Online PR Tips for Small Companies
Keep you public relations budget low with internet tools
Marketing your business can be a costly process, but by making use of free or low-cost online tools and services, you can keep your PR budget low and reach new audiences.
Distributing Press Releases
Email may be the most obvious method of distributing press releases, but it can have its drawbacks. Spam filters may block emails and your attachments may be incompatible or too large for the receiver - keep in mind, for instance, that many publications use Macs, and therefore may not use Microsoft software.
An alternative to email are low-cost PR wire services, such as Media Kitty, which allow you to post press releases and press trip invites online - these are then featured in regular news digests sent to registered journalists and editors. Many of these services also allow two way communication, as journalists can post requests for information to press officers.
Targeting the media
It's no use sending out a press release if it's going to the wrong place, so keep an eye on media industry websites, such as FIPP or Hold The Front Page, which provide details of new publication launches, media news and personnel changes. Trade publications with free subscriptions, such as the UK's Media Week, also offer valuable information to help keep your contacts book up to date.
Blogging and Networking
Blogging has become a popular PR tool and there are now dozens of free blogging widgets that can enhance your blog. For instance, Zookoda allows you to create a blog newsletter and subscription list, Statcounter provides a free method of tracking visitors, and buttons from sites such as De.lic.ious and Technorati allow readers to instantly share your story with other readers. New tools are launched everyday so keep an eye out for new services.
Sites such as MySpace and Facebook aren't just for bands and school-kids anymore either. Anyone with a brand can benefit from setting up a profile - but don't provide just the basics; enhance your profile by updating content regularly to ensure repeat visits, provide downloads such as web banners and video clips and create exclusive deals or content for your online friends - this can all help generate positive word of mouth PR.
Monitoring Press Coverage
Professional press clippings services can prove very costly. An alternative is to monitor your own coverage using services such as Google or Altavista News. Sign up to receive email alerts whenever your chosen key words are featured in articles, blogs or videos. Websites such as FindArticles are also useful for searching publication archives. The disadvantage, of course, is that you are only able to monitor online media.
Online Press Centre
Providing an online press centre can save journalists time and effort, and can help you track which publications are using your info. Use a free PDF creator to provide downloadable fact sheets and copyright free articles, but also provide them as an unformatted text document, created in note or wordpad, to allow journalists to cut and paste editorial easily.
If your hi-res photography files are too large to send by email, try using FTP services such as You Send It. Or, if your budget allows, upload your photos to an image library such as PRShots, which allows journalists to search for suitable photos and download them instantly.
