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

– Email

– Mail

• Ask the journalist

what they would

prefer

19

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: heather@bizlaunch.com

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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