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project 03 :: Internet Marketing :: Advertising and PR 01
Leverage the Power of Publicity for Your Small Business
The following article includes pertinent
information that may cause you to reconsider what you thought you
understood. The most important thing is to study with an open mind and
be willing to revise your understanding if necessary.
Your
business is only as good as the number of people who knows about it.
For your venture to grow, you need to start spreading the word about
your business. You may have the best products your field, but you
cannot expect your business to breach the million-dollar mark in sales
if only the people in your street know about it. Some entrepreneurs
start doing promotions only when their businesses are up and running,
while some market their business even before the products or services
are fully launched.
There are two ways to get your business noticed: through paid
advertising and through public relations. In advertising, you pay to
have your message placed in a newspaper, radio or television spot, or
your banners displayed in a Web site. In public relations, on the other
hand, the article or show that features your story or business is not
paid for. Rather, the writer may have come across your story or
business through research or references. The writer or media person
deems it worthy to mention you or your business to bolster his or her
arguments.
Hence, publicity can oftentimes be more effective than advertising.
Not only is it cost-effective (oftentimes you are paying for nothing),
but also people are apt to remember an article about your business
rather than advertising. People find a write-up or special feature
about a business more credible and objective than a paid advertising.
Publicity also reaches a wider audience: if you are lucky, the national
media might even pick up your story.
Even in the online world, free exposure in the traditional media -
television, radio or print - can be far more effective than other
online marketing strategies. Nina Munk of urbanhound.com wrote in Fuse Magazine that her site saw a dramatic increase in traffic
when NBC's Today show mentioned her site - much more than the links
from other web sites or postings from message boards. As she wrote in
the article, "Forget the power of the Internet: it's television that
counts."
Since media has a "herd mentality," once a program features your
business or your story, expect other publications and shows to pick it
up and use you for their own stories. The mention of urbanhound.com at
the Today show led to mentions in Newsday, Forbes and Ladies' Home
Journal. Without paying a single cent, Munk's site was able to reach a
wider audience that his business needs.
How do you attract the journalists to use your story? Here are five
ways you can do to succeed in generating free publicity for your
business.
1. Carefully target journalists. Since you are courting them to use
your story, don't put them off by sending bulk emails to practically
all the journalists you know, no matter how totally unrelated your
story is to their beat. Identify the kinds of publication that may be
interested in your story, and know who in the publication does your
kind of stories. Make a list of the newspapers, TV and radio programs
that would be appropriate outlets. Then identify the specific reporter
or producer interested in your kind of story. If you want publicity for
your bonsai business, for example, send your story pitch to a gardening
publication or the home living editor of your local newspaper. Find the
journalists (whether print, television or radio) who are most likely to
be interested in your story. Send them personal emails or letters.
2. Invest time and energy contacting local newspapers, magazines,
radio and TV stations. While avoiding becoming pushy, be persistent.
Convince the journalists that you are an expert in your field or your
story is newsworthy. In the event that their editorial calendar does
not include a story such as yours, offer your help to them and let them
know that you are available when they need your expertise. Journalists
always want a good, well-researched story and will always use every
resource available to them. Remember, though, that not everyone will be
interested. If your story idea is turned down, try to ask why and use
that information to bolster your next story pitch.
3. Make sure that you really have a good story to tell. Do
not waste a reporter's time. Few journalists will care if you are
hiring a temporary worker, or whether you bought a new modular
furniture system. Make a list of story pitches that you can offer to
your chosen media outlet. Brainstorm with your family, business
partners or friends to help you come up with good stories about you and
your business. Sometimes, what may be "normal" for us may be inspiring
for other people.
4. Have a good angle. Journalists always look for fresh,
provocative story ideas. Develop story angles that you yourself would
want to read in a newspaper or watch on television. If you are a
caterer, for example, one angle could be the increasing number of
customers who wants catered food instead of going out to restaurants.
If you are a home-based travel agent, you can pitch a story on the
preferences of seniors when traveling abroad.
5. Make your pitch. Write down your story angle and send it to the
journalist in a "pitch letter." Your letter may start with a question
or interesting fact about your business that could interest your target
media's audience. This is called your "hook." Then develop your story
idea, stressing how it could benefit their audience. Make your sales
pitch no longer than one page, and be sure to include your contact
numbers.
About The Author
Isabel Isidro is the Managing Editor of PowerHomeBiz.com, a leading
online resource on home business. For information on starting a small
and home-based business, visit PowerHomeBiz.com at http://www.powerhomebiz.com
Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.
We hope you found the information on this page useful and will return often to browse
the many articles throughout our site. We will be adding new material on an ongoing
basis in order to keep our visitors up to date on the latest promotion and marketing
information and tools that allow so many marketers to earn a full time living on the
internet.
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