Question:

I own a small operation that can’t afford an expensive advertising campaign. How can I get free publicity?

Answer:

Whether you have a new product, a new store, or some other information that might be of interest to the public, the answer is not advertising, but rather, publicity. And while publicity takes time, it need not cost a fortune.

Even better: Public relations results can far outpace even the most expensive advertising campaign. Think about it. What would it cost you to get an advertisement on the front page of the Business Section of your local paper? That is right — you cannot calculate the cost because there are no ads on the front page. But if you get a story written about you or your business, you may very well end up on the front page, or the evening news, or on a the local newstalk radio station. So yes, publicity can give you almost immeasurable results.

How do you get that all-important publicity? The key is to diversify your media campaign — try and get the word about out about your business/product to as many media outlets as possible. In that sense, it is a numbers game — the more outlets you hit, the greater your chance of getting people to notice you.

But while you want broad exposure, what you cannot do is have a scattershot approach to your public relations campaign. Instead, consider using this targeted 7-step process.

Step 1: Have a "hook": News outlets are not in the business of giving you free publicity, instead, they are in the business of reporting the news; free publicity for you is a by-product of that. So to get that by-product, your story must be newsworthy, something an audience would find interesting. "Dog bites man" is not newsworthy. "Man bites dog" is.

Step 2: Create a quality story pitch: A good press release, press kit, or story pitch will intrigue an editor. It will explain why whatever you are pitching is newsworthy and why readers would want to know about it. What are the benefits to the editor and readers if they run a story about you?

Step 3: Be personal: You cannot simply fax a generic press release to a busy newsroom and expect results. Instead, you must personalize your pitch. Know the name of the applicable editor and writers and target them by name. Figure out what method works best for each one (email, phone, fax, snail mail) and use that to get your pitch in their hands.

Step 4: Be broad: As indicated, you must not simply target one paper, radio station, or television station in your area. Think Big. Expand in your mind the universe of potential media outlets and go for it.

Step 5: Follow up, follow up, follow up: It may take several months to get a full-fledged media campaign going, so persistence is key. Newsrooms are busy and your package can easily get lost in the din. Smile and dial, smile and dial.

Step 6: Be prepared: If the editor likes what he or she reads, a reporter will be assigned to interview you. Have your story, business, products, testimonials, and so forth, ready to go.

Step 7: Track and record your results: Any publicity you get must be archived. You then use those stories to get even more publicity, sending copies out as part of your second-round press kit for example.
Publicity can get you noticed, convince customers to buy from you, encourage other media outlets to cover you, and expand your business. All in all, it is one of the best uses of your marketing time.