Free PDF Download: Game Plan by Ciara Pressler – Book Excerpt Published January 2015, Game Plan is the new workbook designed to help you discover your true goals, develop a specific action plan, and overcome your obstacles. Distilling practical wisdom gained from over a decade working with entrepreneurs and creative professionals, Ciara Pressler walks you through […]
In prime publicity season, our team is often sending hundreds of pitch emails every day. And PR pitches aren’t even our primary tool – we’re also creating event invites, building strategic partnerships, negotiating vendors, advising on strategy… not to mention selling our services. So we’re constantly trying to improve our communication and create brief, hard-hitting messages that connect and motivate […]
Raise your hand if this sounds familiar: you’re working to get your idea out there, so you sit down to write a marketing plan… because that is what responsible business owners are supposed to do. But what starts out as a valiant effort to lay out your marketing calendar for the next twelve months devolves […]
Check out Ciara’s three top marketing tips for launching a new business, plus find out how Pressler Collaborative works with entrepreneurs before it’s time to retain a marketing or PR firm. via Alleywire.com
I always tell my clients what they need to hear — even if it’s not necessarily what they want to hear. Tough love doesn’t always make me the most popular consultant on the block. But for the founders who are truly dedicated to their businesses, getting the truth makes advisors like me the most valuable players on […]
>View this article on The Huffington Post Every business plateaus. You never think it will happen to you. Then one day the launch dust settles and inquiries drop off, customers stop returning, profits flatline, the press deems you yesterday’s news, or you run out of the enormous energy it takes to drive a business forward. […]
No matter how big or small your marketing budget is, you’ll want to get the most value possible for your overall spend. Here’s where to start to make sure you’re maximizing your marketing budget. via Alleywire.com
Media coverage: everyone wants it, but not everyone’s ready. How do you know if you are? Here’s what you should ask yourself before you hire a publicist or retain a PR firm. via Alleywire.com
In my work with new and growing businesses, a common area where people rush to spend is on PR: hiring a PR firm or publicist to get media coverage in order to draw attention, create buzz, generate audience, and impress investors. It’s an attractive option: who wouldn’t want their creation featured on the front page? […]
>View this article on The Huffington Post I am literally leaving the country after I hit publish on this piece. Seriously — if you need me I’ll be scarcer than Snowden. I’m about to ruffle some feathers. But the more I talk to friends and colleagues, the more I hear frustration with the free-money mentality […]
>View this article on The Huffington Post As a marketing and publicity strategist working with entrepreneurs, I get a request like this at least once a week: Hey Ciara! I have a launch/event/campaign coming up and I want to pick your brain on how to market it/get press/do everything. Can I take you out for […]
Ciara Pressler visits Washington D.C. morning show Let’s Talk Live to share vital marketing principles for aspiring entrepreneurs.
In Episode 3, The Focus is Target Audience – how do you determine your audience and get them on board with your vision? The Interview features Event Producer Kaki Stergiou – she shares content, promotion, and social media tips for creating an unforgettable event. The Audience w/ Ciara Pressler breaks down business and marketing — […]
The Audience w/ Ciara Pressler breaks down business and marketing — what it takes to be successful in the real world, whether you’re an entrepreneur building your business or a creative professional building your career. The Focus of Episode 1 is Entrepreneurs – how do you know whether it’s time to start your own business, […]
I love meeting new people with great ideas that just need a little promotional push to get their business, event, or product on a roll. But what I don’t love is that last-minute panic that drives an otherwise-rational professional to make a rash decision about who they’ll bring on their team to captivate their target […]
There’s no PR like event PR. Events are news, events build community, events build brands – and there are infinite opportunities for creativity. In the digital age, live events seem almost sacred – the increasingly rare gathering of a group in the physical world is definitely notable. And for all the time (and money) spent […]
Spring-Clean Your Marketing with these reminders of what’s necessary, what’s new, and what to toss out It’s spring, and any devotee of lifestyle magazines or reality TV knows that means makeover. Time to assess your marketing closet and throw out what’s no longer flattering, what’s no longer in style, and what you’re holding onto out […]
What the millennial generation wants and how to plan for it in your business. The hot topic among my marketing peers of late has been Gen-Y. Ah, the millennials, the twenty-somethings, the first-adopters. The target audience for buzz-building brands and your audience of tomorrow… or possibly sooner. At the recent, excellent L2 Generation Next Forum in New York, […]
How to have a more successful engagement with your graphic and web design teams Many of you are champions at communication. If you’re in marketing, you may even have a degree to show for it. But as any good producer knows, it takes months or even years for a vision to go from concept to […]
What the best clients do to get more pitching – and more press. We’ve been doing a lot of PR lately, from nonprofit arts projects to for-profit businesses. And I’ve noticed that certain clients, regardless of the nature of their projects, make it easier for us to get them press coverage. And since write-ups are […]
Why staying on top of trends is vital to the health and growth of your business Hey, remember college? Your primary responsibilities included keg party attendance, trying to land an unpaid internship, and considerately scheduling dorm room makeouts around your roommate. Oh right, and learning. Professional life is, admittedly, quite different: cocktail party attendance, trying to land […]
How interviewing your audience becomes an important part of your marketing mix 1. You know what your audience is thinking: Absolutely Uhhh… Never considered it Who cares? Our work is brilliant! Whether you’re a business of one or 1,000, it’s invaluable to have tangible feedback from your audience in order to plan effectively and execute beautifully. […]
Avoid the most common entrepreneurial marketing trap. It happens with every client whose product is themselves, their creation, or their art. Whether I’m advising on a promotional campaign, revising previously written copy, or advertising a new production, the creator’s reason to produce is all too often presented as the audience’s reason to care. This is […]
>View this article on the Huffington Post To DIY or not to DIY? When you’re launching a product, running a business, or producing an event on a budget, it’s important to look at every line item and make sure the allotment is realistic for the goals of your business. Every entrepreneur’s instinct is to do […]
Understand these basic marketing principles to be more successful in any position. As a way to network, build my craft, and continually generate new ideas for clients, I’m part of a business book club with a group of NYC-based entrepreneurs. We rotate through popular books on business models, strategy, marketing, sales, and more. In our […]
When do we stop developing and start marketing? This one might make you upset, but it’s come to my attention that some of you need a swift kick in the ass, so grab your blankie and put your therapist on speed dial and keep reading. Chad M. Bauman of the venerable Arena Stage recently reported playwrights’ complaints that marketing […]
How segmenting your audience can help you grow and provide amazing customer service. via Alleywire.com
Ciara gives insider tips on common marketing mistakes and best practices, especially if you’re a startup team or founder running your own marketing. via Alleywire.com
Applying for a job in a creative field? Unfortunately, it doesn’t necessarily mean you get to be creative with your job application. We recently dismissed 90% of the applications I received for an assistant-level position at Pressler Collaborative. In other words, where I am open to entertaining varied work experience and career goals (versus a manager or […]
Less writing, more marketing. Hey you! Yeah you, over there texting on your iPhone while watching a YouTube video in your Facebook feed on your tablet with eight other browser windows vying for your attention. Your emails are too long. Yes, that one too, but I’m talking about your e-newsletters. The ones that go to […]
Before you do any marketing or publicity, you’ve got to have a smart plan of attack. Let’s get down to basics. Recently, a lighting company contacted me about crafting their marketing strategy. When I asked for background on the company, the owner sent me a recently written press release, and at our meeting today, showed me […]