PR Puts the Buzz into Your Business

Free Publicity

If people don't know about your business, it will not survive. Yet small companies consistently neglect the free PR opportunities - getting free editorial coverage in newspapers, radio and TV - plus online media.

It's a method that's used by all well-known successful companies and once you know how, it's relatively easy to get effective free publicity.

Most businesses rely on word of mouth: recommendations and referrals to bring in new business, cross-selling to expand existing business.

A few enterprising entrepreneurs will run seminars on hot topics to demonstrate their expertise and show off their products, or put up speakers at local business clubs like 4N, chambers of commerce and sector-specific gatherings.

But just how long does it take an entrepreneur to talk to over 1 million people? That’s the current morning audience for just one regional BBC regional radio station.

Dealing with that amount of raw communications power is scary, but it’s some of the most cost-effective and time-efficient effort you will ever spend.

So many entrepreneurs say they don’t have time to deal with the media. I’d say, a real entrepreneur can’t afford not to.

Think about a really pithy apt comment: if your release generates interest, you have to be able to deliver a relevant soundbite or quotable quote fast.. You need to be available to drop everything quickly and speak to the media if they ring.

Don't expect every press release to be taken up.

News stands or falls on the strongest stories available to the editor at the last moment before the programme, magazine or newspaper is put together and sent out.

You're not paying for the coverage: just keep on sending the stories in.

My company (PHPR) has free articles on our website on how to write releases, plus tips for coming up with ideas for getting coverage. They're at http://www.phpr.co.uk/downloads.