PR Tips for the Small Business Owner
Make sure you Distribute Information To The Right People
When you are a small business owner, getting the word out about your business can be a big challenge. Here are some PR Tips for the small business owner who wants to understand Public Relations.
Getting your information to the right people is a productive key to make your publicity work for you in reaching your widest audience. Before you can do that, ask yourself the following questions.
To get you started on matching your targeted market to their best local community resources, answer the questions below with specific description, demographics and contact information so your list can expand as you gain more publicity.
For example, in learning which radio stations can interview you, you need from your local station the names of the daytime editor, nighttime editor, and possibly the weekend editor. You will pitch or query the editors via email or phone requesting to send a proposal. If you fax the editor, your proposal can go straight through. Common courtesy requires you send no email attachments without first requesting permission for your named project in the subject line of the email. If they grant you permission then send a second email, and then make a person-to person connection via phone.
Where Are Your Clients?
Knowing where to find your clients makes you effective in your efforts and this focus pays off well.
1. What organizations do they belong to?
2. Where do they network?
3. What conferences or workshops do they attend?
4. What other professionals provide them services?
5. What magazines or publications do they read?
6. Do they read mail, email, newsletters or reports?
7. What web sites do they frequent?
8. Who refers them to people like you?
9. What directories are they listed in?
Target Media By Population Demographics
Targeting your media makes your efforts efficient knowing what your audience reads, listens to and watches? Targeting you’re the media for your audience also includes the ages of your audience.
For example, targeting teens means approaching radio stations about an ad or producing an interview and targeting high school ezines, local online forums and local community bulletin boards and group meet-ups like http://www.meetup.com or even Facebook local pages like http://www.facebook.com/DowntownFortWorth
On the other hand, if you provide services specifically to parents or subgroups like parents of toddlers or children with special needs, contact your city’s local parenting writers and offer an interview or story. Find local parenting writers here at the Examiner.com or on your local newspapers web sites where you could be features in local business news, human interest stories or lifestyle stories. Small business owners can find local support here: http://www.examiner.com/small-business As a small business owner, have you considered leveraging your expertise as the voice of small business in your community for The Examiner or www.theamericanchronicle.com. If you are a writer, what better way to advance your publicity?
Perhaps your professional services are best suited to men or women. Who reads what nowadays to help you find the best medium for your group? According to Pew Research studies, women watch morning network programs, and these are women over 50. More women watch news on television during the day, while men tend to listen to radio news. As helpful as this might be, age is the most important factor in finding how your audience attunes to which media in your local community.
“Simply put, one generation into the web, older consumers still rely more heavily on traditional platforms while younger consumers rely more on the internet. Among adults under age 40, the web ranks first or ties for first for 12 of the 16 local topics asked about.
If someone is under age 40, she tends to get the following kinds of local news and information from the following places:
Internet: weather, politics, crime, arts/cultural events, local businesses, schools, community events, restaurants, traffic, taxes, housing, local government, jobs, social services, and zoning/development
Newspapers: crime, arts/cultural events, community events, taxes, local government, jobs, social services, zoning/development
TV stations: weather, breaking news, politics, crime, traffic, local government, and social services
Radio: traffic
Word of mouth: Community events
If she is 40 or older, she tends to get the following kinds of news in the following places:
Newspapers: politics, crime, arts/cultural events, local businesses, schools, community events, restaurants, taxes, housing and real estate, government activities, jobs, zoning/development, social services
TV stations: weather, breaking news, politics, traffic, crime
Internet: local businesses, restaurants”
(Accessed http://www.journalism.org/analysis_report/local_news?src=prc-headline on 11-14-2011 @ 3:45 PM CT)
If your local business has a website, then insure you also have a business presence in two other social media venues because 78% of Americans who are online seek out local businesses online via their smart phones, tablets and computers. Here are some suggestions for where to list your business:
A. Google local business ad or directory
Welcome to Google Places for Business
www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter
B. Facebook business page with local city in Title
Facebook Business Listing | Facebook.com
- Local Newspapers:
Yes, each city has a local newspaper, but there are also smaller niche newspapers or directories that cater to local groups such as parents, home buyers, or business women. Some may be digital, also have a web presence and print hard copy news. For example:
www.NorthTexasKids.com takes advertising and article submissions for parent-directed small businesses in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex
Find other local parenting magazines here: Local Parenting Publications – Parenting Magazines – Local …www.babearz.com/publications.htm
Also seek out local community news sites, newspapers or radio shows specific to women’s local or small business news stories like this example from Denver:
Welcome to Denver Woman Magazine Online!
Dr. Goode is the founder of the Academy for Coaching Parents International, a global online school for training successful, parenting coaches in home-based businesses. She is the author of fifteen books, including the international best seller, Kids Who See Ghosts, the national award-winner Raising Intuitive Children. See and review all of Dr. Goode’s books here. Dr. Goode is also the founder of HeartWise Parent, learning center for parents and Live-Spirit.com, which provides tools for spiritual living.
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