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project 03 :: Internet Marketing :: Advertising and PR 01
Do-It-Yourself Public Relations
The best time to learn about
articles,marketing,promotion and software is before you're in the thick
of things. Wise readers will keep reading to earn some valuable
articles,marketing,promotion and software experience while it's still
free.
In today's world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate.
While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to
find some of the issues I thought were settled are actually still being
openly discussed.
When you're learning about something new, it's easy to feel overwhelmed
by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative
article should help you focus on the central points.
"Advertising is what you pay for. Publicity is what you pray for."
What is a small business owner to do? You have dozens, hundreds or
even thousands of competitors around the world. How do you make
yourself known amid all the noise and confusion? One thing is for
certain. You may or may not have a budget for marketing and promotion but you want to get the most bang for your buck.
Stretch your budget by developing a low cost public relations
campaign that you can handle in house. Publicity is a much more
powerful tool than advertising and a successful campaign lends
credibility to you and your company.
Use the following tips to take advantage of the many opportunities
to make yourself known in the on-line and off-line world. Think
creatively and you'll come up with even more ideas to propel your
public relations campaign ahead.
1) Write articles
such as customer case studies, book reviews, how to advice, editorials,
etc. and develop a snazzy by-line that drives readers to your web site.
Submit your articles
to directories, newsgroups, e-zines, web sites and off-line newsletters
and magazines. You'll be astonished at how far one article can reach
and how it can convert readers to loyal, long-term clients. If you need
guidance with this technique consider signing up for the "Expert articles" teleclass held by Dr. Rachna D. Jain. E-mail Dr. Jain at Coach6-46006@autocontactor.com for more information.
2) Speak for free at your local Chamber of Commerce, trade
associations and clubs. Ask the sponsoring organization to hand out
your business cards and brochures to all attendees prior to the event.
Collect business cards and hold a prize drawing at the end of your
speech. Use the business cards to send out "thank you for attending"
e-mails after the event and ask for permission to add the recipient to
your newsletter list. Build this list and communicate regularly.
3) Approach local and national radio shows covering your target
audience and offer to appear as a guest. You will need to craft a pitch
letter that can be sent via e-mail to the producer of the show. Make
your pitch exciting and spend a great deal of time on the benefits
listeners will derive from your segment. To find radio stations search
the brs web-radio site at http://www.radio-directory.com/.
4) Write a free e-book on a topic of use to your potential
clients. People have become accustomed to receiving free information
that is nicely formatted and easy to read. You can advertise your
products and services in your free e-book and sell or swap advertising
with other related businesses. Tip e-books (101 ways to... ) and
article compilations are very popular. promote your free e-book at http://www.ebookdirectory.com/ and http://www.free-ebooks.net/. Make your e-book viral by authorizing readers to freely distribute copies.
5) A well written and intriguing press release can lead to stories
in the press that increase sales, enhance credibility and give your
company a competitive advantage. For free distribution use PR Web at http://www.prweb.com.
PR Web maintains a database of over 60,000 media contacts who receive
daily e-mail listings of press releases which match their topic
criteria. If you need help creating and formatting your press releases
consider purchasing software such as Press Release O-Matic at http://www.press-release-creator.com/.
6) Sponsor events and contests. Grand openings of shopping centers,
businesses, car dealerships, etc. are some events you may want to
sponsor along with fairs, festivals, open houses and community events.
You can locate on-line contests to sponsor at About.com. They offer a
very good searchable directory of contests at http://contests.about.com/. Be sure to publicize your sponsorship on your web site and mention it in your newsletter and in your press releases.
7) Solicit testimonials and use them. Request a
testimonial from every past and current client. Offer sample
testimonials or an outline to those clients who are reluctant writers.
Send out testimonials to prospects, include them in your marketing
materials, add them to your web site and e-mail signature block, add
one to each press release and put them on the back of your business
cards.
8) Frequent the newsgroups, topical lists and on-line boards that
cater to your profession or your target audience. Offer free advice,
URLs of helpful articles or web sites and your opinion. Don't overtly promote. Be wise and helpful while showing your expertise and your reputation as someone to be trusted will grow. Marcia Yudkin of http://www.yudkin.com has done this very successfully for years. Now she's known near and far for her marketing expertise and her opinion is very well respected.
Building your public relations presence is an ongoing process that
is most effectively achieved when you employ multiple strategies.
Develop a plan, think creatively, promote consistently and your business will stand out from the crowd!
(c) 2003, Davis Virtual Assistance. All rights reserved.
Permission to public is granted in all venues so long as the by-line remains intact.
About The Author
Bonnie Jo Davis is an experienced shoestring marketer who
specializes in article submission for fun and for profit! Sign-up for
her FREE "Solving The Article Submission Puzzle" e-course by visiting http://www.articlesthatsell.com/ecourse.htm.
So now you know a little bit about articles,marketing,promotion and
software. Even if you don't know everything, you've done something
worthwhile: you've expanded your knowledge.
Knowing enough about articles,marketing,promotion and software to
make solid, informed choices cuts down on the fear factor. If you apply
what you've just learned about articles,marketing,promotion and
software, you should have nothing to worry about.
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