Email marketing,
social media, blog posts, PR, and content marketing are all essential marketing
vessels small businesses need to use to reach their audience. Unfortunately,
all this can overwhelm any small business owner.
The reality is, as
a small business owner, there’s limited money and time to make a marketing
strategy work. This means it’s essential to find the best plan of attack.
While the tactics and strategies mentioned above are highly effective, it is essential to choose the right PR strategy for the business’s audience. For marketing to meet business goals, it’s important to reach customers, not just look good to the world.
Getting into the Customer’s Head
Developing expert a media relations has to start somewhere. Email marketing and social media are powerful. However, all the emails and posts don’t matter if customers don’t read their email or use the social network selected.
Start by
understanding what a business’s ideal customer is looking for and how they
consume information. While not all customers use Facebook or read blogs, they
may read trade magazines or the local newspaper. This is when media relations
come in.
Traditional media
relations serve as a powerful supplement to the marketing efforts being used.
This can help business owners find new customers without having to spend too
much.
A great way to
start this is by researching relevant media. For businesses with a strong local
presence, consider the local newspaper or TV station to get started. Talk to
current customers to see what type of media they consume.
It’s also a good idea to find out where the competition and partners are featured in the media. Searching on Google can reveal publications that may be a good fit. After finding a list of media outlets, research each one further.
Find out the
stories covered, if industry experts contribute stories, and what trends
haven’t been covered. After this, it’s on to step two.
Making the Pitch
With the research
done, a business can have a good understanding of the stories each outlet is
searching for and how to approach them. For a business newspaper or local
morning show on television, consider offering to speak on a current issue or
trend. For a trade magazine, serve as a source for a new article or offer to
write an in-depth article.
Usually, sending pitches via email works fine, but you must have a newsworthy story to share. The focus of the pitch needs to be on establishing the business as an authority on the topic and why it applies to the audience.
A good pitch includes
an engaging intro and a summary of the story idea. A bio should also be
created, along with the business contact information. The goal is to offer
help.
Remember, most
media outlets receive many pitches each day. Reach out in seven to 10 days if
the media outlet has not responded. After that, find another target that may
accept the pitch.
The Importance of Media Relations
Remember, even if
the pitch isn’t accepted, the goal is to develop a relationship. A good
relationship with important reporters means when the right opportunity arises,
they will think of the business and reach out.
Good media relations are a powerful way to improve a business’s reach, as small businesses work to develop an effective and affordable marketing strategy. Marketing efforts offline may be the best way to reach the target customer and boost credibility in the industry.
