Advertising your business and your product to your target customers is vital for the success of a small business, but that doesn't mean you have to pay for expensive advertisements or advertising agencies. The best advertisement of all for any small business is the free publicity that comes from an article or story in the local newspaper or on local radio. Generating free PR of this type can be surprisingly easy because editors and journalists have space to fill and will always be keen to publish an interesting local story. Even national media and TV may run a really good story.
Advantages of Free Publicity
One of the disadvantages of conventional advertising is that people tend to mentally "tune out" advertisements - literally so in many cases on radio or TV - and if they do actually read the advertisement, they are generally rather skeptical of advertising claims. Apart from the saving on advertising costs, editorial coverage, such as a newspaper article or radio or TV clip on anything in which they're interested, is far more likely to catch their attention and also carries far greater credibility.
Likely Subjects for Free Publicity
Any small business is likely to have all sorts of things happening which local media will be happy to report and which will in effect act as free advertisement for the business. Possible stories fall into three main categories:
Human Interest
- Employees joining, celebrating long service, marrying, returning after maternity leave, retiring, being promoted or achieving new qualifications.
- School visits or work experience training.
Business Events.
- Job creation schemes, expansion or new investment.
- Record sales, production, customer levels, etc.
- A business anniversary.
- New premises or unusual or state-of-the-art equipment.
- Gaining a business award.
- A link between your business and some other newsworthy and topical local event.
Celebrity Connections
- Winning a prestigious new customer or account.
- An interesting or celebrated visitor.
Any of these events should trigger the thoughts "Is there some free PR for my business in this?" and if the story seems of possible media interest, "How can I give it an unusual and attention-grabbing twist?" and "Can I set up a good eye-catching photo to illustrate it?"
Use a Press Release to Generate Publicity
Try to get to know local journalists personally, both by telephone and face to face. Send out personal invitations to them for events of likely interest.
Send out a press release summarising the story. Writing a press release isn't difficult; essentially it gives all of the relevant facts like times, dates, names, contact details for further information, and if possible, some eye-catching photographs. You can find online examples to help compose your press release.
Don't bombard everyone with every idea you have, or they'll probably lose interest. Always consider which stories would best suit which of the different media.
Nowadays it's almost essential to send out press releases by email. Try to give the email a personal touch; rather than just sending out a "round robin," send copies tailored to individual addressees and address the intended recipient by name.
It's a good idea to try to phone each recipient in advance, checking their email address and confirming that they are able to open any of your email attachments in the relevant format.
The Result - Splendid Free Advertising
"Any publicity is good publicity." That may not always be true, but any positive mention of your small business in the local press will raise its profile and add to its credibility. Always stay alert for a good public relations story and notify the local press in good time in the convenient format of a press release, and you'll often win free PR cover worth many paid advertisements.
Tony Allen - In 2004 I began my "fourth career" as a freelance writer. In my first career, after training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, I ...
