Free! Small Business Seminar Tonight

How to Get Free Publicity

www.BizLaunch.ca

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What is Publicity?• It’s getting your business name mentioned in

magazines, newspapers, radio, newsletters, blogs,

websites and TV

• It’s about building interest in your business

• It’s about creating a buzz about your business

• It’s about ensuring that people recognize your name

• It’s great because it is free or nearly free

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Why Is Free Publicity Great • It’s much cheaper than paid advertising

• It helps you build your brand

• It increases your visibility

• It builds your credibility, because someone else is talking about you

• You can reach a larger audience than you can reach with other

marketing tools

• It can increase the number of visitors to your website

• It’s good for company morale

• It’s good for your customers to see you in the media

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Free Publicity Opportunities• Know your target market

• Identify the media your customers read, listen to or watch

• Identify media you would like to get into

– It’s often a good idea to get into your local media for

starters

– Local media love publishing local stories about small

business success stories

• Identify which journalists write about your industry

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Free Publicity Opportunities

• Start developing a database of media contacts, phone

numbers & email

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Build a Database of Media Contacts• Make a list of relevant media. Which media are featuring

stories about your industry

• Listen, watch and read

• Check media websites

• Create a database of Media Contacts

• Print media: collect names of editors, reporters &

columnists

• TV and radio: collect numbers for news desks and program

directors

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Build a Database of Media Contacts

• Refresh your list every six months (media people move

around!)

• Internet: do searches on the internet about people that

write about your industry

• Blogs: Develop a list of Blogs that write about your industry

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What Stories Do The Media Like?

• The media want information that is interesting and

informative

• Do you have a story about being the 1st, newest, oldest,

biggest or smallest

• Have you introduced something new or improved? Tell the

journalist why it’s better and what problem it solves

• Is it the anniversary of a significant event? Has it been

5,10,20 years?

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What Stories Do The Media Like?

• Have you recently appointed a new senior manager?

• Have you won an award recently?

• Have you won a big contract?

• Do you have an opinion about something that is currently

being written in the media?

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You’ve got plenty of things to say!• Have you done some interesting research that will interest

readers

• Spot a trend in your industry and write about it

• Does your business ride a trend? (Like people ordering from

home)

• Have you recently donated to a special cause in the city?

• Are you a “rags to riches” story?

• Do you have any unique business practices or marketing

methods?

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Become an Expert in Your FieldThe media loves interviewing experts. Become an expert by:

• Speaking at conferences or giving seminars

• Getting an article or column published

• Starting your own advice blog or website

• Publishing your own book

• Publishing a newsletter

• Media love statistics

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Become an Expert in Your Field

• Media love articles that are ‘list’ formats, such as:

• 10 things you should know before buying a car”

• 5 things your banker doesn’t want you to know

• 6 ways to reduce stress for business owners

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Writing Successful Media Releases

• Target your market. Who do you want to read your media

release?

• Chose your media to approach:

– Daily or weekly newspapers

– Magazines and trade magazines

– Newsletters

– Local radio and TV

– Websites

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Writing Successful Press Releases

• Start off by planning what you are going to say. If possible

get an expert to help you out and coach you

• Writing the press release

• Make the journalists job easy by writing a great story

• Start-off with a great headline

• Your headline needs to grab the readers attention

• Read the newspaper or magazines to get ideas for great

headlines

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Writing Successful Press Releases• Explain what the press release is all about in the first

paragraph

• In the body of the press release go into more detail without

rambling on

• Use quotes and statistics if possible

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A Case Study – PR at work

• Developed short survey on marketing spending of entrepreneurs for 2010.

• Results lead to interesting statistic from 200 participants.

• Wrote newsworthy release around survey results

• Contacted small business editors to pitch the story idea

• Provided quotes and interview opportunities

• Offered assistance with story development

• THE RESULTS?...

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SUCCESS

National publication featuring Bizlaunch in following

publications, along with others:

Writing a great Media Release• Type the words Media Release across the top of the page

• Include the date. If you want the press release to be used

right away, type “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” in bold caps

• Use quotes and statistics

• Create a catch headline no more than six words

• Use double spacing

• Write it like an article that has already ran

• Check your spelling

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Writing a great Media Release

• Stick to the facts

• One page is best, no more than 2 pages

• Include your contact information at the bottom

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Media Release Mistakes• Don’t write long media releases

• Don’t write boring media releases without any news value

• Don’t forget to double-space the text

• Don’t send media releases to inappropriate publications

• Don’t send your release out too late for inclusion into the

media

• Don’t expect media to call you…follow up on each media

release distributed to see if the journalist is interested

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Send Your Media Release• Typically, you will send your release via fax or email

• Other resources include:

• www.canadaone.com/promote/newsrelease1.html

• Canada NewsWire – www.newswire.ca

• Automated Press Releases www.automatedpr.com

• http://www.send2press.com/ write and submit your press releases

• Contact a local Public Relations expert that can handle the whole

thing for you

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The Media Likes Your Story

• If the media likes your story they will call you to arrange an

interview

• First, try to relax… reporters are well trained to ask the right

questions to develop a great story

• Schedule an interview for a time when you can talk

undistracted

• Ask the reporter what angle they want

• Do they want your comments on a recent news item, or is it

a story about your biz?

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The Media Likes Your Story

• Are they writing an article of interest to a specific target

market?

• The reporter will use your media release to ask more in depth

questions

• Remember …you’re the expert so make suggestions

– “I’ve got customers you can speak with”

– “Would your readers like to know this year’s Top 10 Most

Popular Pet Toys?”

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When Speaking to A Reporter

• Think before you speak

• Immediately correct inaccurate statements

• Give your comments some context

– (“For example…”)

• Get to the point, no rambling

• Avoid selling your business

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Radio and TV

• If you are called in to be an expert on a TV show or you are

being interviewed on TV…

• Relax and smile

• Dress smart. Ask the show producer advice on what to wear

• Talk slowly and don’t ramble on. Get your point across quickly

• Repeat questions you are asked as it gives you time to think

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Radio and TV• Don’t look at the camera

• If you are to be interviewed by Radio:

• Talk slowly

• Be clear

• Get to the point

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Internet• The internet can be a great place to get free publicity

• You can start your own Blog. Journalists often refer to Blogs

and websites when writing articles

• Submit articles to:

– www.Digg.com

– http://del.icio.us/

– http://reddit.com/

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How to spin your publicity • Thank the reporter or editor

• Ask when your story will be published or repeated on TV

• If you’re on TV or Radio ask somebody to record the event

• If you know you are going to appear on TV tell your clients to

watch out for you

• If you appear in newspapers keep copies of the article

• Send links to your published story to clients by email

• Don’t forget to tell your mom…she will be proud of you

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Learn From Your Mistakes

• For print media:

• Which parts of the interview did they publish

• Did they change your headline

• Did you give them too much information or too little

• If you appeared on TV or Radio

• What did you do right?

• What can you improve

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Learn From Your Mistakes• The more often you appear in the media the better you get

at it

• If you start to appear regularly on TV and Radio, buy some

media training

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Don’ts When Being Interviewed

• Don’t give ‘off the record’ comments

• Don’t make comments you may regret later

• Don’t bad mouth your competitors

• Don’t forget that a reporter may be pursuing their less

positive story line

• Don’t lose your temper

• Don’t look at the camera

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Use the Publicity to Grow Your Brand

• Send copies of your article to prospects, clients

• Use “as seen on Global TV” on your marketing materials

• Refer to yourself as ‘published’ or ‘popular media contact’

• Add copies of your coverage to your website

• Send an email to your database “what a thrill to be

interviewed by CNN…”

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7 Media Tips1. Become an expert. The media wants to interview experts

– Small Business Expert Jane Smith

– Divorce Specialist Mary Heartbreaker

2. Send a media release regularly, don’t give up

– Keep coming up with fresh material

3. Use only one idea per story or interview

4. Plug only one way to reach you. “Visit us at

www.bizlaunch.ca”

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7 Media Tips

5. Appoint a Media Spokesperson in your business

6. Never ask to proof read an article

7. Never lie to media…they love to dig up dirt! Watch what

you say

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Make friends with the media

• Ask media people “How can I help You?”

• Tell them you can provide them resources they need

• Offer to provide them with some contacts they may need

• Offer to supply them material you have written

• Always meet their deadlines

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Other Publicity Opportunities

• Offer to speak at your local Chamber of Commerce.

• Sponsor a community project or support a non-profit

organization

• Have a grand opening for your business & invite VIPs

• Come up with some outrageous ideas that will attract the

media (see Sir Richard Branson!)

• If you’re a good writer, offer to write regular columns for

magazines and newspapers. You can even get paid to write

them.

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Never Give UpPublicity can be the difference

between your success and failure in business

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To register for the next seminar in your area visit: www.bizlaunch.ca

Thank You!