1. How to Get Free
Publicity for Your Small
Business

2. Richard Branson
Donald Trump

3. • Increased sales
• Instant credibility
• Helps build interest in your business
• Helps ensure people recognize your name
• It’s great because it is free or nearly free
• Helps establish you and your business as an authority
• Helps build traffic to your website
Benefits of
Publicity

5. • Position yourself as an expert
• Tie your business to current issues
• Write articles for trade publications
• Comment regularly by writing to the media
• Participate at conferences
• Blog and write a book
The Media Needs
You

6. • How did you start your
business?
• Why did you start your
business?
• What makes it special and
unique?
• What makes it interesting?
What’s Your Story?
You need an interesting story.

7. As part of your
marketing plan,
develop a
publicity
strategy.
…Write it down!
Develop a Strategy

8. • Your news must:
– Be new, unusual, sensational
– Affect many people and be of
public interest
• It must make interesting reading,
viewing, and/or listening
• It must be innovative, creative,
beneficial, funny or extraordinary
News Angle

9. 1. Do a customer service survey
2. Create top 10 lists
3. Develop an annual community award
4. Piggyback on a great story in the media
5. Write a story about some surprising facts about your
industry
6. Write a rags to riches story about yourself
7. Sponsor a local community service project
8. Disprove a well known myth
9. Write a story about being the first
10. Do some interesting research and publish the findings
10 Ways to Get Free
Publicity

11. • Write “For Immediate Release” or
appropriate date on the top of the page
• At the top of the release
– Include a contact name
– Phone & cell number
– Email address
– Website address
JEAN-PAUL, DELORIA & DELORIA 12345 Main Street
Any City, Province V5H 4H9
Phone 123-456-7890
Fax 123-456-7890
PressRelease
Contact: John Stephens
Phone: 123-456-7890
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9 AM EDT, September 23, 1998
HOW TO CUSTOMIZE THIS PRESS RELEASE
TO OPTIMIZE THE GRAY SHADING for your printer, click on the text
area, and choose Borders and Shading from the Format menu. Select
a new shade or pattern, and choose OK.
TO CUSTOMIZE THIS TEMPLATE:
Insert your company information in place of the sample text, and
change the header on page 2 (for multi-page stories).
Choose File Save As. Choose Document Template in the Save File
as Type: box.
To create a new document, choose File New to re-open your
customized template as a document.
TO DELETE A TEXTBOX, click on the border (the handles should
become highlighted), and press Delete.
-End-
How to Write a
Press Release

12. • Keep it to 1 page or less
• Write it like a journalist would
write it
• Develop a great short
headline
– Five ways to avoid
investment mistakes
– Four skills every
entrepreneur should have
– 10 things you should
know before buying a
home
– 6 things you should ask
your contractor
– How to sell your home in
30 days guaranteed
Continued…

13. • The 1st
paragraph must
summarize the news story and
include the who, what, where,
when, and why
• Thereafter write 3 or 4
paragraphs to explain in more
detail
• Include quotes from an
"expert.“ This could be you
How to Write a
Press Release

14. • Include statistics from a reliable source
• Add a picture
• Check spelling, dates, and details carefully
• Keep it simple, write short sentences and avoid jargon
How to Write a
Press Release

15. • Identify magazines,
newspapers, TV, blogs your
customers read/watch
• Choose media you would like
to get into
– Start off with local media
• Target journalists that write
about your industry
Target the Media

17. • Check newspaper websites for media contacts
• Collect names of editors, reporters, and columnists
• TV and radio: collect numbers for news desks and
program directors
• Keep your list updated
Build a Database of
Contacts

18. Lastdetail.ca

20. • Use the telephone to follow up
• Ask if the release has been received and if
there is any interest in it
• Ask if they would like you to clarify anything
• Ask if they require or would like to take
photographs
• Encourage the reporter to contact you if
they need anything
Follow Up

21. • Be well prepared
• Have some statistics
• Use examples that people can relate to
• Set a time when you won’t be disturbed
• Keep your answers simple, easy to
understand, and to the point
• Relax and be yourself
Follow Up Interview

22. • Remember nothing is off the record
• Don’t bad mouth your competitors
• Reporters are well trained to ask the
right questions
• Ask the reporter what angle they want
and if they’re writing an article of
interest to a specific target market
The Interview

23. • Develop relationships with
people
• Get back to reporters as soon
as possible
• Help them out when you can
• If they like you they’ll regularly
contact you
Make Friends With
The Media

24. • Send them a list of questions
• Relax and speak slowly and
clearly
• Ensure you’re in a quiet place
• Repeat listeners questions if
live on radio
Radio Interviews

25. • Send them a list of
questions
• Relax and speak slowly
and clearly
• Don’t look at the camera
• Dress appropriately
Television
Interviews

26. • Put it on your website
• Include a link on your Blog
• Share it with clients
• Put it in LinkedIn profile
Once You’ve Got
Publicity…

27. Join Our
Community…
Facebook.com/bizlaunch
Twitter: @bizlaunch
Blog.bizlaunch.com

28. To register for the
next webinar visit:
www.bizlaunch.com