May I Have Your Attention Please? 50 Ways Sensitive Business Owners Can Get PR

Dear lovely business owner,

Publicity is about getting the attention of the media and sometimes that means conquering our fears of being “out there” in order to grow our businesses. I say “our” because I’m a sensitive business owner just like you. Being mentioned by the press means their words have influence with their audience and you know it’s important to get it right.

When the media write about and recognises you in their publications, they bring the public’s attention to you and your business. Publicity helps you grow your business and can be an important part of your content and marketing strategy, but if it’s not completed ethically then it will leave you feeling miserable and sad inside.

After all, you don’t want your anti-cruelty business featured in Guns and Ammo, just because your current PR is “mates” with the features editor. You want PR that reflects you, and what you stand for and that doesn’t mean lining the pockets of a PR person that’s all ME! Me! ME! (all we all know one like that, right?)

So lovely sensitive business owner, I’m going to share with you 50 ways to get more PR, that don’t involve selling your soul.

1. Build a social media presence. Building a presence for your business on popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. This presence creates ongoing opportunities for publicity. Make frequent, relevant, and interesting posts. Provide bloggers and members of the media with information, activities, and events their readers will want to know about.

2. Disagree with an industry influencer. A disagreement can stir up some controversy and publicity for your ethical business. Only you’ll make sure you are on solid ground before you disagree publicly. Be ready, willing, and able to back up your views with sound facts and figures and then get ready to talk to the press. This isn’t as scary as it sounds, I promise. If you work with me, you’ll be primed ready to face the media with. It’s more than just tea and cake when we work together!

3. Start a Facebook group. An active Facebook group that is relevant to your niche can generate a great deal of publicity, especially when members work together on specific projects.

4. Win an award. Winning an award gives you more exposure to new prospects. It also helps you build credibility and authority in your industry.

5. Make use of LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a wonderful site for online business networking and contacting members of the press.

6. Create something new or improved. People love the words “new” and “improved” so leverage that for publicity. Take something in your industry and make it better.

7. Re-launch your website. Update and overhaul your website. Then host a launch party that builds awareness and attention for the changes and improvements.

8. Maintain a blog. A good business blog is great for publicity. Keep it updated with relevant and engaging posts, and be sure to offer an RSS feed so that readers can subscribe and site owners can add your updates to their own sites.

9. Publish a book. You might be surprised how much publicity you can earn from publishing. It boosts sales, traffic, and opt-ins too.

10. Post link worthy content on your blog. “Top 5” or “Top 10” lists tend to attract links nicely, as do product reviews and tutorials.

11. Teach what you know. Educate others and offer information free of charge. You can hold an online class, a teleseminar, or a traditional class in your community. It’s up to you.

12. Comment on other blogs. Keep your comments on-topic and useful. Only include a link to your site in the URL field. If you’re adding to the conversation and not blatantly promoting your business, this is a quick and easy way to gain links and exposure.

13. Write guest posts for other blogs. Many bloggers welcome guest authors if they have something worthwhile to say. Instead of shamelessly plugging your business, write a post that their readers will be interested in and save the promotion for your byline.

14. Support your cause. Find a cause that you and your company care deeply about and support them. Donate, host fundraisers, and help build awareness for them. You’ll receive publicity as a natural byproduct of your efforts.

15. Invite other bloggers to write guest posts for your blog. They will pass the link on to their readers, giving your blog greater exposure.

16. Post interviews with fellow online business owners on your blog or website. Again, they will let their customers know where to find the interview, giving you traffic and publicity.

17. Share a controversial Industry. You have opinions and some of them may be a bit controversial. Don’t shy away from those thoughts and ideas. Instead, leverage them to generate discussion, interest, and publicity. And don’t worry, when you start working with me, we’ll work this in gradually and I’ll coach you through this aspect so that it’s a piece of cake for you.

18. Break a record. Does your competition have 5000 followers? Beat them and make a big deal about it. Create a campaign designed for this purpose. Or find a different record to beat. Get people excited about and interested in your potential success or failure. The Guinness Book of World Records is packed with ideas too.

19. Solve a problem. Your customers and prospects have problems. Solve those problems publicly. For example, follow the on Facebook and step in when they make comments that involve your business or industry. You can also get some great publicity by responding in a positive way to a bad online review.

20. Stand up for someone. Whether off line or online, when you see someone being treated unfairly, stand up for them. Not only are you doing the right thing but you may get some positive attention about your good deed.

21. Conduct research and share the information you learn. Study some aspect of your industry and share your findings in a blog post, article, press release, or even in a book or white paper.

22. Submit articles to good article directories. When bloggers and site owners post your articles on their sites, you’ll gain exposure and links to your own site.

23. Give them something free. Freebies are great for generating publicity. You can create reports and other information products and give them away without losing money.

24. Hold a drawing. Whether you host a giveaway on your site or donate something for someone else to give away, it’s sure to attract attention.

25. Host a contest. Whether you have an essay contest, a design contest, or a name our new product contest, you’ll get people actively involved and generate lots of interest.

26. Have a sale. The bigger the savings, the more publicity you can expect.

27. Exchange promos with other online businesses. Ask online business owners if they would be interested in offering their customers an exclusive discount from your business. Return the honor and do the same for them. This will result in good publicity for both parties.

28. Do a webcast. You could do a product demonstration, a question and answer session, or even an interactive workshop. These types of events are sure to generate buzz.

29. Put press releases on your website. A carefully crafted press release is one of the most basic yet powerful publicity tools. Simply adding press releases to your website will attract traffic, and they could be picked up by media outlets.

30. Submit press releases directly to media outlets. This is what business owners did before the internet existed, and it’s still effective. Simply find online publications that might be interested in your release, search for the appropriate contact, and email it to him or her.

31. Submit press releases to press release distribution sites. Sites such as PR Web will distribute your release to major news sites and search engines, greatly increasing the chances that it will be picked up.  

32. Donate money to a worthy cause. Charitable organizations are usually happy to share the news when a business donates. A donation is also a good topic for a press release of your own.

33. Donate goods or services. A good alternative to a monetary donation is a donation of supplies or services.

34. If you’re not able to donate money or goods, donate your time instead. This is also a good way to meet new people and highlight your caring side.

35. Create a scholarship. Scholarships are excellent for generating publicity and goodwill. They don’t have to be expensive – every little bit helps when it comes to paying for education

36. Interview a celebrity or industry influencer. Connect with someone notable in your industry and interview them. You can promote the interview and boost awareness for your business.

37. Become an industry expert. Work on developing a reputation as an industry expert. You’ll become sought after for quotes, insight, and information. People will retweet and share your information. Any time someone notable repeats your words or gives you a favorable review, it’s an opportunity to engage and share that recognition.

38. Make a video. YouTube is more than just a site for watching funny cat videos. It’s also a powerful promotional tool. A fun or informative video about your business could easily go viral.

39. Start a podcast. You don’t have to have a lot to talk about to do a podcast. Some of the best ones are short and sweet. If you have something interesting to say, podcasting is a great way to reach internet users who prefer their content in audio form.

40. Participate in online forums. Find forums that are relevant to your niche and start posting. You don’t have to promote your site. Just share interesting information, be helpful, and add a link to your signature and/or your profile.

41. Start a forum of your own. Maintaining a forum can help you establish yourself as an expert in your field and attract traffic to your site.

42. Answer questions. Sites such as Quora provide opportunities for you to share your expertise. Include a link to your site in your user profile, and link to pages on your site in your answers when appropriate.

43. Sign up at HelpAReporter.com to receive notice of queries from members of the media who are seeking sources. Respond to relevant queries, and you and your business could be featured in the story.

44. Pitch a story. You don’t have to wait for reporters to come knocking or make a relevant query. You can think up a great story idea that ties into your business and go to them with it instead. If your first media contact is not interested, keep looking until you find one who is.

45. Be interviewed. Whether you’re interviewed on a podcast, blog, the local radio, or on the evening news, interviews help you connect with more people and potential customers.

46. Partner with influencers. Industry influencers are present and active on social media. Engaging with them, building a relationship, and eventually partnering helps you get publicity.

47. Get creative with your videos. Video is one of the most viral mediums. Think about how many viral videos you see every day. You see them on social media. They’re on the news. A good video can generate tonnes of publicity for you.

48. Publish an article in a magazine or industry trade publication. Publishing is always a good way to generate publicity. Pitch a story idea to a magazine.

49. Public speaking. Book a public speaking engagement, it can be online or in person, and promote the event. You can also leverage the information you share at the event and turn it into content or products.

50. Create an annual activity or event. Create something that people look forward to every year. For example, you might create a predictions report or an annual rant. Think about what you can create that is unique, valuable, and interesting. If it’s something that people look forward to each year, you can enjoy a lot of publicity before, during, and after the publication.

Choose one or two of these ideas and add them to your marketing strategy. Focus on achieving results with one tactic, and then add more to your plan. Publicity can play a significant role in the growth and success of your business.

Remember lovely business owner, publicity can play a significant role in the growth and success of your business, and just because you have a gentle nature it doesn’t mean you have to avoid it completely

Love Carrie xx