These days, more and more small business owners are realizing that they need to have an excellent public relations campaign in place at all times. These PR campaigns can help optimize brand recognition while also improving the company’s relationship with the media. Despite the fact that PR campaigns can facilitate these brand-building outcomes, many small business owners find that they don’t have the funds to hire a PR firm. If this is your dilemma, the solution is simple: implement cost-effective PR strategies on your own. Here’s how to get started:
- Implement A Digital PR Campaign.
This is typically the cheapest and most effective way to build your brand’s image, convert prospective clients, and improve your relationship with relevant media sources. Many small businesses have witnessed an exponential increase in their conversion rates due to the consistent implementation of free or cheap internet marketing strategies like content creation and social media optimization. Developing an entertaining, interactive blog is another great way to get your small business’s presence going and growing online. To really optimize your relationship with the public, be sure to publish Q & A style blog posts in which the target audience asks you questions and receives answers directly from you.
- Generate Publicity Through Organizations Like Help A Reporter Out (HARO).
Another great way to optimize the PR process is by generating publicity through organizations like HARO. This organization works by sending you queries from journalists who are looking for individuals with expertise in your area. Once you sign up and begin receiving queries in your e-mail box, you can begin sending out your responses to these journalists. Ideally, this system will help you attain interviews or have your direct quote listed in a publication. Gaining direct access to journalists, bloggers, and reporters in this way can help you attain much-needed publicity without breaking the bank.
- Hire Strategically.
One final technique you should implement to optimize the DIY public relations process is hiring strategically. For example, when you start looking for a candidate to fulfill an administrative assistant position, try to bring on an individual with substantive experience in public relations or a similar field like sales and advertising or digital marketing. If you can find a candidate who has attained a master’s degree in PR, this applicant should be at the top of your list. Remember that the position you hire the individual for doesn’t have to be directly related to PR. Just try to hire someone with education and experience in the field. Whether the person’s official title is “Executive Director,” “Office Manager,” or something else, she or he will still be able to provide you with valuable knowledge and assistance when it’s time to implement PR strategies that work. Find more information here about public relations degrees and specializations.
If you’re serious about ensuring that your small business becomes increasingly successful in a cost-effective manner, now is the time to implement a DIY public relations campaign. Utilize some or all of the simple strategies outlined above to get the process going and growing immediately!
