PUBLICITY – It doesn’t just magically happen. For small businesses to stand out in an era of information overload, with wall-to-wall news and media coverage, you need to be ingenious and have something that will get you and your business noticed – like establishing yourself as a local authority on within your field.
Here are a few marketing ideas that could put your business in the spotlight and make it more newsworthy:
Build Relationships Up With Reporters
A number of journalists have been known to complain how annoying it is to be inundated with irrelevant press releases from small businesses that they have never had previous contact with. You can understand their situation. They receive hundreds of press releases per week, all of them vying for attention and trying to get some column inches for their own business.
However, social media makes it much easier to get connected with reporters and build up a relationship with them, and it is an avenue that most businesses overlook.
For example you could easily start making a Twitter list created around your local and national journalists who cover small businesses. Build a relationship with them in the traditional way. By talking about common interests, and responding to their queries that are not necessarily work-related, you are using your exchanges to build up a relationship that will grow over time. Try and monitor your list, keeping a close eye on it throughout the day to make sure you are the first to respond to any of their queries for information in your area of expertise.
Help A Reporter Out
Alternatively you can literally help a reporter out by answering their requests for information instead of trying to get your press release published. HelpAReporter.com (HARO) is one of the best ways to start getting press coverage and incoming links from online media sources.
It couldn’t be easier, as it is free and simple to sign up. All it takes is an email address and some basic contact information. Once signed up it won’t take long before you start receiving emails from reporters looking to connect with experts for interviews. While not all of the interviews or contacts might not actually transform into anything, it is simply too good an opportunity to pass up – it is free and easy to do. All it takes is one good story and it will give your business the promotion it deserves.
Go Visual
Don’t just focus on text. In fact, your next viral marketing content might not be text at all. With the popularity of Pinterest, Instagram and other social media, statistics indicate your chances of gaining explosively publicity are much higher if you use visual content.
• A report by SEOMOZ, a well-known and respected Internet marketing site, said that posts with videos attract 3 times more inbound links.
• SimplyMeasured.com also found that since the introduction of the timeline feature, visual content results in 65% higher engagement on Facebook than text alone.
• Marketingsherpa found that website visitors spend a huge 100% more time on a webpage that contains video, and videos attract 300% more leads.
These statistics show that it certainly makes good business sense to use more images in your marketing.
You might be convinced. You may even see the wisdom in trying to get free publicity for your business. What you might not actually have is the time or the confidence to do it.
That is where businesses such as ours can help. We can look after your marketing campaigns for you and turn your business into a market leader, beating your competitors and attracting brand new clients to your business.
Why not give us a call and see how we can help you. Our contact details are on page 3, and we offer a free consultation to help you explore your options.