I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that you have not written a marketing plan for your small Business. Many entrepreneurs optimistically enter the business world confident that their product or service will sell itself. They presume that with good products or services word of mouth will be all the advertising they need. If only it were that simple! After all, without any form of marketing, how will your prospective customers know anything about your product?

This is where PR, or Public Relations, comes into play. You use PR to create a relationship with the public in regards to your Small Business. Public relations are vital to the success of your business. Businesses that have no PR tend to go unnoticed and ignored until the lack of profits drive them into ground. PR campaigns are often compelling because of the implied “social proof”. It’s easy and cost-effective, so don’t let your competitors be the only ones using PR tactics.

Reaching Your Target Market

With PR, you have various choices for spreading your message to your prospective target market. One of the best ways to get started with PR is by creating an email newsletter. Email newsletters are simple to prepare and they extend a continual form of communication with your clients and prospects. They can work right beside social Media which, since it allows for direct communication with the public, can also be labeled as a method of PR. An email newsletter is really one of the most fantastic tactics for creating efficient PR. Two things you want to consider when planning your newsletter are consistency and quality.

Besides newsletters there are many more traditional strategies that will help your business get noticed. Distributing a press release is probably the most widely-used method of PR. Like email newsletters, press releases are inexpensive as well as effective. Local newspapers are constantly on the lookout for local news stories. There are sections in every local paper, such as the lifestyle section, that are always interested in showcasing local small businesses.

TV Coverage is another method of public relations. Local news crews are known for working with small business on their campaigns. Stories that would entertain a wide audience have a better chance of getting television coverage. Try to think of ways you can tweak your Story to have a wider appeal, or to tie into current events.

Another great tactic to add to your PR campaign is radio coverage. Just as local television news stations are always looking for small snippets to fill the morning run, so are local radio stations. Radio stations are often easier to target than television shows since their audience generally fits a particular demographic.

Writing Your PR Release

A Media Release is basically a write up, sent to media outlets, in order to announce your news. Simply sending your media release is not a guarantee of press coverage; but without one, you are certainly guaranteed no coverage!

Your media release can be constructed in similar fashion, no matter what type of coverage you’re trying to get. First and foremost, it’s imperative that your story is news and not a sales pitch in disguise. Keep in mind, you’re trying to connect with your audience through the use of a human interest story, not by directly selling your products or services. Your story should have wide appeal, or should be specifically targeted for the media outlet that you’re sending it to. Your story should be factual rather emotional, but still appealing and interesting. If you think creatively, you should be able to find a news angle for many of your regular business activities. If you can tie your media release into a current event – even if the event is not directly related to your story – you will have a better chance of getting the story picked up.

Public relations is a great tactic to add to your small business marketing plan. It is easy and inexpensive, and one of the quickest ways to get information about your business, your product or your services out to the general public.

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