Getting free publicity for your small business is great. It means exposure for your small business and that can really help you expand your reach. There are multiple ways in which you can get free publicity for your business, which will ultimately help you get noticed. When running a small business, it may be difficult on focusing on exposure when your main concern is running the business itself. However, once you are in a comfortable state, it’s time to invest time in expanding and getting noticed.
Having a PR strategy is important, you will need to plan a strategy and take time to think about what you want the outcome to be. You must plan in order to see what you want to achieve and the steps you need to take to meet those goals and objectives. Here are ten ideas in which you should invest your time to get free publicity for your small business.
Press release
One of the best ways to get free publicity is to write a press release, you can do this on various topics. You could focus your press release on something unique that you are doing, launching a new product or service or by doing something out of the norm. Make sure that you invest time in creating a press release because it really requires a newsworthy factor as it needs to appeal to journalists. A great idea for a press release is to offer data, carry out a survey and mail all your contacts those findings through a press release.
Win an award
If the opportunity arises, you should enter awards and nominate yourself. You may be able to receive publicity for just being nominated, but you will definitely be awarded with publicity for your small business if you actually win. There are some great industry awards that you can get involved in for example Federation of Small Business (FSB) have annual award ceremony that you can enter your business in. Other benefits of entering award shows is the opportunity to network and grow your contacts as well as any cash prize that may be offered.
Write articles
You can write articles and guest posts to feature on other sites, however you have to write interesting and engaging content if you want it to be featured on other sites. For example, if you want to contribute a guest post to Company Bug, it has to be relevant to our audience. You can start of by offering guest posts to your business partners and then expand into finding other relevant sites.
Help a charity
Whether you hold a fundraiser or contribute to a charity, it’s a great way of giving back to the community and also getting free publicity. Big charity events are usually covered by media, and your involvement can also be highlighted. You can always hold your own fundraisers, whether it’s in a shop or an office. Consider sending a press release to highlight how much you raised for a particular charity.
Giveaway
You can hold a giveaway, this may cost you in terms of the product or the service you are giving away. However, it can be great to create a buzz around a product or service and your business. You can even donate a product or service for a charity raffle, this again can get you exposure.
Comment on an event
You can give your opinion on any current events or news. The news or the event has to obviously be relevant to you. For example, if you run a coffee shop on the high street you might want to comment on the debate on whether the high street is dying. Giving a journalist a quote from somebody affected by their story can get your business free publicity.
Company blog
A great way to get exposure and attract visitors,clients and customers to your company or website is by creating a blog. You can use the blog to give your business exposure, for example if you run an accountancy business then you might want a blog that advises on finances. Then you can also promote your products and services through blog posts and publicise your business.
Mark momentous occasions
Celebrate your achievements, for example if you have been operating your business for ten years then it’s something to shout about. Many small businesses fail quickly due to various reasons, and the odds are stacked against you from the start. Therefore, successfully managing and owning a business for a certain time is an achievement. Celebrate and get the media involved and tell the story of your success to the public.
Google my business
You should really get your business on the google business directory. You have to fill in a form online and give your business details. Make sure that you invest some time on this as it will make your business easily searchable. If people are looking for your business or the products and services you offer, then being easily found should be a priority.
Social media personality
Firstly, get your business online by creating profiles on different platforms that are suitable to your business, for example Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest. Then give your social media personality, you can take part in cultural trends and posts memes and gifs to be relevant to your audience. However, make sure you don’t make any social media faux pas by treading carefully where sensitive social issues are concerned.
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