You are too newsworthy!
Patrysha Korchinski
Last month, I wrote about the concept of being newsworthy in your press releases.
This month I’m going to jump to the other side of the fence and talk about those of you who can’t imagine yourselves being or doing anything newsworthy. Earlier this month, on one of my frequent visits to the Moms Morning Show there were several business owners with great publicity potential who said that they just had no clue what about their business could be newsworthy.
Too many small and home based business owners think they are too small to have anything to contribute to the media machine. While it’s true you might not generate the media circus that surrounds Paris Hilton (and who would want to?), that doesn’t mean you can’t make a valuable impression through publicity efforts.
If you think your business is too mundane for media, you’ll need to shake off that mindset in order to achieve your marketing and promotion goals. You can’t let personal perceptions lead you away from the incredible bounty that free publicity can provide.
Let’s just say you have absolutely nothing in your history, life or business foundation that is newsworthy. This is a highly unlikely situation since most small businesses do have at least one or two great angles to create a buzz from, however for the sake of argument we’ll pretend there is no gold to mine internally.
Here are a couple of ways to generate the “something to talk about” you need to give your publicity campaign a quick kickstart…
- Hold a contest - a simple contest that relates to your business with a prize package that will please your target market is a great way to generate publicity and word of mouth buzz. You don’t have to give away the store, but your prize should be significant enough to get people excited about winning. Consider a small shopping spree or a massive gift basket.
- Highlight A Charity or Fundraiser - Partner with a non-profit organization that you support and publicize a sales event to raise funds and awareness. You can choose to donate a portion of profits for sales made over a day, a week or a month to go towards your chosen cause and generate goodwill and awareness for both the organization and your business. Choose a cause your passionate about and you’ll have plenty of angles to present to the media.
- Seasonal Advice - Put your expertise to work by providing the media with a timely tip sheet relating to your business. A pet supply company might send out tips on the dangers of chocolate to pets at Halloween or Easter. Think of ways your business contributes to holidays and other special occasions to take advantage of what you know for the media’s benefit.
Pick one thing you can do this month to promote your business through publicity and write a press release to get the word out. If you need further assistance in writing your release or choosing where to submit it - stay tuned to this blog or contact me for additional information.
Patrysha Korchinski @ July 17, 2008
Patrysha Korchinski