Many entrepreneurs believe that they understand what public relations is, but very few do. Publicity and public relations can be used to boost your business by thousands of dollars a week or kill it; the trouble is using it to your advantage.
I'm going to cover a few of the basics for getting good publicity and why you need to do them. If you do, you can be assured that you will be increasing your business at a rapid speed. Publicity, if used correctly, can be many times more valuable than advertising, and best of all, it's free.
1. Always be honest- when you are talking with a journalist, either through email or the phone, you must always be honest. Journalists have a sort of BS detector and can see what is truthful, what is hype and what is outright lies. If your new, they'll probably excuse some hype for the first time but they will never forgive you if you outright lie to them.
2. Know what is news - if you are launching a new web page about your cats, that is not news. Honestly, no one cares. I really shouldn't be saying this, but you would be amazed at the number of people who put out news releases on subjects that no one in their right mind would consider news. However, many entrepreneurs don't realize when they are sitting on a publicity goldmine. For example, if a celebrity is a happy user of your product, if your company is putting out an interesting or unusual product or service or your company has come up with an extremely innovative product, then you probably have some news on your hands!
3. Know whom to target- when you are releasing a new hairdryer that increases efficiency by 40%, you can call the product sections of the news organizations near you. however, you would be ill advised to call an organization that has nothing to do with your products, "cat monthly", for example. "pr spam" is a much-feared problem for journalists and pr practitioners alike. My rule is that you can send a release to a journalist you don't know if you believe that it is very well targeted. I'm not like a few people who believe that you need their express permission; simply by being journalists and posting their information, they are inviting news. However, this being said, don't spam them.
Try to keep these rules in mind the next time you are looking to get some major publicity to skyrocket your business. Keep to common sense and use old fashioned networking, and you too will be sitting on a publicity goldmine!
Bryan Thompson is a young entrepreneur and founder of Press Release Writing Online (http://www.prwritingonline.com). In his experience as a freelance publicist, writer and entrepreneur, he has worked with dozens of small, medium and large companies. He is also writing a book on the basics of Publicity for small businesses and managing several other businesses at the same time. You may contact him at info@prwritingonline.com.
As I was searching through a kitchen drawer the other... Read More
"There's nothing new under the sun" is probably the... Read More
Are you confused by all the information you receive from... Read More
If you knew these 10 high impact insider's hidden psychological... Read More
Quality Care Options is an established company advocating for the... Read More
As a business owner, you have the option of taking... Read More
Stand Out in Ways that Matter to Directory Users A... Read More
Today, more than ever, it is crucial that your ad... Read More
When used effectively, classified ads can be one of the... Read More
There should only be one, over-riding reason why you're doing... Read More
In order to sell more products and service, you need... Read More
So many of us who have decided to do business... Read More
The big news on Wall Street last year was the... Read More
Many entrepreneurs believe that they understand what public relations is,... Read More
Let's face it - most brochures go straight into the... Read More
All sales begin with some form of advertising. To build... Read More
From my experience, I've been on many discussion groups and... Read More
Can it be???Is there advertising that people actually love?You bet... Read More
Many of the most memorable ad campaigns around tend to... Read More
Business cards with nothing on the back are wasted opportunities... Read More
Sitting in front of a blank piece of paper? Wondering... Read More
This is the second article of a three-part series. I'm... Read More
Moms have a very powerful influence on what their families... Read More
I get the L.A. Times delivered to my door every... Read More
If you're a typical small business, you've probably been approached... Read More
Use This Quick 3-Question Evaluation Process, So You Can Be... Read More
What's the cheapest, most under-used marketing tool you have?The answer's... Read More
Not everyone is aware of what are text adverts? Text... Read More
If you're a typical small business, you've probably been approached... Read More
We have a Great News that we think that may... Read More
The internet offers you the opportunity to seek out jingle... Read More
There have been several ads promoting books and reports on... Read More
Unless you have become extremely popular in your personal or... Read More
Most of us have seen at least a dozen different... Read More
I have been reading articles on increasing sales using search... Read More
The success of a business plan stands or falls on... Read More
It is getting harder daily to generate traffic.And when you... Read More
Several years back the billboard people put a big picture... Read More
When advertising, you need to sell your opportunity, your products... Read More
In order to sell more products and service, you need... Read More
We all are looking for ways to market our businesses... Read More
Business cards are the most underutilized and misunderstood marketing tool... Read More
Question: What do you think the most important part of... Read More
Big businesses get instant credibility with their well-known company name... Read More
My father called me to complain, again. He's 82 and... Read More
Every year thousands of online businesses fail. None of them... Read More
Pay close attention and make it work the best for... Read More
Typical methods of advertising-newspapers, radio and television are effective if... Read More
The ability to lead, persuade and influence are integral skills... Read More
What is the golden rule of internet advertising?Give, so you... Read More
Advertising Advertising |