Do Your Own Public Relations on a Shoestring Budget
Get Media Savvy
One of the simple and inexpensive tricks that PR professionals employ is to saturate themselves in media. By reading your local publications, target publications and/or trade magazines and newspapers you get to know what the media is covering and the beats of key reporters. Staying media savvy will allow you to easily target your news to the correct publications and reporters. Another important component of being media savvy is tracking your name or your company's name as it appears in the media. You can do this simply and easily using a system such as Google News Alerts to track news stories and the web for mentions of whatever name you designate. Tracking your media mentions will allow you to easily respond to stories in which your name or industry is mentioned and have a chance at getting more coverage. Tracking media mentions also allows you to record your PR successes.
Have A Web Presence
Without a presence on the Internet it is very difficult for reporters to find your name and by extension contact you. Studies have shown that the first place a reporter searches for information is the Internet and more specifically a company websites. So make it easy - set up an inexpensive website though Yahoo Small Business or another system and let reporters come to you. Other important (and easy) places to have a presence on the web include LinkedIn for business contacts and Facebook for reaching a younger audience.
Brand Yourself
If you don't have them already get business cards, if cost is an issue create them yourself at a local copy shop or online. Do the same thing for stationary if you regularly correspond using snail mail. Decide on some trademark colors and or a logo and use this in everything - your website, Facebook page and business cards. Think about what you want your company to be remembered for and create a brand. Check some marketing and advertising books out of the library to spur your creativity and then decide on your own personal image so you're easy to identify.
Make - and Release - News
Watch what stories your target publications are covering and consider what you or your company is doing that is newsworthy. You are probably already doing something notable but just haven't identified it as such. Start keeping your eyes open for possible news stories, talk to the people you work with about what they are seeing or doing, consider how you can tie your name into current news stories or be an expert on a popular subject. Then when you discover something newsworthy send it out to your targeted publications and reporters. Don't know how to write a press release? Write it like a news article, keep it to one page and make sure to include your contact information. By searching press releases online you can view a variety of examples on how to do it.
Partner With Others
Pull your resources with other companies that compliment what you do or professionals in the same business. Create a small network and share news, white papers, and strategic initiatives and then publicize your partnership. Introducing those in your network to media contacts can also be fruitful. Finally, partnering with a charitable organization can be a rewarding endeavor and is a great way to secure news coverage for both groups.
In the current economic climate many of us are faced with the difficult task of working to build and increase business on an almost non-existent budget. Public relations is one of the few tools that you can utilize to great success on a shoestring budget so put your wallet away and start thinking of the next big way to buzz your brand!
Find out more about these inexpensive PR ideas at the following websites:
Google News Alerts; http://www.google.com/alerts?hl=en&t=1
Yahoo Small Business; http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/
Vista Print; http://www.vistaprint.com
LinkedIn; http://www.linkedin.com/
Facebook; http://www.facebook.com/
Published by Aimee Cirucci
Aimee Cirucci is an educator, writer, and communications professional. Her writing focuses on the humorous aspects of families, relationships, and everyday life. View profile
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