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[P817]Public Relations & Marketing

by Mark Burdett, Mar

How about a Yellow Pages advert? Pay per click? Maybe some direct mail followed up a telemarketing campaign?

Well whilst each of these are perfectly valid marketing routes and ones any forward thinking company should at least test the very best type of marketing for all types of business is the type that is FREE!

That is right Ladies and Gentlemen, if you are working with a tight marketing budget (or indeed with no set marketing budget at all) then you can now get exposure for your product, service or company in the form of PR (or Public Relations).

For large companies PR is big business. They will think nothing of employing staff with the sole intention of getting the name of their company in the media (be it written press, television, radio or online). And because the PR market is seemingly dominated by the larger companies small companies shy away from using PR in their marketing mix.

If this applies to you then good times could well be ahead as PR is a vital part of the marketing mix for smaller companies in particular as they often do not have the time or money to spend on often expensive advertising or other marketing.

Successful businesses of all sizes use PR to promote their business, build their reputation and become a recognised expert in their particular field. And the beauty of PR is that everyone is an expert in something. And by passing on your expertise in a particular subject in the right way you become newsworthy.

And that is the real secret when it comes to good PR. It has to be interesting and newsworthy. Nobody cares that you have just launched a new website or that Mrs Jones in Accounts has just become a Grandmother for the second time (both subjects I have seen in press releases and both subjects I have seen in journalists bins!). And if you have ever attempted PR only not to have it published then I would not worry too much about it as you are amongst the 99 percent of companies who send out PR that just is not newsworthy or interesting.

Here are a few words on Why PR is important.

Communication lies at the heart of todays modern society. Be it on the internet, television, pod casts or whatever medium you choose. And with so many firms competing for the same business as you, how do your customers differentiate between you and your competitors?

The answer lies not particularly in the size of your Yellow Pages advert but how you project yourself and what your firm has to offer.

PR has a huge sway in the minds of consumers as the perceived third party endorsement that comes from editorial coverage can be substantial, maybe even more so than advertising that can cost hundreds or thousands of pounds.

PR done well can result in increased exposure, increased business and increased profits. And if you want your business to be the best it can be then becoming good at PR is something you want to do.

And remember, it is FREE!

To do this affectively you need to keep a look out for any breaking story that is in the same line of business as yours. As an example say you are in the computer repair business and a story breaks out about a new virus doing the rounds. Contact the reporter or media organisation that broke the story and offer them your expert opinion.

At this point, do not talk about your business but rather focus on the story, possible solutions and problems if this virus is not controlled quickly. If you are lucky the newspaper will publish your expert opinion and next time a story requires further information they will get in touch.

Many people do not realise that the media organisations have an insatiable urge for new material. How can you fill this requirement? One way of helping the media is by writing articles. I sell franchises, so I write many articles about the franchise industry. I am careful that within these articles I never talk about my business but rather focus on the franchise industry.

I write about anything and everything to do with the franchise industry apart from the field I am in. The reason for this is that the media hates self promotion articles.

These articles have been published on many franchise websites, newsletters and magazines around the world. The only reference that the article was written by me is the signature at the bottom of the article which they are obliged to publish if they want to use my work. I call this viral marketing.

It is even better when the stories are published on the medias website as then you have live links back to your website. One article I wrote "Business Cultures Old and New" has been published in many different websites and publications around the world. It has been translated in many different languages.

I am actually amazed at which articles have worked for me. An article that I might have spent a week working on might never catch on whilst one that was written in ten minutes could really catch on. The secret is to write many articles and leave it the media to decide which ones they like.

One area I really struggle in is in creating a catchy headline. By chance I manage to get it right some of the times. I have noticed that the headline can make the difference between the article being successful or not.

Another useful bit of information is that negative articles tend to do much better then positive ones. People are much more eager to read about scams operating in your industry than they are about the opportunities.

I will leave you with on final thought. Never ever make up anything in your article and always research any facts that you include within. If you do quote any statistics, keep a record of where these came from just in case you are asked to substantiate your research. Your words will come back to haunt you if you have any half truths and your article does well.

Article Source : Communication And Public Relations

About Author

Both Mark Burdett & Nazir Daud are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Mark Burdett has sinced written about articles on various topics from Interest, Education and Business and Finance. are Experts who help business. Mark Burdett's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.

Nazir Daud has sinced written about articles on various topics from Online Business, Management and Accounting Bookkeeping General Svc. Naz Daud is the founder of CityLocal. This Business Franchise Opportunity is for people who would like to work from home and be their own boss.