Part of being a successful business owner is having more eyeballs in your business. If nobody knows that you exist, how can you make any sales?
One easy way for people to find out about you and your services (or products) is to maximize PR for your business. What you’re essentially doing is getting media coverage so you can generate some buzz for your business. The goal is that if more people know about you, the more people will come over to see your offering and services so you can make a few sales in the process. The other advantage is that you can brand yourself as an authority so you can leverage that to pitch clients and future partnerships.
Now you may be thinking to get the most ROI for your PR efforts, you need to hire someone to help you. That’s not the case at all. In fact, you can maximize PR for your business for free!
Without further ado, here are some ways you can get free PR for your business.
Take Advantage of Free Press Release Websites
Don’t think that if you don’t own a brick and mortar business or launching a product that you can‘t take advantage of press releases. As long as you have something considered newsworthy, you can publish a press release.
Why press releases? It gives reporters and other media outlets to find you. You outline in detail what is newsworthy in your business and how people can reach you for comments or quotes.
And yes, you can do this all for free! Writing a press release may take a bit longer initially, but you can use the same one over and over again as long as it’s still relevant.
Some websites to submit to include:
Reach Out to Reporters
Reaching out to news media outlets is a great way to get PR for your business for free. If you provide something of value to reporters (this includes bloggers, vloggers and podcasters), they’ll probably feature you in their next article for free. It’s a great way to showcase your expertise.
The key when reaching out to reporters is to give them something relevant and unique. For example, if you’re trying to pitch to someone, make sure you’re pitching something they regularly report on and you put your unique spin to it. You want to leave a good impression on him or her, and if you’re wasting their time, the chances are you’ll never get that coveted quote on a top blog.
Save yourself some time and subscribe to the following websites to find out media outlets that will help boost your brand:
Social Media is Your Best Friend
You probably know by now that social media is definitely a good way to create a platform. But it’s also a good way to genuinely connect with people who can help you get PR for your business for free.
For example, Twitter is filled with reporters tweeting about breaking news. You can create Twitter lists and follow a few reporters or bloggers in your niche. Take the time to build a relationship with them and they’ll probably turn to you if they need an expert quote.
Not sure where to go? Muck Rack features twitter lists of reporters. You can browse specific reporters’ Twitter feeds, or look around via different topics.
Volunteer at Relevant Events
Public speaking or just volunteering for events is a great way to put your business out there. If you have a topic you can speak at length about, being a speaker brands you as an authority and media outlets will most likely seek you out.
The easiest way to do this is to find local events and see if they need speakers or volunteers. Use this an opportunity to network. You never know where a connection can lead you.
Getting free PR for your business doesn’t have to be expensive. As long as you’re willing to take the time to see out relevant outlets and pitch well, you’ll be able to maximize exposure for your business.