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Public Relations for the Little Guy (Gal?)
Bob Ryan, About Purpose, Inc. ©2009
One of the frequent complaints of small business owners is that we can’t seem to get the good public relations exposure that larger companies get. We view this as putting us at a disadvantage, and we see any efforts at PR as a poor investment of time and money. Is this really true? Or are there things we can do to improve our image, our customers’ awareness of us and our products, our brand promise, and our market presence?
Public relations is nothing more than relating with the public. It is not some unattainable science that can only be performed by seasoned professionals. It is not some expensive and time consuming process requiring full-time staff. Effective PR is well within your present budget, skill set, and yes, even within your comfort zone. Here are three simple steps you can take to create a public relations plan starting today. Talk it up, Write it down and Act it out.
Talk it Up
Use your words. Make a list of all the situations in which you talk to customers – in person, on the phone, during a sales transaction, around the holidays, handling a complaint, etc. Now, write simple scripts that fit those situations and use them to talk up your company’s features, benefits, values, goals, accomplishments, and so on. If you have staff, involve them in thinking of all the ways you and they can verbally build relationships with your customers. Then, “talk it up.” Volunteer to speak at events, career fairs or anyplace your customers are likely to hear you. Face-to-face relationship building is still the most powerful PR tool on earth, but you can go beyond that, too. Create telephone answering recordings that are short, punchy and relevant. With very little money and time you can create short videos in-house and embed them in your e-mails, your blogs and your web site.
Write it Down
When you’re not face-to-face with customers, you still communicate with them. Have another brainstorming session with your staff to think of all the ways you interact with your customers with the written word. There are a host of opportunities: business cards, stationery, invoices, thank-you notes, notifications of received orders, holiday greetings, and more. Use every one to build an awareness of who you are, what you do, how you are better, what you mean to them, etc.
Use newsletters, web sites, blogs, text alerts and even social networking tools to weigh in on relevant issues and events. Position yourself as an expert in your field. Every time you read the paper or listen to the news, ask yourself how items affect or interest your customers – then deliver it to them wrapped in your image and professional views.
Act it Out
Finally, walk the talk. Build a reputation as a company that goes the extra mile for customers. Empower your staff to act on your behalf. Look for opportunities to act out your values in your community or with your customers. Volunteer. Donate. Come along side others and give your time and attention to them.
Of course, there are other dimensions to PR than these few ideas. But, you can start today to build effective public relations. Take a few good ideas and start now. Then write out a schedule that will keep you taking action throughout the year. As you get more comfortable, you will discover that you are not limited just because your company is small – only because your thinking is small.