Rachel Carter PR

Rachel Carter PR Blog Transformed

2010-11-29T15:24:00.002-05:00

Hello! This blog as we know it has now merged into the homepage of Vermont public relations firm, Rachel Carter PR. In always striving to build upon trends in the industry and combining it with my own intuition, I have made the homepage of Rachel Carter PR into a Vermont News Feed for professional and amateur media alike to subscribe. I am also the new co-author of VERMONT: An Explorer's Guide and will be blogging about my adventures researching the book on the brand new Vermont Vibes Blog location.

Please check them out:
www.RachelCarterPR.com
www.VermontVibesBlog.com

Thank you always for your support! Check out the full news story here.

Did People REALLY Think I Disappeared?

2010-11-02T21:34:00.004-04:00

No, No, No! I rested, reflected, rejuvenated, and then began manifesting once again...

If I tried to stay on top of all the trends, how could I make what works for my business meaningful to my audience? Then I'd be a trendhopper, not a trendsetter. As long as neither is a trendstealer - I have watched a whole lot of that going 'round with social media. I even stopped telling businesses to "spy" because social media very quickly went from fun and engaging to really crazy. I mean you can watch people's "friendships" on Facebook - by what and where they correspond with other people. That is just creepy, never mind a feeding ground for all sorts of passive aggressive behavior.

Plus I'm sick of racking up friends - it's like high school online. That's not where I need to spend my time in networking. Or going to events and trying to talk to as many people as possible. I have been focusing on going to events and not talking to more than three people, but with those three have really engaging and substantial conversations.

I have learned in my time away from blogging and reassessing my business, brand, and target audience, the following values are most important to me - both personally and professionally:

Vision, Reality, Ethics, Courage & Loyalty

Get Ready Vermont - Rachel Carter PR's Got a Brand New Bag

Stay Tuned...
Facebook
Twitter
Linked In

The Internet is a Factor in Decreased Empathy

2010-06-08T12:15:00.004-04:00

While just listening to On Point - my favorite public radio program - the topic dealt with the internet and wired lifestyle and the brain. The guests drew a couple of deep conclusions that actually verbalize something I have been wondering about for a while now.

Why, of late, are there less and less people able to put themselves in another's shoes and be empathetic as to why someone does something and how they react to others? This is a question I have been grappling with in both my personal and professional lives and I think I found the answer:

The constant, quick, and self serving way in which we communicate with the internet and mobile devices driving our world is leading to a decrease in empathy of others - the ability to put oneself in another's shoes and have an understanding beyond our own personal needs.

Yes, yourself should come first - your health and well-being. But that does not mean that our own personal needs come above everyone else's. Everything is relevant to each individual and the ability to comprehend that has gone missing. And now I think I know why.

Taking my own advice, I am relaxing on the internet use this summer and focusing on my own health and well-being first. Therefore I will not be writing my blogs and will have minimal Rachel Carter PR activity on Twitter and Facebook. I am planning for some major shifts in business in the fall and look forward to sharing at that time. In the meantime, I am still an operating business and will be in the fall as well. I am not taking my summer off, but am limiting certain activities to focus on my health and well-being, analytical process, and empathy to the plight of human existence. To do this I know I need to greatly limit such time consuming internet use and now, thanks to On Point, I know not only that what I am doing is right, but why I am doing it - my brain needs to keep working and not succumb to de-evolution.

Enjoy the summer, and if I can offer any advice - when wondering why someone does something - try putting yourself in their shoes and get out of your own bubble.

See you in the fall...

Basic Publicity Tips for a Tour or Series of Events

2010-05-10T13:13:00.004-04:00

I am often asked to consult and/or implement in this area and as my schedule continues to be insanely busy and I am committed to my own well being this summer and taking some time for myself and The Mitch, I thought these tips might be helpful. I will also be speaking on this in more detail at the Women Business Owner's (WBON) Conference this Thursday in Burlington - it's not too late to register - http://www.wbon.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=105135&orgId=wbon

~ Write a short (no more than 2-3 sentences) description of the tour and mission

~ Write a press release (no more than 4-5 short paragraphs) that is written with the most pertinent information first - who, what, where, when, how, why - in that order

~ Have the press release or the information in the press release available somewhere online and always share the direct link to that information in any correspondence

~ If already on Facebook, create a fan page or an event or both, if not already using Facebook this won't work

~ If already on Linked In, post to your profile, if not already using Linked In this won't work

~ Create a Twitter account for the tour (several months in advance) and begin building relationships with others in the path or the tour, who are sympathetic to the cause, or interested in the issue - build relationships with individuals, groups, associations, companies, amateur, and professional media

~ Determine the professional and amateur media (traditional and social) in each town along the tour and individually send them the short description (aka pitch) over a month in advance

~ Submit as an event to any applicable newspaper or online media calendar listings/event postings over a month in advance

~ Follow up with another individual note and the press release - always linking to where it can be found online 2-3 weeks in advance

~ Contact sympathetic/interested people/organizations with link to online press release and ask them to help you promote 2-3 weeks in advance

~ Contact local TV stations and ask to cover and send a copy of the press release with the link 1 week in advance

~ Call the appropriate daily newspaper and ask to cover 1 week in advance

~ Follow up with interested media/organizations with a post tour/event press release and some GREAT PHOTOS that help tell the story

Happy to have additional suggestions as this is just a basic start - please comment!

Bookmark These Travel Sites

2010-04-27T12:40:00.002-04:00

The New York Post calls it a "Facebook for Travelers." I call it an excellent transition for a travel writer using the online media industry to create a much more powerful tool than Trip Advisor to create interest and relationship driven travel idea sharing and trip planning. The travel writer being Ed Wetschler and the website he founded that has created the buzz is Tripatini.
Check it out! www.tripatini.com

And another travel writer who has grasped new media with a terrific force is Kaleel Sakakeeny with a corporation simply entitled New Media Travel. The crux of his creation is all in the video with Travel Video Postcards - an ingenious way to combine the integrity of travel reporting with the necessity of advertising to pay the bills for a valuable travel industry service.
Chck it out too! www.travelvideopostcard.com

I am short today because I am really on a mission to really accomplish my life mission by not just being a slave to my computer and because I need to practice shorter posts to meed the demand of today's attention spans.

The Hampton Inn

2010-04-16T09:40:00.005-04:00

I love the Hampton Inn. I know I am supposed to support small business, but I also support well run business. And the Hampton Inn folks have done it right. Whenever they went through their last renovation, they didn't just focus on the amenities and decor, but the entire way they do business. And I'll tell you one thing - they own the hippie tour market - and we are a target market that spends money. Plus, we're older than we used to be and prefer the comforts of one couple per room rather than stuffing as many people as we can into a space.

I have stayed at the Hampton Inn Albany repeatedly for shows and one of my favorite experiences there is how cool the parking attendants are. They enjoy the hippie party that comes to town and make the process of parking in a chained hotel lot safe and fun for everyone. At the Hampton Inn Boston I recall enjoying the late night after show celebrating and instead of getting a knock on the door and being yelled at for the noise, getting a call at 1 am and politely being asked if we'd like to move to a more comfortable room - on a floor with all the other show peeps.

Most recently I stayed at the Hampton Inn Rutland for snoe.down and was blown away. The Mitch and I had booked one of the suites months before along with the additional adjoining room so we could enjoy a fun space for ourselves and other friends staying at the Hampton Inn. The room was sweet - and we enjoyed putting our personal touch on the room as we often do when traveling for shows. The beds are amazing and can be bought through their ingenious Hampton Inn Home Collection. I found this link to other marketing and amenity improvements they have made - http://marketinggenius.blogspot.com/2005/05/hampton-inn.html - as my interest is much more on their customer service than anything else.

So, the jam band music scene is comprised of hippies and music loving folks who travel around to see their favorite band. Many have been doing this for years and so as we age, we have come to expect certain things and in our own right, are discerning travelers. The Hampton Inn's fantastic breakfast, 24 hour coffee and tea, complimentary WiFi, awesome bathrooms and beds, and decor that is white, silver, and clean looking instead of creepy all lead to a very pleasant experience. Considering the fact that traveling for shows is indeed that, we spend more time at the hotel than other pockets of guests. Yes, we enjoy good restaurants and when there is one attached to the hotel, we would much rather eat there than waste the time leaving when we have such a short amount of time to spend with our closest friends who often don't live in the same area. And so we pre-party and post-party in the hotel which could be of concern in some establishments, but the Hampton Inn seems to cater to it.

The staff at every Hampton Inn I have been to is professional and friendly and never, ever are condescending or judgmental to the interesting cast of characters who take over their hotel for the weekend. And what prompted me to even write this getting-too-long post was a man named Dave Searles, the Manager on Duty at the Hampton Inn Rutland. The first night he patrolled the halls all night long and was the friendliest "night watchman" I have ever seen. He smiled at everyone and was very polite if he had to knock on a door. He spent time talking to anyone who wanted to chat and many did - we're a chatty bunch! Because he was so kind, everyone respected him and there was only one complaint all night.

How do I know this? Because the next morning, everyone had a note under their door stating things such as, "We were pleased to welcome a good number of guests who went to the concert last night. Understandably some of the positive feelings generated at the concert made their way back to the hotel, and some of our guests took that opportunity to continue them with their guests. Some well into the wee hours."

He went on to let us know how appreciative he and the hotel was at the peaceful manner in which everyone was able to communicate and that everyone "was very understanding and cooperative" with his efforts at "maintaining the peace." He then went on to say, "I want you all to know what a good time that I had throughout the shift speaking with many of you, sharing stories and comments back and forth, etc." He then wished us all safe travels and hoped we would consider the Hampton Inn again.

Dave - you betcha!

New Farmstead Dairy Equipment Company Opens in South Royalton, Vermont

2010-04-02T11:17:00.005-04:00

Bob-White Systems Offers Micro-Dairy Technology, Equipment, & Service

Local, safe, organic, pasteurized, farm fresh milk can now be produced locally on Vermont farmsteads, homesteads, and micro-dairy farms using the technology, equipment, and services provided by Bob-White Systems.

Bob-White Systems is bringing the cows back home in Vermont and beyond by creating the equipment and technology for micro-dairy operations to produce locally pasteurized milk that can be sustained by the communities in which the micro-dairy farmer lives. Localvore homesteaders and small scale slow food producers can now milk two to four cows making safe, delicious milk that can be sold at local farmer’s markets, stores, restaurants, and throughout the community – keeping Vermont milk close to home while generating a viable mix to the growing localvore and slow food community and economy in Vermont with farm fresh milk!

In 2006, innovative Vermont dairy farmer, Steven Judge, started a micro-dairy farm on a hillside pasture in Royalton in a barn he built for four Jersey cows.

“Pasteurization equipment is expensive and very difficult to support with only a few cows. This is one reason why the local, micro-dairy milk produced in Vermont is raw, non-pasteurized milk,” Judge explains. “For small farms to be able to choose to pasteurize their milk, they must have it picked up by tanker trucks and shipped to large milk processing facilities – with only one actually being in Vermont. There it is mixed with the milk from many other farms making it challenging to really know where your milk comes from. And this is why folks say to produce milk in Vermont if you have one cow, you may as well have a hundred - the labor and costs are the same...”

…Until now that is.

Judge and his company, Bob-White Systems, are offering farmstead dairies the opportunity to “craft” local milk and for the past four years have been developing “micro” low impact pasteurizers and bulk tanks that provide the gentle pumping and minimal heat necessary to produce safe milk without compromising milk’s delicate flavor and nutritional value. From this technology, additional equipment, such as portable milking machines and vacuum pumps, and other farmstead dairy related equipment (including technology for small batch cheese production) has been created.

The Bob-White Systems farmstead dairy vision does not conclude with the technology and equipment…

“We also offer the service and consulting necessary for customers to learn how to use the equipment and also on how to bring the milk to market,” comments Judge. “As the Vermont micro-dairy supplier, one of the most inspiring elements of this work is to help farmstead and homestead farmers generate a business opportunity in their local communities. Soon farmer’s markets, country stores, and restaurants will have the opportunity to offer local milk along with eggs, produce, meats, and other Vermont products.”

Bob-White Systems is located at 228 Chelsea Street in South Royalton which opened in March with a small showroom of the equipment and online at www.bobwhitesystems.com.

Why the name Bob-White Systems? “We’re the John Deere of the farmstead dairy industry,” grins Judge. “You can find Bob-White Systems on Facebook and Twitter by searching for FarmsteadDairy and help us spread the word!”

About Bob-White Systems
Bob-White Systems is bringing the cows back home by creating the technology, manufacturing the equipment, and generating the knowledge for the local, farmstead, and homestead production of pure, farm fresh milk. Located in South Royalton, Vermont, Bob-White Systems is committed to making it possible for every small or rural community to enjoy safe, fresh, and delicious milk produced by local, micro dairy farms. By designing, equipping, and helping to manage small micro dairy operations, Bob-White Systems reduces dairy start-up and operating costs, helps farmers enjoy more profits, and enables communities to produce and purchase their own local milk. More information is available at www.bobwhitesystems.com and at www.facebook.com/FarmsteadDairy and www.twitter.com/FarmsteadDairy.

New England Travel

2010-03-25T12:53:00.003-04:00

There are a lot of websites out there about New England travel. But there is one that is simply the best. And that's because it is managed, edited, and written by a public relations trained journalist who takes great photos and travels for the complete experience, not the quick fix. Kim Knox Beckius has been writing about New England extensively for over a decade and has authored several related books such as Backroads of New England, The Everything Family Guide to New England, and The Everything Outdoor Wedding Book. She is also the author of About.com's New England Travel Guide which has expanded is recent years from the website format to also include a blog, Twitter (@newenglandgirl), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/aboutnewengland). The website features popular outlets including top events, deal sheet, trip planning, and seasonal highlights.

Please visit, bookmark, explore, and share the online gem of New England - GoNewEngland.About.com

I have worked with Kim on behalf of various clients throughout the years and along the way we realized we both earned our public relations background at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. We finally met in person at the Ski Vermont Media Reception at Mt. Snow on Woodchuck Day in February and are both looking forward to palling around at the Vermont Travel Industry Conference at which we are both speaking.

If you work in the travel industry in Vermont, I highly suggest attending this valuable, informational, and fun; educational networking event being held April 6-8, 2010 at Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa in Stowe, Vermont.

Product Quality Reduction - Bad Company

2010-03-10T13:19:00.004-05:00

I have been keeping my eyes and ear peeled for seeing if my prediction would come true about everyone so focused on social media that the commitment to quality starts to slip and I have seen it in my own home with products I buy! Gasp.

I do not follow large national companies and their social media because my niche market is Vermont and I firmly believe in not stretching oneself too thin. Because of this I cannot say that these companies are more focused on social media than product quality, but I can say I have recently noticed some product quality reduction that I think they should be called out for. I think it has to to do with budgets and where to cut and cutting in product quality is the worst place to do it. Luckily Vermont is too small for companies to get away with this as much - yes another reason to buy local in Vermont!

Coast Soap - Ok, what is up with the mini sized soap bars? I have been using Coast soap since my best friend in middle school showed me how to wipe it on your clothes dry as a fabulous perfume! Once high school was through and I started buying my own soap, I transitioned from wiping it dry on clothes to buying it as my one and only shower soap and this has not wavered to this day. Recently I have been noticing the bars go much quicker than they used to and because I stock up on everything, was able to compare an old bar to a new bar - half the size with no change in price of course! Do I really have to switch soaps after exercising brand loyalty of over 20 years?

Fiber One Granola Bars - In order to keep up high costs, you simply remove a bar from the box making the count go from 6 to 5? Is this for real? The first time I noticed this I thought it was a packaging glitch, however now I see it is not. Then I realized they only had 6 in them when the product was first launching (which I purchased as a result of their strong coupon positioning). Trick 'em, hook 'em, trick 'em again. With the exception of Kudos, granola bar boxes are supposed to be 6! No kudos here!

Laundry Detergent - There are too many companies to name, but what is up with this business of the dual washing power? This is definitely just a gimmick to make you pay full price for half a bottle. Seriously. This makes me get loud and obnoxious in the grocery store. Good thing I'm going tonight - watch out Mitchezzz...

My Hotel Description

2010-03-02T17:00:00.008-05:00

Hotel and other Vermont hospitality descriptions are often the brunt of jokes at the presentations I give around the state because they all use the same language and try very, very hard to tell potential visitors how "sophisticatedly unparalleled" they are "amidst the valleys of the Green Mountains." Problem is everyone describes their property/experience the same way which has always been silly, but now with SEO (search engine optimization) driving web activity and subsequently everything that directs traffic to websites, this way of describing "discerning getaways of relaxation in the Vermont countryside" is downright detrimental to the way potential guests opt for a place to say. Standing out doesn't mean being the same as everyone else and with the takeover of social and interest driven decision making, describing a Vermont travel experience or stay with a bunch of fluffy adjectives is a thing of the past - you are long overdue for an overhaul!

OLD:
Our sophisticated property is nestled in the Green Mountains offering elegant accommodations in our well appointed guest rooms and suites. Our understated luxury is perfectly complimented by our Regional American cuisine featuring an organic selection of local Vermont products. We have earned the Luxury Award of Four Diamonds for ten consecutive years and are called "the premier escape for romance and ambiance" by Real Travelers Don't Read Me Magazine. Our commitment to your relaxation and serenity can be found in our selection of travel packages on our website at www.everyplaceinvermontisthesame.com.

NEW:
However you found us, thanks for finding! Whatever you are looking for, we have no idea if you'll find it at our Vermont mountain resort, but we do hope you will try. From Vermont skiing to Vermont country stores. From Vermont products to the freshest and most locally produced food in the country. We have the best bed and breakfasts, inns, hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals in the Northeast and while we may differ from our neighbors in room decor and amenities, we all agree there is no need to visit any state other than Vermont in the fall, winter, or summer. As for spring - come for the maple syrup, mud, Vermont artisans, and to get a taste of what the real Green Mountain are all about. Forget about our website - talk us up on Twitter (@Handle)! PS - we offer a create-your-own-travel-package on Facebook (link) because we know no one likes to be told what they should do.

Note: Top searched Google keywords in bold

Hmmm - wouldn't it be interesting to see how much attention that would actually get???

Marketing VT to moe.rons Rutland Peeps!

2010-02-16T17:08:00.005-05:00

Attention businesses in Rutland and Killington, Vermont!!!

In case you haven't heard, the awesome, fun, and rockin' band moe. is having their super rockin' winter/ski music festival snoe.down in Rutland/Killington this year March 26-28, 2010. This is the first year the festival will be in Vermont and it would be so very cool if that could continue. Check out the website for all the 411 - http://www.moe.org/snoedown/.

I feel I am fully qualified to write this post to Rutland/Killington area businesses for the following reasons:

1.) I am a Vermont PR/marketing chick
2.) I recently presented on social media marketing to the Rutland Chamber of Commerce in January 2010
3.) I have been working in PR/marketing in Vermont since 2000
4.) I am a fifth generation Vermonter twice removed
5.) I am a huge moe.ron (fan of the band moe.)
6.) I have been to over 40 shows, including two of the past three snoe.down festivals
7.) The inflatable instrument band and message board I sometimes reference in marketing presentations are both a part of the moe. experience

So, pay heed businesses and check these insider tips!

1.) moe. is spelled moe.
2.) Fans of moe. are called moe.rons and that is how it is spelled
3.) moe. fans travel to see the music and hang out with their other moe.ron friends - this is called their famoe.ly
4.) moe.rons really like seeing welcome signs on area businesses when they travel into towns that say things like
"Welcome famoe.ly and moe.rons Welcome!"
5.) moe.rons range in ages from early 20's to 60's with the majority being in their 30's and 40's and they like to support the local communities they are visiting for shows
6.) They also like Vermont products
7.) I suggest making signs and welcoming moe.rons to visit your business featuring Vermont products
8.) Favorite products are local beer, local food products, local snacks, hearty yet healthy meals, local beer, fun things to do in the area after the festival is over
9.) Many will be staying in hotels in Rutland so they are close to the concert venue, but there are activities at Killington during the day all three days so offering shuttle services will be appreciated and help with traffic congestion
10.) Offer moe.rons coupons and area info books at their hotels - we like doing cool things in town, but don't have much time to seek them out as we are in town for the music!

And, have fun with us! moe.rons have great senses of humor, love rock and roll, have great appetites, and will spend money when extra steps are made to make us feel appreciated! We are a target market - own us!

One word of caution - police take heed to a nasty thing called the nitrous mafia which unfortunately follows certain bands around to prey on concert goers. It is an organized crime ring of non moe.rons selling nitrous oxide (laughing gas) after concerts in big party balloons and wholesale in hotel parking lots before and after shows. They will pay off police and business owners. All properties - hotels and after hours lots - should pay attention to this disgusting backlash to a very positive scene. Please understand it is organized crime, not just a couple of fans and they are responsible for a few deaths here and there although no one wants to outwardly report on it. I am - please pay attention!!!

Social Media is Driving Me Insane!

2010-02-04T18:13:00.006-05:00

This is probably in part why I haven't blogged in way too long! I have a Twitter headache, a Facebook bone ache, and a Flickr zit. I apologize to all the good folks I have been presenting to and instructing to look at my blog for good examples - good examples of being mad at social media! And thank you Dorset Custom Furniture for the Vermont public relations plug after I presented to the VT Wood Manufacturers Association at The McKernon Group in Brandon - I am digging this furniture, woodworking, custom kitchen, home renovating thing - maybe it's time for one of my own woodworking posts - I think I forgot to tell the woodworking folks I refinish wood furniture in my spare time! When I am not detoxing from social media crack that is!

Aurgh - so see? Miss "I-Like-To-Present-On-Social-Media-Too" has had it as well! I have been thinking about this post for a while and talking about it even longer, so getting to the point I go:

Ways to Stay Sane in the World of Social Media:

1.) Make plans with social networking friends to go out to dinner at great Vermont restaurants and plan a little drive with some good tunes to get there (hint: this is called Vermont Vibing). Start with me! The Mitch and I are seeking interesting people to have dinner dates with so we can discuss current affairs in Vermont and get our VPR pledge drive money's worth.

2.) Use social media to get good book ideas, visit a used book store, buy the book and read it far, far away from your computer, IPod, IPhone, Blackberry, and whatever other gadget I am not aware of because I stopped at the IPod.

3.) Never under estimate the power of the written planner and how much attention you get when you use it - excellent marketing tool.

4.) Use all of your social networks to tell people you are away and then do whatever you want and feel free from feeling like you are ignoring anyone.

5.) Connect with a few of your social media peeps, tweeps, and creeps and plan a party - not a "tweet-up" for the purpose of promoting business, brand, image, and not-promoting - a full on bash. And include me - I am ready to plan a party with all the folks I think are awesome on the internet - let's do it at a Vermont State Park!

And lastly - forget hiring me for a consultation - I want to MC your event!

Love

2010-01-15T11:59:00.005-05:00

I have had a crazed week of travel, presentations, trainings, and yes..love.

So, very quickly, I must say I love what I do. I really love the clients I work with, the people I meet at presentations, the connections I create for people, and the funny people I work with and the relationships that develop.

Sometimes it is stressful. It always takes time. But, today especially while I am rather wiped out from my recent travels around the state - Charlotte to Stowe to Brandon to Rutland to South Royalton to Charlotte in two days - wow - I am feeling really great about what I do!

By the way if you are are business in the Rutland area - take my word for it - join the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce. They are one of the most organized and committed to their members organizations I have come across. And they hire great speakers! heeheehee

Tips on joining Chambers - you must maximize their services by making the effort after you join - you get out what you put in, and they can be one of the best expenses you can make as a small business.

And if you're looking for fantastic branding, design, and videography/new media capabilities - check out Hen House Media - they have got it going on!

Cheerio from the office of Rachel Carter PR:

PR Trends in 2010

2010-01-06T16:59:00.002-05:00

Happy 2010! Thanks for respecting my absence as I took some much needed time away from the grind. But, back and refreshed - ready to really let my voice shine through in 2010! I thought I would share a few of my public relations predictions for 2010 - what do you think?

In 2010:

1.) People are going to be so frantic about social media they are going to let basics like customer service, regular communication, and having a good product/service slip - so take heed now - SOCIAL MEDIA ISN'T EVERYTHING!

2.) That said, if you aren't adjusting your finances, work load, and staffing to incorporate social media then you are slipping!

3.) Paper is back and green can chill. E-everything is pointless - when everyone is doing it no one is paying attention. Incorporate some time for letters, cards, and regular newsletters again. Not everyone wants to spend every moment in front of the computer. Buy locally made greeting cards, work with a local designer to create a cool notepad for your business or a newsletter that is of interest to your audience - NOT something that promotes you. Two suggestions I have are Kate Youlen: Graphic Design Studio and Bleu Sky Creative.

4.) Connect with your inner core and take the time to meditate, breathe, listen to your inner voice, and focus on the energy around you. Interested in getting started? Shyla Nelson's Live From the Core is where it's at.

5.) Stop Jumping On Bandwagons!!! Yes, local is it, before that was green, organic and fair trade keep fighting for the forefront - focus on YOUR business and YOUR customers and YOUR strengths and weaknesses and STOP worrying about what everyone else is doing!

Vermont Music & Entertainment Thanks

2009-12-14T12:49:00.006-05:00

Over my three years in business, I have had the wonderful opportunities to work with a variety of music and entertainment related Vermont businesses and organizations. As a musician myself, it was been quite a treat to work with clients that touch a chord with such deep personal connections and I would like to take a moment to continue my advent of thanks and recognize some of these wonderful past clients:

The Green Mountain Opera Festival - Under the acclaimed artistic direction of Taras Kulish, the Green Mountain Opera Festival is celebrating their fifth year of professional opera in Vermont. I began working with the festival in their first year and it has been truly majestic watching the festival grow and awaken the operatic souls of Vermonters and Vermont enthusiasts near and far. Sponsored by the Green Mountain Cultural Center located at The Round Barn Farm in Waitsfield, Vermont, the Green Mountain Opera Festival offers a three week sojourn with events ranging from free classes and open rehearsals to magnificent Barre Opera House performances.
www.greenmountainoperafestival.com

Nectar's Restaurant & Bar - The home to the first performances of my beloved band, Phish, I have worked with Nectar's in various capacities both before and after opening Rachel Carter PR. From their first renovation event where Governor Douglas posed for some great pictures enjoying gravy fries to helping owners with side film projects to helping them gain regional recognition as a premier music venue in Vermont and throughout the Northeast. One of the original owners after Nectar sold over 6 years ago, Damon Brink, is now a provoking political figure and is the state coordinator of the We the People Foundation.
www.liveatnectars.com

Saint Michael's Playhouse - Greater Burlington’s professional summer theater, celebrates
live theater, nationally renowned Equity actors, and a professional theater internship
program and I was honored to help them boost regional PR efforts along with the talented folks at Shadow Productions. Now recognized as a 2009 Editor's Choice in the Yankee Magazine Travel Guide, Saint Michael's Playhouse continues to put on fully-staged professional New York caliber productions in a Vermont atmosphere and at Vermont prices.
www.saintmichaelsplayhouse.org

Brandon Music - Vermont's Classical Music Haven is the North American headquarters of owner Stephen Sutton's British classical music record company, Divine Art Recordings Group. Located in Warren Kimble's former historic red barn studio and gallery, Brandon Music hosts the Divine Art CD Store, Harmony English Tea Room, a Vermont art gallery, and a gift shop selling a range of mainly English gifts and curios and collectible vintage china. Helping connect Brandon Music to Vermonters and watching them build their classical music haven has been inspirational - keep your eyes and ears open and when in Brandon, stop by for a cup of tea!
www.brandonmusicvt.com

Such A Voice - Located in Vermont, but taught nationwide, is the voice over industry leader in cultivating voice over talent. Such A Voice is Tony Award Nominee, Dan Levine's voice over training and demo production company is the nationwide leader in launching voice over careers. I enjoy working with their fantastic staff as a consultant in a variety of areas and give them major kudos for their learning capacity and commitments.
www.suchavoice.com

Thank you everyone for enhancing my career with your talents! Stay tuned for year four of Rachel Carter PR with a significant focus on the voice, beginning with my commitment to Live from the Core™ sounding out across the nation from the Vermont voice studio of Shyla Nelson.

3 Years in Business & an Advent of Thanks

2009-12-04T16:44:00.003-05:00

March 2003 - Began online dating and using the internet to make friends

March 2006 - Turned 30

September 2006 - Made the decision to leave the Vermont marketing agency world and began the four month fast track to figuring out what my new life would entail - did this by networking and meeting with anyone and everyone

December 2006 - Got my first client - G's Restaurant at The Sheraton in Burlington helping promote their Celebrity Chef Nights
AND spent my last days and month as an employee

January 2007 - National Life Group and The Inn at the Round Barn Farm signed on as clients

March 2007 - Began collaborations with Shark Interactive and began my first client work in social media with Green Mountain Power

April 2007 - Registered Rachel Carter PR with the state and opened a business banking account with the Key4Women program
AND met The Mitch!

May 2007 - Created and launched website - www.rachelcarterpr.com

June 2007 - Began 3 blogs (the Vermont Music Blog is now retired, but Vermont Vibes and this one are going strong!)

July 2007 - December 2007 - Business focus on marketing myself, building relationships, and networking

2008 - Business focus on establishing my accounting system and developing and experimenting with my brand

2009 - Continuing my branding experiment and honing my services based on client needs and my own time and energy levels

December 2009 - CELEBRATING 3 YEARS IN BUSINESS!!!

In honor of the first three years, I will spend the holiday season giving thanks and recognition to all those who helped me get to this point. Be sure to tweep with me on Twitter and fan with me on Facebook to keep tabs on all the gossip and buzz!!!

PS - In case you didn't know, The Mitch and I are engaged!

Bravo Farewell Travels: Select Escapes

2009-11-24T18:06:00.004-05:00

As my Generation X life deepens into my 30's, I plan my wedding where I'll be a bride at 35, and make plans to travel in my mature years instead of attempting to raise a family starting in my 40's (don't judge - I'm helping to promote a sustainable population). I am increasingly realizing the stars are aligning very nicely with my plans and the travel resources at my fingertips. The Mitch and I can't wait to begin our traveling days with our month long wedding tour of England and we both can't wait to finally see the world, not just look at it in picture books.

While picture books have planted the seeds, independent travel websites are foraging the new way into thoughtful and exploratory travel. Created by some of the world's best travel writers, the fall of traditional media has awakened an entrepreneurial spirit of a solid collection of travelers who previously made a living as travel writers.

Some of my favorite people, work, and interactions in my dozened career as a public relations professional in Vermont has been with a wonderful group of travel writers I have worked with in various capacities throughout the years and I absolutely love how I am now seeing them publishing their own terrific websites. What's even better is I am bookmarking these sites to be my most cherished resources when my traveling days begin - which is not too far in the future.

Suggestions to other Generation X travelers and globetrotters all around - find yourselves some favorite travel writers and follow them, connect with them - there is no better way to learn than from an honest third party endorser who has been there and has the intellect to talk about places, experiences, and cultures you have yet to see.

I previously wrote about Steve Jermanok's Active Travels and you can read my blog post here. And now I will writer about another favorite travel writer...

Susan Farewell has been a wonderful media contact for a once green PR chickadee and helped me understand how public relations can actually work and I will forever be grateful. I look forward to evolving media relationships as the lines of PR and journalism and merged into something very new as social media continues to power its way through the savvy, quick, and unforgiving yet compassionate consumer.

Susan's online travel magazine - elegantly entitled Farewell Travels: Select Escapes is a beautiful display of her work and skill at bringing you deep within the experience she is sharing. From romance to culinary, health to adventure, Select Escapes is easy to navigate, simple in design, yet comprehensive in information - exactly what a website should do yet it is uniquely Susan abound with friendliness, ease, and solid style. The added bonus of some exceptional video work makes this a website where you forget you are staring at a computer screen.

While over a cup of tea with a travel writer a few years ago, I mentioned The Mitch's and I's England wedding tour dream before we were even engaged and was told to rent a canal boat. And when I clicked under the romance tab on Susan's Select Escapes website - the first story I see is spending a week on a canal boat in France. In all my research I have done, the only two times a canal boat was mentioned was by travel writers - they are the best resources for travel, no questions asked. Forget those lengthy websites that weaken your eyesight and find yourself a few solid ones where you can actually - travel.

Worthwhile Travel Experiences and Destinations - www.farewelltravels.com
Authentic Active and Adventure Travel - www.activetravels.com
Organized Cultural Tours for Discerning Travelers - www.culturalcrossroads.com
Family Activities, Events, and Attractions in Northern Vermont - www.findandgoseek.net

Do's & Don'ts of Social Media

2009-11-16T11:03:00.003-05:00

Much of what I have been teaching and training clients in as well as sharing with attendees at presentations can now be seen in so many business building resources. I was just glancing through the latest Business Vision magazine produced by Key Bank for small business and entrepreneur clients. It is identical to statements I have been making and have written about previously in this blog. Now you can see this information in language written directly from one of the country's most respected financial institutions for small business owners:

DO observe and read other social media sites.
This is what I mean by engaging - learn by examples of how others are doing it successfully.

DON'T blatantly promote your company on a social media site. At least 90% of your posts should be relevant to the conversation.
So all the idiots that post ridiculous spam comments on my blogs - knock it off! To those who actually comment on the post - keep it up!

DO use search engine optimization (SEO) to increase the traffic to your blog or website. SEO tools help you find keywords your prospects are using in search engines. Google offers a free SEO tool, and how-yo articles.
Don't worry about the expensive design updates to your website - it's most important you ask a web designer how they can market the website for you. For the short term, talk to a web marketer about optimizing your site. Two Vermont SEO marketers I suggest are Off the Page Creations and Performance Web Solutions.

DON'T give up. It takes time to build your site. Staying engaged in the social media scene increases your chances of opening doors to new opportunities.
In Rachel Carter PR words - "Chill." When you move to a new town, it takes time to make friends and build relationships. The same is true for social media because while it is online, it is also the most natural way of connecting since the old school livelihoods of neighborhoods. So be real and make some new friends!

5 Reasons Corporations are Failing at Social Media

2009-11-06T14:53:00.002-05:00

I came across a fantastic blog post a few weeks ago and felt I needed to share it with my readings. Written by Amy Mengel from her blog Mengel Musings, the post - 5 Reasons Corporations are Failing at Social Media - conveys my thoughts exactly and exemplifies a lot of what I have been talking about at recent presentations.

Kudos Amy - always great to see other PR/social media peeps out there with similar philosophies and thanks for the great information!

Upcoming Open Houses!

2009-10-27T14:49:00.002-04:00

Newsflash!!! With the chilly fall weather comes the season of open houses and I wanted to take a moment to suggest a few to blog readers...

The first is an official Burlington area Tweet-up and is taking place this Friday, October 30th from 8 to 9 am at the new, hip, and tweeterrific bakery, August First and is followed by an open house at Office Squared - the new co-working in Vermont workplace. After delicious treats at August First today I took a tour at Office Squared and highly suggest getting in touch with owner Jen Mincar to check out the opportunities to rent work space as needed - such a fantastic concept for all us home officed biz owners! Click here for the invite to the Tweet-up.

The second open house event takes place the following Friday, November 6th from 5 - 7:30 pm and is a great chance to tour the newly renovated suites at the Green Mountain Suites - formerly Hawthorne Suites - as well as enjoy complimentary beer, wine, and hors d'oeuvres around a colossal fireplace. For those of you who are part time business operations in Vermont, both of these open houses are great options for you to know about.

And, speaking of events, let's not forget the Wine & Swine event taking place on November 12th at Gardener's Supply in Williston - this one is in a category all of its own...

Attending Events!

2009-10-21T12:30:00.005-04:00

Some people are extroverted and some people are not. Both types of people enjoy being entrepreneurs, however not both types of people enjoy attending events and doing the networking thing (or as I used to call it, cruising with intent). Here are my Vermont PR tips as to why attending events is important and how to maximize event attendance if you are not an extroverted person...

Why Event Attendance is Important:
1.) It is another form of marketing yourself; but just like using social networking and finding newsworthy items to use in news editorial, it's not direct marketing. Attending events are another place to help share your brand, not your services. In other words - share who you are as a person.
2.) Attending events keeps your presence in check and keeps you on people's radar.
3.) It is also important to understand that attending events is not to land business from giving out a business card. Attending events is to help build relationships and it is best to NOT talk about your business but to share positive news of others in the industry.

Tips on Attending (Especially if You Are Shy):
1.) Find an extroverted friend in a similar industry or with similar clients and hang out with them! DO NOT go with another shy person!
2.) Attend events that personally interest you - not just ones you think you have to attend.
3.) Look into the event before you go - who attends, what news surrounds the event, and what news surrounds those who attend. Then you will be prepared with some conversational pieces.
4.) Wear something that starts a conversation - a shirt with a message, a groovy scarf, a fun tie - don't try to just blend in, show a little bit of your personality with some form of flair which can be great conversation starters.

A recent event I attended was the Vermont Hospitality Council's Gala at The Essex. My fiance is a gem and actually enjoys attending work related events which turns many networking types of events into dates for us - it makes it much easier to be a person then than "Rachel Carter PR." Below are a few photos from the events. More photos can be seen on Facebook and for the 2009 award winner, please click here.

Collaboration: Apples to Ipods

2009-10-12T17:59:00.005-04:00

Collaborations are increasingly becoming an integral component of successful public relations work - especially in a state like Vermont where relationships, transparency, and integrity own the way a company relates to the public.

In addition, collaborations relate very importantly to the newsworthiness of something. Pretend you are a furniture maker living in Northern Vermont who enjoys fishing. Which would be more meaningful to you?
a.) An article on the newest furniture polish and its eco-friendly attributes
b.) A blog post written as a first hand account by a guy from Southern Vermont who visited a Vermont resort for a fishing outing and took a furniture making class where he tried the newest furniture polish and then shared a link on his blog to its green attributes.
(please note the social media plug)

Anyway, here is a case study of sorts on a recent Vermont collaboration:

Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing wants more Vermonters and tourists alike visiting Vermont apple orchards.
Vermont Department of Agriculture wants more Vermonters and tourists alike visiting Vermont apple orchards.
Small Dog Electronics wants to continue to be known as the leader of Apple products both in Vermont and beyond.
Woodchuck Draft Cider wants more people (of legal age) to know about their product and to have appropriate settings to taste it.

The common denominators of Vermont, apples, and similar demographics made for a great opportunity for collaboration. Small Dog Electronics and Woodchuck Draft Cider sponsored the Vermont Tourism and Vermont Agriculture "Apples to Ipods" promotion where 20 or so wooden apples were distributed throughout apple orchards in Vermont and when someone finds a wooden apple, they trade it in for an Ipod. A kick-off event held on September 15th brought on a few more collaborators - the event was held at Shelburne Orchards and Shelburne Farms cheese was provided as a snack. People could pick apples, taste apple and cheese treats, chat with folks in the Vermont Tourism and Agriculture industries, and a Woodchuck Draft Cider tasting was held in a designated area. The event and entire Apples To Ipods promotion was low cost, responsibilities were spread across the collaborators, and the publicity not only came from different collaborators, but was far more newsworthy by involving multiple groups, rather than just one product or experience.

Here are some photos from the kick-off event...

And if they haven't all been found yet - keep looking and enjoy those apples!!! Mmmm.

Quick Tips from the Week's Presentations

2009-10-06T11:09:00.002-04:00

Thank you so much to two well respected and great Vermont organizations for inviting me to present to their constituents this week!

The Vermont Women's Business Center assists women who are starting or growing their businesses by providing resources, training, and networking opportunities for women state-wide to achieve business success. What a great group of women business owners who shared with me some great ways they are already integrating social media into their PR - way to go ladies!

The Addison County Chamber of Commerce represents and works with area businesses to promote tourism activities and business to visitors AND residents. As a new member I look forward to more opportunities to network and collaborate with folks in Addison County and since the Charlotte Farmhouse is almost in Addison County and I have been Vermont Vibing there quite a lot recently, this is a new area I have been enjoying connecting with! Plus, they have a Facebook - be a fan!

Quick Tips from the 2 Presentations:

~ Take your target audience and break it into smaller groups based their interests
~ Associate yourself with where each of these groups gets information and understand it will be different for each group
~ Use social media as your PR people and have them share information with your target audiences
~ Relax - it takes time whether you rush or not.

Thanks again!

Green, Organic, Local

2009-09-28T15:51:00.006-04:00

There are so many trends getting everyone into frenzies! Even with the new opportunities social media creates, the PR bandwagon still gathers steam among those whose marketing follows a reactive rather than proactive tract.

(Insider Tip: Even some of the best businesses follow a reactive tract - it's my charge to anyone who reads this blog to try to find ways to alter reactive marketing tactics and make them proactive ones - you will reduce headaches, save money, and feel better - but it does require CHANGE!)

For a few years now, folks everywhere - especially in Vermont - have been all fired up about about being green, being organic, and being local.

Before I say anything else, I want you to remember one of the primary rules in marketing - "You can't be everything to everyone or you will be nothing to no one." (This is Rachel Carter PR language so it makes sense and isn't all confused my marketing mumbo jumbo.)

Think about this statement in lines with being green, organic, local.

Now chill out.

Pick ONE! What is most important to you and your clients/customers? Being green? Being organic? Or being local? Pick one and stick to it and focus on marketing and practices in line with the one you pick and don't get all sidetracked with everything else.

And when you see media stories about the others? Stop jumping on bandwagons and focus on the goals specific to your business instead of changing them because of what everyone else is doing. Listen to your customers for feedback, not what you read everywhere else.

For me I choose local. I do not have an organic garden and I do not buy organic specific food. I do not buy all green products and I am not building a green house. I do what I can - have a compost, recycle what I can and reuse a ton, buy recycled printer paper, and keep arts and crafts scraps to make my own.

But the local trend is one I have personally believed in long before it was cool and that is what I focus more and more on without jumping off the deep end. I garden and grow a lot of my own food and put it up for the rest of the year. I only work with Vermont businesses and organizations. I am having a locally themed wedding. I travel locally. I support local businesses and I make decisions based on supporting local businesses.

LOCAL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:

I am not a high fashion PR-ista. I am a corporate hippie. Driving into downtown Burlington to get my hair cut is completely ridiculous. So I found a hairdresser nearby. And one with a fabulous name - The Best Little Hair House in Hinesburg. Owned and operated by Andrea White the Hair House is in Andrea's home on Richmond Road and the salon encompasses two rooms that unite Vermont farmhouse charm with hair fashion and products. It's perfect! I got six inches chopped off and re-styled to my liking the last time I went in, making my hair a bit more manageable for the fall. Andrea's manageable prices have got me much more willing to consider being more adventurous with my long hair and her skills and personality have me quite comfortable to discuss style options and see where we might go!

If you live or work in the Charlotte, Hinesburg, Huntington, Monkton areas and are committed to buying local - walk your walk into The Best Little Hair House in Hinesburg! To make an appointment call 802-482-2948.

Blog Promotion Case Study

2009-09-16T15:33:00.006-04:00

How the Vermont Vibes Blog Got Famous...

Burlington Free Press (with syndication to outlets such as USA Today and Treehugger.com), The Addison Eagle, The Charlotte Citizen, The Charlotte News, eight pages of Google hits, Pontiac Performance Magazine...

When I started my Vermont public relations business at the end of 2006, I did so in part because I wanted to freely explore the changing media landscape and see what I could do with it without the confines of working for an agency and having clients I did not personally chose on my own terms. So in the early spring of 2007, I started a few blogs - a Vermont music one which is now retired, this VT PR industry blog you are reading, and the Vermont Vibes Blog based on my already existent weekend jaunts around the state in my Pontiac Vibe - hence the name, although I was traversing the backroads of Vermont long before I had a Vibe. In fact friends of old will remember similar excursions in both high school and college.

I took the advice of other early bloggers and decided to write about my own personal interests - music, PR, and Vermont. I chose to do three because I was just starting my business so I had more time on my hands and because I wanted to test different blog/social media methods with the different blogs. Science experiment for the communication-minded.

The Vermont Vibes Blog - http://VermontVibes.Blogspot.com - has always been my favorite because it is so personal and as my life changed, it changed. I don't do quite as many traditional Vibing adventures as I did when I was single and first in a relationship. Now I am engaged and living at the "Charlotte Farmhouse" growing much of my own food and cooking like a chef. As my activities changed, so did those of the blog. As I head into Vermont wedding mode, the blog will evolve once again (get ready!).

It was interesting to get feedback (especially emails) from readers and learn how many people do indeed love the Vermont Vibes Blog. I learned that flatlanders who recently moved to Vermont found it an excellent way to connect with their new state and not feel so, well, flat. I learned as positive as I try to keep it, some of my friends really do not want to be on it. I learned my distant relatives use it as dinner conversation. I also learned (and continue to learn) the ins and outs of internet marketing and social media promotion and what applications have greatly increased the blog's internet presence.

As a PR professional, I know how powerful third party endorsements can be and spent a good year trying to connect with GM/Pontiac to get them to pay attention to what I was doing as it was a positive and free publicity effort to their benefit. Apparently they knew the Vibe was going down because they took quite a while to respond. But they finally did and hired local photographer, Andy Duback, to come out to Charlotte and do a photo shoot. The most recent Vermont Vibes post gives the insider's story to that photo shoot. I waited until the story came out in Pontiac Performance Magazine for a while and some of my favorite posts got passed by due to magazine deadlines and the LONG lead time of editorial. And when it came out I was wrapped up in one of my busiest Julys ever and decided to wait to promote the story until I could give it the attention it deserved.

At the end of August, I wrote and distributed a press release and a few weeks later, the stories started to come out. Between Burlington Free Press online syndications and the cover story on the Addison Eagle, not to mention hometown coverage in Charlotte, the Vermont Vibes Blog started to get quite a bit of traffic. And with that comes some trickle over traffic to this blog, especially from other interested marketing and PR folks, so I thought I'd let you all know how it came to be in my own version of a case study. Thankfully I don't have a boss to tell me I didn't do a case study right!

Thanks for reading both blogs and thank you everyone for your support. I really think social media is making the world a better place. Love and Light.

Presentation Tips

2009-09-03T11:58:00.002-04:00

With all of the presentations I have been doing recently, I thought I would give some tips and insight into others doing presentations of their own. There are two reasons I love giving presentations and come across as a good presenter without too many flyaway nerves. The first is because I love what I am talking about. I love how social networking and media has revitalized public relations and I love sharing with folks in Vermont how they can more effectively market themselves. The second is because I was an honest drama queen in high school, trained singer and performer, and speech award winner back in my glory days. People who knew me then always wonder why I didn't continue with my singing and acting career - the truth is, I did. It's called owning and running a business and being in my own movie everyday. The presentations simply provide me with an outlet to perform.

That being said, I completely understand most people, unless they too were drama queens and kings in high school, find it completely frightening to give presentations. So, here are some tips to help try to calm your nerves:

1.) When speaking don't make eye contact until you are comfortable doing so, instead keep your gaze looking at the tops of people's heads - people will just think you are making eye contact with the person behind them and will pay attention more hoping that you will make eye contact with them.

2.) Have your technology set up well before and plan ahead so you are 100% sure it will be all set.

3.) Practice!!! Practice standing up, using hand gestures, moving your eyes and actually present and speak out load, not mumbling while looking over your notes around other people. If you are really brave, stand in front of a mirror.

4.) Pretend you are in a movie and everyone loves your character and is rooting for you to do a great job - I am not kidding - this works in all sorts of nerve-wracking situations!

5.) Add your personality into your presentation and plan an opener that shows your personality - it will help you relax and will help the audience relate to you and feel comfortable in your presence.

You Can Do It!!!

Social Media Presentations

2009-08-28T14:04:00.003-04:00

Newsflash for folks interested in hiring me to present a workshop or speak on social media. I love doing it and have a blast presenting!

Presentations are tailored to each group and examples are created to be specific to your audience so folks attending can relate the presentation directly to their work. Unfortunately these are not a pro-bono service item and if interested, please contact me for availability and pricing.

Thank you!
Rachel
802-425-4886
rachel@rachelcarterpr.com

Sharing the Advice I Use with My Readers

2009-08-21T16:28:00.004-04:00

This week I attended the WBON Burlington Chapter Luncheon at the always gracious Windjammer Conference Center in South Burlington. Most luncheon topics are one of the gals in the group giving a presentation on their area of expertise which members decide is either useful or not to their business and attend. This month was a bit different where members were all invited to give a brief speech and the topic I chose was to share some pieces of advice I got in the past that have been invaluable to my success in running my Vermont public relations business.

1.) In high school my mom said, "You are loud and you are assertive. People will either love you or hate you. You are not beige - beige is forgettable and you my dear, are not forgettable." Thanks Mom. This has helped me keep a level head and not take things personally and understand that dislike often stems from jealousy. This lesson has also been instrumental in marketing. You need to know who you are and how others perceive you - both as a person and as a product. This also streams into my number one marketing rule for any business - If you Try to Be Everything to Everyone, You are Nothing to No one.

2.) When preparing to leave my job working for The Man and tossing around the idea of starting a business or what else I might want to do, a very wise co-worker said to me, "Make a little time for networking and letting people know what you want and what you are looking for every day." I have done that every day ever since. Thanks lady!

3.) My traditional public relations background dating back to my undergraduate days at Marist College taught me the 80/20 rule - to spend 80% of my time on 20% of my media contacts. I have also learned this is true (thanks to mentors such as Mary Beth Quinn, The Growth Coach of Vermont) in getting business - 80% of time on 20% of prospects. Now that I am well into my third year of business, I have learned there is also an 80/80 rule - spend 80% of my time on where 80% of the money comes from.

4.) And because much of my success comes from my own mistakes along the way and I have not been following any sort of "how-to-run-your-own-business" manual along the way, I offer advice I learned for myself - you MUST say no and you MUST let it go.

Tenth grade attempt at being beige...

Peace Peeps! And don't forget to Fan me at Facebook and Follow me on Twitter!
www.facebook.com/RachelCarterPR
www.twitter.com/RachelCarterPR

Props to a Blog

2009-08-11T12:50:00.002-04:00

One day I will transition from running my own Vermont public relations business to owning and marketing a property/business of some sort. When that time comes, I most certainly will be checking out the Vermont Lodging Properties Blog before anywhere else. I continue to drool over this blog from time to time at the amazing Vermont inns, homes, lodges, and bed and breakfasts I could potentially run. So as I prepare to embark for another multi-day recharge rocking out to my favorite band, Phish, I encourage folks to dream a little dream and check out www.vermontlodgingproperties.com. The coolest thing about this website is it's a blog - excellent business model and way to use a blog most effectively!

PR is So Exciting with Social Media Integration

2009-08-06T13:02:00.004-04:00

While social media is putting PR in its place, it is also revitalizing PR into its new Golden Age! With the fantastic new Burlington Vermont Social Media Breakfast Group (#BTVSMB), PR, marketing, and social media professionals are coming together all over the state and are all realizing PR and social media are one in the same. I have written about the new emerging PR landscape since I started this blog in 2007, and now it is here! The PR landscape IS social media and it has revitalized most PR professionals I know - the sad decay of our previous chosen profession, which started being looked at as just plain slimy, is now forging the way in the new media ecosystem (as Pitch Engine pros call it). Most PR peeps I know (and ALL of the ones in Vermont), never went into the world of public relations because we wanted to be the sluts of corporate marketing. We went into it because we are "people people" - because we love telling stories; because we love helping people and know that the power of the story can be a HUGE help; because we love writing, talking, and overall communicating; because we love analyzing what makes people tick and how we can affect change with that. And social media has allowed us to do what we have been wanting to do all along - it's like we're all doing the PR Ra Ra dance - now is the time to rock out with a Vermont public relations professional!

A group of us recently got together for breakfast at the Charlotte Farmhouse (that's the home of my VT PR firm). This group - the Vermont Public Relations Group (VTPR) - is a Google Group for Vermont public relations industry professionals to share technology, concepts, job openings, and higher learning encompassing both traditional and social media. We meet on a semi-regular basis at member businesses.

The event was sponsored by Three Squares Café in Vergennes and featured workshops by Marketwire – a traditional and social media wire service with offices in Vermont and Great Photographic Art of Vermont – a commercial, advertising, and publicity photography studio located in Burlington.

Pictured here are Vermont PR professionals from the following Vermont companies: Kelliher Samets Volk, Killoran Communications, Smuggler’s Notch, National Life Group, Vermont Ski Areas Association, Filkorn Public Relations, Sona Iyengar Communications, writer Leslie Kilgore, and Rachel Carter PR. Photo credit is Great Photographic Art.

Not in attendance as they were preparing for the #BTVSMB was People Making Good (PMG), but they were there in spirit! Info on the #BTVSMB is available through hash tags on Twitter and kudos to Digalicious for creating this fantastic concept in #VT!

Tips on How I Survive Running a Business By Myself!

2009-07-31T15:19:00.003-04:00

I don't know! I figure it out every day. So, here are a few of my latest tips:

~ Realize that things will NEVER slow down and accept it.
~ Make things STOP by shutting off everyone related to work and hang out with your loved ones.
~ Inform people in your personal life (when you are not stressed) that running a business as an entrepreneur is like nothing else and unfortunately sometimes plans have to be broken.
~ Take time to yourself in the morning.
~ SAY NO! Don't work with everyone, don't be everything to everyone, and don't feel bad about it.
~ Collaborate! Once you've got your start-up networking out of the way, actually build relationships and scratch backs when you can - yours will be scratched too. But you can't think about it "as I'll do this for you if you do this for me." It has to be a pay-it-forward concept.

Those are my tips.
Fan with me on Facebook.
Tweet with me on Twitter.
Visit me at the Charlotte Farmhouse:

Active Travels

2009-07-17T10:35:00.004-04:00

There are a ton of travel related websites and more of them than not are hard-to-navigate travel directories with corporate money behind them so they are what show up in even the most creative of searches. This is great if you are looking for budget airfare or hotels, but what if you are a bit more adventurous? Are you the kind of person who equates travel to merely getting away or fully experiencing other cultures? Do you like to do what everyone else does or are you more creative in your endeavors? Perhaps you would prefer to know about how to explore and navigate British Columbia without a car as opposed to staying in a fancy hotel (and trying to find that elusive low cost) in Vancouver. Or maybe you'd like to go to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup instead of watching it on an airplane while traveling to Chicago. How about knowing what trails and huts to hike and stay at in Maine instead of just parking it at a campground. Yoga in Nicaragua? Sea kayaking with whales? A family experience in Costa Rica?

Steve Jermanok, a well traveled, well spoken, and long time friend of many Vermont PR folks has launched ActiveTravels.com - a blog dedicated to giving expert advice to travelers, not tourists, on connecting with nature, people, and wildlife around the world while working up a sweat. The site is for anyone in halfway decent shape who yearns for an authentic and memorable travel experience outdoors, far away from the masses.

Steve's travels span the globe in a fun and adventurist manner very in sync with my own personal travel goals and his writing experience bounces from National Geographic Adventure and Budget Travel to The Boston Globe and Robb Report as well as being the author of 11 books. Steve pulls from this fantastic repertoire to share tips, ideas, and details with readers and also offers a Go Play! Forum where you can create your own adventure with Steve's help - such an innovative tool - I plan to use it for my England exploration active honeymoon (I shudder at an all-inclusive resort honeymoon - ick)!

Please check out www.activetravels.com and share with your friends - Rachel Carter PR approved and highly recommended! And kudos Steve - this is an awesome example of what writers are doing in this shifting media economy and it's inspiring to see!

Classical Music & Hard Cider

2009-07-09T12:16:00.005-04:00

I have to do it - I have to take a blog moment to promote two of my clients because what they have going on is definitely newsworthy!!! And, I am so proud and want to thank some folks who are helping make it happen!

Brandon Music - Vermont's Classical Music Haven announced the official opening of the Harmony English Tea Room, the opening of their Vermont art gallery with the first exhibit being by Linda Durkee, and launched their new website - www.brandonmusicvt.com - all in the past two weeks!

Surrounded by gracious countryside just outside of the artistic downtown community of Brandon, Vermont, lies Brandon Music – Vermont’s Classical Music Haven. Brandon Music is the North American headquarters of owner Stephen Sutton’s British classical music record company, Divine Art Recordings Group. Located in Warren Kimble’s former historic red barn studio and gallery, Brandon Music hosts the Divine Art CD Store, Harmony English Tea Room, a Vermont art gallery, and a vintage collector’s corner. The Divine Art CD Store showcases a wide collection of contemporary to rare classical music from the Divine Art, Diversions, Metier, Athene, and Move record labels. Harmony English Tea Room – a chic English-style tearoom and music café – sells specialty British teas and coffees, tablewares, and vintage china and linens, and will schedule live music concerts and recorded music appreciation events as well as special themed events such as “tea-dances.” An art gallery showcases work by local artists and a collector’s corner is planned which will offer the sale of vintage and rare historic records while featuring a growing assortment of vintage collectibles and antiques. Brandon Music is open year round and more information is available at www.brandonmusicvt.com or by calling 802-465-4071.

Thanks to Stephanie and Mike Raccine of Off the Page Creations for creating such a fabulous website! Check them out at www.offthepagecreations.com.

Woodchuck Draft Cider is enhancing their Vermont presence starting by partnering with Vermont organizations and events and the next few weeks are getting quite busy - get a taste of the nation's best hard cider at these great Vermont events:

Stoweflake Hot Air Balloon Festival at Stoweflake Resort, July 10-12, 2009

“Veillée” (French Canadian Dinner) at the Vergennes Opera House, Friday, July 17, 2009

5th Annual Taste of Stowe Arts Festival at Stowe's Topnotch Field, July 24-26, 2009

One Glove: A Michael Jackson Tribute at Higher Ground, July 24, 2009 - Woodchuck is the presenter of this fantastic Seven Days event in remembrance of the nation's king of pop.

Woodchuck Draft Cider is a hard cider handcrafted with apples in Green Mountain Beverage’s state-of-the-art facility in Middlebury, Vermont. The original recipe, known as the popular Woodchuck Amber Cider, was created by current cider make, Greg Failing, in 1991 in Proctorsville, Vermont. The Woodchuck Draft Cider family has grown to include Granny Smith, 802 (Dark & Dry), Pear, and a brand new selection of Limited Releases to which Failing adds his personal touch to ensure exceptional quality and premium taste to Vermont’s award-winning hard cider. A naturally gluten-free beverage, Woodchuck Draft Cider is also a favorite in food pairings and a key ingredient in a variety of recipes. More information is available at www.woodchuck.com and you can follow them on Twitter at http://twitter.com/WoodchuckCider.

On days like this I love what I do!! Thanks to Brandon Music and Woodchuck Draft Cider for being such exceptional clients!

Good Writers Pave the Way

2009-06-30T09:56:00.003-04:00

The current media situation is baffling businesses, changing the scope of PR, stressing out PR clients, and transforming journalism. I think of everyone dealing with the influx of social media and the death of many forms of traditional media has been most challenging for journalists. As someone who has worked in public relations in Vermont for over ten years, I have made a great many friends with journalists, writers, and editors, and while I feel their pain, I am also amazed at the resilience many of them show in fighting back and foraging their own way. I feel in some regard, this has helped boost the respect levels between the two professions, especially for those of us who are entrepreneurs.

I have done some super cliche writing lately, but seriously, the only thing I can think of in regards to the economic situation and the evolving media landscape is something I have learned is true in every aspect of my life - if you want something done you have to do it yourself. And that is what several journalists I hold volumes of respect for are doing. I am going to be sharing their endeavors with you over the next few posts...

B.J. Roche, a talented writer whose work has included recent features in The Boston Globe and Yankee Magazine, also teaches journalism at UMass Amherst (my parent's and brother's alma mater) and provides a variety of career and entrepreneurial counseling for enterprising journalists. Most recently she launched the website FiftyShift.com - a deep yet humorous foray into the lives, livelihoods, areas of concern and interest to the modern midlife woman.

I think one of the most exceptional concepts of this website is since it is written by a career writer and teacher, it is so easy to follow and everything seems pertinent and relevant. The site is well organized, it is easy to navigate, has a great mixture of photos, links, and headlines, and subjects span everything from being a cougar to how to tackle Facebook; from how to talk about aging issues with parents to how to plan a midlife sabbatical. Of course there is the usual tax info, retirement info, travel info, and gardening and cooking tips, but it's very clear this website isn't managed by a company trying to sell some of these products/services - it's managed by a woman shifting into her fifties as well and who really knows what's up with this demographic - and how to deliver it.

Well done and for all my pals out there in this demographic - you have got to check it out - www.FiftyShift.com!

Lessons from the Road

2009-06-24T11:34:00.004-04:00

Wow, I have been a bad, bad blogger lately! I apologize. June has been an intense month of ups and downs. The elation of the music that has shaped my life returning coupled with judgments in the professional world which have been hurtful and downright wrong. I have built a professional persona that is true to my personal being. This was something that was fundamentally important to me in starting my own business. I have also found that being true to myself, being real, and being honest about who I am has had far more benefits than I could ever imagine. I have developed much stronger media relationships since managing my own Vermont public relations business solely based on the fact that I am not a "typical PR person." That results in press coverage for my clients and that is one of the things I love most about what I do.

Unfortunately I continue to learn that people have judgments, and while they are more often than not related to jealousy and their own insecurities, it doesn't stop the fact that they are painful and ugly.

Luckily while I learned some difficult lessons this month, I was also blessed with the culmination of my love affair with Phish and went to four shows in the beginning of June. It made me think a great deal about where I was when I first started listening to them, where I was when they broke up, and where I am now. Returning to Phish as an adult with a bunch of other adults has been inspirational and the lessons I learned then, most certainly do apply now. These lessons are an integral part of what I hold dear to my personal and professional lives - lives which have been intertwined with Rachel Carter PR and living a life that is honest and true in everything I do!

Life Lessons from Phish and the Road:

1.) DON'T JUDGE!!!! The crazy guy dancing next to you with the green wig and sparkle sunglasses is actually a high power, well respected DC lawyer.
2.) CHILL OUT! Sometimes you need to stop it all, completely engage in something else, let you mind not think, and release all that pent up energy.
3.) YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE YOUR WAY! If someone's dancing too close next to you, don't fight back, move and create a new space.
4.) SMILE! Everyone is, don't worry about why, just smile back - it feels good.
5.) LISTEN FOR ONCE! Actually listening to the music - it does wonders.
6.) CONVERSE AWAY FROM THE MUNDANE! No one asks you what you do - that stuff just doesn't matter. Build friendships based on common interests and loves and you'll be connected for life.

I came back from Phish feeling more confident about who I am, more satisfied with my life, and more relaxed about the fact that I really do have to stop sweating the small stuff. Sometimes the small stuff is blogging, so I took a break. Good to be back and can't wait to go see Phish again in August - I mean, isn't this why I started a business in the first place?

VT Business Expo Booths

2009-06-03T12:23:00.005-04:00

Rachel Carter PR apprentice, Emily Bellmore, and myself headed off to the Vermont Business Expo a few weeks ago held at the Sheraton Burlington.

The Sheraton really does hold the prize (in my opinion) for the best conference space in Vermont. I have never attended an event there that wasn't polished and must give kudos to the Sheraton for another job well done. Of course, I would also have to give kudos to Delaney Meetings & Events, which I think most folks would agree, offer a second-to-none industry standard for event planning in Vermont. And a major hats off to Antonia Opitz of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce who is responsible for the entire overall event. Great work!

Emily and I planned for a full day at the Expo for two reasons: The first is I wanted to give Emily a good amount of time to meet friends and colleagues of mine and really actively engage in an apprenticeship. The other is I wanted to have the chance to see what other businesses are doing in Vermont! As a small business owner, I seldom get the opportunity to just check out other people's work and talk with them about what they are doing. It was refreshing and enjoyable. (Pictured here is Emily engaged in booth games)

Most fun was checking out the booths - let's see if my thoughts match up with any of the winners:

One fun stop was chatting with my friends at Shadow Productions. Not sure if they were trying for a booth award, but their friendliness and general way they do business is award worthy in itself!

Always good to chat with my friends at City Market and wherever they go, they present themselves right on target with their brand - good work!

When I played the Wheel-of-Fortune, I won a ham from McKenzie Country Classics. Unfortunately I did not actually redeem my prize because I had no place to keep it cold, but was most appreciative - perhaps they can partner with a local cooler provider?

Tilley's Cafe certainly rocked both the games and the costumes - they are so good at presenting themselves. Oh, and they have valet parking in downtown Burlington - talk about solving problems and having amazing customer service!

And then there was my personal favorite booth - Safeguard of Vermont (and New Hampshire). These folks had costumes! And not partial - full on! They even had a rocking horse to go along with their western theme. Oh, and what do they do? Promotional products! I think they have won my business for creating Vermont Vibes car decals!

Interested in knowing who actually won awards? Check out the VT Expo Best Booth Awards!!!

Tweet Tweet Tweet

2009-05-28T12:29:00.005-04:00

Twitter took a foodie turn in the Mad River Valley last night at the Round Barn Farm's Great Vermont Locavore Tweet-up. Created by Chef Charlie Menard of the Round Barn Farm's local and organic catering company, Cooking From the Heart, the event brought together Vermont foodies, localvore supporters and participants, and Vermont twitterers. Promoted mostly by the Round Barn Farm on Twitter - http://twitter.com/roundbarnfarm, the event was well attended with the perfect mix of the above!

Seven Days also whisked it into this week's issue and you can check out more on the event in the article.

I'd like to take a few moments to recognize some of the great folks I met and caught up with last night and instead of linking to their websites, I will direct you to their Twitter pages!

I had a fantastic time chatting with Jeff Connor, owner of the Grunberg Haus, a delightful inn located in Waterbury and also the author of one of my favorite Vermont Blogs - Vermont Travel Notes!
http://twitter.com/GrunbergHausVT

It was great to catch up with my old neighbors from the Bobbin Sew Bar & Craft Lounge and awesome to see how well they are doing and living out their passions and mission!
http://twitter.com/thebobbin

I loved meeting MariaLisa Calta in person - one of Vermont's very best food writers and also the PR gal for Circus Smirkus - one of Vermont's best entertainment concepts ever!
www.smirkus.com - (no Twitter yet, but I am sure it won't be long!)

It was inspiring chatting with Brian Swichkow, an energetic, driven, and talented young Vermont entrepreneur - watch this guy!
http://twitter.com/swichi293

Meeting neighbor and Seven Days' creative culinary writer, Suzanne Podhaizer, was a treat - she is so innovative with covering Vermont food related stories and integrates excellent social media practices!
http://twitter.com/feedmenow

I am very much looking forward the story Candace Page from the Burlington Free Press is working on - she's creatively incorporating 140 characters into it and can't wait to check it out!
http://twitter.com/CandacePage

As always I enjoy running into Amy Kirschner, the amazing mastermind behind Vermont Sustainable Exchange, and really enjoyed being able to spend some time together!
http://twitter.com/vtexchange

It was great chatting briefly with Vermont Edition's Jane Lindholm - one of my most favorite segments of VPR; after maybe the jazz I enjoy at night and did so as I headed home from the Tweet-up.
http://twitter.com/JaneLindholm

And of course always running into PR pals - wish we could all spend more time together - colleagues are not part of running your own business!
Claudia RenchyMorton of KSV - http://twitter.com/MonkeyHouseMama
Andrea Learned (women marketing guru) - http://twitter.com/AndreaLearned
Sandy Yusen of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters - http://twitter.com/sryusen
Nicole Fenton of City Market - http://twitter.com/NicoleFenton

Oh, and my Twitter is http://twitter.com/RachelCarterPR

Kudos Chef Charlie and the Round Barn Farm! This event was great proof of how social media connects people on a real, personal level - yay!

VT Business Conference Report

2009-05-18T11:15:00.002-04:00

It may be a Monday, but I feel as if I am in the midst of Vermont Conference Week. Friday wrapped up the start with the Women Business Owner's Network (WBON) Conference at the Hilton in Burlington. As outlined in the below post, the New World of PR was the overall topic and the speakers were great! I was especially impressed with the Seven Days speech by Pamela Polston and Paula Routly. And, no, I am not just saying that because I am a PR person. I was inspired by their tenacity and boldness (which as the owners/publishers/editors of Seven Days I am fully aware, but was inspired to hear it live) and was also completely amused by the way they told the story. And when it comes down to it folks - traditional PR, new age PR, tech PR - it's all about how you tell the story. Be real and make it relevant. Pamela and Paula did this for the large group of women business owners who gathered for this well run conference.

I think my workshops went well and enjoyed helping business owners try to figure out all this new media slop so it's actually a bit tasty. I will say the Hilton needs to get with the program and stop trying to be so obvious about trying to make a buck and offer wireless to all as a part of their conference package. Is it really worth annoying several presenters so you can charge ten bucks per wireless session? Couldn't you just include wireless for all at a conference with a password in the fee structure? Are you really that ignorant to customer feedback? Maybe you need to Twitter.

So moving on now that it's the middle of Vermont Conference Week - this Wednesday and Thursday is the long anticipated Vermont Business EXPO brought to us by the new media savvy Vermont Business Magazine and my new favorite networking vehicle - the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. Every day I learn more reasons as to why Vermont businesses should be a member and do believe my Vermont public relations business will be joining in the near future. And speaking of savvy, check out the EXPO's You Tube feature!

If you haven't made plans to attend this year's EXPO, you should seriously re-consider your marketing goals and make sure there is a measurable reason why you are not attending. (Even if you don't have a booth, you can still attend - otherwise why would there be booths?)

Hope to see lots of folks there - I will be there for the day Wednesday!

Building Blocks For Literacy

2009-05-13T20:28:00.004-04:00

I had the utmost privilege to work with the fine folks at the Stern Center for Language and Learning in Williston, Vermont last year to help with PR trainings for the launch of BUILDING BLOCKS FOR LITERACY®, a research-proven program for parents and early care/education providers to help prepare children for literacy success.

The experience of working in a training capacity was great and the Stern Center in general is an amazing organization committed to helping individuals identify their learning strengths as well as their needs and to finding solutions that allow everyone to learn. But I must say, the most rewarding part of my work with the Stern Center was truly learning about BUILDING BLOCKS FOR LITERACY®. This program really is what it is all about as far as putting an end to the lack of literacy that afflicts this country. And instead of people just blaming the fact that both parents have to work to support families in today's world, BUILDING BLOCKS directly attacks the root of the problem without placing any sort of blame. It trains those who teach the young children - preschool teachers, parents, and other committed adults to easily encourage the practice of the specific skills which held children learn to read.

From the press release distributed nationwide when the program launched a few weeks ago: This free on-line 12-hour course provides adults with a toolbox of enjoyable activities to build a solid foundation for children to succeed at reading once they enter school. Studies have shown that this kind of preparation can help decrease the number of children at-risk for reading failure.

And studies for real - the Stern Center is by far one of the most respected and well researched institutions dealing with literacy and while the official research specific to BUILDING BLOCKS began back in 1997, it truly began when charismatic Dr. Blanche Podhajski founded the Stern Center in 1983.

Kudos and hats off to all involved and if you're reading this and have a preschool age child or know people who do - do everyone a favor and send them this link - www.BuildingBlocksForLiteracy.org!

The New World of Public Relations

2009-05-06T13:12:00.002-04:00

It is a whole new world out there and the dino days of old school PR are either done or need to be completely integrated into the existing landscape of social media, grassroots networking, word of mouth marketing, and viral communicating. As Peter Shankman referred to and we all know - old white dudes don't run the show anymore.

Interested in learning more? If you are a woman business owner, aspiring business owner, or marketing professional, I HIGHLY suggest signing up and attending the Women Business Owner's Network spring seminar - The New Rules of Online Marketing & Public Relations.

I first joined the WBON two years ago, a few years after I started my Vermont public relations business and the first event I attended was the spring seminar. I left that seminar and started a website, met with a banker, registered with the state as an official business, found a bookkeeper and began preparing for my own accounting process, and started three blogs. Now I am in my third year of business and I credit so much of what I have learned to my experiences with the WBON. When I chat with other aspiring women business owners, the first piece of advice I give them is to join and learn from this fantastic organization.

The spring seminar is being held next Friday, May 15th at the Hilton in Burlington, Vermont. Presentations and workshops will be presented by the following:

Paula Routly & Pamela Polston - Seven Days

Pat Heffernan - Marketing Partners

April Cornell - April Cornell Holdings and http://musings.aprilcornell.com/

Elaine Young - Champlain College and http://champlainprofessor.blogspot.com

Marion Dane Abrams - Madmotion, LLC

Teresa Langston - Net-Spin, Inc.

Cathy Resmer - Seven Days and http://7d.blogs.com/blurt/

and myself - Rachel Carter PR

I am honored to be among such a stellar cast of marketing and PR professionals and media experts and am excited for the wealth of information that will be flowing through the seminar. Don't miss out - this is a GREAT chance to propel your business forward and gain concrete next steps as to how you can more effectively manage your marketing in sync with how the world really works.

More info is at www.wbon.org - see you next week!

Help A Reporter Out

2009-04-28T17:22:00.003-04:00

This morning I bounced out of my springing and budding farmland wonderland into the Burlington metropolis to hear Peter Shankman speak. My awesome PR apprentice, Emily Bellmore, went as well. Hosted by Fuse Marketing - the hip, innovative leader in youth marketing - this event was well attended by many in the VT PR scene - many of whom belong to said Google Group - VTPR.

Peter Shankman is a sort of PR Lord in my opinion because he is so real, says it like it is, and is just plain right. As a fan and active proponent of these qualities, I found it so awesome that he was saying what I have been saying - social media makes PR have to be real, honest, and a true conversation!

And if you don't believe me or want to squabble about the integration of social media into your PR, this guy stood on a NYC street corner in the late 90's with a cardboard resume on and handed out resumes all day in the NYC cold (not the same as VT cold, but still cold when dressed in a suit and cardboard resume). Um, yeah, he got like 400-something phone calls, 70-something job interviews, and 30-something job offers. Kind of reminds me of one of my most fantastic interns who mailed out a pillow case with her resume ironed on it and said, "sleep on this."

Anyway, Peter Shankman, operates the website and media/PR service - Help A Reporter Out (HARO). For those of you who have been getting random media leads from me and wonder where I get them - from Peter Shankman.

His entertaining speech this morning at Burlington's Courtyard Marriott touched on four aspects of what social media is and how it has affected traditional public relations (these are Rachel Carter PR interpretations):

1.) Transparency - There is no more hiding behind the marketing of what you say anymore because it's all about what others say and who hears them. Admit it when you're wrong or you'll be crushed.

2.) Relevance - Stop telling people crap they don't want to hear!

3.) Brevity - The average person moves on from your message in 2.7 seconds so not only will the page long pitch be too long, the paragraph one has runs its course as well. In fact, if you're still reading this blog you are a sought after statistic!

4.) Top Of Mind Presence - I feel much more at ease at the fact that I never seem to have any time because I am always spending so much time networking an chatting and hanging out with peeps online. It's all about being top of mind!

Thanks Peter for liking Vermont and clarifying what seems to me should be obvious, but obviously isn't! You rock!

PS - I had to share this picture I found - the essence of Peter's great personality he displayed today and what great PR for Harrah's Resort.

Lead Times

2009-04-23T16:48:00.002-04:00

I am so grateful and thankful for the awesome press I have gotten lately. I guess if a PR person can't do well getting their own press than how can they do well getting others? With all of this great press comes a lot of inquiries which rocks! It is awesome and I am so very thankful for all of the interest.

I feel I must put a note out to those interested in my potential services and as I reiterated at the VT Travel Industry Conference, PR (whether it's traditional or social media) takes time and patience.

Think of it this way, if you are a paying client, and I tell you I need to push one of your deadline driven projects or cannot respond to the media and their lead times and deadlines because I have to go to a bunch of new business meetings, how would that resonate with you as your PR provider? I would imagine not very well.

It is for this exact reason that I work on longer lead times for new business.

I don't know everything and I certainly don't know everything about running a business, but I do know if I neglect my personal life and health so I can fit everyone in, than my reasons for starting this business in the first place are completely in vein. I also know that all of my wonderful paying clients have made a commitment to me and I to them and I must honor and respect that even if that means a new potential client's deadlines do not become number one.

Rachel Carter PR is a one person operation. I have assistance from my fantastic significant other who acts as my mailroom assistant, courier, banking assistant, photographer, and sometimes research assistant, but that can only go so far and I want to make sure our engagement and commitment to each other is not secondary to my business. This is a continuous struggle that I am tackling as my number one priority this spring and summer.

I have had interns in the past and currently am working with an apprentice to be able to take on some of the work load, which is at my discretion, not at the request of a potential client. I do not currently have any openings for interns.

I also do not want to grow into a larger structure, but want to focus my business on being sustainable as a one person operation so I can be true to my values and life goals.

There are many reasons marketing agencies with PR departments exist and one of those reasons is to offer clients with limited wait time because there is the staff structure to support new business opportunities.

To all prospective clients - I want to help you with your PR efforts and I want to be able to work with everyone who wants to work with me. To do so, I need some help on your part. Here are a few guidelines to help me help you:

1.) Do not wait until you are ready to start implementing PR to try to make an appointment. There are two reasons for this - one is so you can get on my schedule and the other is because you should be thinking about PR as you get other marketing efforts coordinated.

2.) Understand I work on a month lead time to schedule new business meetings. This is because I bill monthly and have my scope of work planned out for the month and need to allow for last minute deadlines and issues for my clients as well. Please remember, I do not have mini me's to help out in time crunches. It is never too early to schedule a new business meeting, but it can be too late.

3.) If you would like me to help with event promotion I require at least a six month lead time (a year is preferable). If you bring me on from the beginning, it will be more cost effective and way less headaches for all involved. This is going to be true for anyone you are looking at for PR - events need lots of lead times and they need PR to be integrated with all other marketing efforts. PR is no longer a stand alone marketing effort!!!

4.) Please consider all aspects of potentially working together. A longer term, less-up-front cost relationship is going to be far more beneficial for you in the long run than the hurry-up-and-wait syndrome. This does not necessarily mean I am trying to get you in some long term retainer relationship. I am trying to help you think of other ways to handle your PR. Could I provide longer term consulting to help keep you on track with your PR efforts? Do you have or should you have a marketing assistant I could train to handle your PR and provide a minimal supervisory role with them over the long haul of your PR? Both of these services I offer and both have been very effectively executed with clients.

5.) Are you looking at PR as a cheap alternative to advertising? Are you trying to promote something to get funding first so you can continue? Are you trying to publicize before you have anywhere for the public or media to get any further information? Do you have no idea what your target audience is or what you are trying to say? If you answer yes to any of these questions, than Rachel Carter PR is not a right fit for you.

Thank you for listening and hopefully understanding. Love and Light to All.

Social Media at the VTIC

2009-04-13T19:16:00.007-04:00

I apologize for the lack in postings! And right after I teach two workshops on social media at the Vermont Travel Industry Conference. How very bad. But, in my defense, it is because of the social media workshops that I have been slacking. Those were two mother load of workshops to pull together - they were like research papers pulled into presentations after the research paper had been written!

The first workshop I taught - Alleviating the Fear of Social Networking: The Basics of Social Media - was geared to the 1.0 crowd. I wanted to cover social networking and social media in a very basic way - from history to current applications to help folks merely understand why it showed up and how it is used. And I think it worked! The feedback I have received has been very positive. One woman even wrote, "I learned more in your workshop than I have in entire conferences."

She was definitely NOT referring to the Vermont Travel Industry Conference. That was by far the best conference I have ever attended and for so many reasons. The Equinox is stellar and just being in Manchester was a delight. Cindy Delaney and her crew from Delaney Meeting & Event Management did an absolutely spectacular job. They even dealt with me exceptionally. I had to be the pain-in-the-butt presenter who got all nervous when there wasn't a projector in the room and asked the Equinox for help, when of course the Delaney crew had one all along. Guess I know what I am asking for next Christmas. Thank you very much to all who helped.

There was fantastic networking and excellent exhibits as well as a bunch of workshops besides mine that were chalk full of varying levels of pertinent information to a multiplicity of niche groups within Vermont's vibrant travel industry. I was especially keen on the Orvis dinner event - the Orvis flagship store was turned into a networking outdoor department store with wine, beer, pasta, salad, and desserts being served between the fishing hats, dog beds, and uberlicious Vermont clothes. Here I am (wearing my new Orvis hat) with Vermont's Commissioner of Tourism, Bruce Hyde.

The second workshop I tackled has a much longer name - Implementing New Media Marketing: Practical and Cost Effective Ways to Integrate Social Networking & New Media into Current Marketing Plans - and that is because it was a much meatier workshop than the first. I do not feel the need to explain because the ridiculously long title should be enough! But I do want to share some of the tips I presented and offered in hand outs to my loyal blog readership. Hopefully we picked up a few more after the conference!

Marketing Tips for Utilizing Social Networking & New Media Tools:

-->The Blog
• Is Not A Way to Publicize What You May Want in a Press Release
• There is no place for marketing mumbo-jumbo
• Blogs are used to spread news, but news that is pertinent to the audience, NOT what YOU want to be pertinent to your audience
• The audience often changes from what you originally thought it would be
• Blogs are a great way to act as a reporter in your community
• Before you try to start a blog, begin by getting engaged in blogs; take an area you are personally interested in outside of your work and find a few blogs on it, subscribe to them, tinker with using social media bookmarks like DIGG and Delicious, and comment on the blogs while figuring out how to share with others in your social networks, like Facebook or Twitter
• Do not fear the blog – if your messaging is consistent, it will not be lost
• Blogs can be free to set up, or paid for if you want them to feed directly through your website
• You do not need to now HTML to blog, only how to insert hyperlinks, insert photos, and insert already created HTML codes from social networking sites
• Whoever is the blogger must like writing!!!!
• Blogs are so worth it when done right because they have free search engines the marketing of your business is done through SEO placement in the wording on the blog.
-->Get really comfortable with SEO keywords, do not just leave it to the computer professionals, they need to be consistently used in all marketing efforts; they are the backbone of creating links that bring people to your website
-->Sign up for Google Alerts
-->Subscribe to RSS feeds in areas of your own personal interest
-->Start “photoblogging” which is really just using Flickr or Photo Bucket to index your photos
-->Create a YouTube account and spend some time checking out videos and seeing how it works, also share some videos with friends so you know how to do it
-->And yes, join Linked In & Facebook!
-->Engage! Join user groups that relate to your interest, give your email when asked, post on message boards on sites you visit, make public profiles instead of hiding or “trolling” – your public profiles are public, so don’t put up info that you don’t want to be public
-->If you have a tough boss to crack, there is even more of a reason to engage in new media because then you’ll have examples to back up why you need to utilize new media.
-->Accept that there is no quick fix in online marketing; it is an ongoing process, no matter what else you want to believe.
-->You must engage! There is not a cheap or costly solution, it is all about time and engagement.

Marketing Tips for Incorporating New Media into Existing Marketing:

-->SEO > Marketing Consistency
• Consistent Content > keep the message the same, keep the message easy to understand, keep it under a 10th grade reading level, and synchronize it with your Search Engine Optimization, website descriptions, and metatags
• Get the advertising adjectives out of your descriptions
• Google search your own SEO terms and competitors for new opportunities
• Integrate your direct mail campaigns into your e-campaigns so they support one another in theme and message

-->Incorporate with Public Relations
• Use social networking and new media to help tell your story
• Utilize links to boost your web presence!
• Make your press room more of a media center, not just for traditional media, but fill it with your own social media endeavors
• Do not use traditional public relations to promote your social media work! Use them to support one another
• Pick a few social/new media avenues and do them well for your audiences
• Let the information you discover going through this process drive your advertising and public relations and get the two of them in sync!
• Do not think of marketing as linear any longer! Public relations should never come at the end – you should get those tools up and running while you update the website and all of your messaging!

-->Outsourcing
• You WILL NOT SAVE MONEY if you do the web work by yourself!
• What you need to outsource is the technology, but not until you have a clear idea of what you want to get out of new media, which you will not be able to determine if you aren’t using it yourself. And when outsourcing, be collaborative! Are trainings and ongoing consultations going to be more beneficial in the long run so the work can be more effectively and financially distributed?
• Before hiring someone to update the website, get your messaging in all areas of marketing and SEO words in collaboration. And before you do that, get a few unofficial consultations from people who use your materials, both internal and external and some who have never used you materials and get some feedback. Review and integrate before you determine the final outcome. Research websites you like while engaging yourself in new media – make note of these so you can share once you do hire someone to update your website

-->Bring In House
• Create a new media type of position - A new media type of position should handle researching and updating all social networking and new media components (including photography and video skills) and as they are an ongoing engagement, not a quick fix, it is most cost effective to have someone on board – have that person work with outsourced experts to get your social or new media components up and running
• Integrate social networking into the culture of your business. Do not block social networking sites!

-->Audience Integration
• Think about your different audiences – the more options/services/amenities you offer, the more audiences you are going to have; NOT the larger your audience is; use this in determining what new media outlets will work best for different audiences
• Create your own word of mouth marketing campaign - the key is the message CANNOT BE CONTROLLED, but is messaging is consistent, the conversations will be consistent
• Look at your existing customer lists – don’t overuse the e-newsletter that targets your audience as one big mass every time you have information you want to share; instead think about using different social media tools to get the same information out so it resonates with your different audiences
• Once you have customers/guests/clients engaged with you through social networking, ask them to send you YouTube and Flickr/PhotoBucket links from their experiences and ask if you can use in your marketing efforts and then integrate into your marketing

Hope these come in useful for folks! Brought to you direct from Rachel Carter - owner of that corporate hippie driven Vermont public relations firm.

Go Red For Women Luncheon!

2009-03-26T09:04:00.006-04:00

I have been meaning to get this posted but I have been feeling the sand tightening around my head as my arms flail trying to get out. I am so grateful for all the excellent press I have gotten recently such as this week's Burlington Free Press, but I must apologize to those great folks contacting me for appointments as it's busy season in PR and I must focus on my current clients and their deadline oriented projects. Thanks all for understanding!!!

In the meantime, I thought I would shift the focus to some other fabulous women business owners, specifically those who sat at the table I sponsored at the Go Red For Women Luncheon to benefit the American Heart Association and to raise awareness on heart disease and stroke in women.

I'd like to give some shout outs to:

Kathy Blume, the fabulous Vermont actress and proprietor of Might Ruckus - an entertainment company that keeps Kathy performing across the country both on the stage and at conferences with her feisty political commentary. www.kathrynblume.com

Starr Jewell, a long time co-worker and friend from the agency world and current collaborator on marketing work for clients. Starr now owns and operates Starr Jewell Marketing Services and handles the whole kit-n-kaboodle. www.starrjewell.com

Markey Read, an entrepreneur guru as well as avid urban homesteader, Markey owns Career Networks - a career and development center (great option if you are looking at your "Plan B" in the economic drama). Markey has also recently instituted a series of "urban homesteading" events which I attended one of this weekend. www.careernetworksvt.com

Kim Reynolds, and excellent writer and editor of Woodstock Magazine, part of Vermont's Mountain View Publishing group. Kim publishes the lovely magazine depicting the lovely Woodstock, Vermont, the location of my first large travel PR account and her editorial standards are most admirable. www.mountainviewpublishing.biz

Not able to attend due to sickness and schedules, but still table members and supporters of the Go Red For Women Luncheon were:

Diana Jones, owner of bookkeeping and tax service firm, Double Entry Bookkeeping - www.doubleentrybookkeeping.net

Stephanie Raccine, co-owner of website design firm, Off the Page Creations - www.offthepagecreations.com

Diane Langevin, owner of interior decorating company, Signature Interiors - www.vermontinteriordecorating.com

Mary Beth Quinn, owner of the business coaching outfit detailed below, The Growth Coach - www.thegrowthcoach-vermont.com

Also in attendance was my amazing mother, a school district superintendent (not in VT) and the loving force behind so much of my success. I love you Mom!!!

Thanks ladies and enjoy the pictures!

Who Wants to Grow your Business??

2009-03-17T18:06:00.002-04:00

You do! I am not a Vermont business grower, I am a Vermont business publicist, but the two are often very much intertwined. So much in fact that sometimes people want to meet with me to talk about how to grow their business before they have the kinks worked out so that they are ready for the PR. This is when I refer them to Mary Beth Quinn - The Growth Coach of Vermont. Of the many people I have met while launching and getting my Vermont public relations firm up and running, Mary Beth is truly one of those people who, quite simply, gets it. And as someone who gets it myself, I love to surround myself with like minded folks.

I figured Mary Beth and her strategic business coaching company would not mind if I stole some great pieces of advice for my loyal and new readers and gave her full credit. So, here are some tips from The Growth Coach of Vermont (edited into my own words), tips which I fully integrate into growing my own business. And from business owner to business owner, they are working!

1.) Identify your best referral sources over the past year and not only thank them, but keep them updated on your business and what you are looking for in clients today.

2.) Build up those relationships with businesses with whom you are the paying client and get yourself some informal sales agents.

3.) Ask your current customers and clients for referrals and introductions.

4.) Build strategic alliances with other businesses that have the same client base.

5.) Make doing business with you easy - especially do not ask potential clients to assume any risk in working with you.

6.) Consider, not resist utilizing telemarketing - especially with follow-up.

7.) Influence many in one niche market with events or seminars and collaborate with other business partners in reaching potential customers with events.

8.) Utilize public relations! For real, that is one of Mary Beth's tips!

9.) Revisit past customer and client relationships and heal those that may be tarnished.

10.) Leverage indirect competitors to gain new customers - leads can flow in both directions.

The Growth Coach of Vermont offers a variety of ways to work with Mary Beth including retreats, workshops, seminars, one-on-one coaching, and special projects. To learn more visit www.thegrowthcoach-vermont.com or contact me and I'll introduce you!

Vermont Sustainable Exchange

2009-03-09T13:23:00.003-04:00

Doing business in Vermont?
Stressed by the economic drama?
Interested in looking at ways to change your business to be able to sustain yourself through these next several years and into the future?

I think most business owners I know would answer yes to all three of these questions. So, for those who answered yes, I want to share information about the Vermont Sustainable Exchange - located on the web at www.changethemarket.com.

Vermont Sustainable Exchange operates an online business to business marketplace that allows Vermont businesses to measure, grow, and coordinate their trade with fellow Vermont businesses.

Businesses pool the credit they issue to each other into a common marketplace where local goods and services are bought and sold, loans are issued to willing entrepreneurs, and the cost of doing business is lowered by consolidating expenses and buying power.

I plan to investigate Vermont Sustainable Exchange as a place to search for an Apple specialist to help me learn how to better use the IMac I am running Windows on. I am hoping to find someone more cost effective than going through Small Dog Electronics, but more importantly, someone who will help me learn a Mac, not just be irritated that I bought a Mac and am running Windows. Instead of paying, I pay with my time and someone else will be able to benefit from my Vermont public relations services. It will be interesting to see how this works, and I would love to get feedback from folks that are currently using Vermont Sustainable Exchange!

A Great Example of Grassroots Marketing on a National Level

2009-03-02T17:03:00.002-05:00

If ever there was an organization that did exceptional grassroots marketing, including social networking, it would be the Fresh Air Fund. The Fresh Air Fund is an independent, not-for-profit agency, which has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. Vermont is one of the places where many of these children come to experience fresh air in the summer. Right now they are looking for local college age kids to serve as counselors for this upcoming summer. More info is available here - http://freshairfundcounselors.smnr.us/.

As a marketer, if you click the above link, you will be treated to one of the best uses of social media based public relations I have come across. The release offers embedded codes for bloggers like me to share the video:

It has online applications for camp counselors (which is what they are looking for with this particular release). It has embedded codes for banners, logos and tons of others stuff:

It has the background info (templated paragraph for my clients who read this!) and all media contact info. And my favorite - it has all the social media tags so you can Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube the heck out of it - if you want.

Besides having their technology in the tip top position, they have the staff dedicated to the time it takes to effectively manage a public relations campaign. The PR folks running this campaign sure did their research in their target markets (one being Vermont) and finding ways that people in these target markets get their information (local blogs being one). Because of my popular Vermont Vibes Blog, I was contacted last summer and asked to help find some family hosts via my blog. Coincidence or not, there were definitely some families in Charlotte who signed up to be host families who hadn't been before. And it didn't end there - I am contacted on a regular basis to write on my blog again. Can that be annoying? Sure! But one of the unfortunate side effects of being a PR person is you have to be skilled at being annoying! Otherwise I would never be writing this blog on behalf of the Fresh Air Fund, because without the follow-up, I would never remember!

I do hope they use the Fresh Air Fund as a case study in those books I had to use to teach the PR classes at Champlain College. Definitely a better example of current PR than say, the Tylenol one (PR pros, I know you know that one!).

So, if you are reading this and know how to get information to college age kids - please get them this link! http://freshairfundcounselors.smnr.us/

Social Media - Grow with It...

2009-02-17T11:51:00.002-05:00

So, times are tough and they don't seem to be getting better. How ridiculously annoying for everyone! I mean, how can you not get down when you work your butt off to have two days off to cram in all the things you possibly can that you learn from all the new ways we are learning things. What about sleeping? Visit friends? And all the never ending items on the growing To Do List? I don't know about you, but sometimes I really, really, really feel -> this close to losing it!

AURGH!!!!

Well, the only thing you can do during tough times is to be proactive and NOT just "wait it out." This is your chance to learn, grow, develop more contacts, learn new skills, etc. My backup skill is gardening and I am waiting for that call to come and someone to say, "Hi Miss Vermont PR Mama, we are the Government Organization of Environmentally Sustainable Bail-out Package Revamping the National Food Crisis Committee and you have been selected to receive a subsidy to start a heady, hippie, farm growing produce for Vermonters and we chose you because of your fabulous PR skills." But, until the government can figure out what to call the committee and who can head it up that isn't being charged with tax fraud I will have to focus my energies on other efforts during this "tough times." And I suggest you do as well...

Last week I was invited to present on a fantastic panel at CCTV's Media Maven Luncheon to a group of non-profit leaders on Communication Strategies for Touch Times, specifically the biggest buzz and raddest rave, social media. Myself, owner of Rachel Carter PR, along with Liz Schlegal of Foundline, Dr. Elaine Young the Champlain College Marketing Professor and Blogger, and Patricia Aroujo a savvy E-Entrepreneur sat on the panel and dished out some advice.

I highly suggest checking out the video of the luncheon and hearing all of the great advice firsthand. While this is aimed at non-profits, there is extremely valuable and pertinent information for small businesses as well:

I offer five tips in summation of this panel discussion:

1.) Collaborate!!!
2.) Understand that you can't be everything to everyone or you're no one to none and really apply it to your business or organization. Believe us, you are NEVER the exception.
3.) Using social media is NOT a quick fix and in this day and age, quick fixes are done, so get to work and stop complaining about the good old days, they just move farther away.
4.) Change your story at all times for every audience. You do it when you are telling the same story to your son and then to your mother-in-law - you make it pertinent to them. Now, do the same thing with the messages that come from your business or organization. There just isn't any other way and shameless self promotion is a hubris sin of the past regardless of how "good" it is.
5.) Stop thinking re-actively! While things are slow, this is the PERFECT time to shift your marketing to being proactive because while proactive works the best, it is very time consuming, so implement it now!

Vermont Business Award Opportunity

2009-02-06T16:08:00.002-05:00

The Burlington Business and Professional Women’s (BPW) organization seeks young professional women and men between the ages of 21 and 35 to participate in the 2009 Young Careerist program on Wednesday, February 11 at 5:30 p.m. at the Best Western Windjammer Conference Center in South Burlington, Vermont.

Held on an annual basis at the local, state and national levels of BPW, the Young Careerist Program recognizes the accomplishments of young, upcoming leaders and provides them with professional development skills and opportunities. Established in 1964, the national Young Careerist Program involves a competitive selection process within local organizations and state federations, resulting in the selection of a Young Careerist to represent each state federation at the BPW/USA annual National Conference. During the program, candidates participate in interviews with a group of judges and present a four-minute speech to the Burlington BPW membership and guests. They are judged in the following areas: written and biographical information, judges’ interview, ability to help others achieve, group interaction and prepared speeches on specific topics.

To be eligible to participate in the program, candidates must either live or work in the greater Burlington area, have worked in their current profession for at least a year, be familiar with BPW, and support the national BPW legislative platform statement.

For more information please visit www.burlingtonbpw.org. To participate in the program, contact Jennifer Nachbur at 802-238-6110 or Jennifer.Nachbur@uvm.edu.

I participated last year and was not only named the Burlington Young Careerist, but also the Vermont Young Careerist! Great opportunity for young professionals - check it out!!!

A Shout Out to Miss Vermont

2009-01-30T16:39:00.002-05:00

Miss Vermont 2008, Ashley Wheeler, has certainly made a splash in raising awareness for the Miss Vermont Scholarship Organization this year!

Kudos Ashley for being the first Miss Vermont to win a Preliminary Talent Award and for being the Non-Finalist Talent Winner at the Miss America competition! I thought this would position her nicely for being a finalist, but not the case. Regardless, this is awesome for Vermont and awesome for Ashley!

Besides rocking out a fabulous rendition of "God Bless America" and taking home $6,000 in scholarship from the Miss America Pageant (making a total of $13,000 in college scholarship partnered with her Miss Vermont funds), Ashley wore a 100% eco-chic dress for the evening gown competition made by Vermonter, Tara Lynn. Personally this is one of the loveliest dresses I have ever seen.

The Miss Vermont Scholarship Organization as a whole has made tremendous strides in building the awareness and integrity of the program, due mostly to the fact that three passionate, dedicated, and talented former Miss Vermont's run the organization. Miss Vermont 2000, Hannah Nelson, was the force behind making Special Olympics Penguin Plunge such a phenomenal event and fundraiser when she took a job there after her reign as Miss Vermont 2000. Now the Director of Alumni Relations at Lyndon State College, Hannah has honed exceptional public relations skills and her efforts have had huge impact for the Miss Vermont.

Also an excellent recruiter, Hannah recruited me to be a judge in the Miss Vermont Pageant in 2005, the first year Ashley Wheeler competed in Miss Vermont. You've come a long way Ashley and you were amazing back then!

Congratulations Ashley - you certainly had the state rooting for you while you were competing in Miss America! And Good Luck in all of your endeavors!

Financial Fitness & Yoga for Women

2009-01-25T11:14:00.002-05:00

I have had the pleasure of getting to know Smith Barney Financial Advisor, Danielle Livellara, for a few years now and am always extremely impressed by her presence, speaking skills, personality, and innovative marketing ideas. One of my first jobs when I moved to Burlington was in marketing at an insurance company and it always amazed me with the level of difficulty most agents met innovative marketing ideas. Danielle would have put them all to shame!

Association marketing is such a valuable skill and tactic, especially in the financial industry as people are far more willing to trust a friend or someone in their circle of interests than anyone else - no matter how good they are! This is not only something Danielle understands, but does with the utmost sincerity and integrity.

I encourage everyone who wishes to learn more about creating financial balance in their life and interested in yoga to sign up for Danielle Financial Fitness & Yoga class this coming Friday, January 30th from 6:00 - 7:30 at the Burlington YMCA. The cost is free and the seminar is followed by yoga; light snacks will be served. And please - share with a friend!

Rachel Carter PR Best of 2008!

2009-01-17T09:50:00.002-05:00

It's time - the official Rachel Carter PR Best of 2008!!! This is my compilation of the best services, products, and people I have come across over the past year and I want to share with readers and followers of my blog!

BEST NETWORKING
The Annual Go Red For Women Luncheon
Held annually in February, the Go Red For Women Luncheon raises awareness for heart disease and stroke in women and offers a fantastic set-up for networking: women host tables at the luncheon itself which features speakers and survivor stories and is preceded by two hours of coffee and tea, a huge silent auction, workshops, and chit chat. I am hosting a table at this year's luncheon on February 19th as a result of attending the 2008 luncheon and the impact it had on me. If you haven't signed up yet I strongly urge you to do so!

BEST ORGANIZATION TO SUPPORT
VPR - Vermont Public Radio/VPR Classical
I listen to VPR Classical throughout the day in my office and VPR when driving to and from meetings and when working out so it would only make sense to offer financial support during their fundraising drive held in late fall. And without a doubt, VPR leads the way by providing exceptional news and commentary and proves that radio is alive, important, and beneficial.

BEST BUSINESS NEWS
Champlain Business Journal
I love all of the business publications in Vermont and as a PR person it is probably not a good idea to seem like I am playing favorites. However, the Champlain Business Journal deserves a mention for the great work they have done in revamping the look, feel, and content of their publication. They have created a better niche for themselves (the other pubs already have their niches well developed) and have become exceptional at covering a very wide spectrum of what is happening in the diverse business landscape that makes up Vermont - way to go!!!!

BEST BUSINESS ADVICE
The Growth Coach
Mary Beth Quinn, the amazing woman behind The Growth Coach, is the only client I am including in this list and not because she is a client, but because of the presentations, newsletters, and conversations I have had with Mary Beth aside from out client work. Her advice and procedures are so right on I cannot honestly create this list without including The Growth Coach. If you need to develop your business in any way, I highly suggest taking a Growth Coach workshop.

BEST PHOTOGRAPHY
Great Photographic Art of Vermont
There are a ton of photographers out there and each one charges more than the next. I wonder how this industry will survive with so much competition, such high prices, and with so many more people becoming skilled in handling much of their own photography. As a public relations professional, I deal with the importance and vitality of photography to tell a story on a daily basis, yet I have always had a difficult time finding a photographer to take good press shots at a reasonable price until now! Jonathan Hart of Great Photographic Art of Vermont is an exceptional commercial photographer with a whoppingly impressive client list, yet is more than happy to offer publicity rates for press shoots which are far less demanding and technical than other types of photo shoots and this is good news for people handling their own PR!

BEST LOCAL PRODUCT
Honey Gardens
Right down the road from Rachel Carter PR, is the fantastic Honey Gardens. I am addicted to the raw honey, convinced that eating direct pollen from my backyard will help keep my allergies at bay. The mead was the biggest hit at my family Thanksgiving dinner and made for easy Christmas presents. And the syrups are a lifesaver when the winter colds set in. Next time you're heading down Route 7, definitely stop or check out their products at a variety of Vermont stores.

BEST VERMONT STORE
Spears Corner Store
This has changed a bit for me over the years based on where I spend my Vermont Vibing time and where I live, and as right now I live in Charlotte - specifically in East Charlotte - Spears Corner Store has blown any competition far away. Plus they hold the annual Tractor Parade! Not to mention I actually go in and hang out - just like a real Vermonter should! If you ever head out to visit Rachel Carter PR in the Charlotte Farmhouse, be sure you say hi to Carrie in Spears and pick up a local product!

And as everyone is concerned about money, recessions, finances, adding machines, calculators, etc., I will offer my top picks in the field of finances - a field I have absolutely no talent in...

BEST BOOKKEEPER
Double Entry Bookkeeping
Without a doubt. The first business expense I invested in was hiring Diana Jones of Double Entry Bookkeeping. Taxes, financial organization advice, and Quickbooks training have all been invaluable to my business and Diana's style simply rocks!

BEST BANKER
Key Bank
Is there any doubt in any Vermont woman business owner's mind to bank with anyone else but Jeannie Lynch at the Taft Corners Key Bank? I think not. Jeannie brings you back to the days when your banker was your friend except in a day and age when women business owners drive the entrepreneur market.

BEST FINANCIAL ADVISER
UBS Financial Services
Tricia Senzel delivers financial information in a manner that equals having a pleasant lunch with the top editor of The Financial World for Dummies. And to a Gen Exer who dropped out of Trigonometry, there is nothing more important. Well, that and Tricia is sincerely trustworthy.

And there you have it - kudos to all and thank you all for playing your part in helping me create a fun and successful public relations business in Vermont!
Rock On!

The Charlotte Farmhouse Makes Regional News!

2009-01-10T10:01:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year Everyone! I am back from some much needed R&R and have already hit the ground running and was featured in a New England Cable News segment which aired yesterday - check it out:

Oh, my favorite band, tied with moe. of course.

I need to be quick, as I am still getting back up to speed and don't want to fall behind before 2009 has even started. But up next - Rachel Carter PR Best of 2008!!!!! Wahoo!

Vermont Public Relations Firm Newsflash!

2008-12-21T11:44:00.003-05:00

Guess there are enough things worthy of note that I will use my blog as an outlet to post a Rachel Carter PR Newsflash. This is also because I do not use a newsletter service. With the huge influx of their popularity among businesses, I have also seen the popularity of them shrink among consumers and I do not want to feed into this trend.

First item of note, I am taking a real and honest vacation. It is VERY hard to do when you run your own business because nothing gets covered by anyone else and when you take a day it's usually double to make up. But since the holidays cause many people to take time and many businesses close their doors (or force employees to take vacation days as horrible as that is), I feel it is one of the only times, if not the only time, I can actually take time and not drown when I return. So, I am CLOSED! Rachel Carter PR will reopen on Monday, January 5th! Of course that doesn't mean I don't have a few odds and ends to wrap up, but the office is closed and that feels good!

On a different note, I think part of my "vacation" is due to my celebrating my first two years in business! Wahoo! I am where I guess I thought I would be. My marketing and finances are set in place and my niche audience has been honed with a variety of deliverables developed, so I guess you could say things are going well! I look forward to starting my third year as a small Vermont public relations agency continuing my commitment to working only with Vermont businesses and organizations in a variety of capacities - from consulting to retainer-based long-term public relations programming; from small business PR plan development to mid-sized organizational PR training. And even in this recessional, financial, global drama, this corporate hippie rocks on!

And of further news, my fabulous St. Michael's College intern from fall semester is unable to come back to to scheduling - gotta love the drama of time. So, I have an opening for the spring semester and am looking for an intern for my highly regarded Rachel Carter PR Internship Program. I am looking for a Vermont college sophomore, junior, or senior with interest in entrepreneurship, public relations, marketing, or journalism and studying in a related field. Self motivation and varied interests and background are key! This internship is very flexible and can be done for credit or simply for experience. Come join the successful line of interns who have worked with me! Here are where a few have gone on to:
- marketing position on a cruise ship
- executive position in high level financial firm
- account executive at New York advertising agency
- vice-president of marketing at international bank
- marketing manager at Boston based technology firm
Come join the ranks! To apply, email me at rachel@rachelcarterpr.com as to why Rachel Carter PR interests you (more info is at the website - www.rachelcarterpr.com), what you are looking to get out of an internship, and attach your resume!

Guess that's the news coming out of the Charlotte farmhouse which houses Rachel Carter PR. Other than that have the Happiest of Holidays, the Most Festive of Festivities, the Sweetest Greetings of the Seasons, and all that pizazz!

Two HUGE Communication Mistakes

2008-12-13T10:54:00.004-05:00

It amazes me that many business people continuously make two very disrespectful mistakes. These mistakes would be not communicating a thank you and non-responsiveness to emails. It may be from a lack of customer service training or basic business etiquette skills, or just plain time constraints, but none of these are any excuse for not thanking someone when they have done something for you or for not responding to emails.

Let's start with thank you's:

If someone does something for you whether you ask them to or not, send a thank you note! Jeez, did your parents not teach you to send thank you notes for all the ugly sweaters you got at Christmas? Whether it's an email or a card you mail, take the extra two minutes and show your gratitude (in writing!) - what comes around goes around and that's not just a saying, it's very true. Just think what happens when you get thanked for doing something - you feel appreciated and you're more apt to do a favor again. Everyone needs favors and everyone should give favors - thank you's help this interaction between people, businesses, friends, and strangers continue in a positive cycle. So, if you're one of those people who always seems to forget to say thank you - knock it off!

And now the email responses:

I can't tell you how many times I email a business as an introduction for a potential collaboration or even someone I have blogged about and never hear anything back. This is so rude! I was taught from my first job onward that you respond to all emails in a 24 hour period. Even if that email is "Thanks for contacting me, I'll keep your information on file." Or "THANK YOU (ahem - see above) for writing a positive article about me - it is much appreciated." Now, as I am in the business of spamming the press at times, I understand that PR people to them are sometimes like fleas on the family dog, but those times when I get a simple email back acknowledging they got the email - man do my spirits soar. But I am not talking about the press here, I am talking about other business folks who just ignore emails. Even a "I cannot respond right now as I am swamped but will get to it soon, or please follow-up with me in a few weeks." When it comes to the ignoring, I just don't get it. Why, especially in a small marketplace like Vermont, would you not want to build your network by communicating with people? That is how business gets done - the more people who know what you do the more your marketing dollars are going to pay off. You can't just expect that article that ran or the ad you bought to drive your business - you need to stay top of mind. And a huge way to counteract that is to be non-responsive when people email.

I guess this was more of a gripe, but also a lesson in business etiquette - send thank you's and don't ignore emails. Simple. Period. Try it for a while and I think you'll start to see a big difference. There are larger things at work than the sphere you rotate in.

Peace to All...

Holiday Networking

2008-12-04T14:45:00.002-05:00

The holidays may be the last place someone thinks of when thinking of networking. Either because you want to go spend time with family and NOT think about work at all or because you dread your family so that you want to keep conversation as minimal as possible.

I understand, believe me. It may not seem so to some, but I am a huge fan of putting work aside and enjoying family and friends without thinking about the insanity of running a public relations firm in Vermont. But this Thanksgiving taught me an important lesson about networking...

Sadly for my family, my grandfather passed away the day before everyone gobbles up turkeys. A leader in quality control and an innovator in computers, he lived a very complete life and was able to say goodbye to his children which is always a blessing. So last week there were more family members than usual in the vicinity of my mother's feast and all came out to my parent's home in the Berkshires for Thanksgiving.

Perhaps as a need to keep conversation light and because as I get older, I enjoy family company more and more, I babbled away about funny stories that stem from my work. Stories that are not about what I do and who my clients are, blah, blah, blah, but rather little tales that come out of the eclectic and varied work and situations I get myself into. This of course resulted in laughter and the usual tales that people share after an amusing story sparks their memory. Many, to the delight of all, also led into fun memories of my grandfather. This is to be expected, especially if the family is as colorful and talkative as mine.

But then something happened which I did not expect - these stories also sparked discussions of my uncle's golf partner who owns a business in Vermont related to one of my clients and my grandmother's travel friend who manages an organization that collaborates with a potential client. I think you see where I am going. You never know....

I certainly wasn't being the annoying niece yapping away about how awesome my business is and prodding for networking contacts. But I also wasn't being the tired business owner trying to steer all conversation away from my work (which I sometimes do). I was instead being a funny daughter sharing my experiences and listening and learning from others, and gaining a few new contacts along the way.

And this, my loyal readers, is something you should all think about doing over the Christmas holidays! Rachel Carter PR approved!

The Power of the Open House

2008-11-20T11:23:00.004-05:00

When done right, an open house or even a series of open houses can really help in publicizing an event or concept, without having to rely on the media and by targeting people directly. To exemplify this, I give you a case study on Lund Family Center:

Lund Family Center is an organization that has been in the community for 118 years and its services have evolved to meet emerging community needs over that time.
Today, Lund Family Center offers a comprehensive treatment program for pregnant or parenting young women with substance abuse and/or mental health issues and their children; Vermont's oldest and largest private non-profit adoption agency; and a comprehensive family resource as a Parent/Child Center.

Many people in the greater Burlington area only think of Lund as the maternity home they were familiar with when growing up and many more are unaware of the comprehensive services the organization offers. The most common response Lund gets when someone visits is, "wow, we had no idea that you do so much and that you are having that big of an impact!".

Taking that into consideration, when Lund celebrated their momentous occasion of moving back into their expanded and completely transformed residential building at 76 Glen Road in Burlington last fall, they needed to look long and hard at how to share that knowledge with a community that gets news and information from a variety of sources, many of whom will never have the opportunity to actually step foot in Lund Family Center. While their roots at this site go back to 1890, Lund bid farewell to the 1960s maternity home building design and officially opened a new chapter by designing a space that meets the treatment needs of the families they are serving today and the families they plan to serve in the future. The new building enhances their ability to provide services to children and families and expands the capacity to annually help create new beginnings for an additional 25 Vermont children and their families, serving more than 80 children and their families each year.

So, this fall, Lund implemented a series of open houses - for board members, supporters, neighbors, community members, businesses, and all other folks they have in their wide network of contacts. I learned about it as I helped provide some PR services for Lund a few years back when I worked at an agency to help publicize the contribution they received from Senator Jefford's to be able to reach their capital campaign to begin the renovations. I went to one of these open houses last week and while I was amazed at the beautiful job they did with the renovations, I was equally impressed with how well the mothers and expectant mothers did with organizing the tour and lunch and fall of the people who attended to learn more about Lund Family Center.

In my professional opinion, I'd say open houses are back in! Plan far in advance, be creative about what is at your open house, and network with your networks!

And in addition - Congratulations Lund - you are great addition to the greater Burlington community! www.lundfamilycenter.org

Potential Work & Technological Explanations

2008-11-13T10:14:00.002-05:00

Are you a one person business stressed by the insecure financial times?

Are you a business person stressed by the emergence of all the new media/social networking/online marketing terminology?

I have found two websites referred to me by two well-respected professionals that I would like to pass on to you:

The first one is www.sologig.com. This is a website that offers freelance, contract, temp, and consulting short term work in the Greater Burlington area, hence the name Solo Gig. It has a pretty broad spectrum of potential work and looks promising for a lot of folks. So, if you are finding work turning up a bit short or need to have one or a few extra part-time/short term "gigs" that stay (for the most part) within the self-employed tax structure, definitely check out www.sologig.com from time to time to keep your options open.

Second, do the terms RSS feed, Facebook, Twitter, SEO, an metatag make you shudder in lack of comprehension? Fear the unknown no longer!!! Check out the website www.commoncraft.com. Common Craft is a website that simply provides explanation. Explanation in very simple, non-technology jargon helping you make sense of phishing, twittering, and googling. Give it a try - www.commoncraft.com - and remember to be patient in learning anything new!

Good luck all!

Tears of Hope

2008-11-05T08:31:00.002-05:00

Were shed last night - I have never been prouder to be an American than I was last night watching both John McCain and President Obama give their speeches. Thank you.

Freedom

2008-11-04T16:18:00.003-05:00

I wish I was not so insanely busy today and could spend time browsing the internet and following the election. But, in order to embrace my freedom that I hold so near and dear to my heart, I must continue the PR work for my Vermont clients and meet their deadlines. But, I did sneak away to go vote and had a little bit of time to reflect and feel that energy that is whipping around at the dusk of change for this country. Several of my friends have posted very though provoking blogs and have been feeling this sense of freedom that is swirling about this election.

I myself have some very strong opinions of this country and of politics in general and over my 32 years of life my sentiments have gone very quickly from optimistic to pessimistic to angry to sad. Seeing the results tonight one way or the other will not give me a sense of hope. Unfortunately I think this country is in a much deeper despair than one person can affect, but I will cross my fingers that it is a start - a start to at least bringing the focus back to the people who live in this country because things are bad.

I think of how I started my business almost two years ago. I did it for one primary reason and dozens of secondary reasons. The primary reason was to have as much control over my destiny as possible because what I saw when it was in the hands of others was sickening - everything from jobs to wages to benefits to expectations to taxes to a washout of the American Dream I spent my childhood dreaming about.

Of course if it wasn't for the glimmer of the American Dream that remained, I would not have been able to start my own business. I simply hope this election will be the beginning of some major shifts in the way this country operates and can start to replace despair with hope in people everywhere - from sea to shining sea.

Just How Do I Get All That Press?

2008-10-24T09:58:00.003-04:00

Everyone has been asking me this question recently. People keep saying, "I see you everywhere!" It's strategically placed news folks! I take items that are newsworthy regarding my businesses - business launch, website launch, other related business activities (i.e. blogs, board appointments, etc.), recognitions and awards, new employee, etc. and I space out the news I send to the press. For instance three of those things could happen at one time. Instead of sending it all at once, I break it out into separate news items and send them several months apart from each other. I also time it for when I can take on business and inquiries. In addition, I seek out opportunities that can be press worthy and I continue to have updated photos to tell these different stories.

I also play the see and be seen game. People need to see your face to place two and two together ad I definitely allocate time for networking and career enhancement events. These events are always good for learning, as no one knows it all, and they are good for connecting and reconnecting. People get frustrated with networking events saying they don't transcribe into business - not directly for the most part, but the do abstractly and PR my friends is one abstract business!

Hope everyone is doing ok making it through financial stresses and taking time out for themselves! I am cutting off at noon today and going hiking and wildlife viewing with my sweet fiance. Providing public relations services in Vermont can take a break!

Document Strategy

2008-10-20T11:50:00.002-04:00

The term document strategy seems to be one of those marketing terms that sounds strategic but yet doesn't really say anything. The office solution company, IKON calls it document efficiency. That's a little better, but still not very clear.

I'll help clear it up - wasting less paper and IKON has products and services to help companies do that. I was recently contacted by IKON to attend a sales/informational luncheon to learn about this concept and how IKON can help manage this problem. In my world of small businesses, document strategy is a foreign concept to me - not an issue and not a concern. My business was green at the get go - I work electronically, heck, I don't even print invoices. And I am conscious about how I dispose of my e-waste. I work at my home, keep meetings on a schedule so I only drive once or twice a week, and grow much of my own food. My carbon footprint is pretty low. Oh, and I just spent the weekend weatherproofing my house.

While I may not be the target market for such a luncheon, there are definitely businesses out there who are the target market - can I say The State of Vermont, insurance companies, utility companies, health care organizations, communications companies and everyone else that sends way too much junk/repeat mail? Unfortunately the process of "document strategy" can be costly and can cause some pretty hefty structural unraveling and that doesn't help the dwindling middle class worker.

The smart thing that IKON has going for them is their ability to offer the cost savings strategy - showing that it will probably cost up front, but the long term savings greatly outweigh the upfront costs. If only these bureaucratic organizations actually had to be held accountable for their carbon footprint - hopefully that day is not too far off.

Interested in attending the luncheon or letting others know?

What: IKON Environmental Show
When: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 from 10-3
Where: UVM Davis Center (A LEEDS certified building)
How: Register with Eric Thompson - erthompson@ikon.com
Info: www.ikon.com

Rachel Carter PR Advice on the Economy

2008-10-08T18:50:00.003-04:00

In my best mobster voice..."Forgaaht abowwt it."

Disclaimer - I am NOT an economist, financial planner, or algebra teacher, I am a Vermont woman business owner.

But seriously, stressing out, raising your blood pressure, or acting out in some financially rash manner is not only stupid, it is bad for all the other small business owners out there. Continue about your business, keep the flow going, and remember the media LOVE a frenzy!!!!

A good rule of thumb on the PR side of life is when the media are all bugging out - don't pester national media about stuff they don't care about when they are all caught up in something else. This is the same rule of thumb as don't launch a campaign during the holidays unless it directly relates to the holidays and don't try to get coverage about an event taking place right before an election.

But for small business owners in Vermont and other similar places, your local media are plugging along just like anyone else. I should know! After attending the fantastic Key For Women Financial Forum this morning with the most awesome former press secretary, Dee Dee Myers, I went about my business delivering press kits for Candles & Creations to local media outlets. Operating as normal. Not running around like the morning shows are making the country out to be.

If there are a few items in your business that need to be re-evaluated due to the financial situation in this country, fine. Set them aside until things chill and take this time to work on some other proactive areas of your business that never make their was into the regular To-Do list. You will be surprised at how productive this can be!

And, in the meantime, if you weren't at the Key For Women Financial Forum this morning or if you were and didn't get a copy of Dee Dee Myers' book, "Why Women Should Rule the World," visit the site, get a copy, and then read it!!! Her speech today was ridiculously inspiring and so right on with everything! It was also so right on with my previous post about the event, I simply had to get a picture with my new role model after she signed my copy of the book. I also share a picture of her speaking and of all the press that were there today - so cool! See? The Vermont press are much more interested in Dee Dee Myers speaking at an event than the stupid financial hullabaloo.

My apologies for the fuzzy pictures, my camera was obviously made by men.

5 Free & Quick Ways to Promote Your Business

2008-10-03T16:17:00.002-04:00

1.) Google search your competition and post yourself everywhere you see them posted.

2.) Identify a trend, set of tips, and/or a solution to a problem and how your business relates to it. Write a press release and/or by-lined article on it and send to business magazines, journals, and websites.

3.) Send an email blast to your friends and good contacts telling them something new or that they might not know about your business and ask them to share with people in their networks.

4.) Offer to do a speech/presentation or be on a panel on a topic you are an expert on to an organization that reaches your target audience.

5.) Join your local Front Porch Forum and let your neighbors know who you are and what your business is! (www.frontporchforum.org)

These tips brought to you by Vermont public relations chick - Rachel Carter (www.rachelcarterpr.com). Check out my Charlotte Farmhouse office!!

Blog Marketing

2008-09-26T17:13:00.002-04:00

I have learned several things about blogging since I started my three blogs a year and a half ago. First and foremost they are TIME CONSUMING!!! However, that is the only down side and the benefits are so great that they outweigh any annoyance factor of not having enough time. Everything in my Vermont pr business is time consuming, so what's a little more, right?

I spend $50 a year on advertising and that is for my link on the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce's website - www.vermont.org. Since I am in the business of public relations it would be pretty hypocritical to promote my business off advertising when I get paid to help people utilize other means.

I consult with many people on how to best utilize a blog for their business. So, I thought I would write a blog about how to blog. The blogging gets technical and I know that boggles minds so fast and then can't really help, so I am going to cut it down for you.

I very much dislike giving a list of do not's instead of do's, but so many businesses have entirely the wrong idea about blogs. And hey, you can do it anyway you want, but if you want it to actually market your business instead of just being a waste of time, I would pay attention.

A Blog Is Not...

~ For promoting your business
~ For telling your business news
~ For talking about your business
Because frankly, who out there in the internet world wants to hear about it? (hint, no one who doesn't already hear about it)

A Blog Is...

~ An online journal and a journal is an exploration of your thoughts
~ A first person, no gatekeeper filtered, account on the subject of the blog

Ok, enough subjective stuff here. If you are thinking about wanting a blog and aren't sure where to start, here is my Can I Have a Blog Quiz:

1.) Can you write?
If you can't, find another new media marketing vehicle, a blog is not for you.
2.) Do you like to write?
If you don't, find another new media marketing vehicle, a blog is not for you.
3.) Do you have other interests/areas of expertise besides talking about your business?
If you don't, find another new media marketing vehicle, a blog is not for you.

If you answered yes to all of the above questions, please continue. If you answered no, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Media_Marketing for other new media marketing ideas.

Great, so you have what it takes creatively to create a blog. Now, learning the technical side is not quite so easy, but not so hard either. You must take it in steps. Keep in mind it took me about a year to really see fabulous marketing results with my blog (yes, this includes new business!). Here are the first steps I suggest you take:

1.) Start checking out blogs that relate to areas of your interests - a good place to search for blogs is www.technorati.com. Think of this as a search engine for blogs (which is what it is).
2.) Start using things like RSS feeds and Delicious to gather info on your favorite topics so you can see how the process works and collect info that is fun for you personally while you're at it.
3.) After doing this for a little while, then you will start to get a clearer picture of how blogs work and what you might like to have as the subject of your blog.

These steps are so key in developing a blog, I cannot go into technical how-to, plus reading a blog about how to technically create one is not where you should learn. Spend 2-3 months doing the above three steps - then you'll get it!

And check out my other blogs!
Vermont Music
Vermont Vibes

"Why Women Should Rule the World"

2008-09-17T13:01:00.003-04:00

I can give you several reasons why. I am not saying I am pro-women and anti-men, but women still manage to get the shaft in several areas including equal pay, respect, recognition, etc. I am not one to hide the facts of all sides of a situation so I will be honest that sometimes women are their own worst enemy. Regardless, women should have much more impact on the state of affairs on a national and global level. Besides the occasional catty and trashy chick fights, you don't see women fighting and being uncommunicative. Emotions aside, women communicate and men follow, break, and change rules. There is simply too much testosterone running the world and the only way to change that is with women.

Here is a real world example from my interesting and colorful life. Most folks know I am a live music addict. I love going to shows and festivals and rocking out with my like-minded friends. After over a decade of roaming around the hippie/jam band circuit I have learned LOTS of things. Much of it I apply in various direct and indirect ways to running Rachel Carter PR. And a huge social norm of the scene applies directly to national and world politics...the groups that hang together at festivals.

Group 1: All young chicks, no dudes. This is just not safe and stupid. The girls get too messed up, aren't prepared, have no experience, etc.

Group 2: All older chicks, no dudes. These mamas are about female empowerment and unless the gathering has a specific purpose for this, these ladies are probably pains in the butt to deal with.

Group 3: All dudes, no chicks. This is the worst group to encounter. They are foul, rude, cause trouble, are looked at as shady (and many are), and for the most part they are poster children for the concept that every good man needs a good woman. The worst thing about this group is most of the dudes are probably good guys, but in the mix of a testosterone only group, they go beyond the limits of what they should as good people.

Group 4: Mostly dudes, one or two chicks. The gals here are either girlfriends who are more meek than muscle or the one power chick who gets off on being amongst only dudes (because the power chick types thinks she's way too much of a pain in the butt). These one or two ladies will not have much effect on keeping the fellows in check.

Group 5: The mixed group of guys and gals, friends and relationships, siblings and co-workers, various ages. Any healthy group of individuals in the live music circuit consists of this form of arrangement. Checks and balances. The guys can be guys, the chicks can be chicks, the leaders can lead, the followers can chill, the group is prepared, the group is safe, the group is cohesive, the group is a positive attribute to the entire scene. And the nature of the group keeps individual demons in check.

Do you see where I am going? Everyone knows in politics the chicks without guys are just femi-nazis or whatever other names politicians and media want to call them. How come no one ever talks about guys without chicks? They are testosterone filled douchbags! And all the guys with one power chick? No better!!!

I am certainly not the one to talk abut this on a national level, so I am putting my faith in former White House press secretary, Dee Dee Myers. For those who don't know, the job of press secretary is the most esteemed public relations job in this country. So whether you are interested in the concept of "women ruling the world" or want to learn more in the scope of publicity from the creme de la creme in the field, you should join myself and a bunch of others at the 7th Annual Key4Women Forum.

The Key4Women Forum is being held this fall in several Northeast locations including the Hilton in Burlington on Wednesday, October 8, 2008 from 8:30 - 10:00 am. The $25 registration fee benefits The Vermont Women's Fund. Registration is available online at www.key.com/womensforum. I went to the forum last year and was blown away. Both the speaker and the networking is second to none in regards to events I have attended in this state. And my continuing kudos to Key Bank and the Key4Women program - their commitment to women business owners is unparalleled in Vermont and their business banking services have really allowed me to learn and grow in running my own Vermont public relations agency.

Hope to see you there!

Williston's Taft Corners

2008-09-11T19:36:00.004-04:00

I can't believe I am saying this. Me, the corporate hippie. But, I am growing quite fond of Taft Corners. It is not that I have found a new appreciation for box stores. I have found a new appreciation for convenience. Now, I hope that doesn't make me a Williston Barbie (I wish so badly I had saved the email I read a few years ago on the descriptions of Vermont women as to what type of Barbie they were based on the town they live in. In Montpelier I guess that would make them invisible since they don't allow Barbies to be sold in any stores there.)

Ok - sidenote - I think that is LAME! Political correctness irks me, even though I must practice it as a Vermont PR professional. I credit Barbies to so much of my imagination and creativity I have today - especially as a professional storyteller! My Barbies were so complex! They ran businesses and had rock bands and wrote in diaries and traveled across the country and visited their friends in cities and had dinner parties. You simply cannot have organic apple dolls do all that. See? This is why I am a corporate hippie.

Ok, thanks for letting me rant. Back to Williston. It rocks. It is close to my Charlotte home which is on the Hinesburg side. Since I am not rushing in the way everyone else is, I sneak in the back way and have learned all the ways to get around and have had some fun maneuvering my car. Instead of having full-of-themselves hipsters yelling at me for my sneaky car moves, I have tired businessmen and bottled up soccer moms nodding to me in secret appreciation that I have the balls to sneak out of the cluster...um...traps.

Next there is the actual store experience. As opposed to my eight years in Burlington where I felt like I had to dress uberly cool to even be looked at with respect in Vermont's downtown metropolis, in Williston I can bounce in and out of places without anyone looking at me twice. And if I am dressed uberly cool - I am actually the coolest! I also find I run into more colleagues, friends, and neighbors than I ever did in the perpetual 23 year old paradise.

And thirdly there is the store selection. Downtown Burlington is to see and be scene and for tourists who have lots of cash and locals who pretend to have lots of cash. This is why so many Vermonters head to Williston and other places to actually purchase clothes, groceries, supplies, etc. The fabulous thing I have noticed is now that I am in such an accessible proximity to Williston, I don't have to go anywhere else. Grocery shopping, hardware supplies, gardening supplies, client meetings, party supplies, office supplies, house crap - all in Williston. This doesn't mean I am a fan of the Walmart. That place is just creepy and I have to admit I feel a little weirded out by some of the people I see in there. And don't judge me - you all feel that way too!

So, the recap - Thumbs Up Williston!!! You are working towards making the Rachel Carter PR Best of 2008 List!

Media Maven Event Kick Off

2008-09-05T16:38:00.003-04:00

This is hot news for Vermont non-profits!!!

Join the nonprofit members of CCTV's Center for Media & Democracy for their annual fall luncheon to kick off the monthly series of Media Maven events on Thursday, September 18th from 12-2. This year they will look at ways social media can make organizations sing--to clients, stakeholders and the community at large. Register today for lunch and stimulating, useful tools and techniques.
Email Sam Mayfield at smayfield@cctv.org with any questions.

I will most definitely be attending and encourage other folks working in the world of publicity to register as well. There will be great non-profit networking and fantastic learning opportunities in the realm of media.

I also encourage small and start-up businesses who are having challenges getting marketing plans up and running and who can't afford big company services to get in touch with Sam - they have a variety of services at costs that may be feasible for your company. And, they're the Center for Media & Democracy - even the name is inspiring! If you haven't connected with CCTV, I highly encourage you to do so - it is so much more than town meeting television. (And even now you can watch your town meetings online!!) www.cctv.org

High Fashion Comes to Vermont

2008-08-26T22:20:00.004-04:00

Who says Vermont women don't appreciate high fashion? Not I. Appreciating and wearing are two totally separate things, however. But you ladies who love high fashion and have somewhere to wear it should certainly make an appointment for the Worth NY Trunk Show being held September 7-12 at the Vermont National Country Club on Dorset Street in South Burlington.

After throwing away a postcard and ignoring an email, I got a phone call to make an appointment for the Worth NY Trunk Show. (Here I reiterate the importance of follow-up)

Now this was a learning opportunity for me; who enjoys wearing legwarmers made by recycled sweater sleeves (by The Healthy Hippie of course). When I hear the word trunk sale I think of when an ex-boyfriend's mom showed up at Thanksgiving with a trunk full of imitation purses to sell. Or maybe when a favorite thrift store had a trunk sale of a bunch of items for extra cheap. But, this week, I learned what a trunk show really is - a special sale in which vendors present merchandise directly to store personnel or select customers at a retail location or another unique venue.

And it seems Worth NY (which I had also never heard of) is worthy of a traveling show. I did a bit of research and just looking at the website one can differentiate their superior style, class, and elegance from anything one might find in Vermont. The style is personally something I really like - if I chose to be a PR rat racer in NYC. But sadly, I cannot wear such lovely items traipsing around my farmhouse, killing spiders in between PR follow-up calls. See for yourselves at www.worthny.com.

Worth NY did their homework as well and learned that Vermonters, no matter what their style, like to attach spending dollars towards local causes and a percentage of the proceeds will benefit The Vermont Food Bank, although I am sure it is not as high as Candles & Creations, the unique Vermont boutique which donates 15% of net profits to Vermont non-profits. I did learn while chatting with one of the Vermont hosts of the show that the Vermont Food Bank recently bought a farm and will be growing veggies for clients in addition to the donations they receive. Very cool. Everyone deserves to eat veggies like these!

So, if it fits your style, please call Christine, one of the hosts who resides in Lincoln, Vermont to make an appointment to purchase some Worth NY designer clothing - 802-453-6416. Cheerio!

Public Relations Internship

2008-08-19T09:16:00.002-04:00

As summer comes to a close and I see my blog posts are slim this month (I actually took a vacation), I realize I best get moving on securing an intern for the fall. My current intern, Aislinn Wallace, heads back to Dickinson College this week. Aislinn has done some great work here at Rachel Carter PR and I am bummed to see her go - especially as we wrap up the youth wellness public relations campaign for Candles & Creations - the unique Vermont boutique located in South Burlington's Blue Mall.

Anyway, I have internship postings at Champlain College and St. Michael's College. I don't think I have anything active at UVM, but students from any college are encouraged to apply! If someone catches this post here, check out my website - www.rachelcarterpr.com - and see if an internship in Charlotte with lots of flexibility and very hands on experience would be of interest to you! My small Vermont PR agency excels at combining traditional PR practice with new media, social networking, and grassroots marketing. An internship with me is a fantastic opportunity for the right individual.

For further info or to apply, email me at rachel@rachelcarterpr.com, tell me what what interests you about PR and where your goals lie and attach a resume.

Government and Business

2008-08-06T18:13:00.003-04:00

Do not mix. At all. Do not ever make the mistake of thinking that mixture will slop together for you. The government - federal and state - are both messed. While I believe that some of the people who work for the government truly want to make a difference, I think they get so caught up in bureaucracy, process, hand slapping, and just basic stupidity that they are either smart and get out to where they can make a difference, or they are stuck because the other demands of life make it very difficult to make personal change.

The power is shifting. Just look at the environmental movement. That is entirely driven by businesses responding to people's needs, certainly not the government. But businesses have to do it themselves because the government won't help. And the unfortunate part is businesses have to turn a profit, they don't have taxes smacking them in the rear ends to slow down the process some more.

I believe wholeheartedly in the power of the small business and I have no faith, respect, or conviction in the government. Too bad my taxes can't actually go to those who make a difference. Too bad businesses and government can't actually work together for the good of the people - isn't that what the government is supposed to be there for? Not to say they can't favor one small business over another when they have oil companies wiping their asses for them.

I recently met with the folks at CCTV - Center for Media and Democracy and chatted a bit about free speech. And here I am exercising that right - may more people use blogs to do what they can't many other places. Oh, and feel free to check out the Rachel Carter PR interview on a recent Live at 5:25 Local Media Show.

Internet Spying!

2008-07-29T22:43:00.004-04:00

When I taught the senior level PR classes at Champlain College two years ago I gave the students their first assignment which I called internet spying. They looked at me blankly and I further explained this was a project for them to use the internet to spy on their crushes, themselves, ex-lovers, long lost friends, etc. They then looked at me like I was a mad professor. This was a semester long assignment and I sort of left it at that. Every now and then I would ask how the spying was coming and they would giggle and that was that. Until one day a girl came in and was all excited to share that she had met a guy at Red Square and wanted to learn more about him so she did some internet spying and Google searching and found all sorts of information (nothing bad, just info).

Now, I was not giving a lesson in safe dating (although this is a good dating practice), I was giving a lesson in having the skills to make it as a PR professional. You have to know your audience, who you are contacting, where to find people, what someone is involved in, etc. I one had a huge hit in the Los Angeles Times simply because I remembered that the writer had a cat for an office manager and he was so amused when I followed up on a pitch and inquired about the office cat (which I learned about from internet spying) that he happily worked on the story with me. Internet spying can make you look very on-the-ball which is a good thing. And it's not at all just for media contacting - it's for everyone - new business opportunities especially.

A few years ago I had to leave my students in the hands of Google, but now there are several sites which help speed up the spying process a great deal and I thought it would be helpful for my faithful readers to share them with you today:

http://ekstreme.com/buzz
Site to track buzz on yourself and find places you also might want to be listed on, etc. through searching keywords instrumental to your business

http://pipl.com/
A very detailed web search for people – good to search for yourself and see what’s out there and how finding you might need some work. Good tracking tool to search for yourself before you do internet marketing and then to do again several months later and see what's changed

http://www.peekyou.com
Great site for spying on others and yourself to see what might be out there in the social networking scene on yourself and where you might want to make alterations or create profiles

http://www.zoominfo.com
Free place to post both a personal and company profile as well as be able to search for what other work might be online connected to you

Happy Investigating!

Marketing in Vermont

2008-07-22T09:47:00.003-04:00

I recently got a call inquiring about potential publicity for a company trying to create demand for a product for Vermonters made and marketed by those quite far away from Vermont. I won't say any more on that, but I will give some very serious advice for others trying to possibly do the same.

Vermonters aren't interested. And for those that might be, reaching them through the Vermont media isn't even an option. If your product is for the Vermont market than create it not only with the Vermont market and expensive statistics in mind, but with actual Vermonters.

Use Vermont companies to create and launch it and have Vermonters involved in the process throughout - that will help give you legs in this marketplace once it's time to publicize. You can hire the most expensive NYC public relations bonehead and get nowhere. You can also hire the most heady Vermont public relations mama and still get nowhere. You can't trick Vermont media into believing in something that was created with no heart, belief, or real connection to some part of the Vermont community. The only way to market at that point is lots of paid placement and lots of time for it to sink in - getting involved in the community would also be wise.

Pic of the Week: Rachel Carter PR - the Office Porch at the Charlotte Farmhouse

Where I have business meetings.

Media Lesson Number 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 22 and so forth...

2008-07-15T20:08:00.002-04:00

Just Because The Media Do Not Respond Does Not Mean They Are Not Listening.

I mean it. Think about how many times it takes for an impression to be made on you for you to finally act on it? If you are a business, how many times does it take for you to make an impression on someone else for them to actually pay attention to you? The media are not exempt from this concept. While many people wish there was a job rule that media people need to remember everything, no one else does, so why should they? I mean, hey - I am not even in the media yet am expected to remember everything and while I feel badly if I don't remember someone's name - I have entire databases I am working worth! My mind would explode!

Um, but yeah, this isn't about me - another lesson I continuously learn - and teach.

The media need continuous yet not annoying impressions over periods of time just as anyone else. And, they cannot be scolded for not putting you or your business first - remember it's not only about you.

Think about the concepts of communication as they apply to your own personal relationships and apply them to the way you relate to the media and you will gain valuable insights into the practice of public relations - especially right here in Vermont.

PR Buzz in Vermont

2008-06-30T19:34:00.003-04:00

For those into PR in Vermont, if you are not already a member of the Vermont Public Relations Google Group, you most certainly should be! Check it - http://groups.google.com/group/vtpr.
The group is informally headed by Claudia Renchy Morton, the Director of PR at Kelliher Samets Volk (KSV), which is one Vermont's leading full service marketing agencies.

Claudia has done a great job gathering PR professionals in Vermont and getting us together time and again for PR sharing and learning - something I could certainly use more of as meetings with my cats get a little uninspiring at times.

Most recently we enjoyed a luncheon meeting at KSV's retro lunch room and heard from the folks at Boston based company, Bzz Agent. Bzz Agent has created a corporate strategy for word-of-mouth marketing. Of course, unless you are Green Mountain Coffee Roasters or Seventh Generation, hiring Bzz Agent would be a bit out of the budget as the smallest contract is around $79,000 for six months. But, the client's for Bzz Agent are big companies, but that doesn't mean the ideas can't be put to use on a smaller, Green Mountain scale...

The concept is simple - people believe their friends and folks they chat with about products and activities way more than any form of advertising or public relations for that matter. So, Bzz Agent has thousands of volunteer "agents" who share info with the people they know - openly letting them know they are indeed a "bzz agent." This means - no sneakiness - yay!!

So, my Vermont business owner friends - you should do the same! Get a group of your supporters together, build that group through your networks, and get them to talk about you! Share with them - in a consistent way - the info you want to get out and ask them to help you spread the word with the people they communicate with! Provide them with the tools, wording, message, etc. and ask them to help share when appropriate! (this does not mean you ask them to spam people via email - that is NOT the point!)

I would also love to hear some success stories if you do indeed try this put - please share and happy bzzing!!!

The Closing Paragraph

2008-06-20T10:17:00.004-04:00

If you are a small business or venture and are starting to think about placing some advertising or attempting some PR, or if you have already done so and want to do it better - here is a great piece of advice:

Write yourself a boilerplate paragraph about your company. It should only be about 4-5 sentences and should read something like this:

Company is a type of blah blah blah organization offering blah blah blah to blah blah blah. Company is owned and operated by blah blah and has been providing blah blah blah since blah. Their mission is to blah blah blah and they are committed to blah blah blah. Company is located at address and more information is available at www.blah.com.

That is what I call your closing paragraph. Use that paragraph anytime you send information to anyone - client, press, etc. (Obviously you fill out the blahs.) This will really help in your consistent messaging.

Now take said paragraph and made it into a 50 word blurb and then add information and make it into a 100 word blurb. Save all three of these paragraphs in one place and refer to them when sending information and posting all of those company descriptions on various websites. You will be amazed at how much time you save and the results you will see by using the same language in all of your communication. Especially if you use the same keywords that are in your paragraph in your google analytics and website keywords.

Good luck!! And for a nice visual, here is the view out of my new office window at the Rachel Carter PR headquarters in Charlotte, VT! (Ah - check out the keywords in that!)

Over-Deliverance

2008-06-12T15:57:00.002-04:00

I continue to learn in my process of running a PR firm in Vermont. This week's lesson deals with over-delivering. This also ties in with honesty and not being a sales pitcher, but rather an idea pitcher. Successful public relations takes time and a lot of it. Well implemented PR programs start to self run themselves after a period of time and the fruits of the labor continue to sprout long after the work is over. Educating people on how this works is necessary prior to beginning work so expectations are clear between both parties.

Here are what I think are the major misconceptions about the practice of public relations:

1.) Public relations is not offered in a store therefore you can not try on everything, see if it fits, try on something else, and have a specific price tag on everything. It is a practice - like practicing the law and is paid for as a lawyer is.

2.) PR people do not have magic wands that affect the media. The media are immune to any magic you think PR people have. (hint - good PR people are just intuitive, there really is no magic)

3.) PR really does take a ton of time - really. Come job shadow or ask my current intern, Aislinn Wallace - she will tell you the truth!

4.) You do not need a degree in PR to be a good PR person and that should make no difference in pay. I happen to have a PR degree so I can say this without hidden agenda. (plus, my hidden agenda is to live in the country and work from home, which I am doing)

5.) PR does not in any way, shape, or form stand for press release. It stands for Public Relations which is relating to the public aka communicating with different audiences. This may or may not mean via the media.

I must race off to finish up the last of the move the Charlotte, VT. Any chance anyone knows anyone looking for a well priced apartment/house rental in Charlotte? Next door is open - fantastic opportunity for a couple needing lots of space and a home office!!

Marketing Tips Courtesy of the North Star Lodge

2008-06-03T01:10:00.002-04:00

I have written about the most unfortunate experience I have ever encountered regarding customer service and discrimination with the North Star Lodge in Killington, Vermont in several different ways. My other two popular blogs - Vermont Vibes and Vermont Music both share different angles of this terrible experience of entering a contest, being scammed for a timeshare ploy by the company using the entries as sales leads, falling for it, and then treated with rudeness, turned away from the actual tour, and discriminated against because of youthful appearance and casual dress - hey it's Vermont and I am a good Avon customer! Please check out these blogs for the story and my further investigation into the North Star Lodge owned in part by a previous timeshare fraud, under the subsidiary of RCI aka Endless Vacation Rentals - the Enron of timeshares, utilizing the elusive and untraceable Summit Vacation Corp. - a professional scam group based in Pittsfield, Mass. If someone knows more, please enlighten me!!

Here are my marketing tips of the hour - fresh from the disrespectful, rude, and intolerable behavior of the staff at the North Star Lodge/Inn/Resort in Killington, Vermont:

1.) When conducting business in small locales like Vermont, do not hire sneaky out-of-state entities to do your dirty laundry. Instead, just leave Vermont all together and go do your dirty business in other states.
2.) Do not judge a book by its cover. You never know who wears farmer clothes and is a millionaire, who wears business suits and is in credit card debt and just filed Chapter 11, who wears hippie clothes and owns a business, who dresses like a Nascar fanatic and is undercover, who looks like a soccer mom and is a drug dealer, who walks funny but invented the latest electronic gadget, or who is a bouncy sometimes frazzled looking 30-something and is really a publicist!
3.) Do onto others - do I really need to go there? After this weekend apparently I do. Treat others kindly, have compassion, and don't be a jerk.
4.) If you're running a marketing program and say it's to spread the word, be positive and let the positive word be spread. If you are running a marketing program to sell something directly - be open and honest about what you're selling and don't use asinine gimics.
5.) Never underestimate the power of PR, the power of the press, and the power of the internet.
6.) Always google search new people you are about to deal with and know who you are dealing with so you are not caught off guard.
7.) Understand your market, be in honest touch with your product, and don't try to be something you are not.
8.) Don't take out your own inadequacies or your failing marketing campaign on others, just stop and go at if from a different angle with a different approach.
9.) Do not inappropriately use contests to your advantage. One well run true and real contest will garner enough PR to pay for the sales you could cheaply get out of a potentially fraudulent operation.
10.) Do not ever go to the North Star Lodge or recommend a friend to go there, and if playing with timeshares, be very, very cautious with RCI - Endless Vacation Rentals.

Quick Non-Media Tips

2008-05-27T22:54:00.002-04:00

Moving is one daunting task! My blogging has become thirdary lately after running my Vermont PR biz and moving to the Charlotte farmhouse. But...I have a few tips I wanted to share for those looking to beef up their presence to their various audiences.

~ Become an Expert - Not just in your field of work, but take a hobby or two and get active and involved in organizations and events surrounding your hobbies. Not only will it help with your association marketing, but you can find opportunities to get quoted by the press and included in media opportunities that help paint a more three dimensional picture of who you really are. Like my recent memory lane trip of my junior prom in this past Saturday's Burlington Free Press.

~ Be a Speaker - Volunteer to speak for a group you belong to or a group who could benefit from hearing some tips you have to share. Research conferences related to your field and contact organizers about sitting on panel discussion boards. Be sure to plan far in advance for this - as you should with everything in PR.

~ Write a Blog - Not only is a blog a great internet marketing vehicle, it's a fantastic opportunity to be in an editor's shoes.

~ Be an Author - Contact a local newspaper, magazine, or radio show and see if there is an opportunity for you to author a guest column, write an article, or have a radio segment. Remember, this is not a place for shameless self promotion, but rather to share your tips and expertise about a subject appropriate for that media outlet.

~ Don't Forget your Friends - Keep your peeps up-to-date with your activities in business - you never know who knows who. Sometimes friends can make the best business contacts if you strike the right chord and let them know how they can help you.

So, You Think You Have A Story Idea?

2008-05-15T15:17:00.002-04:00

Great! That means you are starting to think like a PR pro! The first thing you have to do with your story idea is think about who it would be of interest to. And, please - ask a trusted colleague or two who would be interested in knowing about your story idea. (hint: Do not ask people who always tell you what you want to hear - they are good friends, but not good business consultants)

Next, once you have an idea about what audience is going to be interested in your story idea, think about how those audiences get information. And don't only think about media like daily newspapers and TV. What music do they listen to and will they get that from a radio station or satellite? What niche magazines might they read? What types of newsletters do they subscribe to? Where do they live and what local media outlets reach them? What organizations do they belong to and communicate with? What websites do they frequent? What important people do they take stock in?

Lots of questions to answer before you run off to share your story idea. Answer these questions and then research ways to reach the "gatekeepers" (as we called them in PR 101) who are the ones who communicate directly with your audiences.

STOP! Before you actually reach out (phone call, press release, pitch letter or email, press packet, e-blast, article, tips, etc.) you must do more research!!! The best way to get your story out there is to supply all of the background information that might be needed to help further develop your story idea. Find websites that coincide with thoughts you are expressing, find examples you are referring to, provide photos, offer collation between your story and current news and event items, offer background research and statistics...do the homework and never think "it's not my job" - ever.

Managing successful public relations is no different writing an A-worthy research paper!

Tips on Setting Up a New Office

2008-05-08T12:53:00.002-04:00

So, you have moved offices like me? It can be such a process! It's also a time to start fresh. Here are a few tips on some of the most useful things I have learned (and am still learning):

1.) Tell everyone! This way it's easier to schedule meetings farther away than normal because you simply cannot do it all!
2.) Google search yourself and change your address and phone number on all sites you are listed at. This is also a good time to update other business information and changes as well.
3.) Check prices and best solutions for your phone and internet. A move is a good time to get rid of stuff that didn't work so hot and go with something better! I found the cell phone as a business phone had run its course and was wayyyyy too expensive. So, I dropped my minutes to the lowest level and got a business line - tax deductible in toto baby! I also found that Champlain Valley Telecom rocks!!! Comcast was a rip-off with crappy service. I went through Kris Merchant and he actually came to my house and set it all up and waited for me because I was running late (one of my signature not-so-hot qualities). So glad I didn't have to spend 4 hours speaking to people who couldn't speak English telling me how to use a paper clip to poke at my equipment (no, I am not politically correct and yes, that was always super annoying). Anyway, Champlain Valley Telecom is Rachel Carter PR Approved and Recommended!
4.) Take the time to set up and reorganize your office - shut off the phone and don't check email. Your clients will appreciate it in the long run.
5.) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - GREAT opportunity to be green! Get stuff on Craig's List, sell stuff on Craig's List, get friendly with Recycle North, and find creative ways to recreate your office without dumping tons of money at Staples (I haven't gone once!).

And the NUMBER ONE thing to do when setting up a new office - CREATE A NEW SCHEDULE FOR YOURSELF. Right away. I am power walking in the beautiful Charlotte country-side every day after emailing and start my day with tea and rolling the Chinese balls in my hand to help with the creeping in carpal tunnel. Oh, and get a mouse to hook into your laptop if you don't have one. Staples might be worth it for that or find one used like I did!!!

Rachel Carter PR Is MOVING!!!

2008-04-28T20:53:00.002-04:00

Check it!

Rachel Carter PR is officially moving it's Vermont headquarters, operations, and offices to Charlotte, Vermont. The Burlington-based public relations agency/firm is now and forever more known as the Charlotte-based Vermont public relations extravaganza. Ok, Ok, I am being silly, that is because I am moving and am on that verge of cracking up that I think everyone hits when moving!

But, the truth, reality, and awesomeness is I am moving my home and office to Charlotte in a fabulous old farmhouse on a dead end, dirt road. Rachel Carter PR will be located in a large, working office with space for stuff, intern, working, and mailings as well as a comfortable inside meeting area and meeting lounge on a second floor porch. Meetings at the farmhouse are a must where complimentary sun tea is always on tap.

Everyone please make note - the new contact information is as follows:

Rachel Carter PR
564 Garen Road
Suite 4
Charlotte, VT 05445
802-425-4886
rachel@rachelcarterpr.com

Vermont Public Relations Internship

2008-04-18T11:10:00.002-04:00

Calling Motivated Interns!!!

I am looking for an intern for Fall 2008 for my Vermont public relations agency! The summer internship position is filled and I am now searching for someone to fill the fall slot (or whole year)!

PS - My internships rock! Here's the scoop:

Offering:

- Flexible hours
- Relaxed home office environment
- Networking - for this I will cover the intern's expenses (internship is unpaid)
- Opportunity to work on PR accounts in various capacities - mostly writing, research, brainstorming, and helping with execution of various PR programs
- Rachel Carter PR email account
- Woman business owner firsthand experience, PR agency firsthand experience, skills and knowledge for intern to apply directly to work, life, and reality

What I am looking for:

- College student majoring in Public Relations or related field who is extremely driven and outgoing and who has REAL LIFE experience – travel, social skills beyond the college bubble, variety of friends, variety of jobs, etc.
- Candidate must have a laptop
- Candidate must be able to write well without spelling and grammar errors
- Candidate must be able to take direction and feedback as well as give feedback and insight
- Prefer someone who is going to stay in Vermont for a while since the opportunity for Vermont media contacts, business networking, and even job openings is high – this is not mandatory

Think you might be interested? Check out the Rachel Carter PR website at www.rachelcarterpr.com and get acclimated. Then, pitch me and show me what you've got!

Boost Your Internet Presence (for free)

2008-04-10T21:03:00.002-04:00

Want more links to come up about you on the internet? Want your potential customers to see your name more than once when they search? Want to come across as bigger than you really are? Here's your free tips for just that!

1.) First, google search yourself and see what's out there. Then google search they major keywords people would use to find your business, product, or service.

2.) This should open up a whole can of worms of directories and website you can look into to see if they accept free listings (most do, you just have to look for the fine print).

3.) Search your competition - see where they are listed and list yourself too!

4.) List yourself on the Yellow Pages websites, submit your website to the free search engines at Google and Yahoo, and make sure you are listed in your state's business directory and any member organization directories you belong to.

5.) Join social networking sites like My Space, Linked In, and Facebook.

Want to know every tip there is? Go to www.GotClicks.biz and buy the complete "how to" package for under $100!

Yay Freebies!!! (and be sure to go to www.coupons.com for some good coupons to help you save at the store - everything helps with these damn gas prices!)

National Recognicio

2008-04-04T14:37:00.002-04:00

Hey folks - check it out! My Rachel Carter PR Blog has been ranked as 83rd out of 1,295 marketing blogs from Blogger.com!

http://www.blogged.com/directory/business/marketing - check out the link for some other great marketing blogs!

Also - I was recently interviewed by a PBS blogger on the Front Porch Forum for a national article. Check it out at http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2008/04/digging_deeperfront_porch_foru.html
Of course, I told many positive things about the Front Porch Forum - like how I have contacted my newest neighborhood and have received six emails from new neighbors inviting me over and answering some questions I asked. But there is negativity in the Old North End and I was referring to that, not the Front Porch Forum - the forum is great! If you are not a member in your Greater Burlington, Vermont community - you certainly should be! Join today at www.frontporchforum.org.

Quadrify It...

2008-03-31T11:16:00.002-04:00

If you are a business in Vermont (or Eastern New York), of any sort, you should immediately go to this site - www.CelebrateChamplain.org. As you hopefully know, 2009 marks Vermont's Quadracentenial Celebration and everyone is getting in on the action. And that is exactly why you should too. In marketing, you don't want to be the one who doesn't play.

If you are in Vermont and your business can somehow be tied to the history of Lake Champlain, the land around Lake Champlain, or the people connected to any of the areas over the past 400 years, than you more than qualify to quadrify!

You can already see how much fun it is going to be to quadricize everything (i.e. fun marketing words), so as a Vermont PR professional, I urge you to find a way to tie in your business...

~ Offer a Quadrific discount
~ Make a Quadspific product
~ Share your history in your marketing materials
~ Tell your quadcentric story
~ If you run events, sign up to quadrify your events and benefit from the mass marketing of the Quadracentenial team
~ Collaborate!!!!!! Find others in your area and see what you can offer as a group for this great celebration!

The Quadracentenial will be going on all of 2009 with a kick-off bash after the clock strikes midnight once 2008 turns to 2009. The key events will be held in the summer of 2009, but folks can celebrate the Quad year 'round!

Interested? You best be! Go check out the Celebrate Champlain website at www.CelebrateChamplain.org and see how you can get involved and how your business can benefit by this widespread, collaborative effort!

End of March Events Worth Checking Out

2008-03-21T11:55:00.004-04:00

Progressive Sale at Tootsie's and Progressive Art at Candles & Creations

As my favorite band says, "Break outside of your cathedral." And I share that advice for the coming of Spring!

Break outside of your cathedral and trade in your winter-ick shoes for some fun spring shoe fashions at Tootsie's on College Street in Burlington during their "progressive" sale this March! The sale starts Thursday, March 27th and runs through the weekend. Prices start at 40% off and go down to 70% off on Sunday, March 30th. Best prices at the end, best selection at the beginning. And if you didn't know, they give the best pedicures in town (so I've heard)!

With the money you save on shoes, wrap up your March by heading over to Candles & Creations in the Blue Mall anytime between now and March 30th to get your tickets for the Kimberlee Forney Art Benefit Event being held on the 30th at 5 pm to benefit Prevent Child Abuse Vermont and raise awareness about Traumatic Brain Injury. Tickets enter you to win a bunch of prizes from other artists connected to this community nexus of a store as well as the option to bid on Kimberlee Forney's live auction at the event.

I declare the end of March as Support Your Community Businesses Week (as well as every other time of the year)! Do it!!!

Former Mentee Follows in Footsteps

2008-03-12T21:14:00.002-04:00

When I graduated from Marist College back in 1998 with my degree in public relations, I moved to Nashville, Tennessee to spread my wings and prove my independence to whoever cared (um, myself?). My PR experience at that point consisted of the classes I took in college and the internship I had at the Dutchess County Girl Scout Council (site seems to be disabled) in Poughkeepsie, New York.

While I searched and applied for entry level PR jobs, I started to learn of the judgment that is deeply passed on those of us from the North. I didn't really think it existed since I had never been south of Washington DC before and when folks up North think of folks down South, we pretty much think of cool accents and grits. But, while I continued to not get called for first interviews for the many vacant public relations and marketing jobs at the vast array of companies, I naively learned that going to college in New York was a weakness in the Nashville job market. Luckily, Nashville has the 5th largest Girl Scout Council - www.gsmidtn.org - in the country (well, it was then) and with a background in Girl Scouting since the 1st grade as well as the internship, I thought they must be able to find a use for me - and luckily, I was right!

I began running a theater program for high school girls and a high adventure program for middle school girls which then molded into earning the position of Teen Program Manager and I had a ball! What a great first job for a budding young professional. I got to interact with tons of girls, motivate adults, and create programs and ways to market them with my Northern flair! I found the Girl Scouts to be a refreshing source of open-mindness, diversity, and the progressiveness I was accustomed to being a gal from the Northeast. I made many friends and the very best part was my involvement with so many amazing young women. I try to track some of these women from time to time and one of them most recently found me on Linked In. I had volunteered to be her mentor through one of the many programs we had at the Girl Scouts and she also performed in the theater and singing group I started.

Her name is Kia Jarmon and she was one of the most articulate, aspiring, helpful, smart, and pleasant young ladies I have had the privilege of mentoring in all of my time in that role. She emailed me the other day and shared with me her success of starting her own PR agency in Nashville, Miss Ellanious PR. It literally made my day! From what I have found on the internet and know of this young lady from ten years ago, I attest she is truly impressive. Kia has carved a niche for herself in industries and areas she has personal interests and passions, she works on a very grassroots level, and is committed to the relationship element of public relations, three of the basics I hold near and dear to my own heart.

I wanted to share her success with my readers and also ask that you share her PR agency, Miss Ellanious PR at www.kiajarmon.com, with any of your contacts in the Nashville area. And kudos to the concept of six degrees of separation!!!

3 Tips

2008-03-06T16:09:00.002-05:00

Think you have news? Do you want to get your news to the press so they can share with your audiences? Good. You are thinking in terms of public relations. Now, you have to determine if your news is newsworthy. Here is how:

1. Does your news solve a problem?

2. Does your news offer useful tips?

3. Does your news identify a trend?

If it does not do one of these three things (and we're talking 100% here, not "it could if you looked at it this way") it is not newsworthy!

Now, I am not talking about small company announcements, etc. that are being included in specific areas of a business publication. I am talking about trying to get a feature story written.

So, if your news doesn't do one of the three items above - don't despair! Do some background work and research and find a way for your news to do one of those three things - then you'll have something editors want to know about!

New Media News and Plugs

2008-02-29T13:53:00.003-05:00

Happy Leap Year Friday all! It's been a busy bee month of Vermont PR work at Rachel Carter PR. Lots of exciting things in the works for my clients and lots of positivity floating around which is refreshing and invigorating. I thought I'd take a moment to plug a few folks on the new media, multimedia, and media tools front. So, for those of you needing to design or enhance a website and actually want the web developers to help you market it, or for those of you looking to enhance your multimedia visibility through blogging, podcasts, video, and other fun and interactive web stuff, here are come folks you need to be in the 411 with!

As Seen In VT - TV: Down in the Mad River Valley, these video guru folks are doing it right and if you have something worth video capture (which most people do), you should check out this site - www.AsSeenInVT.tv. Jump on the video bandwagon before it becomes the new hit means on transportation after the hybrid.
Note: I also just learned from these folks about a new program that ties in web site creation, content management, RSS feeds, and just about everything else that's hip with multimedia - www.joomla.org.

Off the Page Creations: Are you starting a business and need to get a website up and running and want it marketed as well? Stephanie at Off the Page Creations - www.OffThePageCreations.com is one of the first people you should talk to. And she isn't just Rachel Carter PR approved, she is Rachel approved!

Shadow Productions: Voiceovers, web multimedia that combines talent, and other odd projects you have created in your mind but aren't sure how to put them together? Then you need to chat with Shadow Productions - www.ShadowProd.com. They aren't just a talented provider of multimedia, they have access to the talent too!

Vermont Duplication: So, now you have some neat multimedia pieces in your hand, but you need them mass produced to send to clients, prospective clients, media, investors, your class reunion organizer, or for your family reunion - whoever! Niel at Vermont Duplications makes digital copies of almost everything. Check out the dupe services at www.VermontDuplication.com.

Shark Communication: Do you want it all? Are you a larger company and you want to integrate new media and multimedia components with your website and other marketing vehicles? The folks at Shark keep the fin in all of the above swimming merrily alongside the multimedia bandwagon. Check them out at www.SharkInteractive.com and look - they even have a blog! http://newsblog.sharkcomm.com/

Rachel Carter PR: I can't help to plug myself here! While I am a public relations guru, my multimedia mixtures in the batter are blogs, social networking and online community relations research, and press room content for your website and I hope you know where to find me - www.RachelCarterPR.com.

Happy Expanding Your Horizons!

A Young Careerist Goes Red

2008-02-15T19:44:00.003-05:00

I would like to start by saying "Thank You" you to Caisil Weldon for nominating me as a Business and Professional Women Young Careerist candidate. I would also like to acknowledge Caisil myself for the amazing work she has been conducting in regards to women's health, in particular heart disease.

Caisil is the woman behind the Vermont Chapter of the American Heart Association's 2nd Annual Go Red For Women Luncheon - a fundraising event featuring a silent auction, educational activities, and survivor stories to raise awareness and funds for heart disease - a disease that leads the charts on America's top killer list - and one that can be very much prevented if one takes precautions and understands and acts upon warning signs.

The luncheon is this coming Thursday, February 21st at the Sheraton in Burlington and will be attended by almost 400 women, all who are asked to dress in red to help bring color and attention to this deadly disease. I will most certainly be attending and deeply applaud Caisil and all who worked with her to organize such an important event. For those who don't make it this year, make a note for next year's and get on the list!!

This past week Caisil (during her bustle of getting ready for this signature event) nominated yours truly to be a candidate for the Burlington Chapter of the Business and Professional Women's Young Careerist program. I submitted my application and attended the organization's monthly meeting at the Sirloin Saloon where I gave a speech on the attributes of the organization which is the leading women's issues advocate to both the state and national legislature (it is a national organization). I was most honored to be named Burlington's 2008 Young Careerist and greatly look forward to attending the Vermont Conference in June where I will again speak for the title of 2008 Vermont Young Careerist. I look forward to my continued participation in this program and helping share the story of the organization with other Vermont business and professional women!

PR = Patient Rendezvousing

2008-02-08T19:11:00.002-05:00

Well, by definition it means public relations, but I think public relations is a long term rendezvous with patience. Patience while you wait for someone to agree to move ahead with public relations strategy. Patience while you get press materials together so you can actually reach out to the press. Patience while you try and try again to make contact with members of the press. Patience while you wait to hear back from them. Patience while you wait to watch the fruit of your efforts finally reap the benefits. And they do, and when they do it is magnificent. And they will continue to do so long after the work is complete.

I understand this, but unless a client has had experience with full blown public relations efforts before, they do not grasp the concept of public relations being a rendezvous with patience. This is seriously the biggest stress in being a public relations professional, or at least in my experience. And, I wouldn't even consider patience to be one of my personal strengths. I guess that's because I practice it in all aspects of my career every day.

I must give this example before I close this entry to help clarify the long term fact of PR: When I worked at an agency I handled PR for the Woodstock Inn & Resort from 2002-2004. Just two weeks ago, in the start of 2008 - FOUR years after I stopped communicating with the press about the Woodstock Inn & Resort, I received a clipping in the mail of a four page romantic winter getaway article I worked with a writer on that just got picked up by several daily newspapers and ran in their travel sections. This exemplifies the meaning of patient rendezvousing.

PR Tip - Magazine Collaboration

2008-01-30T13:05:00.000-05:00

Time for a new PR tip and what better than something I am actively participating in right now?!

Be friends with people who make magazines! And that doesn't mean just to pitch your stories! I think one of the coolest things about being in public relations is the ability to be a resource for the media regarding all the stuff you know about. For instance, I have my clients, yes, but I also know lots about Vermont music and Vermont travel and tourism - for these areas I have even created other blogs - Vermont Music and Vermont Vibes. With my blog knowledge, I write an article in the Green Living Journal and I write a column in the Healthy Hippie Magazine based on my Vermont Vibes blog. I share music knowledge with State of Mind Music Magazine and Burlington knowledge with Best of Burlington Magazine.

I don't do this for specific clients at all - how shady! I do this first because it is fun and second because it positions myself and Rachel Carter PR as a resource for the media, for the public, and for potential clients!

This is a great tool for anyone running their own business. Discover what it is you are an "expert" on and find media outlets who could benefit from your information and find a way to work together. It's one of my favorite aspects of work and is one of the most fun! Check me out having fun in my working glory at a recent event at Nectars!

My New Website!

2008-01-21T18:15:00.000-05:00

Extra Extra - Read All About It!!

I have just updated my Rachel Carter PR website at www.rachelcarterpr.com. Please check it out! I first created the website in May of 2007, after starting my public relations consulting business at the very end of 2006. In July I registered my company name, Rachel Carter PR, with the State of Vermont and since then have been on the road to really creating a public relations agency in Vermont. My services have expended and become more clarified - both to myself and the different audiences I work with.

I am specifically carving a niche for myself working with Vermont clients, both with in and out of state promotions. I also have varied services for small to large businesses so I can work with start up companies and local businesses helping them get their story out as well as implementing public relations components for medium and larger sized companies.

And, it will continue to change as I move forward in running my Vermont public relations firm. Grow? Not sure about that, I am not looking to be a boss - I love actually doing what I do too much!

Check it out and please feel free to send me feedback or post comments - www.rachelcarterpr.com.

RachelCarterPR's Best of 2007

2008-01-13T20:09:00.000-05:00

2007 was my first full year of running my own public relations agency in Vermont and I couldn't have done it without the help of quite a few others. As a way of offering some thanks and giving my favorite of kudos to others, I have invented my own Best of 2007 list of recipients!

Here goes:

~ Best Computer Doctor: All Systems Repair - They are simply the best. The work they do is great and their customer service can't be beat. I don't think I could have gone on at times without them. Viruses, infiltrations, dirtiness, and all else that plagues my sweet little laptop - All Systems Repair keeps my home office in operation. And, they are fair. Check them out in Winooski at www.allsyst.com.

~ Best Place for a Business Lunch: New Moon Cafe - Located in Downtown Burlington, New Moon Cafe is another new business of 2007 and definitely a fantastic place for any kind of lunch. I have been using if for all of my lunch meetings and love it! It's healthy "fast food" - so yum, so classy, so much to rave about - check them out on Cherry Street and at www.newmoonvt.com.

~ Best Car Service: Shearer - I love Shearer and no they don't pay me to say it. I have complete brand loyalty to Pontiacs (thanks to my dad) and currently drive a Vibe (see my Vermont Vibes blog for more on that). But, regardless of my Vibe, the customer service, oil changes, people, autobody shop, etc. at Shearer are exceptional. A few weeks ago my wipers weren't working so I stopped by, the service guys fixed them up and sprayed all the ick off my car. While they were helping me and my beloved car, I took notice of a sign of all their services and the cost comparison with all other nearby services. In only two out of seven or eight options was Shearer the lowest, and the honesty and helpfulness was some of the best marketing I have seen around! Anyway, Shearer takes care of me, my cars, and my contact with the road. Check them out on Shelburne Road in South Burlington and my friends in the service department at www.shearerpontiac.com!

~ Best Banking: Key Bank - They support the women business owners, treat me like a person (unlike my previous bank), helped me deal with my 401K (meaning they also offer financial planning - convenient), and Jeannie Lynch is simply remarkable. In my opinion all motivated women should bank with Key bank - check out the Key For Women program.

~ Best Place to Find My Equilibrium: Vermont State Parks - When I need peace, when I need to realign with the forces, and when I need to clear my head and reconnect with reality, I go to a state park. A snowshoe in the winter, a nature walk in the summer, a paddle in the fall, or a history exploration in the spring. I go by myself, bring some healthy snacks, a camera, and a journal and breathe. Sometimes I even sing. It feels good. I have never once left a state park without feeling more connected with my perspective on life. Everyone should sojourn to a state park for a few hours, solo. www.vtstateparks.com

~ Best Work Music: VPR Classical - I have always found classical music enjoyable and have also noticed my office managing cats really like it. I tried listening to regular VPR for a wile, but would get distracted by the different programs and discussions (not in a bad way, I would just focus on my work less and the radio more). But VPR Classical is purrfect (I had to). The music offers a calming and soothing backdrop to the sometimes heightened stresses that come with PR, and the occasional news keeps me in touch with the world. Who says radio is dead? Tune in with VPR at www.vpr.net.

~ Best Office Supplies: Recycle North and when they don't have it, Staples does. Recycle North is a great place to go to check first for what you may need and then go to Staples - you can save good money that way and get groovier office supplies. www.recyclenorth.org and www.staples.com.

~ Best Networking: Women Business Owner's Network (WBON) Events - They win. I go to a LOT of networking events and the best advice and most business comes from the WBON, bottoms down. If you are a woman business owner you should join - no ifs, ans, or buts. www.wbon.org

I have already started compiling kudos for the Best of 2008 - good luck!

The New Year Check In

2008-01-05T12:26:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! I am glad to be back to some more consistent blogging in 2008. That is not a resolution, just a fact - the holidays sure are crazy - even when you make focused efforts to keep them low key. I got to relax with family in the Berkshires - where I am originally from and enjoy some craziness with college friends and moe.rons in New York City - fabulous!

My New Year's resolutions every year are the same - not any resolution, just a re-focused effort to continue on my life path which is helping people think out of the box and see, feel, and experience things they may have not otherwise without my energy and presence. I've been doing this my whole life, it was just in the past several years that I fully recognized that as my path. And last year that path was able to culminate into complete direction with starting my own public relations business, RachelCarterPR, because now my personal and professional life are in sync and that creates a much more powerful energy than I could create with the two often bashing heads.

In the PR business of work and play, the New Year marks a great time to check in with not only yourself, but with those around you - especially your friends in the media. As I see it, people are people regardless of what they do for work and everyone goes through the New Year process of reflection and forward thinking. I find it's a great time to reconnect with media folks, see where they're at for the New Year, let them know what you're up to, see how you might be able to work together, and just send some overall cheer their way! If you are handling some of your own PR and reading this blog, take some time to reconnect with folks - you may be surprised to see who else has been thinking about you too!

Peace and Prosperity to All in 2008 and Beyond!

Good Press, Bad Press

2007-12-19T12:37:00.000-05:00

Can bad press be good press?

I think so. One of the main purposes in using public relations is to generate awareness. And, in this day and age, people are even more in tune with creating their own opinions than ever. Trusting the press isn't the first thing they do when they read a story. In fact, if something negative is written, it may have the opposite effect - people take it as positive because they mistrust the press!

So, if you have something negative written about you:

1. DON'T stress and freak out.
2. DON'T contact the writer/paper and yell at them!
3. DO contact the writer and thank them for writing and offer a time to meet and give them more information.
4. DO share the story with friends, supporters, etc. and ask for their feedback. Perhaps encourage them to write a letter to the editor.
5. DO include that writer/paper in further PR correspondence.
6. DO use it as a learning experience about what the public wants to hear and how information is interpretted - THAT is the power of PR!