By Nyah Scott
One of the best New Year’s resolutions you could make for you and your business aside from increasing sales and clientele is expanding your PR. Exposure and recognition of your business in 2021 is vital to reaching your targeted audience. As award-winning PR expert, Jennifer Goddard Combs, says, “The difference between advertising and publicity are two four-letter words. Advertising is paid. Publicity is free.” The way to get that free publicity? Take matters into your own hands and capitalize on connections instead of relying exclusively on capital.
Make a List
Public relations is a dynamic practice, so your content should be just as dynamic. Casting your net wide allows you to see where your content is most effective and where it will get the most traction, so don’t go throwing all of your eggs into one basket by setting up a Facebook page and calling it a day. Free media is the best media, so don’t neglect any avenues of communication that could potentially bring in customers or clientele. While online platforms are easily accessible and can expand your reach to an international audience, always keep in mind that newspapers are far from obsolete. About a quarter of news consumers say that they still read print newspapers. Accessibility will always be there for newspapers, unlike an internet connection, but don’t neglect online news sources either. The same print newspapers probably operate digitally as well, with an increased number of mediums to share content online (text, pictures, video, audio recordings, etc.).
Also keep in mind that the reach of radio is a piece of publicity you should never take for granted. Reach out to local radio stations and see if they have an existing segment that pertains to your business, guest on different shows, or coordinate referrals to statewide or even nationwide radio station contacts. In summation, make a list of what sorts of publications you want to forward your publicity to, and pay close attention to where your content gets the most traction. Keeping track of your publicity’s effectiveness, specific to publication platform, as you go along makes sure that your points of reference for later are accurate and allow you to maximize reach on future publicity campaigns.
Check It Twice
Consistency in key in managing the publicity of your brand and / or business. Even if you or your business’ personal resources don’t allow for writing press-releases every week, making custom graphics, producing video packages, and formulating entire multimedia campaigns, you can start by reaching out to those who can expand your existing content into those other domains. Team up with a reliable PR firm, like us at The Goddard Company, and ensure that you content is forwarded to newspapers, online publications, video-oriented news sources, and independent contributors to international publications like Forbes or Business Insider. Follow-up is key. Content can get “lost in the shuffle.” Establishing contacts and following up to the appropriate extent can’t hurt you or your business and increases your chances of your content being shared from a source with audiences beyond your immediate followers. When your content is published, this third-party validation tells potential customers and clientele that you or your business are reliable and important enough to be worthy of coverage.
Don’t miss out on the opportunities (and revenue) that good publicity can provide. Will you stick to the New Year’s resolution of committing to improving your PR?