As I’ve been talking to small business owners, one common sentiment I hear is that they are not known in their community and are having a hard time “getting their name out there.” As a small business owner myself, I can relate to this issue. It’s not easy to do when you are strapped for cash and have very limited availability with everything else going on to successfully run your business. There is one common question, though, I ask all of them, “What are you doing public relations wise?”
With this question I’m normally greeted by a blank stare and then a “I-don’t-have-money-for-that” response. Well I’m here to tell you that is no excuse. Public relations for small business is just as important for the entrepreneur as it is for the big box CEO.
Media relations on a shoestring budget
Doing something as simple as a press release can help your business become known by local media and eventually, if all goes as planned, the community that surrounds you.
When would you do a press release? That’s simple. You can do it for:
• New hires
• Community outreach events (setting up at local fairs, craft shows, etc.)
• Giveaway/contest announcement
• Partnerships with other local businesses (networking)
• New products added to your list of available offerings
These are just a few to-do items that you, as a small business owner, do on a regular basis. Why not let the community know you’re doing it and how they can get involved? When the local media covers something you’re doing, it not only gets your name known but it gives you some credibility as it’s a third party telling everyone about you and not a sales pitch you’re giving.
What if your press release doesn’t work and no one shows up to cover your event that you have worked hard to promote? Simply take a few high-quality photos, or hire someone to do it for you, and send them to the local media with a couple paragraphs about the event and what is happening in the photo.
Public relations for small business is for all
When it all boils down to it, public relations is for every business. Regardless if you hire a PR firm that specializes in working with small businesses or decided to DIY, public relations can help the small business owner reach his professional goals. How do you incorporate public relations for small business in your strategy?
Wesley Farnsworth is a photojournalist with the U.S. Air Force and currently stationed in Virginia. During his tenure as a photojournalist, he has taken photographs and written pieces on the activity in Afghanistan, was chosen to document the 57th Presidential Inauguration of Barrack Obama, and has captured many other historical events. In his free time, Wesley also owns and operates ADMIT Photography, a portrait, wedding and special event studio, dedicated to capturing the details of life’s most precious moments.
