Doing Big Elvis Wrong
February 17, 2010 by Mr Mark
Or maybe I should have titled this “How Not To DO a Press Release.”
My favorite Vegas performer, Big Elvis (Pete Vallee) is being named by Time Magazine – as one of the top ten Elvis impersonators. Top Ten. Just a notch or two below Johnny Cash!! This is a big deal for a big guy. Well, not so big anymore… But I will get to that later. Anyway… His marketing people (friends and supporters) send out a press release announcing an event to celebrate this milestone.
Do you think, after sending out this press release, they might want to put something about it on HIS website?? Nope. Not a peep. Just a link (now a banner) taking you off his website and sending you over to Time Magazine’s website! Worse yet, the website headline announces a January 7th, Nightline appearance.
Ok, now I have been accused a time or two for being a little slow on the switch for updating a clients website. But if one of my clients were named “Top Ten (fill it it)” by a major media outlet, Their website would be blasting trumpets before the Press Release was even written. Especially for a nationally noted Vegas performer/fan site.
What went wrong and what to do next time….
1)Send out press release telling you to visit their website when said website is not updated.
This is the Internet. You send, I get it the same day. Often the same minute. So don’t tell your prospects to go to a website that is not ready.
2) Website immediately and intentionally sends you off to another unrelated website.
Putting a banner at the top of the website, telling you to go to another website. What were they thinking?? Unless its Affiliate Marketing, why would you want them to leave your website when they just got there?? To go to another website you don’t control?? Especially right after you arrive.
Give them some content about what they are there for. Remember the press release you just sent? Yea, that thing. Put it in your own words or his words on what this means. Make it personal. Tell us about the event and what he is named for. Let HIS website do the talking. Than send us to Time’s website.
3) Top page banners are ignored
We have been trained to ignore them as sales pitches for Viagra or other crap. So the offending banner was probably ignored by many people right off the start. Unless we went looking for the announcement.
4) Have something to announce? Announce it!
The Press Release (Yes, that awful thing again) told us to go to this website for more information about a February 26 event. When we got there, we were greeted with a post is about a January 7th Television appearance. To find more about the real event, we had to go looking, searching or just leave the website and move on with life.
Why?? You don’t want us at your website?? Want us to go away?? That’s the message your website is telling its visitors. Big Elvis deserves better. Just my opinion, they could have coordinated the press release better.
Big Elvis??
If you have never heard of Big Elvis, you are missing a treat. Big Elvis has been performing around Las Vegas for over a decade and is signed for another two years with Harrah’s Entertainment. Currently he plays to a full house at Bill’s Gaming Hall and Saloon Monday thru Friday 3-6 pm (The old Barbary Coast, next to the Flamingo).
He is THE best late year Elvis you will ever hear. The video above shows him a few years ago when he was proabably tipping the scales at about 900 pounds. He is now a slimmer 450 “ish” in the photo below and heading for the 300’s. All natural weight loss I might add.
Pete Vallee is a true Vegas entertainer. Come on out, see his show (it’s free, no drink minimum) and see why I got a little testy about the Press release. I have met him and interviewed him. Finding him to be a rare Vegas performer in the fact that is a gentleman in every sense of the word and a real class act that deserves all the press he can get.
Mark Anthony
Internet Marketing Coach
