Posts Tagged ‘Public Relations’

Each week as @Smallbizlady, I conduct interviews with small business experts on my weekly Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. This post is excerpted from my #SmallBizChat interview with @ElenaVerlee Heralded as “The Passionate Publicist,” Elena Verlee can help even the most ordinary business become well-known and sought after through the power of publicity. Elena delivers high-impact, low or no-cost publicity strategies for entrepreneurs serious about claiming leadership in their market and growing their business to profitability and beyond.  Elena’s blog is www.PRinYourPajamas.com and she is a serial entrepreneur who has built a 7-figure business from home, and has sold two businesses for 6-figures.

Smallbizlady: What is PR?

Elena Verlee: Public Relations builds goodwill, awareness and credibility for your company, product or service – which is really critical for small businesses. There are many aspects of PR but most people think of it as “getting publicity” or getting media coverage in a magazine, newspaper, TV, radio or online sites like blogs. The best thing about PR is that it is free publicity.

Smallbizlady: How is PR different from advertising?
Elena Verlee: Control, Cost and Credibility. You can control exactly what your ad will say and when it will appear, but it is costly as you pay every time. A reporter will write their article their way and usually it appears only once unless it gets syndicated. However, getting publicity can be free if you do it yourself, it’s rare to get a negative story and there is way more credibility than an ad because a third party is writing about you.

 

Smallbizlady: Why bother getting publicity?

Elena Verlee: It’s a way to establish leadership in the market, reach markets who would otherwise never know about you, and many lucrative opportunities can come as a result of getting media exposure. I’ve even sold my own start-up company in less than a year using just one marketing tactic – getting free publicity. It was an unexpected but welcome benefit from publicity! Here are 50 reasons to go out there and get some:
http://prinyourpajamas.com/50-things-getting-publicity-can-do-for-you/

Smallbizlady: What type of small business can benefit from publicity?

Elena Verlee: I’m biased of course but I’ve worked with make-up and moms to authors, experts, service providers and technology companies. Everyone needs their business to be as visible as possible if they want to succeed. The author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Mark Victor Hansen said “90% of the success of any product or service is its promotion and marketing.” I agree.

Smallbizlady: When should a small business start using publicity in their marketing efforts?

Elena Verlee: If you’re an expert at something (and we all are), you can get start getting publicity now. Media are looking for an interesting story 24/7 and that is a lot of time to fill – not just offline papers and magazines but think of all the online TV shows, web radio, blogs and so on. Authors should be building their visibility and platform way before their book even gets published. As soon as you start a company you should be announcing what big problem you are solving by opening your doors.

Smallbizlady: How much does a typical publicity campaign cost?

 

Elena Verlee: PR agencies typically start around the $3000 – 5000 per month retainer. Consultants maybe half of that. Like any marketing effort, you need to have a marathon mindset and not a sprint. It should be something sustained over a period of 6 months or more, which can be very expensive for a small business. That’s why I think small business owners should learn to do it themselves.

Smallbizlady: Can someone without experience really do their own PR campaign?  

 

Elena Verlee: Absolutely. No PR experience required! I’ve taught hundreds of small business owners how to do it themselves and some of them have landed in papers and national magazines right away. There IS a system to getting publicity – once you understand the steps you’ll realize there are a ton of opportunities you’ve been stepping over all these years.

Smallbizlady: Do I need to write a press release to get publicity?

 

Elena Verlee: Nope! I hope that brings a sigh of relief! That’s probably one of the biggest obstacles do-it-yourselfers face – not many people can write a press release well so it’s intimidating. And if you’re intimidated – you won’t do it! However, if you can write an email, you can pitch a story to the media. Just tell them who you are, why their readers should care and how to contact you. Three paragraphs is all you need.

Smallbizlady: What do you need to get publicity?

 

Elena Verlee: You need 4 things: A story to pitch which as I mentioned can be a three paragraph email. A reporter or blogger to pitch it to (think of where you would like to appear) A compelling photo can help sell your story. A client testimonial shows proof that whatever you are selling works. I bet you can put this together in 30 minutes since you should already have a story, photo and testimonial in your other marketing materials. Just leverage them.

Smallbizlady: Why aren’t more business owners using publicity to grow their business?

Elena Verlee: There’s always been an aura of mystery around PR, what it is and what it can do for your business. People get stuck on what type of story to pitch. What is unique about your business and why should a reporter care? If you’re stuck on what types of stories the media love, you can listen to a free class here: http://www.createfreepublicity.com

Smallbizlady: What about using social media channels to get publicity?
Elena Verlee: I think of social media and social networks as online publicity channels. You can meet almost any journalist on Twitter these days and it’s much easier to build a relationship by commenting on reporters blogs or engaging with them on social networks before pitching a story. Bloggers can be very influential in their niche so a mix of offline and online publicity is a must for any business.

Smallbizlady: Can a company increase sales using publicity?

Elena Verlee: I have used publicity in the past to sell a lot of product, but for most people it may not necessarily be direct sales. It may be someone reading about you that then approaches you for a partnership or consulting project or to invest in your company. Publicity is a strong tactic that should be integrated into your overall sales and marketing efforts.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

How to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/S797e

For more tips on starting or growing your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog at www.succeedasyourownboss.com

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure.  As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. She has been featured on NBC Nightly News, the Tavis Smiley Radio Show, in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur and Black Enterprise Magazine. She hosts #SmallBizChat weekly on Twitter for emerging entrepreneurs and publishes a resource blog  www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. ( Adams Media 2010)

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wed. on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with @PRSarahEvans. Sarah is a public relations and new media strategist at @SevansStrategy.  Sarah has worked extensively in the non-for-profit, higher education and healthcare sectors, focusing on media relations, message management, coalition building, deployment strategies, and organizational change. A self-described social media freak, Sarah is the founder of #journchat and MediaOnTwitter. Her personal mission is to engage and employ the use of emerging technologies in all communication – that connects her with a rapidly growing base of more than 26,000 people. Contact Sarah online at: http://card.ly/prsarahevans

Smallbizlady: How much time should you dedicate to PR for your business?

@PRSarahEvans At least 10% of your time should be spent working on your business. That time should include building relationships with journalists and bloggers, identifying stories your public should know, reputation management, tracking who is talking about you…to name a few. Public relations is more than media relations. Here’s how I define it: Public relations is an ongoing conversation, which builds sustainable relationships between an entity and its publics resulting in change, action or influence

Smallbizlady: What’s the best way to generate traditional media coverage? What about social media?

@PRSarahEvans The best to generate traditional media coverage is to have a good story to tell to the right journalist with the right audience. That means knowing who covers topics appropriate to your business and reading/listening/watching their work. Nothing kills a potential relationship faster than an off-pitch. It’s not all about the press release (more on that later). Social media coverage means blogs, online news publications, content distributors and influencers. Same rules apple.

Smallbizlady: Are press releases still in vogue, does anyone read them?

@PRSarahEvans I host a Monday night chat on Twitter, #journchat, where journalists, bloggers and PR professionals discuss questions like this. Recently we had the New York Times social media editor @NYT_jenpreston who said this in response to the value of press releases, “Honestly? Minimum value.” @JeffJarvis recently told PRs that the press release is dead. However, I work with many local daily print publications who request press releases because of their cutbacks in the newsroom. If you really want to know if a journalist reads a release, ask them. There are other uses for press releases than for pitching stories. I’m the community manager for Pitchengine where we’re changing the way press releases are created, written and distributed–social media release (more on that in a bit).

Smallbizlady: How often should to use press releases as a small business? 

@PRSarahEvans It depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. The press release isn’t your magic cure all pill. Use the basics of “what is newsworthy” to determine whether you should write and distribute a press release: timing, significance, proximity, prominence, human interest. It’s not about how often, rather the quality of what you share.

Smallbizlady: What about social media press releases?

@PRSarahEvans I’m biased and I like the SMR. The social media press release is the first wave in the evolution of the release, there’s more needed to make it a truly great tool. Use the same rules as a traditional release. However, the caveat I offer is in regards to search engine optimization. SMRs are helpful in driving awareness to your site if they’re written and distributed effectively. I wrote a post for Mashable on this topic: 10 ways to make your press release SEO friendly http://bit.ly/GEdLx. 

Smallbizlady: How do you craft a pitch? How much time should you dedicate?

@PRSarahEvans One of the great things about social media is that I research a journalist or blogger’s online presence before a pitch. If they’re on Twitter I might check out what they’ve been talking about in addition to their recent work. It’s nice to add a personal touch–especially if it’s the first time you’re communicating. The research takes time. The pitch takes time. The follow up takes times. Your best bet is to create a small, targeted list of media you reach out to on a regular basis. You’ll put the bulk of your time into the initial contact and build a relationship from there.

Smallbizlady: What are your top 5 pieces of advice for small biz owners doing their own PR?

@PRSarahEvans 1. Develop a small, targeted list of media and bloggers (10-15) you communicate with on a regular basis

2. Engage a group of stakeholders (friends, family, customers) who serve as your third party coalition of supporters. When you have a message or story to share, include them and encourage them to share, too.

3. Use traditional and online media to share your stories

4. ONLINE: Set up Google alerts for you, your business, your competitors to monitor your online mentions. Secure your user name across all social networks, even if you don’t use them (knowem.com). Use a resource like @alltop to aggregate your favorite media outlets so you can easily research trends.

5. Participate in discussions and chats like this to share with one another. It’s good karma.

Smallbizlady: How often should you pitch a particular media source?

@PRSarahEvans It depends on the frequency and reach of the media outlet. If it’s a blog written about one topic with a targeted audience and they recently wrote about you, pitching them the week after is probably not smart.

Smallbizlady: Do you need to have a media reel to get national media coverage?

@PRSarahEvans No. I would however, recommend an online newsroom. A place where journalists and bloggers can easily obtain your logo, photos and headshots, boilerplate, recent releases, bios, etc.

Smallbizlady: What determines a story?

@PRSarahEvans This goes back to the definition of newsworthy. I’d also encourage you to think about a story in this way: if you go home at the end of the day and can’t wait to share something with your significant other, parent, child, it’s probably a story. In fact, when I think about a story I ask myself, “would my mom care about this?”

Smallbizlady: Is PR only generating media coverage?

@PRSarahEvans No way! The larger umbrella of PR is communications and that encompasses a whole host of activities. It can include media relations, community relations, internal and external communications, and legislative affairs (to name a few).

Smallbizlady: What’s the benefit of hiring someone to do PR for my small biz?

@PRSarahEvans Do write your own legal documents? Unless you’re a lawyer, I’m going to guess no. I hired a lawyer and an accountant for my small business because they are the experts. There are some things small business owners can do on a PR front, but in reality do not have the time to conduct full PR outreach.

Smallbizlady: What are ways to use social media to further a story?

@PRSarahEvans 1. Write a blog post. This can be for your blog or as a guest post.

2. Check out CNN iReport to see if there’s an appropriate segment for your story.

3. Share information on social networks.

4. Use a social media release.

5. Include bloggers and online influencers in your media database.

Here are 5 case studies of small businesses successfully using Social Media http://ow.ly/vJW2

Great information on social media press releases: http://budurl.com/SMReleases

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter. 

How to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/S797e

For more tips on starting or growing your small biz subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog  http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com