Why PR is essential to your small business right now

It seems utterly ridiculous doesn’t it? Here we are in the middle of a crippling ecconomic downturn and I’m banging on about forking out money on media communications and and you’re more worried about paying the milkman.

I mean who wants to spend their cash on media strategies when customers are drying up faster than the plotlines on Heroes?
Money is tight, you can’t afford to keep splashing out on mochachoccawoccachinos any more, and here I am telling you to go spend your money on something that – I’m guessing – was the first thing to go when you overhauled your accounts.

Well, let me tell you why is it vital you spend your money on PR right now.

Yes, that’s right, I said it’s vital. Write it down, underline it. In red.

Whatever you think of the press and the various media outlets, people still view these institutions as experts.
Be it online or traditional media, radio stations or someone’s influential blog, if they say something is groovy and worth taking note of, people sit up and listen.

If you run an expensive advert in say your local newspaper about your newly launched cupcake business which specialises in all things chocolate you may get a few new takers.
If, however, you create a chocolate mountain of your finest and attempt a World Record attempt at the tallest cake tree in history or ask a local group of scouts to see how long it takes them to eat it, then suddenly you have become a quirky story that your local newspaper will be interested in and ‘would you mind having your photo taken next to it, with your pinny on and a smear of chocolate across one cheek?’

Why spend a fortune on advertising when you can get FREE advertising using PR?

 

It’s a no-brainer really.
If your story runs in the local paper with a little head and shoulders picture of you looking all smiley and nice you will become just a little bit famous and people will probably recognise you in the supermarket.

When I worked in newspapers I met so many people who spent hundreds and hundreds of pounds on advertising.
Sometimes it worked, usually it didn’t. They did it because they thought it was the thing to do. And it didn’t work because they didn’t target the ad at their specific market.

So then one day I would send one of my writers along who’d say, ‘hello, we’re doing a story on National Tea Week and we’d love to feature your tea rooms’, or ‘some big celeb has lost lots of weight through hypnotherapy, can we talk to one of your therapists about it?’
Suddenly they’re getting the sort of great coverage that money simply cannot buy.

Getting your name out there doesn’t have to be expensive. It all depends how much time and effort you want to invest in it. Hell, you can even do it yourself - and if you’re not sure where to start try our Give Your Biz the Buzz guide full of hints and tips on how to navigate your way through the minefield that is your local news desk and how to get yourself heard in a crowded market.

Don’t wait for the press to contact you. Be proactive. Be creative. Be seen.

 

Think outside the box (and if you ever EVER hear me use that phrase again, you have my permission to slap me).

Want more tips and advice? Stick around by clicking here and subscribing and I’ll try and hold your hand through the muddy waters.