Need to pitch an idea, story or concept? As with most things in life, we can learn a thing or two about it from Jim Henson and the Muppets.

Click below to view the original pitch for The Muppet Show. 

I recently requested to join a LinkedIn Group for writers, editors and other publishing-related professionals. Can you can catch the grammatical error in the auto-reply I received?

This is a group of writers and editors, so the error seems particularly egregious and careless, but it's a good lesson for all of us.

Even in an email, proofreading matters. Don't just rely on spellcheck, especially when you're writing a template message that could be the first impression potential customers or business partners will have of you and your organization.

Here are a few tricks to help you catch those your/you're traps before you hit the "send" button:

Print the email out. Sometimes it's easier to notice the mistakes when you see them in print.

Take a break. How many times have you reread your original message in someone's reply to you and suddenly noticed an error? If you can, do something else for a bit and then come back to it. You'll be more likely to catch the mistake after you've been away from it.

Read it backwards. I learned this trick from a print salesman years ago, but it's just as effective in the digital world. Reading from the end to the beginning forces you to look at every word rather than mentally filling in the correct spelling or skipping over duplicate words. 

Read it out loud. You didn't see it, but maybe you'll hear it.

Get a second opinion. Often, we're so close to our own work that we can't really see it any more, but an outsider will immediately notice a glaring mistake. Can't remember all the arcane rules of English grammar? Ask for help or check online. Even if you slept through your sixth grade English class, there are plenty of resources on the web to answer your questions.

What are some of your favorite proofreading tips?

(And if you didn't catch the mistake in the email above, reread the second sentence, and think about the meaning of the word "you're.")

Marketing tunnel vision. It can happen to the best of us. We get so wrapped up in our day-to-day projects and tasks, that we forget about the world outside. Then we wonder why the marketing efforts didn't pan out the way we thought they would.

Here are a few of the more common marketing tunnel vision problems.

Forgetting who the buyer is. In the B2C world, it's usually pretty clear cut, but in many B2B industries, the buyer and the end user are completely different audiences. What information does your buyer really need? How can you make the decision easier for them? What messaging will resonate? Ultimately, this person may need tools to "sell" to the end user as well, but your first priority is to appeal to that buyer. Make sure you know who it is.

Forgetting about the customer. It's so easy to get caught up in how great we are and how cool all our new product features are. It's terrific that you're the "leading provider" of whatever it is you do (says who, by the way?). But the B2B customer doesn't care.

The customer cares about what we all care about: What's in it for me? How will you make my life easier? How will you improve my bottom line? How does working with you pay off for me? Once you're speaking that language, the customer is going to be much more interested in hearing about your exciting new product.

Differentiation in a vacuum. We all know that effective differentiation, especially in a competitive B2B environment, is critical. The problem is that many companies think they're differentiating themselves in their marketing communications, when in fact, they're saying the same things as all their competitors.

Once again, marketing tunnel vision plays a role. You get so wrapped up in your concept and messaging that you haven't taken a step back to listen to what the competition is saying – or maybe you just haven't done it recently. Even if you know what they're doing, do you know what they're saying? With more "noise" out in the market now than ever before, it matters. 

"Insider" speak, industry jargon and any other messages that bring to mind the voice of Charlie Brown's teacher. Get out of the tunnel and ask yourself: Does anyone even know what we're talking about? Are we using acronyms or abbreviations that no one outside our office understands? Can anyone even stand to listen to what we're saying? Does this make people want to hear more, or does it make them instantly tune out? 

Sitting in the tunnel churning out noise isn't doing anyone any favors – except maybe your competitors. Take a look outside. You might be surprised by what you find.

Need high-value return without the high price tag? Here are a few resources you might want to consider adding to your marketing and PR toolkit.

Reporter Query Services: One of the easiest ways to find out what reporters are covering and where there might be a need for your expertise is to subscribe to one (or several) reporter query services. With free services like Help A Reporter Out and Reporter Connection, all you have to do is sign up as a source to get on the email list. You'll get a compilation of queries from reporters and bloggers who are looking for experts to quote in their stories. 

But wait! Before you send that pitch: Is it on topic? Are you including the right information (and leaving off the attachments)? Take a look at the PR pitch tips previously discussed on the Ink Blog. Your goal is to end up on the "trusted source" list, not in the spam file.
Bonus tip: Get on Twitter. You can follow Help A Reporter Out and ProfNet, PR Newswire's reporter query service, on Twitter for last-minute and urgent reporter requests, and many journalists with Twitter accounts will tweet requests for sources. It's time to start making Twitter work for you.

Email Newsletter Services: Budget-friendly e-newsletter services abound these days, which means it's more cost-effective than ever to get access to robust features like customizable templates, link tracking, open rate statistics and subscription widgets. We like the added bonus of Vertical Response's "Marketing Lounge," which provides members with a social forum for best-practice sharing, tips and networking.

But wait! Even the most expensive or feature-rich newsletter service won't make up for a lack of interesting, relevant and well-written content.
Bonus tip: Consider outsourcing content development if that's not an internal strength in your organization (or you just don't have time to focus on it). Weighed against the cost of losing subscribers and, possibly, your credibility, it can be a wise investment.

Online Printing Services: You don't even have to leave your office any more to get a quick, inexpensive print job handled. For short runs or less-complex projects, online printing companies – many of which allow you to upload your files and receive PDF proofs in a matter of minutes – can be a cost-, time- and hassle-saver. 

But wait! Always request a proof, and give yourself enough time to carefully review it before signing off on any print job. Saving a little money on the printing won't make you feel any better about typos and layout problems in the finished piece.
Bonus tip: Services like UPrinting regularly offer discounts by email, and their templates, blog and Facebook postings can provide plenty of design inspiration and ideas.

The Laundry List: A Few More To Check Out

AwardSync: A free listing of awards programs by industry, including links for submission requirements and entry forms

Bit.ly, Su.pr and others: Url-shortening services are critical in the 140-character world of Twitter, but services like bit.ly also allow you to track clicks so you can see how many times people are accessing the different links you post.

PR.com, PRWeb, PitchEngine, Pressitt, PR Buzz and others: Traditional and social media release services continue to pop up with varying – and oftentimes extremely affordable – price structures, depending on the SEO and distribution features you select. 

This is, of course, a highly subjective and selective list. Even though budgets are tight these days, the good news is that there are more and more cost-effective services to help with your marketing and PR efforts. Finding those that work for you is key.

What are some of your favorites?