Getting the word out about your business is one of the first steps to success because if no one knows you exist, well . . . they can’t really buy from you, can they? That’s where marketing comes in. Marketing is all about creating awareness and exposure for your business. The more people that know about your product or service, the more opportunities you have to sell. And selling is the critical key to business. You have to sell to make money and to make a profit.
There are so many ways to go about promoting your business, but one of my all time favorites is PR. PR is both affordable and effective. It’s a great way to create exposure and credibility with the help of the media.
I’ve used PR very effectively over the years to get press for my business and brands and you can too. Here’s a really simple approach (I call T.A.P.) that will help you increase your more PR opportunities:
STEP 1: Target – Targeting the media is the best thing you can do to set yourself up for success. Just like you identify your ideal target market, you have to identify the best media targets. This takes research and time if you plan to do it yourself, but a good place to start is with the outlets you are familiar with. Then establish a “wish list” of media in which you’d like to be covered. There are also various services that can offer you a targeted list and/or help you distribute your news based on your industry, market and expertise.
STEP 2: Angle – You have to create a story angle. Your angle is used to entice and should appeal to the audience of the media you are approaching. That means you have to be very aware of who they are, what they like, and what would be of interest. When you figure that out you can then come up with a story angle that is of interest. What makes this story interesting? Why would someone want to know about this? One popular angle is to tie your news in with something that’s already going on. What’s the news of the day? What’s the hot topic? How can what you do fit in with that?
STEP 3: Pitch – The last step is to begin to pitch the media. Now’s not the time to be shy. If you’ve targeted your media and gotten yourself really familiar with who they are, how they report, and who their audience is, you are ready to pitch. And yes, you can do it yourself! Your pitch should be a concise overview of your idea and why you think it will resonate with their audience. If they’re interested, they’ll let you know.
If you use this approach and take the time to build PR into your overall marketing and promotional strategy, you’ll start to get the press you want and get your business noticed.
To learn more on how to get press for your business, get a copy of my ebook, Get Press! Small Business Guide for Getting Your Business Noticed Using PR.
See you in the news!
Sheronde
Biz Practitioner
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