Would You or Your Company Like More Free Publicity?

Home, Garden, and Lifestyle Companies:

ImproveYourHomeAndGarden.com would like to interview you about your organization for a feature story on this blog. This is an ongoing blogging project which we created to help you become more visible on the Internet all year long and to get more foot traffic to your booth during the Show.

There is no charge for this article because you’ve been a valued exhibitor in one of these shows:

Energy Trust Better Living Show, Portland, OR
St. Louis Builders Home & Garden Show
Builders St. Charles Home & Remodeling Show
Dayton Home & Garden Show
Indiana Flower & Patio Show
Dusquene Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show

How Your Interview Works

Answer the questions below by copying and pasting them into an email or a Microsoft Word document.
When you’re finished, send your information to lori@improveyourhomeandgarden.com
Include several pictures we can use in your article (we love before/after pictures and online videos, too.)
Once we receive your interview, one of our writers will write a feature story about your company.
Please send us your information within 5 business days or call me at 314-485-4350 x 202 with questions or if you need an extension

How To Be an Interesting Interview Subject

If you want to write your own article, you may; but it’s not necessary. However, in order for us to write an interesting article about you, we need you to be a good interviewee: Give us your best “sexy,” warm and fuzzy, trendy stuff.

Think about what delights your customers the most about you–not about what you want to tell (sell) us! Pretend you’re at a party and someone you don’t know asks you, “What do you do?” Obviously, you wouldn’t pull out a sales flyer and immediately start “pitching” them about your business! Use your interview to share your special talents and outlook on life with people worldwide–as well as in your local community. Try to help our homeowner readers get to know and like you.

Speaking of sales pitches, the article we write about you will not be a sales pitch. We have found when homeowners read educational, entertaining and helpful how-to articles, they return to our site and then share what they learn with their friends who are also interested in home, garden and green living / green building products ideas. We want website visitors who keep returning to our site for up-to-the-minute green living trends.

Interview Questions

Here are your interview questions. Please copy the questions and paste them into an email message or into Microsoft Word to answer them. Then email your interview answers back to us at lori@improveyourhomeandgarden.com

DEADLINE: 5 BUSINESS DAYS (or email lori@improveyourhomeandgarden.com for an extension).

First, please acknowledge that you want to be interviewed by clicking here to take our brief survey which gives us your basic info. (Then return here to answer the questions below).
What are typical problems homeowners come to you with, and how have you solved them? Can you give us a real-life example (don’t use real customer names without permission)? If this is a before/after story, please provide pictures, if you have them.
What are 3 – 10 things homeowners should know before, during or after they contact you to do work for them?
Tell us a story that will inspire us about your business. It can be a customer you helped, the reason you went into your business, or your mission platform for “saving the world” (or whatever your big idea is!) Sharing your passion with your readers is actually a stronger motivator to do business with you than all the product knowledge you have! Additionally, your story is what we’ll use to promote you on the social media channels once your article is posted.
Do you have a rant? Or some “conventional wisdom” you’d like to debate? Something about your industry, your competitors, your customers that drive you crazy? Or pushes your buttons? Is it instructional (a cautionary tale, a “just the facts” or “buyer beware” story?) Please tell us about it!
Industry predictions: Do you have any? What’s on the horizon in your business? What are the new trends homeowners will be seeing next year? Here’s where you can mention specific product lines or brands you carry and why you think these trends are up.
When you send us your interview answers, please attach or copy web links to digital images or videos that go along with your information.
Your top 5-10 favorite home, garden or lifestyle products and why (you don’t have to carry them all). Or your favorite top 3-5 industry experts and why (people or websites).
What didn’t we ask you that we should have?
Who is responsible for placing content on your organization’s website? (If you have a webmaster or IT company, please provide their name, phone number and email address.)

What Happens Next

After you send us your interview, images and/or videos, here’s what happens next…

We assign your story to one of our writers who will write a feature article about you
Your article will be posted to our website, www.ImproveYourHomeAndGarden.com
We will request that you or your webmaster to post the article on your site (we’ll send you the HTML file for this)
As soon as your article is posted to your site, we promote it on all the social media platforms, such as Twitter, all year long.

Thanks! I look forward to reading your story!