Small business owners are often quite overwhelmed with the concept of Public Relations (PR). But it is simply building and preserving a positive public image for your business – no matter how big or small.
Aspects of Public Relations
As a business owner, you are creative. There are so many ways to reach your target audience and potential customers. But the main aspects include:
- Relationships with local, national and traditional media
- Public speaking
- Niche conferences
- Online campaigns (Google and social media advertising)
- Sponsorship
- Stakeholders engagement
- Press releases
- Events
The benefits of Public Relations
PR plays a critical role in achieving competitive advantage. It opens new markets and creates opportunities to attract your ideal customers. And gives access to funders and investors for creating high value for products and services. In times of crisis, a well-known business is more likely to survive because of strong brand recognition.
Large or small, public or private, local or international – all organisations and projects can benefit from public relations.
What is a good PR story?
Story is vital in PR. It focuses on something new that’s actually happening now. Use any story linked to your business – an event of human interest (and include a great image with an effective caption). Ensure the story is something unique about you.
You have loads of examples and ideas because you know your business and you are an expert in your field. Think creatively and do something special to share your message.
Examples
Use PR opportunities to celebrate a new line (product or service), an offer, a discount, or even a competition (but be careful of Competition Law). You could even sponsor something relevant if it fits with your business, values, and your potential audience.
More ideas to adapt:
- Hosts an event to showcase a new product or service.
- Use film (social media such as YouTube, Facebook and Instagram)
- Accept interviews on radio, TV and podcasts
- Participate in social networking (online or in-person)
- Express an opinion in a written article, letters to the editor or your own column
- Make a prediction in your sector or industry
- Carry out research using an online poll or even on your website (and share the results for more exposure)
- Give a talk in your area of expertise
Days of the year
Do some research online to find local and worldwide events, festivals, and special and funny ‘weird and wonderful’ days. You may be surprised to learn there are days such as ‘National Pothole Day’, ‘World Consumer Day, and ‘Typewriter Day’.
So, find the celebration of the month that is relevant to your industry and try and capitalise on that. Think about opportunities such as regional or national business awards, new product launches, charity support, diversity and pivoting opportunities, and anniversaries. You can use all these to piggyback other news, which is invaluable.
Write a press release
For a basic news release, find your local media contacts. Make contact (or even friends) and talk to them regularly about your news. Focus on making the content interesting and exciting.
Start with a punchy headline and use loads of ‘power words’, especially in the first sentence, which you really need to nail!
Without ‘fluff’, be clear, simple, and frank about who, what, why, when, where, and how. Avoid jargon. Be factual and it is important that you do not sell.
Double-check that your piece is free from spelling, and grammatical errors (run it by a friend or family member). Aim for a one-page piece to make it easier for the editors to publish.
Use effective words like: easy results, winning, guaranteed, safe, comfortable, discover, happy, and value.
Avoid words like: premier, empower, solutions, robust, synergy, innovation, world-class, wealth, and cutting edge.
Preferable words and phrases:
- facts rather than information
- now rather than fat
- now rather than immediately
- new rather than innovative
- show rather than demonstrate
- major development rather than evolution
Include photographs
For all your photographs, ensure you use your own or that is copyright free. You can book and brief, a PR photographer, but make sure that you always have permission always to use photos as you need to, without restriction.
Send captions with your photographs.
Use your photographs to tell the story, because remember, ‘a picture tells 1000 words‘. And send both landscape and portrait images in case they don’t have space for one or the other.
Use people and props together to make the picture tell the story, so you could get people to hold and interact with props, which is hugely effective.
Amplify your message
Remember that you can use other ways to amplify your message. Social media is great to add to your overall strategy, but should never be your main focus. Networking, blogging, guesting on podcasts, and local radio. Plan to use them all to increase your reach.
12-month Public Relations plan
Start with a 12-month plan, starting at any time in the year (you don’t need to wait to start in January). Consider your aims for news every 12 months. This could be 12 stories (one per month). This will help you get organised in advance and be ready to go at any time, with professionalism. But, be flexible to review and evaluate your success as you go along. And never be afraid to share your successes too.
Include a Crisis Plan too. You do need a system in place to deal with bad PR. This can also help you prevent these incidents. Have pre-prepared responses for the media and consider:
- What is the worst that can happen?
- When can they happen?
- When they happen, who takes control?
- Who is the official spokesperson when there is a crisis?
It’s great fun to prepare your plan for the next 12 months. Be creative and bold. Nothing is too crazy, so go for it! Your business can only flourish with creative public relations.
