Getting free advertising for your business depends on a number of factors. Above all others, however, there are 4 cardinal rules that you cannot afford to ignore if you hope to succeed. Not following them is a surefire way to start relying entirely on luck rather than skill for your progress.
These rules that must be spray painted on the wall of the main office of each business are:
1. Be organized. It’s fun and definitely rewarding, but getting free publicity is not a game. You need to have a good idea of where you are going and how you plan to get there. Success doesn’t come from a single “flash in the pan” encounter with the press. You achieve success when you begin to develop a steady stream of press releases. This only happens when you are organized. Plan your campaign carefully before you start. Know exactly why you’re submitting a press release and what you want the end result to be. Have your press release, bio sheet, and Q&A ready before beginning any advertising campaign. Have several follow-up releases ready to go. Send them to journalists 1-2 weeks apart.
2. Be different. Remember that you are in the news business. By definition, something is not news unless it is different. Being different is not a bad business strategy either. If you offer the same product as everyone else, packaged in the exact same package, then you really have very little to negotiate other than price. If you can find ways to fill niches that no one else is, then you start building loyalty and developing seeds for powerful news stories. That’s the path to free advertising.
3. Be consistent. The old adage that all news is good news is wrong. Just because his name was on the front page of the newspaper doesn’t mean he made it. (Ask OJ Simpson about that!) Yes, it offers momentum, but you have to make sure he’s rolling in the right direction. Earning a reputation for being selfish and ruthless won’t help much if you then try to get free publicity when you open a series of homeless shelters. Map out your end goals and then move towards them, at a steady, steady pace.
4. Be persistent. don’t give up. It’s all a numbers game. A press release sent to a few reporters won’t do much to help you get free publicity for your business.
You can submit press releases for free web publicity and get absolutely no response. That is not a reason to give up.
Try adjusting it a bit. Change the headline. Make sure your format is correct.
You may need to frame your story differently. It is practical? Would the average person stop dead to take a second look at your headline? Does the content of your story constitute news or an advertisement for your product? If your press release is nothing more than an advertisement for your business, you can be sure it will be thrown away. Reporters will see that you are just looking for free publicity without giving them anything to work with.
It’s about holding on, not giving up, when others might.
As long as you’re still in the ring, the fight isn’t over.
Being prepared before launching your ad campaign and consistently sending out your press releases every week or two will go a long way in making a lasting impression about you in the minds of journalists. That, in turn, will increase your chances of receiving calls from reporters to do interviews and get free publicity for your business.
