Effective,for,Small,Business,B business, insurance Effective PR for a Small Business on a Budget: Get Local and

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If yours is like most small businesses, you can't afford the luxury ofa PR department, much less a dedicated PR agency or even one employeeresponsible for external communications and PR. However, this businessfunction is critical as the world of communications continues to expandwith new applications, demands and opportunities like social medianetworks. The thought of a concerted PR strategy and execution can beoverwhelming for a small business owner, but it doesn't have to be.There are two primary elements of PR for a small business to engageupon - leveraging online and local offline outlets. The old world offace-to-face will continue to be critical in building your PR strategyand overall business, but let's face it - the environment has changed,and you simply can't ignore the power of the Web, particularly socialnetworks. Proactively getting your business out in the community whileleveraging the Web will ensure the success of your PR strategy. And,these tactics are not expensive; in fact, many present opportunitiesfor free PR for your small business. These PR strategy tips are designed for those small businesses thatsimply don't have budget allocated toward hiring and retaining acommunications expert. If you are a smaller company, hopefully you cantake a few tips below to integrate PR into your small business to helpbuild a brand and generate leads. Utilizing informative, valuable PRabout your small business gives you the opportunity to influence peopleand lead them to your destination - your website, your store, youroffering. Take advantage of what's out there! Get online and get local- it's that simple. Growing Your PR StrategyGrow OnlineIf you don't have a website, you need to get one immediately. Today,you can get a starter site for free or within your communicationspackages from your voice and data provider. If it's in the package,then it's a no-brainer. If you have a website, then make sure it'sdynamic (video, blogs, and communities) to ensure your target audiencecomes back and builds a relationship with you and your brand. It's arequirement in today's online world; the days of stagnant sites areover. Then, once you have your interactive site, make sure you optimizeyour website and everything you say about your business online toensure your potential customers are finding you online when theysearch. This is a key part of your online PR strategy. Don't you searchGoogle or Bing to find what you need a pinch? It's called Search EngineOptimization (SEO) and it can be an affordable way to create additionalPR for your small business -- and it's often found in yourcommunications and IT packages. At the very least, getting a URL allowsyou to be FOUND online and that's key. Google now provides maps whenvisitors are looking for a specific service in a specific area. Bysimply having an Internet address - you can be found online lookingprofessional with a map to your location and link to your business, which is pretty cool. The Wild World of Social MediaYou have probably heard about "social media" and you may already betaking part. For many, however, the world of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs, vlogs and status updates may be a bit unsettling. Suffice itto say - these are powerful tools to help you carry out your PRstrategy, especially when used properly to connect, communicate andyes, to sell. As a small business, you can't afford NOT to take part. It's easy andaffordable, so don't waste anymore time. Of course, you do need tounderstand how best to engage before you jump in. Here are a few quickways to start creating more PR for your small business: 1 - Create a Twitter profile (www.Twitter.com)and gain followers by "Tweeting" about your business, surroundingbusinesses and community topics that map back to your business. Buildbuzz about what you provide - can you Tweet special coupons? Can yougive advice? Can you share relevant information to your community? Doyou have an event you want to invite local prospects to? Twitter, anemerging PR strategy with an increasing audience, is a great way toquickly (140 characters or less) get a message out and positionyourself as a leader. Remember, it's not all about you; you must talkabout the world around you to make an impact. Start off Tweeting aboutyour business, but quickly begin integrating Tweets about yourcustomers, your community, and your industry - and the most importantpart is to provide some kind of value or benefit in your tweets. Berespectable as well. And if you see someone comment about your businessonline (good or bad) - respond online for all to see. It's a great wayto show you are committed to your customers. The cost to you? It'sessentially free PR for your small business. 2 - Create free profiles on Linked In and Facebook. All you need forLinked In is a profile of you, and from there, you can create a groupwhere you can share stories, news, and other PR about your smallbusiness. People can ping you for questions which positions you as anexpert and, you can join interest groups that will help you track whatother potential buyers in your community do, say and think. ForFacebook, simply select "business" on the homepage to create a business"fan" page. Local residents, family and friends can then become "fans"of your company, which is an easy way to highlight the most recent PRabout your small business. All you have to do is commit to postingnews, updates, coupons, photos and other interactive content to getpeople engaged. Remember - provide a benefit - a reason for your "fans"to come back for more. In addition to these PR strategy tips, there are local meet-up groupsin every community that often originate from the Web, and then meetoffline to have a real interactive discussion. Check out Meetup.com inyour area to find one. Confused about this new world of social media? Read Groundswellby two Forrester Research analysts, Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff. Thisbook will set you straight and get you excited about the opportunitiesout there in terms of online PR for your small business. Grow LocalMuch like how consumers like to buy from locally grown farms, smallbusinesses tend to buy from their peers - other small businesses. Aneffective PR strategy is all about supporting your local communities,and these days, that's more important than ever. Keeping this in mind,focus on your community by generating PR for your small business atlocal events. Depending on your business, there are often specialtygroups for different types of businesses such as professional servicespecialty groups. Often these groups gather monthly or quarterly toshare best practices and to network. There are certainly general smallbusiness groups in your community such as your local Chamber that meetregularly as well. Beyond networking events, you can get ink for yourbusiness. Most Chambers have monthly newsletters or emails. Do you havesomething to say? Could you contribute twice a year with a specialpromotion to drive people to your business? Take advantage of theseopportunities to fuel word-of-mouth marketing through PR for your smallbusiness. Hand out business cards, build relationships and follow-up.These opportunities are right outside your door. Think grassroots.Shake hands with other small businesses owners, refer each other andgrow your business. To improve PR for your small business, think aboutwhat events are taking place this weekend where you could set up space,hand out collateral, serve up some hotdogs, and generate solid leads.Is there an art show or "Taste Of" type of event? Don't take it all onyourself; partner with other local businesses right in your area tosplit costs and cross-sell to each other's customers. A hand-shake goesa long way towards an effective PR strategy. Add a coupon and see theresults. Most communities have annual events that bringhundreds/thousands of people - target those. In terms of PR for a smallbusiness, the best thing you can do is to connect directly to youraudience by showing your personality and your value - get out there! Leverage Local Media.Another important element of your PR strategy involves local branddevelopment, which means building relationships with local media. Yes,there is still benefit in reaching out to traditional media when itcomes to PR for your small business. Take a moment to find out who yourlocal reporters are and introduce yourself. Share with your new mediacontacts areas of expertise that you would be able to discuss ifrequested. If you create a relationship with your local media and havesomething compelling or contrarian to say, chances are they will callyou when they need your input. Consider a quick email to your localreporters with an introduction, a quick reference of your expertise andwhat you could comment on. Being timely and relevant is critical toyour PR strategy. Offer a cup of coffee. Those relationships can go along way when you really want to make noise in the community. It'simportant to know that if you want coverage and/or additional PR foryour small business – you won't get it with a cold pitch. You must: 1)- establish a relationship; 2) - have news to share that's relevant,unique or at least different; and 3) - have a product/or service thatis remarkable. These rules ring true for influential bloggers as well.For more on being remarkable, read Seth Godin's Purple Cow - a great, quick read that will get you thinking about how to stand out from the rest to grow your business. Blending Old and New: Building PR for a Small BusinessHopefully these PR strategy tips will help you build a brand for yoursmall business and generate new and recurring business via PR.Communicating to customers and enabling them to communicate back to youis essential in today's social world of media. However, what remainsimportant today as it did 100 years ago is the face-to-faceinteraction. Nothing will replace it, so make sure you show your faceand personality in the community. Coupling the old with the new willensure a successful PR strategy for your small business.