Public relations, or getting publicity through mainstream media, has been around for hundreds of years and has been proven effective in bringing in consumer traffic to small businesses. But, is such an ancient marketing method still effective for today’s high-tech small businesses? While it’s true that typical public relations have existed long before the computer and the internet were invented, the fact is, it is still extremely effective for almost all online businesses. In fact, PR techniques have evolved along with the development of technology, and they now produce better returns...

Using PR correctly starts with constructing your message and its delivery so that your news releases you communicate clearly and effectively. So often, companies send out press releases packed with self-congratulatory, cliche-ridden, unfocused information that seems designed to cause editors to either scratch their heads in confusion and throw the release out, or simply fall asleep under the influence of dull and leaden text. To avoid this, use benefit-oriented headlines that quickly convey the advantages of your product or service. Provide the “who, what, where, when, and how” of...

Public Relations (PR) is often referred to free marketing. You prepare a media release, distribute to your local media outlets and wait to see if they broadcast or print your story. Of course, it isn’t really free. There is the cost of your time and any expenses incurred to create and distribute the media release. Incorporating PR into your marketing mix can be worthwhile and provides you with some ancillary benefits. Desired News You can issue a media release for a virtually unlimited number of reasons, but, to get reported, the story/topic must be of interest to the news editors on the...

We discussed the steps you need to take to come up with a newsworthy angle few weeks ago. Now, we need to put that angle into a media release. Here’s my 10-step plan to writing a good media release. 1. Get the layout right: You need: • a headline sentence in bold • followed by an opening paragraph • followed by a text that supports your headline and opening paragraph • followed by contact details 2. Create a great headline: This needs to sum up the media release contents in a concise manner – just as a newspaper headline does. Keep it to one short sentence. 3. Write a snappy...