I love silent auctions. Bidding on donated items is fun, especially if you’re the winner. At the event, charities or organizations raise funds and awareness. And, donating items to be displayed online or at an event is good publicity. Everybody wins: the organization raises funds, your business gets promoted and the winner gets a service they need. Ideally, you will reach new prospects and the auction winner will become a client.

Last summer I donated a social media consulting session to Biz Bash, an event that takes place this year on June 3 from 5:30-8:30pm at The Murphy, located at 50 E. Erie in Chicago. I got to know Lynn Hazan of Lynn Hazan and Associates, who does a terrific job of heading up the Windy City Biz Bash Auction Team who says, “The Biz Bash auction brings together buyers and sellers in a fun and creative environment. It’s easy to talk with people, especially when they are bidding for your donation! The bidders love getting items that may not necessarily be available to the general public. Everyone wins, the donor, bidder and BMA!”

Thanks to Pon Angara of Barkada Creative, assistant BMA auctions chair, for the background information for this post.

Surprisingly, to me, my 2009 social media consulting package turned out to be a popular item. I enjoyed working with the branding agency that placed the top bid. It was their first BMA event and mine as well.

In thinking about what to donate to Biz Bash this year, I came up with 10 silent auction donation guidelines for business based on my many years of experience as an event planner, silent auction enthusiast and PR consultant. Matching your business to the organization’s member demographics or charity’s cause is really the first step. Look for opportunities to grow relationships.

10 Silent Auction Donation Guidelines for Business

1. Partner with a charity or organization that will promote your donation and involvement. Once a group called to ask my business for a donation. I said what do businesses get? Nothing was the answer. Oh, well, here’s what I think you should do, I said. Do you have event communications? Yes. Mention them there and at the event. How nice to see that this group now lists businesses along with their logos in all pre-event communications.

2. Package your donation to fit the event, both in terms of price and presentation. Silent auctions often display lavish baskets. Dropping off a shopping bag of stuff is impolite. Donate the frames that display certificates and baskets you use for packaging.

3. Consider donating art, tickets, or gift certificates to a restaurant or spa instead of services. Services firms might donate a night on the town package, which is simple to put together, may get higher bids and has no service strings attached. I’m thinking of the time someone donated a winter’s worth of snow clearing worth hundreds of dollars. The package sold for $125. Would it have been better to put together a warm up winter gift worth $125?

4. Set a deadline for professional services and be willing to extend it once or twice. I like to set mine within three months of the event. If you can, find out who purchased your services and for how much. Contact them right after the event to thank them and schedule the service.

5. Be absolutely clear on what you’re giving away – number of hours, appointments, etc. Don’t let the donation scope creep out of the agreed upon range. Position the package as an introductory consultation to determine whether or not you want to begin a business relationship.

6. Think about donating several smaller prizes instead of one jumbo package that most likely won’t get what you’re asking for. More prizes get you more attention. Ask the event planners about expected bidding ranges and minimum bids, though.

7. Are you an artist and a business owner? Show off your artistic side by donating a piece you’re willing to part with. Every time the winner looks at your art, they will be reminded of you and your business.

8. Go to the event, especially if you’re offering a bigger prize or your company will get good exposure out of being there. This is a huge opportunity that most people miss. You might even ask for a minute or so to thank the attendees and let them know if they have any questions – at all – about what you do you’ll be standing right by your prize to answer them.

9. Write compelling copy. Draw people in with a headline or a question. Then, list the benefits and features of winning. Add in a short bio and giveaway a book.

10. Promote your involvement via your social networks and company communications. BMA Chicago asked if I would consider writing a post about attending their 2009 BizBash. I said yes. Why? The event is well run, has a great reputation and gave my business good visibility. Here’s what I’m donating this year.

Social Media Espresso – One Strong Shot, Straight Up
Go from “I don’t get it” to “I’m working it and it’s working!!”
Tired of taking seminars, going to meetings, reading blogs and thinking without clicking? Then, it’s time to take strategic action! In this laser-focused 90 minute session, you’ll find out where to locate your people and how to become someone everybody wants to know on LinkedIn, Facebook or twitter. Wake up to what social media can do for you – personally and professionally. Session may be conducted in a conference call. You keep the recording. Must be redeemed by September 30, 2010. Choose one primary platform: LinkedIn, Facebook or twitter. Includes review of existing profiles based on the Wired PR Works approach. Value $500

About Barbara Rozgonyi . . .
Founder of Social Media Club’s Chicago chapter, Barbara leads CoryWest Media, LLC a marketing and communications consultancy founded in 1990. Package includes a copy of “Success Secrets of the Social Media Superstars” by Mitch Meyerson to be published by Entrepreneur Press in summer 2010. Barbara is the author of the LinkedIn chapter and was named one of the top 30 PR experts to follow on twitter by ereleases.com.

Can’t wait to get the package? Check out over 730 marketing and PR articles on Barbara’s blog, http://wiredPRworks.com and subscribe to weekly social media updates at http://savvysocialmedia.com

Written by Barbara Rozgonyi, publisher of Wired PR Works, CEO of CoryWest Media, LLC and founder of Social Media Club Chicago who loves to help businesses develop digital relationships.

Looking for a workshop on how to hone your digital PR and social media skills? I’m teaching one on October 27.
Here’s the event description. Register for DIY Digital PR Social Media Workshop.

“Ingredient X: Top Secret Digital Fuel for Powerful Business Results”

Learn how to propel your reach directly to people who can bring you business using the power of low or no cost digital PR.

PR is the hottest, yet most overlooked, marketing tool in the business world. Why? Most people mistakenly think PR only stands for press release or public relations. As media outlets shrink and more people move online, traditional PR is morphing into new models. Go behind the screen to see how CoryWest Media, LLC redefines PR as page rank, personal record, pitch redux and publicity redefined with real-client success stories from businesses in DuPage County and find out how you can put the power of low or no cost PR to work for you and your business.

You’ll Learn How to . . .

· Think like a publisher that distributes highly valued information

· Use keywords to get your news on page one and share throughout social networks

· Make media connections that have local and global impact

· Attract attention with stories that get picked up and spread around

· Build credibility with journalists and social networks

· Track results that give you insights you can’t get anywhere else

· Set up an always-on online newsroom for reporters, investors and the community

About Your DIY Digital PR Guide . . . .Barbara Rozgonyi

DuPage county marketing, communications and PR projects: Drury Design Kitchen & Bath Studio, Bridge Communities, C.H.A.D., District 41, Village of Glen Ellyn, Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce, Glen Ellyn Public Library, Simple Truths, Glen Ellyn Economic Development Corporation, Healthy DuPage, The Academy for Non Profit Excellence at College of DuPage, Naperville Women in Business social media workshops, Wheaton Chamber Women in Business Expo Workshops

Known for being edgy, grounded and prophetic, Barbara’s the founder of CoryWest Media, LLC, a virtual public relations and marketing consultancy that gets new media to work for you. An accomplished marketing and PR strategist, Barbara’s creative career highlights include managing the intranet launch at Sears in 1998. As publisher of wiredPRworks.com, Barbara reports on ways to use marketing, social media and public relations to grow business, build brands and connect communities.

Recently featured on inc.com, Barbara’s content ranks in junta42’s top marketing blogs, is featured on Alltop PR and is mentioned in David Meerman Scott’s book, “The New Rules of Marketing and PR.” A founding member of Social Media Club Chicago, Barbara loves to share her passion for communicating effectively online with everyone, especially at live events.

Barbara is featured as a LinkedIn expert in Larry Weber’s new book “Sticks & Stones: How Digital Reputations are Built over time and lost in a click.”

Barbara’s training experience goes back to her late 20s when she was the national sales training manager for a major healthcare provider. She left her corporate career to found CoryWest and took her love of teaching and training to college classrooms and the business world. The creator of the Marketing Transformations Process and The Accelerated Marketing Plan, Barbara blends her experience as a sales trainer, agency owner, marketing consultant and social media enthusiast into lively, dynamic programs that start working while her students are still in the room.

Reviews and Recommendations

“As I said to you personally, when I was looking for teacher suggestions, four different people mentioned your name. And they were certainly correct! Based on my observations, and the enclosed student evaluations, the class was very successful. Everyone commented on your depth of knowledge and your engaging style of teaching.”
Kathy Doyle, Academy for Non-Profit Excellence, College of DuPage

“Great speaker and great topic for today’s techno savvy consumers! Barbara presented ideas for every level of experience.” West Suburban Women Entreprenuers, LinkedIn 101

“The majority of evaluation forms gave you the highest mark in all categories. The large majority found the information very valuable and left motivated to jump in and get started in social networking.”

Liz Stapleton, LE, CPE Electrology Association of Illinois

“Barbara enthusiastically shared her wisdom of LinkedIn 101, with our woman’s group. I found her wonderfully open to working with the various levels of need. She was thorough, lively, warm and generous with her presentation style. I loved having the opportunity to work with her. I’d recommend Barbara as a speaker and as a social media expert”

“Barbara’s presentation was outstanding. Her warmth, charm and funny stories made everyone feel comfortable and at home, as if you were chatting with a friend.”

“Barbara was informative, approachable, and responsive to every question.”

“Barbara is warm, positive, and patient. Barbara adapted her slide materials for our group, rather than have the group adapt to her knowledge. She is knowledgeable, professional, thoughtful, and through.”

“Since your presentation, I have activated one new blog, at wordpress, which I had never previously heard of, added a couple of posts to another new one, upgraded my profile on LinkedIn, signed myself up for Google Alerts, checked myself out on Google and was amazed at some of what I found, and followed up on a conversation with another attendee who may be a new business lead. Not a bad ROI for my time. Thanks.”

“I’ve known Barbara Rozgonyi for over 8 years. During that time, she has consistently been on the
cutting-edge of marketing, leveraging the latest technology to produce big results … whether teaching
entrepreneurs how to write for the web, landing top blog rankings or using social media to connect with an audience. I’ve learned to listen carefully when Barbara talks about the newest tool she’s been “playing” with … because within 12 to 24 months, it’s bound to be something that mainstream marketers are using and teaching. If you want help navigating the fast-changing world of social media, Barbara Rozgonyi is your guide.” Jenny Hamby, seminar marketing coach and copywriter

Guarantee

We want you to be completely satisfied with your experience. If, at any time after the first two hours you don’t feel that the workshop is right for you, let Barbara know. We will refund your tuition – no questions asked.

Sponsors

Organization: Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce http://www.glenellynchamber.com

Location: Crowne Plaza, Glen Ellyn http://cpglenellyn.com

Questions? email corywestmedia @gmail.com or call/text 630.207.7530

Image: courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Leave it to Chris Brogan to write what I’ve been thinking about. In his post, Grow Bigger Ears in 10 Minutes, Chris walks you through a process for listening to conversations online. You need to do this. It takes a surprisingly short amount of time to tune into online conversations – using Chris’ system.

And, you need to do something else: talk to people. In person – about what’s important to them and how you and your organization connect with their life.

Talk to lots of people, face to face, on the phone or via skype – especially if you rely on members or donors for their volunteer and financial contributions.

One person may give the impression that everything’s almost okay while another in their circle will give you the real story. And then, a third person will add their perspective from the organization’s point of view. You need to hear all of it.

In my corporate life we used to have focus groups. Several people would come in for lunch and a few dollars. We’d sit around a table and have a kind of contrived conversation. We didn’t really know what was on their mind, we only recorded what they told us.

Here at CoryWest Media, we tell our clients to let us talk to their best customers – when we want success stories.

But, the loudest stories we want to hear the most are the quietest and the least trackable: people who say they like you, but don’t want to offend you by telling you why they really don’t like you.

Tracking conversations online is huge, but for organizations who don’t have a place for online conversations, commentary comes out at the fitness center, in the grocery store, at the coffee shop and my favorite place – a friendly family room. If you want to know what people are saying about your organization, test out these hearing aids.

Hearing Aids to Improve Community Public Relations 

1. Call people you miss – ask them where they went and why.

2. Find out what people are looking for – exactly – before you invest time and effort in anything new.

3, Look for patterns and holes in your process. Where do people tend to drop off?

4. Is there a problem with conveying your message – or how it’s being delivered?

5. How can you get closer? Where’s the living room?

6. Put on a pot of coffee or set out a cooler and invite people over to talk regularly.

7. Detect where your people are talking online and unlock their keyword codes. They, go back to Chris’ model and add that information in.

8. Appoint or recruit ambassadors to represent your organization in the community.

9. Be a face people recognize and connect to something you stand for: your business, your family and your communities.

10. Let’s keep the list going – add your ideas in the comments and I’ll bring them back up here in the post. 

It sounds strange, but sometimes I forget that I’m a photographer. A photographer who is published, sells images and truly loves making pictures.

Giving strategic marketing advice, crafting news releases and coaching clients is different than being the one capturing images, but it’s how I usually position myself and my Chicago area strategic marketing and public relations company.

Yesterday afternoon I sent an email RSVP to a fund-raising event manager with this line:

“Let me know if you’d like me to take pictures. I’m happy to donate my time and a CD with images.”

Today I got email asking me to get there early and to watch for a list of shots they’d like to have.

Will I be the official event photographer? I don’t know, but I might be. If you’re a photographer who is looking for work, think about donating your time. Here’s what’s in it for you. If you represent a charity that needs an event photographer, feel free to use this list when you contact photographers about shooting your event.

• credit: when your images get published
• recognition: at the event and in charity communications
• promotion: run a live slide show at the event with as they’re being taken images
• portfolio pieces: food, architecture, portraiture – all possible subjects, get permission to reuse
• income: let Photrade take orders and sell images for you
• reach: post images with event/charity tags on site like flickr, facebook
• gratitude: so many people will thank you
• legacy: you’re the one that people will remember as the event image-maker

Your Turn

How do use photography to promote your charity – or business?

Image Credit: Barbara Rozgonyi, copyright 2005-2008

Today is Blog Action Day. Almost 9,600 bloggers with over 10 million readers will take over the Internet to talk about one topic: poverty.

Blog Action Day 2007’s topic? The environment – last year I wrote about why you need environmental PR.

Blog Action Day 2008’s site lists all the posts about poverty. 

I’ll be honest: writing about the environment was easier for me. Poverty is a complex topic that touches many tangents, including hunger, housing and overall quality of life. I know that as I write this there are people here in my community-and yours-who need help. That’s why this Blog Action Day post is about how to use publicity to raise awareness about poverty in your town.

15 Ways to Make Poverty an Issue that People Want to Support

1 Organize Around the Issue

How is your organization changing lives? What service do you provide to make life better? Ask people what they were looking for when they found you – both the people you serve and the people that serve them. Put what you do in their words.

2 Preserve Dignity by Protecting Privacy

Use first names, initials or change names and locations to hide identities. When I wrote a Welfare to Work brochure for Sears, Roebuck & Co., I got to interview several women who had stories that begged to be told. They were, but no one knew who they were about. What did come through? The power of giving someone a second chance at being successful. 

3 Talk about the Cause

What  causes poverty? Why are people poor? It’s not because they don’t want to work. In fact, many of the working poor work more than one job. When I interviewed formerly homeless women, they told me about student loans that required them to pay double or triple their loan amount, medical bills that soared out of control and credit card debt at high interest levels. What’s the cause? Quite often, it’s managing the cost of living. Or, it could be losing a job.

4 Identify the Tipping Point

How many people in your area are one or two paychecks away from being homeless? What’s the poverty line where you are? Did you know the average age of a homeless person in the US is nine years old? This last statistic puts a face on poverty that surprises people.

5 Quote Volunteers and Donors

“I’m volunteering because my friends are homeless. Alan’s getting has master’s degree, but he lost his grant at the university. Anna’s got a degree, but she just had Anna and Alex. With twins, it’s hard for her to work. They lost their apartment. I know they’ll be okay, probably sooner than later, but there are other people out there who need more help.” a young woman told me when I asked why she supported Sleep Out Saturday, a county-wide sleep out hosted by Bridge Communities on November 1, 2008 to raise funds to help homeless families in transition.

6 Get to Know the Media

Call reporters and let them know about the issue. Hold a press conference to talk about the issue of poverty and homelessness in your community and invite an educated panel to address the public. Have a sign up sheet and a receiving person ready to take names and donations.

7 Distribute Press Releases Online

Using a free or low-cost service like WebWire, you can get your news out and in search engines so that you can be found. Post the releases in an online newsroom you can set up with a free service like PitchEngine.

8 Start a Blog – Membership Site

Set up a place where you can tell your story and give your community a place to participate with a service like Wild Apricot. Set up a free online community and social networking site on ning, if you don’t have the budget to build a website.

9 Accept Donations Online

Add the link to your donation site in every communication; set up an account with paypal or set up a free ChipIn fundraising collection device.

10 Leverage Partner Communications

Churches, scout groups and businesses can volunteer to assist you in exchange for promotion in the organization’s publication. They can also promote your organization in their communication channels on and offline.

11 Build a Database

Give people a way to subscribe to email updates with service levels along with a call for volunteers and donors as needed. Use your direct mail list to drop inexpensive post cards every other month to stay in touch.

12 Set up a Google Alert

Google offers a service that emails you every time your organization is mentioned.

13 Sign onto twitter

You may not know what twitter is yet, read the twitter guide for ways to use twitter . Search for people in your community on twitter, follow them and ask them if they will help you promote your organization.

14 Set up a Facebook page

Having a page on Facebook is optional, but recommended if you want to be the one that manages a group that people can join for more information about your group.

15 . . . .

Your Turn

What’s missing?

Image: rainbow in late fall sky at the Morton Arboretum by Barbara Rozgonyi taken for Blog Action Day 2008, 10-14-08 copyright 2008

Want to help now? Contribute to Blog Action Day 2008 partners TheGlobalFund.org and Kiva.org.