It’s no secret that getting your small business noticed can be difficult without the right tools, especially when cash flow is limited, but it doesn’t have to be impossible.
Whether you’re starting a new business from scratch or adding a fresh feature to an existing product, there are several effective ways you can gain free PR without compromising on quality.
Here are some ideas:
6 Ways To Get Free PR
1. Targeted communication
PR is all about building relationships. This doesn’t mean sending press releases to just about anyone you come across. Getting in touch with niche journalists and getting them interested in your business will work winder, especially with our email finder that can find contact information of just about anyone:
The great thing about living in this era is that we are more connected than ever. That means it’s relatively straightforward to identify the most influential people out there and send information their way. LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are particularly effective avenues worth exploring.
Journalists are frequently scouring social media looking for a great story. All you need to do is identify the key voices. Do not, however, flood them with too much at once. Remember, journalists receive around 100 press releases on average per week. 68% of journalists prefer receiving the facts and are turned off by too much text, so keep all communication to-the-point.
2. Become the story
Brian Scudamore, founder and CEO of O2E brands, explains that there’s more to self-driven PR than simply relying on the press to pick up your story. He suggests finding breaking news stories that the press is already covering (or eager to cover) and inserting yourself into the conversation in a way that promotes your business.
For example, during the Vancouver Canucks NHL playoff, Brian knew that the media would be all over the game. So, he pulled up in a junk truck in front of the stadium and sold 1000 blue wigs to fans before kickoff. The media not only noticed swarms of fans in blue wigs, but wanted to talk to Brian about who he was and why he was there.
This is an example of knowing how to work the press to your advantage and there’s no reason you can’t creatively find a way of doing the same.
3. Promote customer success stories
A good story is worth sharing. If your product or service has had a positive impact on one of your customers, find a way of telling their story on your website. These stories not only help bring in customers and grow existing customer trust, but can be picked up by news outlets and retold to bigger audiences.
Facebook does this particularly well. They have a dedicated section on their site that shows off how their advertising services have been a real game changer to thousands of businesses. If you click on one of their stories, one of the first things you see is a list of highlighted statistics outlining how that business grew through Facebook advertising followed by a compelling success story.
You can do something similar. On your website, create a separate section with some customer success stories with an initial focus on key facts and photos followed by a story. For example, if you own a diet food business, ask one of your most successful dieters to send in a before and after picture, as well as their total weight loss achieved through the diet. Then give them a call and interview them about who they were before their diet and how much better their life is now. Type it up and send it out into the world. It is also a good idea to time your campaign to a customer appreciation week for more free PR opportunities!
Stories like this work wonders for growing trust and recognition of your brand.
Turning your customer stories into visual and video content is also a good idea you can boost on Facebook for more exposure. This handy ad maker can turn your customers’ testimonials into effective videos and images to use on Facebook and Instagram.
Apart from targeting journalists on social media, you can als re-target them on your own site with Finteza’s advertising feature. All you need is to set up some type of personalized banners to be served to those people who already visited your press page:
4. Go for an award
Winning an award (or just being shortlisted) can really boost free PR for your business. There are a number of small business awards you can go for depending on where in the world you are. Consider the added value of receiving personalized engraved trophies, which not only recognize your achievements but also serve as a lasting symbol of your success.
These include the Best In Biz awards and Dream Big awards. But don’t be afraid to also submit yourself for local awards in your area. Any press is good press, even if it’s just in your local newspaper.
5. Start a seasonal project
Seasonality is a huge help when it comes to generating free PR. Journalists and bloggers are always on a hunt for timely content that can go well over the holidays. This is your big opportunity.
We all remember successful mini projects that were launched in time for holidays. Those like “Elf yourself” or “Santa Tracker” that came out right before the big holiday weekend.
It is a good idea to come up with your own viral holiday to generate some interest and media mentions to strengthen your brand. Single-page websites are easy to set up, all you need is an original idea.
If you need help finding a viral name for your project, this free brand name generator is always helpful.
When setting up your site, don’t forget to plan your lead magnets to engage more of your site visitors and give journalists more content to use in their coverage.
6. Present a win-win scenario
When a journalist sits down at his or her desk on a Monday morning and logs on to find thirty new unread emails from PR agencies, it’s just business as usual. But an email from you may stand out if it presents an opportunity for the media outlet as well as your business.
If you do your homework, you’ll know that every media outlet has a specific readership they need to keep engaged. Then the question becomes, how can your small business increase the magazine or news site’s reader interest while also shining a spotlight on your latest products and services? A detailed but to-the-point email outlining these mutual benefits will be well received.
A small business shouldn’t need to hire expensive PR services. If you remain focused and target your communications appropriately you can be sure to maximize exposure and drive your business forward.
