Publicity is one of the most important aspects of any business, yet it is one of the most commonly misunderstood. Many small business owners believe that if they create a good product or service, customers will come to them naturally.
While this may be true in some cases, it is not always the case. In order to be successful, businesses need to actively promote themselves through various methods of publicity. Let’s take a look at what publicity is and why it’s so important for businesses.
Publicity Definition
Publicity is the deliberate attempt to generate favorable media coverage of a person, product, or company. In other words, it’s a way to get your business “out there” and attract public notice. There are many different ways to generate publicity, including press releases, media relations, social media, and event planning.
Publicity Categories
There are two categories of publicity:
Positive Publicity
This is coverage that casts a business or individual in a favorable light. It could be an article in the local paper about a new product you’re launching or a feature on your company in an industry magazine.
Negative Publicity
This is publicity that portrays a business or individual in a negative light. It could be an unfavorable review of your product in the press or negative comments about your company on news media.
It’s important to remember that there is no such thing as “bad publicity.” Any kind of publicity – positive or negative – can be used to benefit your business. The key is to know how to handle it.
Why Publicity Is Important For Small Businesses
There are several reasons why a publicity campaign is so important for small businesses. First of all, it’s a great way to get your name out there and build brand awareness. If potential customers don’t know about your business, they can’t buy from you!
In addition, widespread publicity can help you build credibility and authority in your industry. Basically, if you can get your business featured in major publications, it will show potential customers that you’re a serious and reputable player in your field.
Another great reason to pursue publicity is that it’s relatively low-cost and high-impact. Compared to other marketing strategies like advertising, publicity is quite affordable – especially if you do it yourself. And, because media coverage can reach a large audience all at once, it can be very effective in generating leads and growing your business.
Of course, there are also some downsides to pursuing publicity. One of the biggest challenges is actually getting media coverage. Just because you send out a press release doesn’t mean that reporters will be lining up to write about you! It takes hard work, dedication, and a little bit of luck to gain public interest. However, if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, publicity can be a powerful tool for growing your small business.
Doing Publicity Yourself Vs. Hiring A Publicist
Now that we’ve talked about what publicity is and why it’s important for small businesses, you may be wondering whether you should do it yourself or hire a professional publicist. There are pros and cons to both approaches.
Doing Publicity Yourself
Here are the pros of doing publicity yourself:
Direct Relationship With The Media: When you’re the one reaching out to reporters, you’ll establish a direct relationship with them. This can be helpful down the line if you need to pitch another story or get media coverage for an event.
You Know Your Business Best: Nobody knows your business better than you do! When you’re in charge of writing press releases and pitching stories, you can make sure that the media is getting accurate information about your company.
Saves You Money: Hiring a publicist can be expensive – sometimes upwards of $3000 per month! If you’re on a tight budget, doing publicity yourself can be a great way to save some money.
Learning Opportunity: Pursuing publicity can also be a great learning experience. Even if you eventually decide to hire a publicist, you’ll gain valuable knowledge and skills by doing it yourself first.
On the other hand, here are the cons:
It can be time-consuming: Doing your own publicity requires a significant investment of time and energy. If you’re already stretched thin, it may be hard to find the bandwidth to take on this additional task.
You may not have the necessary skills: Publicity is a complex and nuanced field. If you don’t have experience dealing with the media, you may not know how to effectively pitch your story or get reporters interested in what you have to say.
Hiring A Publicist
Let’s now take a look at the pros of hiring a publicist:
They Have Media Contacts: One of the biggest benefits of hiring a publicist is that they already have established relationships with members of the media. This can make it much easier to get highly favorable publicity for your business.
They Know What They’re Doing: Because publicists do this for a living, they know how to effectively pitch stories and generate media coverage. If you want to be sure that your publicity efforts are effective, it may be worth hiring a professional.
Allows You To Focus On Other Things: Hiring a publicity agent can free up your time to focus on other aspects of your business. This is especially helpful if you’re already stretched thin and can’t afford to take on another task.
If you decide to hire a publicist, there are cons to consider as well:
It can be expensive: As we mentioned before, publicists can be costly – often costing thousands of dollars per month (At least $3000 a month). If you’re on a tight budget, this may not be the best option for you.
You’ll lose some control: When you hire a publicist, you’ll have to give up some control over your publicity efforts. You may not always agree with the stories they pitch or how they choose to represent your company.
Lose relationships with the media: If you leave your publicist, you may lose the relationships they’ve built with members of the media. This could make it harder to get press coverage in the future.
Before making a decision about whether to do publicity yourself or hire a professional, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons carefully. Consider your budget, your level of experience, and how much time you’re willing to invest in this endeavor. Only you can decide what’s best for your business.
How To Develop Your Own Publicity Strategy
Now that you know the definition of publicity and the pros and cons of doing it yourself Vs. hiring a publicist, it’s time to develop your own publicity strategy. Here are a few tips to get you started:
Start by identifying your goals: What do you hope to achieve with your publicity efforts? Do you want to increase brand awareness? Drive traffic to your website? Generate sales? Once you know what you want to accomplish, you can start developing a plan to make it happen.
Dove’s Real Beauty campaign is a great example of goal setting in publicity. It was created in 2004, and it has been one of the most successful publicity campaigns in history. The campaign’s goal was to celebrate natural beauty and to show that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. Even though the company’s ongoing publicity campaign has evolved, it still maintains its focus on celebrating real women. Dove generated enormous publicity from this, and it has helped the brand become one of the most recognized names in the beauty industry.
Build relationships with the media: One of the most important things you can do is build relationships with members of the media. If reporters know who you are and trust you as a source, they’re much more likely to cover your story.
Develop a pitch: When you’re trying to get press coverage, you’ll need to have a blatant or sensational promotion pitch. This is a brief summary of your story that should explain why it’s newsworthy and how it would be of interest to the reporter’s audience.
Create a press kit: A press kit is a collection of materials that reporters can use when writing about your company. It might include things like a fact sheet, product information, photos, media coverage, and more.
Types Of Publicity
As a small business, there are many different types of publicity that you can pursue. Here are a few ideas:
News Releases: A news release is a document that announces something newsworthy about your company. This could be a new product launch, an event, or anything else that you think would be of interest to reporters.
Product placement: Send free items or give out free services to celebrities, bloggers, and other media figures. Your products may get exposure on their blogs, social media feeds, and other public places.
Advance publicity: This type of publicity is often used to generate hype for an upcoming event, product launch, or other promotion. You can use social media, email marketing, and other channels to spread the word about what you’re doing.
Partnerships: Working with different firms or companies may help you reach a wider audience and generate media attention. Collaborate with other businesses, conduct product exchanges, or provide your items and services as a free bonus to some of their clients.
Publicity Stunt: A publicity stunt is a planned event or action that’s designed to generate media attention. This could be something like a flash mob, a tv personality endorsement, or anything else that would grab public interest.
Promotional Swag: Give away promotional material like t-shirts, hats, or mugs with your company logo to generate awareness and get people talking about your brand.
Social Media: Use social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to connect with potential customers and promote your products or services.
Conferences And Events: Attend or sponsor industry events and conferences. This is a great way to network with other businesses and get your name out there.
There are many different types of publicity that you can pursue as a small business. Consider what would be most effective for your company and make a plan to get started.
Bottom Line
When done correctly, publicity can be an extremely powerful marketing tool. It can help you reach a wider audience, build buzz around your product or service, and generate sales. Keep the tips from this article in mind as you develop your own publicity strategy. And remember – if you decide to hire a publicist, be sure to do your research and choose someone who you feel comfortable working with. Or if you want to learn to properly do it yourself, reach out to Nicole Pearl and get started today!
