Plenty of times, owners of small businesses believe that their companies don’t need any public relations efforts, but that’s not usually the case. PR is essential to the success of every single business, no matter its size. The only difference is that smaller companies that have limited budgets don’t really have the option to work with a big PR agency, which means they either have to work with a single PR professional or conduct a DIY a campaign.
Fortunately there are plenty of ways that small businesses can create and execute their own public relations campaigns. Just by using social media platforms, it’s easier than ever for businesses to get the attention of the right journalist or outlets. Additionally plenty of journalists are always happy to be in contact directly with a source instead of having to get information through a publicist.
Compelling Story
The best way to get a journalist or media outlet talking about a business is to talk about the business itself, and that’s done through compelling stories. Businesses typically don’t receive media coverage just for being successful, new, or growing. Instead, they need to be focusing on the things that makes the business stand out from all the others. That can be the products or services that the company is offering, the problems it’s able to solve, or the things it gives back to the community.
These types of topics can offer outlets the opportunity to talk about something that interests other people and that’s genuinely new. If the business does something unique that can easily be tied to an event or holiday, that angle can be pitched to a journalist.
Expertise
Another way for small companies to get noticed by the press is for the business owner to promote themselves as an industry expert. For example the owner of a small accounting company can create a list of interesting tips that other businesses can utilize during the tax season. This list can then be sent out to journalists who cover finance, whether that's in magazines, newspapers, or other publications.
When a media outlet starts doing stories about taxes , a business owner can then be quoted as an expert who provided advice for other business owners. When companies are able to create story ideas that the media outlets will find interesting, they’re not just promoting themselves but they’re also giving outlets a timely and useful story idea, which makes things easier for them too.
Digital Tools
Utilizing digital tools in a digital era has never been easier. There are plenty of options that can help companies with their PR tactics. One of the more useful digital PR tools is Google Alerts, which companies can use to keep track of certain words and their usage frequency online. That way, a business can get an idea of what terms are relevant to their industry and what type of stories they should be telling.
Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5W, a leading PR agency.
