Every Solopreneur consultant and business owner has an eye
open for good publicity opportunities.
Articles written about one's business
are far more effective than paid advertisements, because they are considered
objective opinions. Other than word of mouth by satisfied clients who sing your
praises, there is nothing better than good PR to help build the buzz that makes
you look credible and successful and worthy of still more clients. So what are
the best ways to get good publicity?
If you have the kind of organisation that can potentially
attract more than sporadic media attention, then building relationships with
editors and writers whose publications and stories focus on your category is a
good use of your time. Once you've identified good media prospects by reading
their articles, send a press release that details an event that could interest
their readers.
In your email, reference an article or two of theirs that
you've read. Follow-up with a telephone call. Offer to take that person to
lunch or coffee. Even if your press release doesn't get you any editorial
space, you may be called to provide comments as an expert when other stories
are written. Check in periodically, to maintain the relationship. Meeting for
coffee every once in a while can pay off.
Bloggers have lots of influence, but it is sometimes a
challenge to reach them. I recently found Blog Dash, a site that helps you
connect with bloggers whom you can hire to spread the good word about your
organisation.
Fifteen business categories are represented, from arts to
travel, and numerous bloggers within each category can be reached.There is a
free option, which will give you no real access to bloggers (but they will see
your organisation and may comment), or you can pay up to $50.00/month and be
able to pitch bloggers directly and build relationships.
Write a good press release to encourage traditional
journalists and bloggers to give your story some editorial space. They are
considered old school in some quarters, but a press release is still the way to
get the word out to journalists and bloggers, whether or not they know you. The
downside is that 95% of the time what a Solopreneur or other business owner
might say is not considered relevant by many journalists. However, even small
advertisers typically receive editorial space.
It is obvious that the adage "There's no such thing as
bad publicity" was created before the dawn of social media. A negative
customer review posted to an online ratings site can blow up out of proportion
and do you some damage.
If an employee handles your organisations social media
accounts, resist the temptation to hand over that function to some 22-year-old.
In theory, placing social media updates should be a great job for a young
person who lives and breathes this stuff anyway, understands how to get the
word out and works cheap. The problem is, that young person may not have the
wherewithal to give the right answer when something challenging is written.
Creating good buzz about your business is part of the
Solopreneur consultant's or business owner's job. How to get that done in the
most effective manner requires a strategic approach, like all other management
activities. If sporadic PR is what your organisation attracts, it is best to
engage in a variety of activities to ensure that you appear viable and relevant
to clients and colleagues.
You may not get any press, but you will build a good
reputation. If your business is the type that attracts the press, then spend
the time and money to advertise in relevant publications and build
relationships with journalists who cover your category. Reach out to bloggers
and see what that does for you. Budget for a year and then evaluate. Learn to
write a good press release (search online for free examples).
By Kim L. Clark - Article Source: EzineArticles.com/9212576
No comments:
Post a Comment