PR Tips for Small Business

Whether you are a service-based small business, one that supplies a product or even delivers both, why not plan to kick-start 2013 with some publicity and promotion on your offering? 

I recently met with Wendy McWilliams, who has worked in the field of public relations for more than twenty years. Her company, WMC Public Relations, has won major PR contracts with various local government councils, and also advises a large portfolio of SME's on how they can gain promotional traction for their business in their local press and media. I asked her for some PR tips and advice that would be suitable for small business and this is what she suggested ........

The first thing to note is that if you want other people to talk about you, your company and your products then what you give them has to be newsworthy. Your own social media sites are where you can plug your produc -  but newspapers, magazines/trade journals, blogs, television, radio and online publications/websites want something that will interest their audiences.

 

Newsworthy Announcements

So what can you talk about? Here are twelve simple ideas that Wendy suggested as potentially suitable for small business ....:

• Milestones: First or 50th anniversary, 1000th customer, 1 millionth widget, 20th franchise sold, etc.
• Moved to new premises, opened branch offices, 6-star green rating, etc.
• Awards won
• Senior appointments
• New equipment and new technology
• Export achievements
• New products
• White papers & technical how-to sheets
• Market analysis that may be controversial or alternative to general consensus.
• Holding a special event
• Case studies where one of your customers has achieved significant results
• A major sponsorship - for example of your local football or cricket club

Which publicity medium should you select?

Once you have worked out what news you want to disseminate, you then need to decide who you will give it to. Is it of major national significance? If not, it may be suitable for an industry magazine or the local newspaper? Check to see what issues the media outlet is covering before you contact them so that you are familiar with their writing style and topics covered.

 

Now you are ready to write a media release and/or letter to the editor. Make sure you cover the 5 Ws: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. Keep it punchy and if you want to provide more detailed background information, provide a hyperlink to a website where the material is easily viewed.

 

Before you send it off, make sure you have (or can provide quickly) a good quality photograph to accompany your story - as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words

 

Is PR for you?

So, if you're a small business owner who thinks that PR is just for the big corporates, then think again ...... As Wendy McWilliams says, increasingly short-staffed media want news and human interest stories; and if you can tell a story that has both of these ingredients then why wouldn't they consider yours ......... And if you're still unsure about whether PR is for you, ask yourself what have you got to lose versus what do you stand to gain by giving it a go?

You might also be interested in having a look at Marketing Fundamentals for Small Business

Brian Carroll is the founder of Performance Development, a corporate training company based in Melbourne that specialises in management skills training, leadership development and executive coaching.

PR Tips for Small Business - How to write good copy

Do you ever worry that you may be spending a lot of time writing something that no one is going to read?
 

When you’re running a business, you appreciate that time is money. Hence any significant business activity needs to offer you a return, to justify its continuity.    

 

It is generally recognised that writing blog posts and submitting newspaper articles has the potential to raise the profile of your business and generate interest in what you have to offer. However this is only true when the content has been well written – and not many of us can claim to understand the essential keys to writing good copy   

 

I recently spoke with Wendy McWilliams from WMC Public Relations about how to write copy that will engage readers and generate a response, if that is the desired outcome. Wendy brings more than twenty years of experience to PR, particularly supporting SMEs with their promotion and publicity. She offered some great tips on content writing relevant to all of us running a small business

 

Q: Wendy, do you need special skills to write articles that people will actually read?

 

Not really, but you need to be mindful of who you are writing for and who will be reading the article. And whether it is a technical article or one that is general in nature, there are some tips that can be used across all types of writing.

 

Q: So if you are writing a blog or a feature article for a trade magazine, you can apply the same principles?

 

Yes, you just need to write in different style. For example a blog can be a lighter style, whereas an article for a magazine would usually be more formal.

 

The first tip is to create a catchy heading and introduction. You want to capture the reader's attention so they actually click on the link or stay on the page and continue reading. If you aren't sure what works, look at the articles that attracted you or emails you received that prompted you to click on them for more information. What worked with you and what didn’t? Also, check the metro daily papers and see how they intro a story. Practice trying to make it as punchy and attention-grabbing as you can.

 

After people have read your intro they want to know more, so it’s important to then include all of the factual information. The who, what, when, where, why and how.

Another tip to good copy-writing is to add a human interest element. Depending upon your subject, you might consider how people have been affected. Be specific, not general when talking about how they have benefited.

 

Q: Any advice for the small business owner who wants to tell their story?

 

For a small business success story it's a good idea to include some background information about how you or your company came to be where they are and what influences or mentors you’ve had in the past. What initially motivated you to start the business and what it is you find most satisfying about the business now.

 

What or whom do you attribute your success to? What ups and downs have you had along the way? Obviously, you must make it real and honest – but try and include something that differentiates your business story to that of others.

 

I would also suggest you try and keep a news angle to the story. This is particularly important if you are pitching a story to the media, for example your local press..

 

Q: What about structuring your content – any tips?

 

You should try and keep the content of the article in a logical order; chronological is usually the best structure so that readers are guided through your story in a seamless way.

 

And I would suggest that you include advice or tips on how others can benefit from your learning and experience. It's like a bonus for them reading the article.

 

Q: Any final words?

There is an art to writing interesting articles and it does take a while before you become competent with it. What you write needs to be succinct and not contain waffle. Just put yourself in the readers' position and from that perspective, it's easier to write what you would like to read.

And one final piece of advice when writing your copy. Don't make spelling, typographical or grammatical mistakes, as this is one of the biggest turn-offs for most readers. It can definitely undermine the impact of your message and detract from your own credibility. So try to get it proof-read by someone else before you publish the blog post or submit your article.

And for some other great advice on PR, take a look at our post PR Tips for Small Business

Copyright 2012. Brian Carroll is the founder of Performance Development - a corporate training company based in Melbourne that delivers management courses, leadership training and interview coaching