What's Going On?

One great way to get publicity for your event, product or idea is to find a link to a national trend or current event. It’s very simple to do. Just tune into your favorite news/talk radio station or read your local newspaper. Right now, there is a plethora of pickings to choose from. From the primaries to the struggling economy and even the upcoming Super Bowl…there’s a variety of ways for you to tie in a relevant hook to your local business. But be careful…the key word here is relevant. Your hook has to be creative, believable and of course newsworthy. It can’t be a stretch…journalists won’t waste their time of they have to work too hard to find that link. That’s why it’s imperative for you to know what's going on in the world around you. Journalists live and breathe that reality each and every day. Producers build their newscasts around it. Think along those same lines…and you’ll soon be turning your hooks into dollars for your business.

What Moves You????

We are heading towards are recession. The Stock Market is down. Foreclosures are up.

Turn on CNN or any other news program this evening…and I guarantee you’ll hear those phrases at least once during the broadcast. Everyone knows consumer confidence is down all across the country…which means people just aren’t spending as much as they used to. So what is small business owner like you to do?

Don’t panic, there is hope. You have to give people a reason to make them want to give you their money. Let’s face it…that’s no easy task…especially in these tight times. But a great publicity campaign can at least get you started. Let’s think about this for a minute. What drives you to buy something? What Moves You? Outside of basic need…it’s usually emotion, right? You want look nice so you buy a dress for a nice party…or a nice tie for that meeting. You want to impress your friends with the latest technology …so you spring for that $400 cell phone. You want to feel pampered, so you schedule that facial or massage at your favorite spa. You get the idea.

So in order to entice that special customer to your local business, you need to spark some type of emotion. That’s the foundation of a successful public relations campaign. Does your business, product or idea give off a feeling of security, luxury or necessity? Identify that emotion and capitalize on it! Then watch the publicity machine go to work!

If At First You Don't Succeed....

Being a former journalist, I can't tell you how many times I used to get pitched a story idea, how many emails or phone calls I received, or how many press releases were left on my desk. If you are a business owner looking to get media attention, I don't have to tell you how easy it can be to get lost in the shuffle. Everyone has a pitch, a great idea or a wonderful invention. If you want to stand out from all the rest, you must be two words: CREATIVE AND PERSISTENT.

Don't send out a generic email message or press release with the title: Grand Opening or New Business. That will most certainly hit the trash can. Instead, think BIG. Explain what makes your Grand Opening so unique. Is it the first of its kind in the area ? Were there any extraordinary challenges you had to overcome to make the grand opening a reality? Think about it. The more creative you are, the more likely you'll get the media's attention.

Secondly, be persistent with your follow-ups. There is some truth to the squeaky wheel saying. But don't overdue it or be a pest. If you do, you will quickly become black-balled in the newsroom. You have to find that perfect balance between being aggressive and being assertive. If at first you don't succeed....well you know the rest! :)

Get a head start

Do you want to get a head start on your competition in the New Year? While your business counterparts are set to spend thousands of dollars in costly advertising campaigns, you can get yourself ready to spend NADA in free publicity this year. But in order for you to be a success, you have to do some legwork. The key to free publicity is knowing the media players in your local community or city. What is the contact information of all newspaper outlets, radio and television stations in your area? Who are the reporters there? Do you know what their special ‘beat’ is? How about their preferred method of being contacted, via phone or email? These are just some of the basic questions you should be asking yourself. Sounds like a lot of work, right? It may be...but trust me. Your bottom line with thank you by the end of this year !