When many companies think of public relations (PR), they think about high-priced consultants helping large companies manage damage control from scandals or disasters. But for many small- and mid-sized companies, PR is an effective way to build brand awareness and ultimately drive sales. Plus, PR materials are also appropriate to post on your website and use as marketing and sales materials.

For most companies, implementing these three PR tactics is the best place to start.

1.   Use a press release to notify the press about a new product or service, the addition of a key employee, any partnerships you’re forming or other timely information. Editors look for a simple, consistent format, so follow style rules, or email us for a free press release template you can use. Like most things in marketing, you can write this yourself and distribute it online for free (or for a small fee at websites like www.24-7pressrelease.com, or have it written and distributed for you.

If you do the writing yourself, make sure that the press release is easy to understand, free of jargon, edited for typos and grammatically errors, and most importantly, gets to the appropriate editor. Following up with the editor to make sure they got it and answer any questions is also important, so make sure you allow time for a follow up phone call.

Local newspapers, magazines and business journals are a great resource to send your press release, since their mission is to cover local businesses. Send a photo along for even better chances of being covered.

2.   Inform your customers and prospects about any new developments. Regardless of how you distribute your press releases, post them on your website and email, mail or fax them to key customers and prospects. It lets them know that your company is dynamic and growing. Posting it on your website also increases the chances of more people seeing your release by placing it on search engines when your site is well-indexed.

3.   Consider writing a contributed article. Publications are often looking for interesting stories to fill pages. Many publications like local magazines, business journals and daily or weekly newspaper have a tips or spotlight article where they solicit stories from the community. Consider writing a “5 tips article”, or “How to buy a …”, or anything that can be of value to their readers. The article shouldn't be a sales or advertising piece, but it should deliver educational information that positions you as an expert in your field. Your photo and contact information often accompanies the article, inviting readers to follow up with you for more information.

Contributed articles can also be much more indepth, providing a profile of your company and services or products. You can write these articles yourself, or have a company ghost write the article for you. For a free sample of a contributed article, email us.

Taking just a few hours out of your month to start a PR initiative can translate into valuable free coverage for you and your company.

Need help developing an effective PR strategy, or just need help writing press releases and contributed articles? 360 can help.

360 Business consulting can help with all of your PR needs. Click here to receive more information on online marketing or to contact us for a no-risk, no-cost consultation.