Small businesses need Public Relations, possibly more than large corporations, to put them on the map. If you consider that time is money, however, you may find that handling your own public relations is a daunting task and not necessarily worth the monetary savings. Here are some ideas of how to get the best bang for your PR buck by thoughtful outsourcing:
Use your business library. If you are savvy enough to identify the best media for your primary target audience, your local library or the nearest city library near your very small town has valuable informational tools to assist you at every turn. The librarian is a public resource that your tax dollars pay for anyway.
Having identified your target media, find a PR agency that charges by placement success instead of a standard six months or yearly contract. In that way, you can share the PR burden by supplying the media to be targeted, and pay only for premier hits. Besides, if the placement is impressive enough, you can put it on your website, and get incredible mileage from it.
Market your business service or product in the corporate fashion with mat features to print and online newspapers nationwide at half the price. A young service like Points of Persuasion Syndicate provides PR preformatted newspaper features free to editors nationwide. Their columns get printed exactly as written when the mentions are subtle and useful for the publication's reader. These trademarked, non-copyrighted features are picked up regularly by suburban daily and weekly papers, and remain on P-O-P-S' editorial website for six months to a year for instant downloads.
People talk of Public Relations as free compared to the expense of advertising. PR is never free but used strategically, it is more believed than its more costly brethren. Each time a placement is made your business is getting the endorsement of the editor of the publication, or host of the radio and TV show. The public depends on these consumer advocates to help them make the decisions important to them and their families.
Myrna Greenhut is currently president of P-O-P-S, a service designed to supply incremental PR impressions for companies, Associations and PR agencies. As a consumer product publicist, she has been with numerous independent and advertising affiliated PR agencies like The Rowland Company, Ogilvy & Mather, Cairns & Associates, D-A-Y as well as having done major freelance PR projects for Avon Products Incorporated.
Many small businesses do quite well due to the blood,... Read More
As small business managers, we juggle limited resources in a... Read More
You know what makes me really happy? Drinking a Starbucks... Read More
Nothing can drive a business down faster than customers who... Read More
Last week we discussed the importance of performing an autopsy... Read More
Remember the cleaning business is all about time ratio to... Read More
A recent survey indicated that clean Taxi Cabs Fleets have... Read More
I'll be the first to admit that I went a... Read More
Technical writing services are employed to explain the details of... Read More
Most businesses accept checks as form of payment for goods... Read More
To maximum potential profits and dollars in a mobile washing... Read More
Auto detailers are often asked to clean boats and detail... Read More
All franchises must meet the legal definition of a franchise... Read More
The challenges of the small business owner are well documented.... Read More
Ask anyone trapped in a cubical about their entrepreneurial dream... Read More
You bet it's worth it. Publicity via news releases, along... Read More
Discover How Specialized Cost Containment Creates A New Win-Win Position... Read More
There are only a handful of car wash franchises in... Read More
"What do you do?" It just might be one of... Read More
Auto Detailing: Maintaining A Commercial Carpet ExtractorYou should drain your... Read More
Purchasing a franchise has become one of the most popular... Read More
My 16 year-old daughter said, "Gee Dad! You look just... Read More
What image do you and your people portray to your... Read More
You've heard marketing and advertising gurus quip, "Sell the sizzle,... Read More
What is a Family Business? A family business is basically... Read More
Purchasing a franchise has become one of the most popular... Read More
Franchisors of home based and mobile businesses need to carefully... Read More
Most business owners do not think of selling their companies... Read More
Entrepreneurs are hardy stock. But sometimes hardiness can get you... Read More
Researching information for a recent business plan, I came across... Read More
The revenue history is a vital piece of your power... Read More
Are you responsible for your results?What comes to mind when... Read More
Do you promote yourself as offering prompt, reliable and quality... Read More
One of the great challenges for independent professionals and small... Read More
Becoming a contractor or sub-contractor for the U.S. government can... Read More
Pressure washing companies must look for customers in the retail... Read More
When do annoyances in a relationship become too much to... Read More
As an Investment Representative you've worked hard to build trust... Read More
Under the Securities Act of 1933, any offer to sell... Read More
It behooves every professional mobile auto detailer to stay up... Read More
Like most regulatory bodies in the United States, the Federal... Read More
In the book Women and Small Business author gives all... Read More
Traditional advertising methods are still being used for almost 90%... Read More
Aircraft Interiors of personal and corporate jets have hundreds of... Read More
Cash flow. To stay in business, you've got to keep... Read More
The less a business pays for goods and services the... Read More
I only have to point to the 555 plus failed... Read More
Costs of over regulation and over disclosure end up hurting... Read More
There have been many great points raised on both sides... Read More
You've always liked flowers and you think the idea of... Read More
Small Business |