Tuesday, May 18, 2004

DailY PR Tactics for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses

Recently I spoke at the Early Stage East Venture Conference as the PR expert and one of the things I learned is that most entrepreneurs and small business owners equate the words "public relations" to "press release." What they learned, however, is that press releases are only .01% of public relations. Some of the things that are public relations that all business owners can do better or do more of are:
- Standard e-mail signatures for all employees (including tagline
- Energetic voicemail messages recorded with your own voice
- Your daily enthusiasm with friends, family, employees, neighbors, etc., with regard to your business
- Becoming a resource to the media on topics of interest and expertise
- Participating on industry and nonprofit boards
- Taking part in local fundraisers (walks, 5-K's, jail breaks, etc.)
- A news or media page on your Web site
- A pdf media kit on your Web site
- Track trends in your industry then follow up with news reporters for second-day stories
The list can go on and on. What's important is that you realize that public relations tactics are employed every day. If you are speaking to someone about your business, you're conducting public relations.