Turn Your Business Resolution into a PR Revolution

As eyes look forward to a new business year, many small business owners and entrepreneurs are hoping that this year will be the one that catapults them into success. But businesses often overlook a key element when making their business plans and resolutions.

Most new businesses fail within three years – and it’s often due to the fact that many business owners think that simply hanging up an OPEN sign and placing an ad in the yellow pages will attract customers.

What it takes is a marketing strategy that’s effective – and in the case of many small business owners – on a limited budget. They need public relations to turn the resolutions into revolutions.

Public relations and publicity are some of the most cost-effective methods of marketing available today.

Besides the fact that it’s low cost or no cost, publicity can help establish your credibility. It can position you as the expert in your field, building you a powerful presence.

The key is to include your public relations and publicity efforts as part of a year-long, strategic business plan.

As you’re looking toward what you’re going to accomplish in the future, make sure you incorporate different public relations efforts as part of your complete plan. That way you’ll be sure to schedule it in, just like any other business task.

Shannon Cherry, publicist, recommends these low-cost public relations strategies to help revolutionize small businesses:

1. Write articles. Articles don’t have to be long; they just need to be informative. Submitting online, as well as offline, provides a good chance to get your name in print at no cost.
2. Write press releases. Reporters everywhere are looking for stories, and a press release gives them the information to write that story. Just make sure it’s newsworthy, not just an advertisement.
3. Use social media. I cannot stress enough that social media including Twitter and Facebook are publicity tools, not your complete marketing effort.  Make sure you include content valuable to your target market, as well as promote your products and services.
4. Use your business cards. Think of your business card as a mini billboard and start handing them out everywhere. Include them in all your correspondence and put them in places that they’ll be seen.
5. Start speaking. Speaking in front of an audience usually makes you an expert. People like to buy from experts. Speaking is free, and it’s just like making a sales call to many people at one time.

Successful companies make public relations a priority. Whether selling direct, through distribution channels or via e-commerce, a successful company must achieve and maintain a strong market presence through a continuous and effective public relations program.