Getting Free Publicity Online

The term public relations refers to the sum total of activities that build the level of trust and loyalty with your target market stakeholders, not the amount of money you pay for favourable reports, contract or publicity. As start-ups, entrepreneurs and marketers, we wear many hats and you need to balance your activities as the chief producer and manufacturer with that of the chief promoter. Getting other people to promote your business may cost money, but most times we neglect the simple opportunities available to us. Spending your time looking for free publicity is tasking and demanding. However, the results last longer. The more effort you put in, the better your chances of success will be, especially if you have a plan in place and you are able to stick to it. Here are some ideas to guide you: Be unique There are chances that you already have a competition in the market. In a generation where competition is stiff and severe, you have to ensure that your product is unique. Viable business ideas are generated when your product or service is more productive, faster, cheaper or simpler. So you need to get that advantage in front of your target market. Even when your product is common, you still need a unique selling point to remain a viable option in the market. Community and industry events It does not matter how big or virtual your business may become, you still need your community to boost your business. Online, participating on online forums like Nairaland and solving other people’s problems with the aid of your social media platforms will bring you a lot of benefits. Imagine that you sell and repair computers and you make out time to discuss and solve other people’s problems on online forums. People are more likely to trust you as against others harshly advertising. Online trust and credibility will have them emailing and calling you for further discussions and consultation. Offline, if you own a local store or business, you can leverage local community events, associations, to participate in a community event if you’re savvy enough. From Landlord, parents’ association events to major industry exhibitions, there are free opportunities that may not be entirely about money but about a lot of work. Free online directories and listings If your business is not new, there is a good chance that it is already listed with the company’s name and address on some local online diretories but not claimed. It is important to claim your listing on such websites and supply the missing information, such as a website address, phone number, contact or email address. Since local directories are highly ranked for local search, it helps to promote your business.It also prevents unauthorised persons from deleting or laying claim to your listings. Common and popular local directories include Nigeria Galleria, Vconnect, Nigerian businessguide, Businesslist Nigeria Guest blogging Guest blogging is a common traffic-pulling tactic. You simply look for other blogs or websites within your niche or locality and offer to create a thorough and valuable article, image, research or report as a guest feature on their websites. It allows your business to tap into the audience of the other websites, thereby driving them towards your product, business or competence. You can also get talking with bloggers in your niche so as to get them do a review of your product or write about your business. Social Media Social media is now the most common way to show off. Why not show off your business and expertise? Why not tell people how awesome your business is? Why not show-off your latest client and product? In addition to that, online contests and trivia are ideal for gaining community attention. They don’t cost you anything more than perhaps free products or services. People will easily share the opportunity with others when there’s a benefit attached to it. Befriend reporters and bloggers Reporters and bloggers are essentially called gatekeepers in public relations. They are the ones you need to consult when you want to access their platforms – TV, newspapers, magazines, online blogs and websites. While you may need to pay to advertise, they are always looking for content. Your leverage here is that you understand your subject matter more than they do. A shoemaker or designer who is interviewed on TV or writes an article in a newspaper or blog about how to identify original shoes is more likely to be contacted about the shoes he sells than the one who complains that advertising is becoming more expensive. Since they are always looking for content, especially about topical and timely issues and ongoing events, you may need to stay close to them. Get access to any TV, Radio, magazine or newspaper you know. Offer your expertise and opinion and you are sure to be contacted when the need arises. No, advertising is not becoming more expensive; the ways to promote your business is just changing. These tactics are common as people already use them in various degrees. It’s time you get on the train and drive value for your business. Source:punch