I know, I know, you don’t have much money for advertising. But… surely you are interested in it if it’s free?
Don’t underestimate the value of press releases for your business. In fact, you should set a goal of issuing one every other month, no less than 6 times a year. It’s easy and costs almost nothing.
Look for things to announce that are newsworthy: new products, employee promotions, a new service you’re offering, a business contribution or award your business has won. You must make sure your release is focused on the reader, consumer or customer, promoting products that will benefit him or her. If the release focuses too much on promoting your business, it won’t get published.
You can write your own press releases. I always did and, as a result, have been written up in many newspapers and trade journals, including Inc. Magazine twice!
Writing my own press releases has been a huge boon to my business. I recently issued a press release about my free, monthly, auto recycling E-newsletter and got over 100 registrants in just a few days. And it can be a boon for your business also. Eventually, I found a source for writing press releases and recommend you try him. Eric Anderson specializes in helping people with small businesses write press releases. He can be reached at (813) 787-8959. You’ll find him easy to deal with and very inexpensive, just a few hundred dollars. What kind of ad can you get for $200? One story placed in a newspaper is more cost effective than an ad.
For mailings, use Microsoft Word. Go to the Labels section (under Tools) where you can create and save a template of the addresses of your chosen media. Don’t forget to include your banker to receive the press releases. Include other media of interest as you discover magazines that might be appropriate to your industry, trade journals and even newsletters that may relate to your business, such as the one put out by your trade association. My media list grew to well over 400 in just a few years. When a press release is ready, I print out the mailing list on labels, and they go in the mail in no time. The technology and services are available to make this important task easy. You can also release through a wire service (I use PR Newswire) to area media, newswires and the web for about a hundred dollars.
The key to placing press releases successfully is to make them about the benefits to consumers or customers who subscribe to your target publication. Your release won’t be published if it simply promotes your business. A good professional helper like Eric Anderson can help you see this and improve your placement numbers.
Remember only you can make business great!
Ron Sturgeon, Mr. Mission Possible, has been a successful business owner for more than 35 years. As a small business consultant, he can deliver wisdom and advice gleaned from an enviable business career that started when he opened a VW repair business as a homeless 17-year-old and culminated in the sale of several businesses he built to Fortune 500 companies.
Ron has helped bankers, lawyers, insurance agents, restaurant owners, and body shop owners, as well as countless salvage yard owners to become more successful business people. He is an expert in helping small business owners set the right business strategies, implement pay-for- performance, and find new customers on the web.
As a consultant, Ron shares his expertise in strategic planning, capitalization, compensation, growing market share, and more in his signature plainspoken style, providing field-proven, and high-profit best practices well ahead of the business news curve. Ron is the author of nine books, including How to Salvage More Millions from Your Small Business.
To inquire about consulting or keynote speaking, contact Ron at 817-834-3625, ext. 232, rons@MrMissionPossible.com, 5940 Eden, Haltom City, TX 76117.