliness that often results from giving and lending,
Fettig recommends the Platinum Rule: giving without expectations.
The next time you give somebody something and that person says
he'll pay you back, say, "Here's how you can repay me: Never try
to repay me. Instead, help someone else someday." Then tell him,
"Please don't ever bring this up again. Consider the matter closed.
I'm not going to say anything about it, and I don't want you telling
anyone about it."

What happens is that the person you helped usually begins telling
everyone what a great person you are, even though you specifically
told him not to say anything! You get more payback in positive
word-of-mouth advertising than you could ever have hoped to re-
ceive if the person actually paid you back the debt. The people you
help are going to say great things about you for the rest of your life,
and they're going to do something nice for another person in need.

Get out there and start helping your community without the
expectation of receiving anything in return. You will be pleasantly
surprised by the positive PR this brings your way.

Investing in Paid Advertising

When you are looking for a significant, almost instantaneous mar-
keting boost, you may want to consider investing in paid advertis-
ing. Most high-quality advertisers already have established vehicles
for distributing their ads, such as magazines, newspapers, and web
sites, so they can quickly get the word out about you.

If potential clients watch TV, listen to the radio, or read the local
newspaper, you should establish a presence in these media chan-
nels. Following are some possible options to consider:

• TV commercial: In most areas, you can find video produc-
tion companies that will guide you through the process of