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Attract
Media Coverage Without Spending Advertising
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by:
June Campbell
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Advertising
is expensive. PR is often low cost or free.
Try these ten tips for attracting free PR to your business. But here is
a word of caution. When sending press releases to the media, remember
that less is more. The journalist who encounters a press release from
your company every week learn to ignore anything with your name on it.
1. Capitalize on an Anniversary
Is your business having a significant anniversary? Tenth year in
business? Ten thousandth customer served? Five thousand books sold?
Arrange some sort of celebration, draft a press release and contact
your local media. You can never tell. You must might coverage from the
local newspaper, radio or television station.
2. Donate Something
Does your networking group have draws for door prizes? Offer to donate
the prize, then give something that's heavily branded with your
businesses name and contact information. Similarly, find out if local
charities are engaged in fund raising opportunities. Offer one of your
products or services as a prize or to be auctioned.
3. Host a Special Event
Have a Singles Night, a Kid's Night, or a Senior Citizen's Night. Send
a press release to your local media. A supermarket did a smashing
business following a well publicized Singles Night complete with
dancing in the aisles, games and contests.
4. Sponsor Something
Provide sponsorship at a trade show, a convention, a sporting event, or
an arts festival. Sponsor a local kid to attend an event in another
city. Sponsor a kid's sports team. Offer a scholarship to help a young
person attend university. Remember to send the press release.
5. Decorate Creatively
Put up a stunning decoration or window display for the Holidays, or for
spring, or fall, or in recognition of some particular event in your
city. Then invite the media to take a look. The key is to have
something unique or original that'll warrant pictures and video taping.
6. Write Articles
If you're in business, you're an expert on some topic. Write articles
on your area of expertise. Submit them to local or national media,
magazines, web sites, trade journals or other pertinent publications.
Your article should not be a promotion of your business, but should
inform readers about a topic of interest. Accountants might write
articles on tax tips, for example, or florists could write about plant
care.
7. Let Them Know You're an Expert
When newsworthy stories become available, media often look for a local
expert for quotes and comments. Contact your local or national media,
and let them know you are available to comment on topics within your
area of expertise. Suppose your expertise is ecommerce, for example.
Next time your local paper has an ecommerce-related story, they just
might contact you for a comment. You (and your business) will get some
excellent and cost-free publicity.
8. Get T-shirts and Go Public
Decorate t-shirts with your company's logo. Sign up your staff to
participate in charity walks and other community events. Ensure that
everyone wears the t-shirts.
9. Donate Something to a Local Charity
Donate books, used computers, products or services to a school or
charity. In one community, local businesses attracted enormous
publicity by organizing an event in which they outfitted adolescent
youth from low-income families for the spring prom. Participating
clothing shops, beauticians, florists, even taxi companies got in on
the act and attracted enormous publicity while doing good works.
10. Publicize a New Product, Service or Research Finding
Have something new to offer? If it's at all unique in your area, write
your press release and send it to media and trade journals. Even if you
get mentioned in the gossip column of a trade journal, it's still good
publicity!
11. Offer Something Unique
Local shops in one community worked together to hold a Men's Night and
shortly before the Holidays. Males received assistance in purchasing
lingerie, perfumes, jewelry and accessories for the woman in their
lives. It was a new concept in the area and a big success. The media
loved it.
================================================
How to Write Business Plans, Business Proposals,
JV Contracts, Human Resource Package, More!
No-cost ebook "Beginners Guide to Ecommerce".
Business Writing by Nightcats Multimedia Productions
http://www.nightcats.com
================================================
About the Author
June Campbell is a self-employed writer. Her work
has appeared internationally in print and electronic publications.
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