By Emma Speirs
Director
Ballyhoo PR
STARTING up in business and planning a launch can be expensive. Depending on your business, you may need capital equipment or premises, and pretty much every business will need a desk, software, website and utilities at the very least. Not to mention marketing, networking and training costs.
Once you are ready to launch your business and announce it to the outside world, PR can create a word of mouth buzz, get you found on Google (SEO) and secure your new business media coverage that you can share on social media, add on your website and show potential clients.
Using PR to launch a new business, product or service can be incredibly cost effective. The media is crying out for decent stories – more so now than ever. Despite print journalism being on the decline, our appetite for news and online content is huge.
Think about how you find out about new businesses and the products and services you buy. Chances are you will be consuming a wide variety of media – social media posts and shares, blogs, video, newspapers and their accompanying website, trade journals you subscribe to.
To get noticed you need to think about what particular messages you want to push out, where you do this and when. If you spend a little time doing this, it will really reap rewards.”
Here are my top tips for using PR to start – and stay – in business:
1. Research the media you want to be seen in but be realistic. If you are based in Northamptonshire, don’t target London business press.
2. Think about what you want to say, how best to say it and when to release it.
3. Define your goals. Do you want to see widespread coverage over multiple outlets? Do you want to see an increase in enquiries? More web traffic? Social media likes, shares and engagement?
4. Look at your target media and the type of content it publishes and ensure you supply something that fits. One size does not fit all.
5. Maximise any PR wins by sharing them whenever and wherever you can.
For further information and PR tips visit www.ballyhoo-pr.co.uk