Small Business Public Relations: Tips to DIY

To many business people, public relations can be a little bit mystifying. Sure, most people with common sense know it’s wise to avoid making silly gaffes or revealing confidential financial figures when talking with a member of the press. But when it comes to proactively creating positive press for your brand and elevating your image, where do you start?

Do you turn to the arguably antiquated press release, or do you try to pitch some prominent publications and hope your business will get a little bit of coverage? The best answer for a small business starting out with PR is—neither. Begin with your blog.

Here are a few tips on why this approach may serve you best, and how to effectively pull it off.

Create a Posting Calendar

Your blog can be a powerful tool in your company’s arsenal. Not only is it something you can entirely own from start to finish, but it’s also something that can improve your SEO and drive traffic. Use your blog to become a valuable resource for your customers, to answer their important questions, and to give them a glimpse of your company’s culture.

To kick start this process, generate a posting calendar. This doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does have to be well thought-out. The goal of the calendar is to determine topics, the dates they’ll be posted, the format they’ll take, and who is responsible for contributing. Be sure to switch up the subject matter so it stays interesting.

Be Social—and Use Social (Media)

Your blog posts should regularly cover your company’s contributions to the community. Philanthropic efforts are appealing to customers and show that you are invested in your community. So go ahead and toot your own horn! Philanthropic businesses offer a much more complete view of themselves to their prospects, existing customers, employees, peers, and competitors.

Unsure of how to do this? Take a page out of Apple Rubber’s book. The company’s blog highlighted when its team celebrated National Engineers’ Week, and it also showcased the business’ involvement in National Walk Day. Follow their lead and document all community involvement, then make it social by sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and beyond!

Make It Visual

Lastly, incorporate something visual whenever you can. If you’re sharing a blog post through LinkedIn, attach a related image. Enhance a post with an accompanying visual to help catch your audience’s eye. The more it stands out from all the other posts in their feeds, the better!

When it comes to PR, you don’t necessarily need to work with a costly agency in order to get results. If your objective is to see some more website traffic and draw in new customers, start with your blog. Create a posting calendar, get busy promoting your blog on social media, and remember to include aesthetically appealing elements wherever you can. You’ll gain some devoted fans, and your customers will find you to be a relevant and helpful resource.