[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ne major mistake that many small business owners make is they automatically assume that public relations does not matter. However, the truth of the matter is that when it comes to branding, marketing, or promoting your company in the right light, public relations is without a doubt the most important aspect. In fact, recent reports and studies show that 45 percent of a brand’s image is based on what the company says and how it represents itself. As a small business you need to be doing everything in your power to craft the right pitches and make sure they are getting to the right individuals. In addition to this, you want to be authentic and real, but how do you go about doing this?
Get Your Story Out There
In many cases a lot of small businesses can be viewed as underdogs in today’s economy. So many small businesses have been forced to shutdown and close up shop due to larger companies. Fortunately, you can turn this in your favor, because people love nothing more than a good underdog story. Getting your story out there can help transform the way that people view your brand. Along with this, it will help build a presence in the industry and gain trust amongst your consumers. Tell stories about how you started your business, why you started it, and don’t be afraid to get some of your customers involved in the storytelling process as well.
Tell your clients the story of how you took the time to uninstall applications in Mac and what a difference it made. Tell them how it saved your business, by improving the performance of your computer. Speak from the heart and you’ll be able to convince your customers to buy your computers!
Know Your Industry At All Times
If you want to build the perfect marketing and public relations strategy you are going to need to be up-to-date with your industry at all times. Read as much as you can about the industry and stay informed about all the latest changes. You can set up Google alerts and Twitter mentions with the leading players in your industry. You might be surprised, but it does help to know exactly who and what you are competing against. If you don’t know your industry, how are you supposed to look like an expert in it?
Create A Media List
One of the first things you will need to do is create a media list, especially if you are going to handle public relations in house. You can do this by finding exactly what the top journalists are covering in the news, focusing primarily on those who are talking about your competitors and industry.
However, it is crucial to make sure what you are going to send is totally relevant to what they are writing about, before you actually pitch anything. Also, include social media in your efforts and always utilize a national database. Just remember that a “targeted” media list is the key to having a successful public relations program.
Your media list should include your favorite websites, television shows, papers, magazines and radio shows that may have an interest in featuring your company. It is also important to focus on what your customers are utilizing, even if it is only a single website. If they are utilizing this website, it is possible that they are reading other media, as well.
