how to get free publicity for your small business
TRANSCRIPT
How to Get Free Publicity for Your Small Business
Richard Branson
Donald Trump
• 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
Benefits of Publicity
• 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
The Media Needs You
• How did you start your business?
• Why did you start your business?
• What makes it special and unique?
• What makes it interesting?
What’s Your Story?You need an interesting story.
As part of your marketing plan, develop a publicity strategy.
…Write it down!
Develop a Strategy
• 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
News Angle
1. Do a customer service survey2. Create top 10 lists 3. Develop an annual community award4. Piggyback on a great story in the media5. Write a story about some surprising facts about your
industry6. Write a rags to riches story about yourself7. Sponsor a local community service project8. Disprove a well known myth9. Write a story about being the first10. Do some interesting research and publish the findings
10 Ways to Get Free Publicity
• 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-
How to Write a Press Release
• Keep it to 1 page or less• Write it like a journalist would
write it• Develop a great short
headline– Five ways to avoid
investment mistakes– Four 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
Continued…
• 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
How to Write a Press Release
• 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
Target the Media
• 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
Build a Database of Contacts
Lastdetail.ca
• 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 you 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
• 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
Follow Up 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
The Interview
• 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
Make Friends With The Media
• Send them a list of questions• Relax and speak slowly and
clearly• Ensure you’re in a quiet place• Repeat listeners questions if
live on radio
Radio Interviews
• Send them a list of questions
• Relax and speak slowly and clearly
• Don’t look at the camera• Dress appropriately
Television Interviews
• Put it on your website• Include a link on your Blog• Share it with clients• Put it in LinkedIn profile
Once You’ve Got Publicity…
Join Our Community…
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Twitter: @bizlaunch
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