Notable and quotable. (Entrepreneur's NoteBook).

Think about the marketing initiatives you currently have in play. Are you fully leveraging what you're doing? For example, let's say you're about to give a talk to a group. How can you maximize its impact? To begin with, send notices to names in your database to invite them to attend. Whether or not they show up, the invitation itself will remind people what you do, give you added credibility (you must be an expert if a group has invited you to speak) and make them feel that you value them. Perhaps you can arrange for clients to have complimentary passes, or you can foot the bill yourself.

Have you invited the media? Even if your speech isn't exactly front-page news, you may be able to get a listing in a business publication. See if you can tie your talk to a current news development, and then let relevant media know why your speech is newsworthy. In a letter or email to various media outlets, state your perspective on the news development, or forecast a future trend.

Since you've done your homework to prepare for the talk, there's a good chance you could turn your speech into a magazine or newspaper article. Present the idea to the editor of an appropriate business, industry or professional publication -- and once it's accepted, draft the article in a timely fashion. Your talk might also be the foundation for a "white paper" on a topical subject, which could reinforce your position as the expert in the field.

So, if you're feeling energized and are eager to reinvigorate your marketing program, don't waste time looking for a magic fix. Instead, look in your own backyard and improve what you've been doing all along.

Sharon Berman is principal of Los Angeles--based Berbay Corp., Marketing Strategy & Implementation. She can be reached at [e-mail].

Entrepreneur's Notebook is a regular column contributed by EC2, The Annenberg Incubator Project, a center for multimedia and electronic communications at the University of Southern California.