Success message
Error message
By Rachel M. Anderson, Publicist, RMA Publicity
Prices are already up at the grocery store. Due to the pending international tariffs, the cost of pretty much everything else Americans need—from clothing and baby strollers to cars and gasoline—is expected to increase soon too.
As a result, a lot of people are looking for places to cutback; but if you have a business that sells products and services, one area you can’t afford to cut back on is promotion. Afterall, if you want to connect with your target audience, you need to be visible.
The good news is that visibility doesn’t mean you need to continue purchasing advertisements or sponsoring events that won’t necessarily lead to sales. You can save a lot of money by stepping up your publicity efforts.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, publicity is defined as information with news value issued as a means of gaining public attention or support. In other words, it’s the process of using the news media to get the word out for you.
Publicity is not something you have to pay the media to get. However, if you work with a publicist, you will need to pay that person to help you get the news media’s attention. The good news, the cost of working with a publicist is just a small fraction of what you would have paid the media outlet to advertise. Not to mention, the value of appearing in a news story versus an advertisement is a lot higher.
So, how do you get the most bang for your buck when it comes to publicity?
1) Build a customized editorial calendar.
Ever heard of the editorial calendar? If not, it’s a tool you should familiarize yourself with right away because it can deliver huge dividends.
The key feature of an editorial calendar is that it will provide you with an outline of dates when media will be looking for certain types of stories, and you can deliver.
Whether you are selling services, a book, or some other product, there are sure to be several dates when your business or services will be especially relevant.
2) Send out regular press releases.
You may think your upcoming event is the most important thing that will be happening in your community on a particular day, but if the media doesn’t know about it, don’t expect to get coverage.
You need to send out a press release; and don’t wait until the last minute to do it!
The businesses that are most successful at securing promotion for their events are those that send out regular press releases in a timely fashion.
A good rule of thumb is to get a release out a minimum of two weeks in advance. No, you can’t expect to get coverage every single time, but the more often you reach out in a timely manner, the more likely it is that your number will one day come up.
In addition, don’t forget that events aren’t the only reason to send out a press release. You can also send one out when you have details to share about a new book or product, when your company wins an award, and when there is a story making its way through the news cycle that you want to comment on.
3) Hire an experienced publicist.
If you don’t have the time available to research and create an editorial calendar, to write strong press releases, and then do the media outreach to try and secure coverage, you may want to consider hiring an experienced publicist to complete the tasks for you.
RMA Publicity is happy to share that since our founding in 2009, we have secured more than 3,400 media placements for clients. Need help executing a publicity campaign? RMA Publicity is happy to help. Contact us for a free publicity consult today.