Publicity and You

Positive publicity translates into more customers and increased sales; it's truly money in the bank. But to get this kind of publicity, your business has to be newsworthy, and you have to blow your own horn

Small businesses must constantly seek attention from outsiders. Outsiders include the media, consumer or advocacy group, or even government agencies. With the advent of e-commerce, change now comes at a lightning speed and small businesses need to work harder just to be heard above the noise of the crowd.   

Why should your small or medium sized business worry about getting good publicity? There are a number of very good reasons why you should generate as much favorable publicity for your business, agency, event, or group as you possibly can.

1. Promotion is a smart investment.

Promoting your business name, products and activities are critical for the survival of any business. You cannot simply open a store, whether online or traditional, and wait for customers to come in droves! You need to get the word out that you exist, and that only you can fill the customers' needs.  Side-by-side with an advertising strategy, make sure that your business has an aggressive promotional strategy. Every positive article or photo published in the daily newspaper, every favorable one-minute clip on the early evening news, every complimentary mention in some specialty newsletter or magazine is free! Sure, it may cost a bit of staff time for the preparation of press materials, or communication expenses to help you get to know the appropriate contact persons, but it does not cost you anywhere near the big bucks that the same number of column inches in the newspaper or the same amount of airtime on the TV news would have cost if you'd paid for it as advertising! That's not a bad return on investment. 

2. You get more of your audience's attention with editorial.

Besides saving advertising dollars, you gain more attention with free mention in media coverage. Paid ads are easily glossed over, skipped or even totally ignored. But if your business is the focus of an article, or gets mentioned favorably in a business column, you are able to capture the attention of the readers and engage them in your news story. You'll get far more attention from free editorial space or time than you will from an equal amount of paid ad space. 

3. It is free!

For some organizations the free publicity that is available through the media may be the only way they can afford to reach the public. This is especially true of some small start-up businesses and home-based entrepreneurs that may have lots of marketing energy but little or no marketing budget. Raise continuous public awareness for your business. You can achieve this by constant press releases, or even the submission of articles to industry publications. Get your organization's name printed or mentioned as often as possible in the media! 

4. Publicity is more credible.  

News is more believable than advertising. People have more faith in what they read in newspapers or magazine and in what they hear from radio or TV commentators than they have in paid advertising. For the audience, a third-party comment implies objectivity. And for the media to run it in their print or electronic publications, it simply means that they have faith in the story and know that it is not pure drivel. 

5. Publicity can generate revenue.

Your organization can produce a free newsletter as a public relations tool, disseminated to media, industry specialists and target markets. As more people find your newsletter valuable, you can convert it into paid subscriptions. Several industries have successfully used this approach, from the health and fitness industry, to the travel industry. Another approach may be to put together a collection of articles you've generated into a pamphlet or booklet and market it. For example, this might work well for a how-to business, such as a hardware store or home center. Finally, sometimes you can even get paid for writing an article for a magazine or journal, especially if you have some unique expertise to offer. 

6. Increase your organization's credibility.

Regular,positive exposure in the media legitimizes your business in the eyes of the community. Media appearances greatly boost the perceived value of whatever you offer the public. You will be giving out the message that not only does your business exist; but also it must be important to warrant the attention of the media. People have this perception, further fueled by media itself, that if something's in the paper or on TV, then it must be significant and valuable. If your organization or name constantly gets media attention or coverage, doors can easily open for you. It could also help make hiring employees easier. Regular mention in the media says to the community, 'We're here to stay. We're not some fly-by-night outfit that's here today and gone tomorrow. We're neighbors, part of the community." 

7. Publicity helps you rise above the competition

The more media appearances you make, the more your organization's name will come up when they think of your product. Publicity can give you a three-fold effect: you earn publicity by setting yourself apart from the competition; then it gives you a higher profile; then feeling better about yourself, you become more visible. 

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E-mail ian @ybot.ca

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