Every single small business owner out there knows how fast expenses pile up. Public relations strategies do not have to be high expenses. There are so many different online resources and tools that small businesses can now use while saving money. Company size does not really matter when referring to PR. What counts is using the budget that is available in a proper, effective manner. Here are some suggestions about how you can do exactly that.
Social Media Influencers As Allies
Influencers are very cheap options to generate good excitement around any brand. Engage with the right influencers and comment on their posts. Work at developing a strong online relationship and after that reach out to them. Offer free product use, samples and demos. The one thing you should ask in return is mentioning your service or product.
Be sure that you do not try to force the influencer to say good things about your brand. That will not work out in your favor. What you are looking is for genuine mentions and the influencers telling followers what they like and what they do not like. Influencer endorsements are highly effective for small business growth and you need to take advantage of this.
Help A Reporter Out Account
Help A Reporter Out (HARO for short) is a really interesting resource that you want to consider using. The service is free and will connect small businesses with journalists that work on various subjects. Simply set up alerts and when you see that there are journalists looking for something that is connected with your business, reach out. This offers great opportunities to get free PR as you send pitches and journalists help write about your services/products.
Facebook Live Videos
In B2B marketing live video is more important than it ever was. Facebook gives you the opportunity to create free content that is wonderful for PR purposes. Implementation is incredibly simple and the audience can be even larger when you announce the date, time and topic of the stream in advance. Scheduling does help get more viewers when the time comes.
Join Twitter Conversations
Twitter is a really budget-friendly, valuable resource to take advantage of. Be sure you have a branded page and that you use it to boost brand awareness, generate buzz and even establish yourself as an industry thought leader. Through Twitter you can follow conversations and join them when you have something valuable to add. Just be sure that you do not overdo it. What is really important is to share the expertise you have only when it is appropriate. This makes people notice your brand in a natural way that does not look forced.
Another related tip is to co-host or host Twitter chats. An “Ask The Expert” campaign is always going to be really beneficial for PR purposes. Do be sure you promote the chat with numerous tweets and that you encourage as many industry professionals to join as possible. That will only position you and the business as a trusted authority in the industry.
Speaking At Industry Events
Most small business owners just go to some industry events but those that want to grow faster will try to get speaking bookings at these events. Becoming a speaker is something that will help you so much more than you may imagine. In the beginning you can start small. When possible, bring a customer or client with you so that they co-present. That is going to add a human element while bolstering the story.
Answer Quora Questions
Check Quora and see what people ask in the industry you are a part of. That is useful since content you create generates buzz. You can easily add the business blog in the answers for further reading or just the Twitter handle. Be sure that you are genuine though and that you help people without asking for something in return. This is the very best PR move you can make with Quora.