Easy and Free Small Business Public Relations Strategies

You may not think you're in the public relations industry (or need it), but you are. Every business, large or little, relies on public relations to succeed. The difference is that a tiny, budget-conscious business cannot afford to hire a high-priced PR firm, so you must master public relations on your own.

Small firms can now manage their own PR in a variety of ways. For starters, social media has acted as a wonderful equalizer, allowing small enterprises to gain the attention of editors and writers. Most journalists prefer to approach a possible source directly rather than going through an agency or publicist first.

Another advantage? The definition of media is always changing and developing. Traditional news outlets are no longer the sole source of information. Influential bloggers, YouTube influencers, online newspapers, and podcasts all now be used to help promote your brand.

Lawlor Media Group is a New York City-based premium lifestyle boutique public relations firm and boutique agencies in NYC. Our skilled public relations professionals can handle all aspects of strategic communications and public relations, including branding, marketing, creating buzz, crisis management, and more.

While small businesses don't necessarily require the services of a high-priced public relations agency to advertise themselves, they do require a sound and professional media outreach strategy. Here are seven low-cost, innovative, and effective techniques for putting together a small business public relations strategy.

Small Business Public Relations Strategies

1. Write a gripping story (or two).

Getting a writer, blogger, or editor's attention is the surest approach to get them to write about you and your company. And the best way to accomplish this is through plain, old-fashioned storytelling. You will not be covered simply because you are a successful small business, a new one, or one that is expanding. Instead, concentrate on what makes your company distinctive, whether it's the product or service you provide, the culture you've created, the problem you've solved, the method you employ, or how you give back. Topics like this provide an intrepid reporter with the opportunity to cover something truly unique or of human interest. Is there something distinctive that your small business does that can be linked to a holiday or event? Assume your company makes a concerted effort to hire veterans. That would be an excellent story to pitch ahead of Veterans Day or Memorial Day. What if your firm makes steps to reduce its carbon footprint? That's a good idea to make before Earth Day.

2. Market your skills (and that of others in your business).

Promoting oneself as an expert in your industry, niche, sector, etc. is one technique to get your name in the press. Create a list of suggestions for business owners heading into tax season if you own a small accounting firm, for example. Send it to financial and money reporters at newspapers, journals, business news wires, and other media so that they can use you as an expert in one of their own “tax tips” pieces around tax time. You're not just marketing yourself; you're also offering a current, valuable story idea to make life easier for them.

3. Use resources such as HARO (Help a Reporter Online) and PRWeb.

HARO is a free service that connects journalists and bloggers with you as a subject matter expert. After you sign up as a source, HARO will send you daily questions from journalists looking for sources for stories. If any of the questions relate to your area of expertise, you can immediately answer to the journalist and possibly be interviewed for the story.

Signing up for a newswire subscription is also a good idea if your budget permits it. These are services like PRWeb and PR Newswire that allow you to send press releases to thousands of news and industry publishers all across the internet. If you want to get the attention of journalists and newspapers, go return to advice #1 and make sure you write an engaging tale.

4. Participate in and sponsor philanthropic and community events.

Supporting local nonprofits, whether by helping to sponsor an event, operating a booth at local festivals and fairs, or organizing a team to participate in a fundraising, can help you get your name out into the community and into people's thoughts. Not only is it excellent business karma, but you may promote the event in a way that benefits both the charity or community and your company's reputation.

5. Reach out to industry influencers.

Public relations is about more than just getting coverage in the media; it's also about creating relationships. Make a list of blogs, YouTubers, media outlets, and reporters who cover your sector, niche, or market, and contact them. Keep in touch with these influencers on a regular basis so that you're top of mind when they're seeking for companies to talk about or write about.

6. Create a media kit and save it to the cloud.

Are you asking yourself, “What is a media kit?” right now? It's simply a press kit including information about your company. It gives writers and editors all of the information and photos they need to write about your company. (StartupNation has a list of what should include in a small business media kit.) Almost many larger businesses have them, and having one will make you appear polished and professional. Store PDF files of your kit, as well as many high-resolution photographs, in a cloud storage site like Dropbox. Include a link to your media kit whenever you pitch a story about your firm or yourself as an expert. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate. A one-pager (such as the one shown below) will give editors all the information they need in one glance.

It might be tough to tell if and how your small business PR efforts are paying off, but Google Alerts is one way to keep track on it. It's simple to use: create a Google alert by inputting a “search query,' such as your company's name, competitors' names, your industry, and any other relevant terms. When such terms appear on the web, Google sends you an email notice. It's a good method to keep track of your company's online presence, check what your competitors are up to, and find out what people are saying about your company and your competitors' companies.

Let's talk about your public relations requirements. Check out what Lawlor Media Group has to offer. To speak with one of our PR specialists and learn more about our PR services, please contact us immediately.