|
Five PublicityTips For Your Women Owned Business
There is no doubt about it - if you want your business to be
successful, you must publicize it. There are many aspects that you must
take into consideration when it comes to getting publicity for your
business. Cost and effectiveness are the two greatest factors. You must
have several pieces of data, and a well written press release, then you
must know how, where, and when to publicize the business.
Getting positive publicity for your women owned business isn't hard,
but it can be challenging. Great attention must be paid to the various
aspects of the process if you are to be successful. Monique Danielle of
Diva Design World ( http://www.divadesignworld.com ) works with her
clients to publicize their businesses successfully. She offers these
tips to help you gain publicity for your business in just five steps.
Step 1: Collect Your Data - Before you even write a word of copy, you
must know who you are talking to, and where you will find them. What is
your target market? Who are you trying to reach? Who will your product
appeal to? Once you know who you are trying to reach, figuring out
where to find them is a bit easier. You will need to make a list. List
the usual places first, such as newspapers, business journals and
newsletters, publications the chamber of commerce publishes, radio,
television, and magazines.
Once you have your basic list, you need to think deeper. When
considering newspapers, consider what type of newspapers you want to
use, and the section of those newspapers that works best for you. Pay
attention to your target market here. If you are trying to reach women,
you don't want to contact the sports editor. If you are trying to reach
women owned businesses, the editor of a women focused newspaper is the
person you want to reach. Don't limit yourself too much, but keep your
thinking in line with your target market and what media you are most
likely to reach them through.
Make a list of contacts, such as the business editors of newspapers,
feature reporters, and women focused publications. Find out who is
running the show at each newspaper, television station, and radio
station that you wish to use. Get their contact information, and be
sure to verify how the contact prefers to receive press releases. Some
will choose to receive the press release via email or fax, while others
still prefer to receive press releases through regular postal mail.
Step 2: Write Your Press Release - You may want to hire a professional
to do this. Professionals know how to get the attention of editors.
Writing effective press releases is their bread and butter, so they do
it well. If you want to write your own press release, make sure that
you answer the questions: who, what, when, where, and why. Your press
release should be one page in length, and it should include some
background information about your company. Quotes from the company
heads are always good, as long as they aren't excessive. Remember that
this should be newsworthy information. It is not an ad.
Polish your press release. Make sure that the grammar is correct and
everything is spelled right. Don't use run-on sentences. Long
paragraphs should be avoided. Make sure your contact information is
directly on the press release, or it won't even be considered.
Step 3: Send Out Your Press Release - This is the easiest part of
publicity. If you have prepared your press release, and your list of
contacts thoroughly, you are ready to send your release out to the
contacts that you chose in step one. If your press release is of
national or global interest, you should consider sending it out through
an established distribution company as well. This will gain you more
publicity, because journalists all over the world will receive your
release. This will allow you to reach media outlets that you either
didn't think of, or didn't know about.
Step 4: Extra Distribution For Your Press Release - Once you have
distributed your press release, make sure that you post it on your
website. Since you will be distributing releases on a regular basis,
you will want to create a section of your site for 'latest news' or
'press releases.' Consider sending the release to related websites as
well, and add these websites to your list of contacts. Your press
release can also be altered and used as a flier, and you can mail a
copy to your past and current customers as well. Think hard, and get as
much mileage as possible out of each press release.
Step 5: Prepare for Future Publicity - Don't give it all away at
once. Publicizing your business one time will only make you a success
for a short time. You need to write and distribute press releases on a
regular basis. Try to come up with ideas for 10 - 12 press releases,
which will be written and distributed throughout the year. Keep your
mind open to new possibilities for press releases all the time.
Continue to build your list of contacts. If you distributed your
release through a distribution service, and it is published by sources
that were not on your original contact list, be sure to add that source
to your list. Keep your eyes and ears open for new sources all the time.
Getting organized and learning the ropes before you send out your first
press release is a bit time consuming. Once you've done it a few times,
it will become easier. The important thing is that you do it right the
first time, or you can actually decrease your chances of getting any of
your press releases published in the future. If you are unsure, or you
need help, be sure to contact Monique Danielle at
http://www.divadesignworld.com . Here team of experts can help you
avoid making marketing communicating mistakes.
Need professional writers? Inquire about DivaDesignWorld's copywriting services.
About the Author: Monique Danielle owns Portland Marketing Agency, DivaDesignWorld.com,
a full service firm that offers web development, graphic design,
consulting, and a wide variety of creative services. She is also the
founder of divadirectories.com,a
free online resource designed to promote the growth and development of
women owned businesses throughout Oregon, Washington, and the
Northwest.
|
