Small businesses can achieve a considerable measure of business growth simply by focusing on effective public relations. Employing an individual to handle public relations may be tough for some small start-ups, but often a marketing professional will tackle this important aspect of communication. While it’s not advertising, good public relations can work that way. The trick, of course, is to be savvy about how to use public relations to spread the word about your business or information relative to your business.
Perfect Your Pitch
Many businesses approach public relations in some ways as marketing to journalists. Journalists, of course, are after newsworthy material. Consequently, wasting their time with scads of press releases that are not truly newsworthy is likely to get your business ignored. Instead, make the most of your newsworthy events like a new product launch, a charitable gala, a new partnership, or a change that affects both the company and the community. When crafting the information to release to journalists, highlight the newsworthy aspects of the information right from the start so they don’t have to search for it.
Establish Relationships with Industry Reporters
Getting to know reporters in your industry or community can have a positive impact on public relations. Once a relationship is established and cultivated, a reporter is far less likely to ignore any press releases from your business. When trying to cultivate a relationship, invite a reporter to your business. If relative to an upcoming press release, give them a tour of your facility or encourage them to come and learn about a newsworthy project in the works. Once you get used to working with an established group of journalists, public relations will is likely to become far more streamlined and easy to manage.
Measure Your Progress
Businesses also need to measure the amount and quality of their public relations. Track the media venues that allow your business press. Build on the data you generate. If your business isn’t getting press in all of the local papers, for instance, investigate why. Monitor the news and how your brand is covered. Be sure mistakes are promptly corrected and stay tuned in to how your business is represented by the media.
Speak for Yourself
Some businesses become frustrated when they can’t achieve the type of public relations they need to grow. Businesses might then consider offering their own digital newsletter or blog available from their website. While many businesses already do this, perhaps they don’t effectively market their public relations materials. Use the social media networks to remind people about your company’s “press release” page on your website and offer a link. It’s not only simple to do something like that—it’s free.
Small and new businesses would do well to employ a strategy to ramp up their public relations. Press is essential to gain brand recognition and it’s also much less expensive than advertisements. Companies that successfully employ public relations materials have a clear idea of how it can help their company to grow. If your business is stumped for newsworthy ideas, consider visiting the websites of other businesses who post their press releases and find out the myriad of ways they get their name in the media.
