Does anything change your opinion of a company more than when you are surfing through a Web site and come across a page that says “Under Construction”? Probably not. Yet it’s something you see all the time.

Why? Good question. Perhaps they think you will check back at a later date to see if the construction is finished. And if you believe that one, perhaps you should start drafting your annual missive for Santa Claus.

Unless you’re a contractor or construction worker, people generally don’t like construction, real or online. Making an “Under Construction” sign part of your Web site–the 24/7 sales rep for your company–sends any number of negative messages to current and potential customers-from not being ready to not appreciating the time and effort it took for them to visit your site.

The advice here is never have the words “Under Construction” on your site. If a page isn’t ready to go, leave it off the site. Or, at worst, have a message that says “more information on _________is coming soon”.  If it’s truly noteworthy, you can announce the new content as part of your next e-newsletter or, if really noteworthy, as a press release.

When it comes to people visiting your Web site, you really may only get one chance to make an impression. An “Under Construction” sign is the surest way to get them to take an alternate route the next time.

It’s true. Paul Giammati, the actor who played John Adams in the acclaimed HBO miniseries, also played Marty Wolf, the evil, blue-faced liar/director in the teen flick, Big Fat Liar. That was after playing a character known as “Pig Vomit” in Howard Stern’s Private Parts.

In fact, if you dig a little deeper into Paul Giammati’s career, you will also see he had a bit part in the 90s cult classic Singles (he played a guy making out with his girlfriend in a restaurant booth).

While a part like that may have discouraged some, Giammati had faith in his talent and what he had to offer and stayed with it. He has since been outstanding in countless movies and won awards and was nominated for an Oscar for Cinderella Man. Yet it all basically began with a movie where he never said a thing.

Far too many small businesses expect every marketing effort-ad, press release, blog, direct mail blast or article-to be a John Adams. In reality, you’re lucky if it’s “Pig Vomit”-a role in which Giammati was fantastic.

The point is that each time you market your company via whatever outlet you choose, you are building your brand and your resume.  Every release, rewrite of your Web page, direct mail letter, e-newsletter, Facebook page, etc. earns you credibility credits. So while it’s okay to strive for John Adams, there’s no shame if those efforts resemble a Big Fat Liar. Put enough of those marketing efforts together and your business could figuratively end up walking down the red carpet.

We all have that friend who forwards jokes, jpg’s and other “amusing” e-mails. Some you read, most you probably don’t. Some you may even find annoying. Yet the next time you see him or her, even if it literally has been five years since you saw each other in the flesh, you will feel like you are fairly up-to-speed with that person. Why? Because those e-mails have kept them current in your mind.

In business it can work the same way. By blogging, tweeting, posting, sending either e-newsletters or hard copy newsletters, you’re reminding your network and current customer base that, yes, you are indeed still around. By staying front of brain, your product or service remains relevant because you have successfully remained current in their mind. The key is consistency.

A lot of business owners want to put out a regular blog or e-newsletter and participate in social media. A heavy workload and so many hours in the day often get in the way. Then it becomes easy to say “we haven’t gotten any business from those efforts”.

Truth be told, those efforts are a form of networking. And by staying consistent with those efforts, you make it easier to get down to business when you next meet in person or speak on the phone with your network and customer base.

If you’re interested in starting your own e-newsletter, we can help. HiRoad Communications is a certified Constant Contact reseller. To take advantage of their 60-day free trial period, click here. And if you need content, drop us a line. And don’t forget to ask about our new Social Media Package, which includes one 500-word blog with 10 related social media posts/tweets/updates.

If you’ve read our newsletter Changing Lanes with any regularity-or irregularity-you know how we advocate repurposing and getting optimal value out of your written pieces (e.g. using your press releases as the basis for newsletter articles, Web content). To successfully repurpose, it’s CRITICAL to take into consideration that while the material remains relatively the same, the audience IS different.

For example, you want to repurpose a newsletter article as a press release. How you would write for a warmer, friendlier audience in a newsletter article is greatly different than how you write for the media. Somebody you know will hang in there a bit longer than somebody you don’t, particularly an overworked, underpaid editor or reporter. So, that headline and first paragraph better grab them AND deliver.

Second, you need to adjust the tone. A press release is a bit more formal. So, you wouldn’t necessarily be referring to somebody by first name within the body of the story or in repeated quotes (e.g. “…said D’Eramo” rather than “…said Joe.”)

The same would hold true of taking a press release and converting it to Web content. Web copy is a one-on-one conversation with the reader. So you do want to refer to them as you and be a bit more conversational with your language. And while a press release tries to present a great story angle, if you’re repurposing it into copy on your Web site, there needs to be a call to action of some sort. As a press release, the story is supposed to speak for itself without self-promoting.

Speaking of self-promoting, one of the many arguments for hiring a freelance copywriter is that he or she will be a bit more objective when creating collateral pieces and other promotional items. Does that mean they will not advocate your product or service as strongly as you would? Not at all. But the focus will be on how your product or service can meet the reader’s needs rather than how great your product or service might be. Typically, that’s what makes the sale or gets coverage.

The bottom line is when you write a release or draft an article, you do have an opportunity to use it for a number of different media. The trick is making it work for that specific medium.

A trade publication used a quote by you for one of its articles. Better yet, you’re one of the featured experts quoted in the article. Now what? You can:

A. Sit by the phone and wait for all the new clients to call
B. Share the good news by any means possible
C. All of the above

Okay, any time somebody gives you an “All of the Above” option, that’s usually the answer (a little hint for those of you with children about to take the SATs). Seriously, receiving favorable media coverage is good news that you really do not want to keep to yourself. While some new or current clients may call as a result of the initial coverage, you can maximize the bang for your PR buck by:

• Linking to the article from some text (e.g. Hiroad quoted in Any Newspaper article) on your home page (if the publication is online)
• Creating a link with similar language from your Web site’s newsroom (assuming that you have a newsroom on your Web site; do you?)
• If you have a Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or any other kind of account, post the link to that sucker.
• If you have the appropriate reprint permissions, create collateral materials out of the coverage for your sales team. Make sure you have plenty of copies for your waiting area, if you have one.
• Shoot out a quick e-mail newsletter to your current client base, subtly noting coverage. Perhaps the coverage is a good opportunity to remind your current clients of the services you offer.

Another suggestion, if you really like the quote, is to create a pull-quote for your home page. You know, where the quote is enlarged and placed prominently on the page. Not only does this draw attention to the quote, but creates an attractive graphic element to the page.

In a perfect world, a great media hit would get your phone ringing off the hook. That can still happen. But with all the media out there to get your good news out, why not use ‘em?