Public Relations on a Shoestring

Say you’ve secured a patent for a stain remover that gets grape jelly out of clothes. (If you did, call us–we need it!). Most likely you’ve developed a plan of attack for getting the word out to your current and potential customers. But if your company is like millions of other businesses, you might not have considered promoting your product via public relations, for fear that PR services are out of your budgetary reach.

You might be surprised to know, however, that getting publicity doesn’t have to break the bank.

As PR professionals, we would love to tell you that communicating your message to the community and the media is a skill mastered by only a few and shouldn’t be attempted without years of training. But the truth is most of the small businesses we interact with have the panache and acumen to pull together a bang-up PR campaign with much less investment than they might think. With some proper guidance from PR pros and access to key resources, small businesses have a great shot at landing big-time PR hits.

There are several cost-effective–even free–methods you can take advantage of to promote and market your business to the media, gain more exposure, and level the promotional playing field. Here are a few suggestions to help you make the most of them:

• Don’t spend too much money on press releases. Many small businesses think their only option is to send their releases via expensive national wire circuits, such as PR Newswire or Business Wire. Actually there are several free, or almost free, online press release distribution services that can get your news delivered into the mailboxes of potential investors, clients, and reporters, as well as increase your site’s search engine placement. Two to try: i-Newswire.com and PRWeb.

• Position yourself or members of your organization as experts. As a business owner, entrepreneur, or high-level executive you are most likely a very driven person. But you probably find it much easier to promote your product, your service, your vendors, and your kids than yourself. (It all goes back to the “it’s not polite to brag” rule our parents drilled in to us when we were children.) Now, though, we’re giving you permission to brag away. The trick is to do it in a manner that positions you as an expert the media wants—no, needs—to talk to. There are outlets available for free Media Source for one) or a fee (such as PR Leads) that will allow you to list your area of expertise.

• List your events or fundraisers for free. Contact the TV stations, newspapers, business journals, and radio stations in your area and within your industry to ask how you can get your event listed. For example, most TV stations have event calendars on their Websites as well as special Friday weekend preview segments. Keep in mind, you need to put the information in a concise format (typically a one-paragraph description for event calendars and a media advisory for radio and TV) that you can send via e-mail or fax to the appropriate reporter, public service announcement contact, or station contact. Speaking of which…

• Find the right reporters and media contacts. Targeting the right media is key. It’s true that subscriptions to media databases are pricy (in the ballpark of $2,000 a year or more), but there are alternatives. Work with a PR consultant who will customize a list for you for a flat rate or on a per-contact basis, or you can try your hand at paying for access to media list subscription services on a daily rate. But be careful with the daily usage option, as the database programs can be cumbersome and confusing unless you are familiar with using them.

• Write a bylined article for an online or trade publication. You’re reading our own PR initiatives at this very moment. Bylined articles are a great, low-cost exposure opportunity. Articles don’t have to be long; they just need to be informative. Share your experience through an original story or a tip list. Submitting these articles to online forums as well as o traditional print media can help get your name out there at no cost other than the time you spend writing the article.

• Use affordable contact management solutions for new-product campaigns. Instead of just sending a plain text e-mail to media, try one of the many e-mail services designed to make your campaigns and newsletters more attractive and, better yet, trackable. For example, CoolerEmail and Constant Contact let you upload your lists, create campaigns, and track who is reading what. Typically these services charge by the amount of contacts you upload to the system (that’s what Constant Contact does) or the number of e-mails you send out each month (the CoolerEmail set-up). Either way, ask for a free trial. Make sure you use their built-in features such as opt-in and spam disclaimers. People are sensitive to the material they receive via e-mail, so tread lightly.

So, what is your story? Take some time to think about how you can promote your story with these powerful PR tools. Whatever your story shapes up to be, you need to perfect it in multiple formats, including phone, e-mail, and fax pitches. Then, once you think you have perfected a story or pitch, try it out on friends, families, customers, neighbors–whoever will listen. This will get you ready for your interaction with the media. The more practice you have, the better prepared you will be to pitch your story and sell it.

Amy Chilla and Melissa Gillespie are partners in Innova Communications (www.teaminnova.com), a Ladera Ranch, CA-based public relations and marketing firm.