Let’s face it, running a business could be difficult at times. Going through the day-to-do of running a business can often be tasking on its own, but getting the word out about your business is a whole other story.
Advertising is often the expensive, difficult way to go, but do you know that publicity is a cheaper, often easier way to get the word about your business out there for prospective customers to see? Before we delve into how you can get cheap publicity for your small business, let’s answer the question; what exactly is publicity?
What Is Publicity
Simply put, publicity is the process or act of sharing information about your product or service. It involves using a range of strategies to get information about your business to the right audience at the right time.
Take the example of a small shoemaking company that just started a business.
In the beginning, only people close to the physical location of the business are aware that there is business there. Now, the CEO might decide to run a small press story in the local newspaper. By so doing, a few other people in the coverage area of the newspaper will get the information that there is a shoemaking business in the said location, thereby increasing the likelihood of more customers patronising the business. That is what publicity can do.
The key difference between advertising and publicity is that advertising is typically paid for, while publicity is typically free. In today’s world where public relations is a huge market, one should not be naive enough to think that publicity is always free, but technically speaking, publicity is often unpaid for.
Since we have established what publicity is, let’s examine 5 fool-proof strategies that you can use to gain publicity for your small business.
Google My Business
Google My Business is a free business tool offered by Google. It is a fantastic tool that allows you to list your business to appear on search, maps and location. It helps you gain exposure to customers who are looking for businesses like yours in your location. For example, if you enter “hotels near me” into Google search, you will get some results of hotels that are close to your location- that is made possible via the Google My Business platform.
To gain free publicity using the Google My Business platform, simply visit business.google.com and follow the prompt to register your business. Please note that you will have to verify your business address, so make sure that you use an address that you receive mails.
Hold A Press Briefing
Another great way to get free publicity for your small business is by holding a press briefing. For this strategy to work, you need to start networking with members of the press long before you hold your press event. Something to keep in mind is that to get optimal press attention, your briefing has to have a newsworthy announcement. Therefore, reserve this strategy for times that you have announcements that editors will consider newsworthy.
Distribute Your Press Release
Don’t have time or the resources to hold a press briefing? No problem. You should consider distributing press releases to media platforms that your target audience read, watch or listen to. Journalists sometimes have a slow news day where they struggle to find stories to report. If you send them a well-written press release with a newsworthy story, chances are that they may publish it. Take advantage of this strategy to publicise your small business.
Speak At Industry Events
This strategy is especially useful if you run a B2B business, but can also be useful for B2C businesses as well. The logic is simple; if there is an event that your target customers are attending, speaking at that event will give you much-needed exposure for yourself and your business. Just make sure that your speech is well-written and captivating. If you do well, chances are that you will start getting new customers right from the event!
Include A Blog On Your Website
Many people do not know this but blogging on topics relevant to your industry is a fantastic way to get publicity for your small business. People typically search Google and other search engines for information and answers to their questions. If you can answer questions on topics that are relevant to your target audience, chances are that you will get a few leads from your blog that you can convert to buying customers.
Conclusion
Publicity is a fantastic way to get new eyes on your business. Using the five tactics outlined in this post will help you get free publicity to grow your business.
IMAGE SOURCE: Pixabay
