As a small business owner, you can often find yourself juggling many balls from accounting to marketing. Add to the mix trying finding time for hobbies, exercise, drinking enough water and maintaining friendships PR might just seem like another thing to add to your to-do list that you don’t have time for. It doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some ways you can make PR work for you.
Firstly, remember that PR is a number of things, it’s not just about media coverage. Some of those things you may already be doing such as having a website, writing a blog, sending out a newsletter or utilising social media.
When it comes to PR ideally you want a strategy and whilst a one-off hit can be great PR works most effectively if it is an on-going process. In the world of public relations consistency pays.
Make an announcement
A simple PR opportunity is the launch of a new product or service. Depending on the nature of what you do will affect the sort of coverage you get. A great new and innovative product may get national, regional and TV coverage. A new service might receive some publicity in the trade publications. Even if you receive no coverage remember what I was saying about PR not just being seen in the media you can still share this news far and wide via your social channels, blogs and website.
Awareness days
Think about awareness days and how your business or personal story might be able to work with them. Is there anything you can do around Stress Awareness Month, Mental Health Awareness Week, Book Lovers Day, or Random Acts of Kindness Day. There is an awareness day nearly every day of the year. You can do a google search on awareness days or buy a social media diary and planner. I use Janet Murray’s and I know Social Mums do one and there are probably plenty of others on the market,
Network and speak
The thought of networking and speaking in public can fill even the most confident person with dread but networking is a form of public relations. The important thing with networking is to find the right group for you, some people like single gendered events, others prefer one to one networking or doing it online as opposed to face to face. Lots of networking groups will offer you the chance to go to the first meeting for free to get a feel for it and see if it is the right group for you. At a lot of networking events, you will have a chance to explain what you do. My tip: Instead of talking about the business direct go straight into explaining what problem your business solves.
Go where the journalists are
Journalists are always on the look out for people to provide comment or expertise to accompany their stories. To find out what the media are looking for help with you can use the hashtag #journorequest on Twitter and you’ll be met with a deluge of media requests. Sign up for free to Help a Reporter Out (HARO) many of the requests are overseas but they do issue some UK ones and there is also Editorielle which is free request service. There are a number of others that you can pay for including Pressplugs and Response Source
Promote your expertise
Share your knowledge. For example, if you’re an accountant share your top tips for doing a tax return.
Media Kit
Create a media kit. Every time you pitch include a link to the kit giving the journalist all the background info they need. You can read all about media kits in a previous blog.
Google
Set up Google alerts for topics related to your business, that way you will know when somebody writes about that topic. This will let you know what journalists have an interest in your field and also gives you an opportunity to respond to what they write and pitch yourself as an expert.
Hopefully, you’ll be able to implement some of these activities into your business. If you would like to discuss ways to do more PR then book one of my 75 minute Dig Deeper sessions or email me at sayhello@beckandcallpr.co.uk