Debbie Jordan Kravitz of York, Pa. writes:
“I’m a professional organizer. I also blog weekly at http://OnlineOrganizing.com, which has been going really well and leading to lots of website hits from all over the country.
“To capitalize on this broad audience, and since I can’t physically organize these people, I have added virtual organizing consultation programs to my list of services. This allows me to consult with clients from any part of the country via email and phone calls regarding their problems.
“Aside from pitching this service through my blog, though, how can I market this service to my target audience (Internet-savvy, time-crunched individuals who are capable of implementing organizational instructions and strategies, but are looking for customized plans, ideas and guidance?”
Hey Debbie, how about a series of funny YouTube videos?
They don’t have to be professional or expensive (some of the best videos are the least professional-looking!). You could show some funny consequences of being unorganized, then end each video with a push to your website landing page that markets your service (“Don’t let this happen to you! Visit … now!”).
Funny videos get lots of hits and the good ones go viral. The potential return is huge.
Perhaps you could get a student to do them for you–either free as experience (or an assignment, or to drum up business if they could put “video by…” in there somewhere); or for a very reasonable cost.
Best of luck with your promotion!
Skip the Internet for now.
Create a 15 minute talk full of practical organizing tips–and a story or two about how HARD it is to get organized. Make sure you have a catchy title like, “Life is too Short to Get Organized,” or “Five Secrets to Getting Organized TODAY!” Give this talk to various business groups, chambers of commerce, fraternal organizations, nurses or teachers association and so on. As part of your conclusion, ask anyone who wants a free consultation to put their name and contact information on a piece of paper, along with a one sentence story about why they CAN’T get organized.
The winner gets a free e-mail or telephone consult, complete with photos (if they want to send them to you via e-mail or snail mail). YOU get dozens of new contacts and a reason to write a fresh press release: “Seven Things I Learned from Busy People Who Can’t Get Organized.” Post your news release at your website and fax it to your top twenty media contacts.
I’ll be including this one sentence story contest in a package of promotional ideas for my new play “Big Love–A Musical Romp for Adults Only.”
Since you already identified your target market, how about going where they are? Chances are, they are hanging out at social networking sites!
Join a few social networking sites, and start networking and participating in groups your target market participates in. This way you will meet more people in your target market AND your target market will get exposed to your knowledge and expertise.
I also recommend to have a free gift that you can give away in exchange for subscription for your newsletter. Many of these people may not buy immediately, but once they are on your list they will hear from you on a regular basis and may become clients later on.
Biana Babinsky
How To Get Clients Online
http://www.AvocadoConsulting.com
Hi Debbie,
Organizing is usually an overwhelming task for anyone. So why not think small and start small by introducing a line of approachable projects. For instance some organizing minute clinics and come up with quick and easy ways you can begin organizing stuff in just a few minutes. In might be something that you use daily like the things thrown in a kitchen drawer, a space on a desk, a night stand. Share some of your secrets or favorite eco friendly creations that can be made from things around the household.
If possible, see if you can tie a fun little project that can be done with a parent/child or a couple. i.e. organizing a drawer, the child can help measure and create/design whatever the organizer or holder will be and the parent can actually organize it. If it is something that requires a little more handiwork maybe a teen can help or a spouse. I won’t necessarily say a husband has to build it…I know there are a lot of Be Jane’s out there 🙂
Good Luck.
Shonika
I like the ideas offered so far. Have your joined facebook yet? It seems that you would find your target market there. Also creating ezinearticles on your services and pointing back to a landing page to capture your list. Also would recommend Joan’s press release kit and the article on using Craig’s List.
Good luck.
Annie
As a writer and blogger who focuses on green topics, I would write about your service if you could provide a green angle–assuming that getting organized offers environmental benefits. Not only could you pitch me but the other green blogs, like Treehugger or producers of the slew of green shows coming out on Planet Green, DIY Network and HGTV.
Another angle to take, which is also of interest to me, is how you can get organized without spending a ton. I realize that you want to capture people who will become your clients but if you can show them that getting organized can be affordable–and then pitching those kinds of stories to bloggers and writers–you would make your service much more valuable (I believe).
Good luck.
Leah
P.S. I just finished a story for All You magazine on getting organized for back to school. I’m sorry I didn’t know about your service sooner or I would have considered including it. Now, it’s too late! 🙁
The comment above is referring to my free press release tutorial at http://www.PublicityHound.com/pressreleasetips/art.htm and the article at my website that explains how to use Craigslist for publicity: http://publicityhound.com/free_publicity/Articles/Craigslist.html
See if you can pitch your service to a harried news reporter target females especially ones that are pregnant.
Other Pitch ideas:
How to organize your home before leaving on summer vacation
How to organize your ailing parent’s home
How to organize your minivan for summer vacation
How to organize for a stress-free fun family breakfast every workday
How a single dad can get their teenage daughter to stop text messaging just long enough so they clean up their room ( although I personally think this may be impossible…lol!)
Thanks SO much to everyone for your great ideas! While talking with Joan, she stressed that I should really be hosting my OWN blog instead of blogging for someone else’s site. So I recently launched Virtually Organized, and it’s been going really well so far (2 new virtual organizing clients already!!). I LOVE the video idea and I’m thinking of turning it into a contest-readers can submit videos of why they need a virtual organizing makeover. The winner will receive a free month’s subcription and all entries receive a discount on any virtual organizing package. I’m planning on trying the other ideas, too.
Thanks again to everyone who subimitted suggestions!!
Debbie Jordan Kravitz
http://mypersonalorganizer.typepad.com/virtually_organized/
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