You don’t need a publicist today get the word out about your book, business or brand. You do need to know your client avatar, your mission and your message like the back of your hand. You must know your product benefits, flex your expertise muscles, and be relevant. This will attract media, your target market, get you leads and secure customers – which is the whole point getting publicity and why you’re in business.
Here are 5 Ways to Get PR without hiring a publicist:
1. Make your own news. Some of the best material to pitch are your own surveys, white papers, statistics or trends you’ve spotted in your industry. Your information and your results become “news” and when it is covered in an interview, article or feature story. This is not “fake news” but news people can use and positions you as a thought leader.
2. Write by-line articles: You are the expert so write on your expertise. Write on Medium.com or just blog and share via social media sites like Linkedin – by doing this you build your brand and name as a thought-leader too. If you have a book, share articles from your chapters. Another ideal source for by-line articles comes from tracking industry news. Writing and pitching articles that tie in to current business events will help brand you as the ‘expert’ in your field and allow you to “newsjack” what’s happening now in the news. Your pitch will rise to the top when you know producers and editors are looking for new angles on what is currently trending in the news.
3. Monitor the news: By tracking industry news trends, you’ll be able to respond more quickly to ongoing business developments. With news – and with business – it’s important to have the edge and staying on top of ongoing trends allows you to position yourself for interview and commentary opportunities before your peers.
Tip: Set up Google Alerts for key phrases in your industry. You’ll be quickly notified of breaking news
and can pitch media contact (even via twitter) to offer insight into appropriate issues and trends.
4.Start promoting to your niche market first: The key to PR is to build awareness in your specific niche market before you target mainstream media. By contacting media specific to your client avatar and your expertise, you’ll establish recognition among the groups that matter most. Once the ‘buzz’ sets in, then you can test out the waters in the mainstream business market. Don’t forget your hometown newspapers, ethnic papers, your Alma Mater’s Alumni newsletter. These are the lowest hanging fruits.
5. Set up speaking engagements: There are a few business-oriented groups that provide entrepreneurs with great places to network, speak and grow their brand.
- Join the Black Speakers Network (BSN): Membership to the BSN allows you to expand your knowledge of the industry and get speaker alerts so you can share your message. The official magazine of BSN is Speakers Magazine. For more information about BSN, visit: https://www.blackspeakersnetwork.com
- Now that you’re starting to present, make sure your speaking practices are top notch with Toastmasters International: “is a non-profit organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations.” For more information about Toastmasters, visit: http://www.toastmasters.org
- Seek organizations that would be interested in your expertise, and reach out! Contact local Chambers of Commerce, Rotary Clubs, Nonprofits, Business and Professional Associations. And once you get booked, send out a press release stating that you’re the featured speakers. Put the release out there using BlackPR.com if African American media is your target. Great SEO.
