Tatyana Gann of the Smokin Hot PR blog wrote a nice post talking about 12 special ingredients that will help shape the PR industry looking ahead to 2012. There were plenty of PR gaffes by companies in 2011, so it’s understandable why we need better PR in 2012. We liked what she had to say and thought it would be fun to take her ingredients and put a small business PR and entrepreneur PR spin on them heading into 2012. The new year coming up will be filled with may of the same small business marketing, small business PR and small business social media challenges that were all faced during 2011.

1: Reaching Your Audience. We heard from many entrepreneurs during 2011 who said they focused a lot on targeting their audience. It’s so important for this to continue in 2012 because audience targeting is a key element in the convergence of online marketing, email marketing, social media and public relations.

2: Credibility In Media Outlets. It can often feel like there are millions of media outlets out there for small business PR operators to choose from. The reality may not be far from this estimation. In 2012 small business PR will be focused more on selecting the media outlets that are designed to tell stories that deliver the right message.

3: Choose Specialized Publications. Especially critical for small businesses in the B2B space, specialized publications, special interest publications and trade journals are experiencing a bit of a resurgence following the hard times many media faced in 2008-2009. Entrepreneurs doing PR should intensify their searches for these publications.

4: Choose The Medium For Your Message. What’s your story? Is it best for radio, print, online or television (or perhaps a combination)? Figure this out and focus your small business PR efforts.

5: Choose The Right Angle. In the PR Toolkit for Small Business we talk a lot about developing an angle and story. In 2012 it will be critical for entrepreneurs and businesses to build stories that resonate with the media outlets they are pitching.

6: Use Surveys & Test Groups. We’ve always loved this topic here at UnderstandingMarketing.com. Surveys, test groups and focus groups can be seriously instrumental in uncovering important information for any business, but also in uncovering PR angles and opportunities for press outreach.

7: Make Sure You Have A Media Kit. The media kit will play a big role in 2012 as more entrepreneurs launch businesses with the need of having the right background information on their companies that tell the right story. In the coming weeks we will talk more about building the right press kit, also talked about in the PR Toolkit for Small Business.

8: Tracking System For URLs. Everything revolves around the web. Your business and web presence are no different. Make sure you know everything possible about where in-bound links are coming from, who these people are and how they impact your business and web analytics.

9: Publicity Goals For Next 90 Days. Where do you want your small business PR to take you in the near term? Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Do a PR plan three to four months at a time, focusing on the big picture opportunities and leaving yourself plenty of opportunity to jump on news as it happens.

10: Focus On Major Stories. Reporters and producers want story pitches that come with a strong news peg. What’s happening in the world today, or your local community, that impacts the way you do business? Small business owners who can answer this question and use to build a PR pitch will have great chances of obtaining media coverage.

11: Misconceptions. Do you sell a product or service that might confuse people? If so, 2012 is the year to correct this. Find a way to communicate your key messages more clearly so that web audiences, social media followers, customers and the media can remove any misconceptions about your company.

12: Write A List Of Competitors. Know who your competitors are. If you aren’t getting small business PR then there’s a good chance your competitors are. Eliminate this scenario by getting even closer to your competitors, studying what they’re doing for PR and offering even better stories. Successful small business PR can drive more sales – either for you or your competitors.

John Sternal is co-founder of Sternal Consulting, a PR and marketing consultancy helping businesses get noticed through publicity in the media. He is the author of the PR Toolkit for Small Business and currently authoring a book about DIY public relations for small business owners. For questions email John Sternal.

A while back we offered insight into the right kind of colors to use in your small business marketing. Do they really matter and, if so, what kind of guidance can help you choose the right mix for your small business. Today we pose a topic that will reverberate throughout the marketing and business community since it has to deal with the ongoing BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and its affect on business and local lives.

Should you avoid using the color green in your marketing, advertising and promotions since today it makes many people think (negatively) of BP? This includes all branding and printed pieces like direct mailings, postcards, promotional flyers, and newsletters. It also includes online marketing and communications, like emails, landing pages, blogs, websites and even social media themes.

Drive down any street and if you see a sign that’s shouting the color green, I bet you initially think it’s a BP gas station. Not just because the color is a vibrant part of their gas stations on almost every corner, but also because we’re now used to seeing it on a nightly basis on almost every television news report.

Ever since late spring, when you think of BP (and that green), do you get a warm, happy feeling or just the opposite?

Consider that there was a time not long ago when BP’s brand and use of green was actually helping the company in its public opinion and perception. But with the spill, these perceptions have taken a nose dive for not just BP but many others in the oil industry.

Perhaps this is an unfair blog post calling out the color green, but with all the negative attention and perceptions being shaped through BP’s efforts, is it time to pull the plug in using green in your marketing?

In our related blog post we learned that green represents several characteristics when it comes to marketing for a company. Abundance, cool, nature, growth and fresh are all part of the green value proposition in marketing. If your company represents any one of these characteristics, it might be time to find an alternate color.

Here are other colors and what they represent:

White: mild, pure, youthful, clean

Red: excitement, sex, speed, passion, danger, strength

Orange: vibrant, warmth, playfulness

Pink: security, soft, nurture, sweet

Yellow: sunshine, happiness, cheer, warmth

Blue: reliability, coolness, belonging (also the most used color)

Purple: dignity, spirituality, royal

Black: mystery, sophistication, seductive, elegant

Silver: scientific, prestige, cold

Gold: expensive, prestige

Keep in mind we’re not saying if you have green predominantly displayed throughout your marketing people will start picketing outside your facility. That is absolutely not the message. Nevertheless, companies spend tens of millions on every aspect of marketing because they take every inch of strategy very seriously. The chosen color is no different than any other element of this decision-making process.

There’s no doubt that BP has created a very negative perception for itself. The use of green in their marketing is now easily identifiable with every aspect of the company. Perhaps the color of oil is the only color more identifiable with BP. If you can consider switching over to a color that’s out of the negative limelight (pun not intended), it may be wise to do so

What’s your take? Is green an innocent victim of the BP fallout?

Chrisanne Sternal is founder of UnderstandingMarketing.com and Sternal Consulting, which advises entrepreneurs and small businesses on all aspects of their marketing strategies.

Carla Young knows all about branding for entrepreneurs. She’s the founder of MomeoCommunity.com and CEO of MomEO Magazine, a fantastic resource for mom entrepreneurs (mompreneurs). To help share some of her wisdom and insight on small business branding, Carla will be the special guest on the February 23 #smbiz Twitter chat (8-9 p.m. ET). Join Carla Young as she navigates us through the world of branding for small business and entrepreneurs by offering wonderful insight and sharing some expert tips. She’ll even share some tips on how to start branding your own business, whether you’re an online company, a small company that’s been around for a long time, or if you’re an entrepreneur just starting out and working from your home. In both cases, it’s important to have a strong brand identity in front of your customers.

The #smbiz Twitter chat takes place each Tuesday night from 8-9 p.m. ET and gives small business owners, entrepreneurs and solopreneurs a chance to network and learn from others on a variety of business-related topics.

Entrepreneurs should know there are several different areas that go into building a brand, including the design of a logo, advertising, slogans and, of course, all the intangibles that take place behind the scenes. Yes, even things like customer service go into branding because it can affect how a person or customer thinks about a brand through their experiences.

An important rule in small business branding is to avoid trying to position your mission as being everything to everyone. Coca Cola produces delicious soft drink beverages. They don’t also produce laundry detergent. Burger King is known for their flame-broiled burgers. They don’t also make aluminum siding. Knowing this, what’s your company’s position? What do you bring to the table? What are you going to be the best at?

Join the #smbiz chat on Tuesday, February 23 from 8-9 p.m. ET. Carla Young will talk about all of this and more, and you’ll have your chance to ask her questions about branding.

Small Business vs. Solopreneur

But just like a small business must brand itself a certain way, so do solopreneurs. The big difference with solopreneurs is that they’re often branding their name, because that’s what often is sold to prospects and clients. Image is still everything in 2010 and branding will continue to grow in importance. Understanding all this, many solopreneurs realize they could use a little help in understanding branding more and some ideas they can use to further develop their own brand so they have more effective marketing.

Enter Jennifer Bourn, a branding expert that woks with many solopreneurs and other businesses to create and maintain lasting brands for all kinds of industries. Join the #smbiz Twitter chat on Tuesday, Dec. 29, from 8-9 pm ET. Jennifer will be the special guest helping solopreneurs understand and even gain a few tips on branding their businesses in 2010. But even if you’re with a small business with several employees, don’t miss this chat because it’s never a bad idea to get a few branding tips that can be universally used for any company.

Here are a few areas we’ll cover during the chat:

–What is branding and how can it benefit a solopreneur?

–What are some myths associated with branding?

–How does social media play into branding for a solopreneur?

–How can solopreneurs and small businesses develop an effective brand on a limited or even no budget?

Make sure to check out #smbiz Twitter chat on Tuesday, Dec. 29, from 8-9 pm ET to learn all kinds of branding tips.

That’s right. The Fresno rebranding campaign is largely focused on its own residents who without a doubt are its harshest critics. Many feel there is absolutely nothing special about the city in which they live. City managers want to change this image starting from the inside out.

For years Fresno has felt like a place that is the definition of un-hip with plenty of smog and crime problems. So the city is undergoing a $1.2 million marketing campaign – “Be World-Class. Be Fresno.” They’re hoping for a clear business case for rebranding the city’s image. As such, they collected a series of small business branding ideas.

Will this work? City planners certainly hope so. Forbes magazine once ranked it 146 out of 150 on a list of Best Places to do Business. One study found that Fresno had the highest concentration of poverty and its air quality index plummeted just this past year.

For small business owners thinking of rebranding their companies with small business branding ideas for a fresh start, take note of Fresno. If an entire city can undergo a successful rebranding effort, so can entrepreneurs.