Free Marketing Tip #1: Public Relations
I have spent over 20 years in the marketing industry, but most
of that time my focus was in the area of paid marketing avenues
like advertising and direct marketing. When I opened my own
small business marketing consulting firm eight years ago, I
realized that while all those paid marketing tactics were great
- meaning they worked - I also realized my ability to utilize
them was limited.
Why? Because like most new small business owners, I didn't
have the money.
I was just getting my business off the ground and I needed ways
to get the word out that didn't involve a lot of cash.
That's when I turned to Public Relations.
What is Public Relations? It's the act of sending out
information to the news media about your business in the hope
they will write about your business in their publication. This
gives you free exposure and very often it has a lot more
credibility than advertising.
Here are 10 steps to help you use PR to market your small
business:
(1) Identify who you are trying to reach - who do you
want to be reading about your business so they will contact you
for more information about your business?
(2) Look for media (newspapers, magazines, radio
stations, television programs, and websites) that these people
are reading and using.
(3) Make a list of all these publications/media.
(4) Research every publication/medium on your list.
Become familiar with them. What news do they cover? What is
their writing style? Do they have a regular column or section
that covers your industry?
(5) Find out if there is a writer or reporter at each
publication that covers your industry.
(6) Contact that writer or reporter and introduce
yourself. Let them know who you are, what your area of expertise
is, and offer yourself as a resource for stories or if they have
questions or need information.
(7) Learn the accepted press release format and writing
style and start writing releases about newsworthy events in your
business.
(8) Create a plan to issue press releases on a regular
basis to your media list. Just make sure the information you are
sending is indeed newsworthy.
(9) If you do business on the Internet, considering using
a service called PR Web (www.prweb.com) This will get your
release out quickly to many sources on the web and can start to
generate awareness of your business to a broader scope of media.
(10) Look for opportunities to use your expertise to
write columns, or special features for the publications on your
media list.
Public relations is a great marketing tool for small business
owners and independent professionals. If you are committed to
learning how to use it properly, and you use it consistently, it
can get you and your business incredible exposure at little or
no cost.
(C) Copyright 2006 Debbie LaChusa, 10stepmarketing