Small Business Public Relations

Earlier this week Matt McGee of Small Business SEM blog did an interview with me about public relations for small businesses. Matt has had a lot of marketing experience so he asked some great questions that I think businesses small and large will benefit from.

Here are a few sample questions:

Are press releases better for traditional publicity purposes or for SEO purposes — or can the same release do both? How?

The same release can be used as an introduction to a publicity opportunity, but there is no substitute for human contact. Press release distribution alone rarely achieves media coverage. Contacting the media with a reference to a press release and unique story ideas can improve your chances of media coverage significantly. While a large percentage of journalists research press releases online, many continue to rely on press releases via email as a method of getting new story ideas.

What advice would you give to a business owner who’s planning to reach out like that to the local business writer/editor?

Research the publications that you want to be in and find out which journalists and writers are covering topics related to your industry. Find their contact info and contact them when you have news. Some publications will make available their editorial calendar online. Check that to see if there are any planned stories that would be a good fit for your company and contact the assigned journalist with a unique angle.

I also provide “Five common mistakes businesses make with their PR and press release marketing”. Check it out: “The SBS Interview: Lee Odden”