Spring is the season for lighter and longer days, buds and blossoms, and warm sunshine.  April places us on the cusp of a long awaited springtime, so here at Spotlight, we’ve said goodbye to the winter “blahs” and caught a case of spring fever.  In this issue of SPARK we’ll help you with your own spring cleaning by teaching you how to get of rid your PR clutter and “Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse” those old marketing materials.  Follow these 8 steps and you’ll be working more efficiently than ever.  More importantly, your business will sparkle and shine like new!   

1.  Reduce paper—Start a Blog.
Blogs, or online web logs, are a great way to show your clients and media that you are indeed, “with it” and downright tech savvy.  Reduce your paper stack by incorporating old press releases, boiler plates, and mission statements into chat topics on your Blog. Creating this type of conversation gets your customers to give their input, giving you some cheap market research and a great way to get to know them. Also, by participating in your own Blog, your customers get to know you.   

2.  Reduce Time and Rewrite it (again).
Do a little rewriting.  Look for fresh new angles in your old marketing materials.  For example, a non-profit might try rewriting a past whitepaper, or strategic plan to include updated statistics or target a new audience.  You put in enough effort writing the original publication, so don’t waste time trying to mess with perfection!  Take updated snippets, facts, case studies and voila! You can create an entirely updated second edition with just a little bit of fine tuning.    

3. Recycle—literally!
If you are environmentally conscious people like we are at Spotlight, take those old boxes of letterhead that include your company’s old mailing address, Board members from long ago, or your first-ever logo, and dump them in those blue and green recycle bins.  Like the dinosaurs, those materials are prehistoric and extinct.    

4. Recycle literature—Turn old press releases into brand new Advertisements.
Let’s face it, trying to come up with fresh ways to say the same thing can become a daunting task (although we excel at it!).  Stop trying to reinvent the wheel—use content from your old press releases and company background materials to create compelling Ad copy.  You can even turn the old press release headlines into captivating Advertising headlines. Trust us, this really works! How do we know? Well, we’ve successfully “created public relations ideas that shine,” in our own Ad copy for the past three years. 

5. Recycle, verbally—Use portions of an old speech for your “About us” section.   
Read my lips: politicians recycle speeches all the time, so why shouldn’t you?  Make an especially pertinent or poignant quote part of your “About Us” section.  Just find a few sentences from your speech that stand out, and that truly demonstrate the mission, vision, and values of your organization.  Remember, they don’t have to be boring: jokes and historical passages are always a great hit. 

6. Recycle—virtually. 
Sure, a press release begins with a date, but that doesn’t mean they get “old.” Show off those prize winning moments by placing them in an online press room on your website.  This will aid site visitors, media, and potential clients who are seeking additional information about your business.  The extra PR also enhances your organization’s credibility.  These virtual press rooms are simple for a web designer to create, and look just like a prized trophy case on display (only there’s no glass). 

7. Reuse old content for your Company’s e-newsletter.
Many of our clients are interested in starting e-newsletters, but they just don’t have the time.  We had a bright idea for our accounting client this tax season. We took an old word document with tax tips and turned it into an online tax tip e-newsletter.  If your company sells a product, send electronic photos with captions underneath and have customers print it off to receive a special discount. If you haven’t already, it’s time to spring into the e-newsletter revolution.

8. Reuse your press coverage for a direct-mail supplement.
You only have one chance to make a first impression, especially when it comes to direct mail. So we suggest including an impressive press release along with a direct-mail piece to seal the deal.  For example, a Spa might send a flyer to customers announcing a 10% off summer facial promotion, in addition to a press release announcing that their facial was named “One of the Top 10 Facials,” by Allure or Cosmopolitan, or maybe a celebrity endorsement. These are good ways to make sure your direct mail piece doesn’t end up in the recycle bin.