First of all, I want to say a huge thank you to Vikki for inviting me to guest blog for her this month. It came as a result of Vikki and I talking about the issues that her clients face, and one of them is that they would like to know more about how to ‘get their business out there’ and so I suggested writing a post to suggest some ways in which businesses can do just that. And without breaking the bank too!

There are lots of different ways to attract attention for your business (in the right way!) and spread the word through newspapers, magazines and websites to get your target audience to sit up and take notice; here are some ideas to consider which are easy to do:

• Think about a story which is newsworthy. The key here is to do something which is unusual, perhaps the newest, only, first, biggest, smallest, oldest etc. If you want to make a big impact, then it’s got to be something which is more than just winning an award, unfortunately! For example, a personal trainer recently launched Britain’s first nude-ercise class, and it was covered in news outlets the world over! Now of course, you don’t have to get naked to get coverage, but you can see why this would be of interest to journalists!
• Launch a report. Research/insights are great fodder for the media, they have proven data which they can write about, statistics which you and they can write commentary around. You are an expert in your industry, and so are justified in producing and commenting on insights. Reports and white papers elevate your status as a thought leader, create news and is extremely cost effective
• Turn something on its head. If you go against the grain, do something in a way that’s never been done before then that makes news. Think about Ryanair for example. No-one did commercial flights the way they did before they did it, and they instantly raised the profile of their business because of the way they operated differently
• Breaking a record. This is a great tactic to try and get some media coverage. If you can get it validated by the Guinness Book of Records, then go for it! It’s certainly something different!
• Reader offers or special offers. This is a way of getting coverage in publications which wouldn’t necessarily entertain the idea of pure editorial content. You can either offer an exclusive deal for one publication, or target money saving/discount/coupon sites with a general offer
• Write a feature. Writing an article in which you demonstrate your expertise and insightful opinions is a good way to get free publicity. If the article is already written, then journalists may take it as it is if they have space to fill or if someone has let them down. Remember that most journalists want exclusive content so you will only be able to use that article once
• Start speaking. Film yourself talking about relevant industry issues. News sites are always looking for video content, so you could be helping them out by giving them a ready-made package

That should give you some suggestions of how to get some media coverage for you and your business with minimal effort and cost. Just give it a go!

If you would like a helping hand on how to get some PR for your business, then do get in touch, and I’ll be happy to help!

Sarah Whelband
www.sarahwhelband.com