10 easy ways to get free publicity for your small business
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Transcript of 10 easy ways to get free publicity for your small business
10 LOW COST NO COST WAYS TO GET PUBLICITY
FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS
Richard Branson
Donald Trump
Benefits of Publicity
• Increased sales
• Instant credibility
• Helps build interest in your business
• Helps ensure people recognize your name
• It’s great because it is free or nearly free
• Helps establish you and your business as an authority
• Helps build traffic to your website
The Media Needs You
• Position yourself as an expert
• Tie your business to current issues
• Write articles for trade publications
• Comment regularly by writing to the
media
• Participate at conferences
• Blog and write a book
What’s Your Story?
• You need an interesting story
– How did you start your
business?
– Why did you start your
business?
– What makes it special and
unique?
– What makes it interesting
AS PART OF YOUR MARKETING PLAN DEVELOP A
PUBLICITY STRATEGY – WRITE IT DOWN
News Angle
• Your news must:
– Be new, unusual, sensational
– Affect many people and be of
public interest
• It must make interesting reading,
viewing, and/or listening
• It must be innovative, creative,
beneficial, funny or extraordinary
10 Ways to Get Free Publicity
1. Do a customer service survey and ask some controversial questions
2. Create top 10 lists – Top 10 fashion trends for 2010
3. Develop an annual community award
4. Piggyback on a great story in the media
5. Write a story about some surprising facts about your industry
6. Write a rags to riches story about yourself
7. Sponsor a local community service project
8. Disprove a well known myth
9. Write a story about being the first
10. Do some interesting research and publish the findings
How to Write a Press Release
• Write “For Immediate Release” or
appropriate date on the top of the page
• At the top of the release
– Include a contact name
– Phone & cell number
– Email address
– Website address
JEAN-PAUL, DELORIA & DELORIA 12345 Main Street Any City, Province V5H 4H9 Phone 123-456-7890 Fax 123-456-7890
Press Release Contact: John Stephens Phone: 123-456-7890
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9 AM EDT, September 23, 1998
HOW TO CUSTOMIZE THIS PRESS RELEASE
TO OPTIMIZE THE GRAY SHADING for your printer, click on the text
area, and choose Borders and Shading from the Format menu. Select
a new shade or pattern, and choose OK.
TO CUSTOMIZE THIS TEMPLATE:
Insert your company information in place of the sample text, and
change the header on page 2 (for multi-page stories).
Choose File Save As. Choose Document Template in the Save File
as Type: box.
To create a new document, choose File New to re-open your
customized template as a document.
TO DELETE A TEXTBOX, click on the border (the handles should
become highlighted), and press Delete.
-End-
• Keep it to 1 page or less• Write it like a journalist would write it• Develop a great short headline
– 5 ways to avoid investment mistakes– 4 skills every entrepreneur should have– 10 things you should know before buying a home– 6 things you should ask your contractor– How to sell your home in 30 days guaranteed
How to Write a Press Release
• The 1st paragraph must
summarize the news story and
include the who, what, where,
when, and why
• Thereafter write 3 or 4
paragraphs to explain in more
detail
• Include quotes from an
"expert.“ This could be you
How to Write a Press Release
• Include statistics from
a reliable source
• Add a picture
• Check spelling, dates,
and details carefully
• Keep it simple, write
short sentences and
avoid jargon
Target the Media
• Identify magazines, newspapers, TV, blogs your customers read/watch
• Choose media you would like to get into– Start off with local
media • Target journalists that
write about your industry
Build a Database Contacts
• Check newspaper websites for media contacts
• Collect names of editors, reporters, and columnists
• TV and radio: collect numbers for news desks and program directors
• Keep your list updated
Lastdetail.ca
• You can send a
release via:
– Fax
• Ask the journalist
what they would
prefer
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Follow Up
• Use the telephone to follow up
• Ask if the release has been received and if
there is any interest in it
• Ask if they would like to clarify anything
• Ask if they require or would like to take
photographs
• Encourage the reporter to contact you if
they need anything
Follow Up Interview
• Be well prepared
• Have some statistics
• Use examples that people can relate to
• Set a time when you won’t be disturbed
• Keep your answers simple, easy to
understand, and to the point
• Relax and be yourself
Get featured on the Bizlaunch blog. Email: [email protected]
The Interview• Remember nothing is off the record
• Don’t bad mouth your competitors
• Reporters are well trained to ask
the right questions
• Ask the reporter what angle they
want and if they’re writing an article
of interest to a specific target
market
Make Friends With the Media
• Develop relationships with
people
• Get back to reporters as soon
as possible
• Help them out when you can
• If they like you they’ll regularly
contact you
Radio Interviews
• Send them a list of questions
• Relax and speak slowly and
clearly
• Ensure you’re in a quiet place
• Repeat listeners questions if
live
Television
• Send them a list of
questions
• Relax and speak slowly
and clearly
• Don’t look at the camera
• Dress appropriately
Once you’ve got publicity and you’re famous
• Put it on your website
• Include a link on your blog
• Share it with clients
• Put it in your resume
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Email: [email protected]
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