Who knows about you?

You have a great product or service, an eye-catching logo, a solid business plan, an interesting Web site and well-honed presentation skills. You are a motivated salesperson who knows the market. You are a member of the local Chamber and belong to a variety of professional organizations, including those online, where you network vigorously. Still, beyond all that you have prepared for your success, beyond your circle of contacts - I repeat, who knows about you?

Wouldn't an article about your company in the local newspaper or in a trade publication be a great publicity boost? What about your name on a by-lined article (like this one)? This is pretty basic public relations and, if executed correctly, can go a long way toward calling positive attention to your business.

PR, by itself or performed in tandem with advertising, can substantially increase your business's visibility, thereby significantly increasing your sales. A fundamental principle to the success of this, though, is repetition, repetition, repetition. In other words, one isolated advertisement or article does not a client base build.

For the record, let me state here that PR and advertising are best left to the professionals. It is their business to keep current on the rapidly changing methods of communicating to an increasingly fragmented audience (your prospective clients). They are experienced in determining the most effective course of action for their clients. They have the contacts and resources upon which to call on behalf of their clients. That said . . .

Common Misconceptions:

PR? Advertising? Not significant, you may say. Yet they are as essential to marketing your business as are all the other components you have so carefully included in your plans.

Another common misconception among small business owners is that marketing - particularly the public relations and advertising portions - is unaffordable, therefore unobtainable. Not so. There are many PR and advertising professionals who will contract out on a project basis or at an hourly rate. Or, time and resources permitting, you could do it yourself!

Going Solo -- Sort of:

Can't write? Perhaps this is where a PR or advertising pro could step in to help. A rough outline of what you want to publicize in your press release or ad is all you need. After some consultation with you, they can rewrite, edit, and polish your work. You take it from there.

Conversely, if you like to write you could undertake that part of the task, then hand it over to someone else for the dissemination process. This would relieve you of the time it takes to research your market and determine which media are most appropriate.

Going Solo, For Real:

For purposes of our exercise, let us assume you own a local business with a regional service. Clearly, local daily newspaper(s), business journals, surrounding area weeklies and local magazines are the most effective means of reaching your potential customers.

First, however, you must determine how you wish to approach your target market. Is your service new to the area? Unique among competitors? Is your pricing or customer service a cut above? Find the difference between your service and the competition's and work it. If there is no difference, there are other, equally effective means of establishing company awareness. Then, when someone needs a service such as you provide, your company's name will come to mind simply because you put it there.

Call the editors of the publications in which you wish to appear and introduce yourself and your company. Ask how they prefer to receive news from you -- by e-mail, fax, regular mail, etc. Let them know that you are an expert in your field and that you are available to comment on any relevant stories. Offer to write articles about your industry.

Similarly, call up the publication's display advertising departments and inquire about ad placement. They should give you all the information you will need to design an ad according to their specifications, as well as a range of sizes and their corresponding costs.

There are many other activities that, when coupled with basic publicity, can keep your public relations efforts going - even when you have nothing new to announce. For example, develop a newsletter that is of interest to existing and potential customers; sponsor a breakfast meeting and invite your target market to attend.

Make sure you have an engaging speaker they are eager to hear, and remember to send out a press release and invitations and to place an ad announcing the event. Flyers might be appropriate, too. Become involved with local corporate giving programs - they may be looking for donations other than funds.

Remember, doing the PR and advertising yourself is not impossible, but it does require time and a resourceful nature, which, clearly, you possess. Otherwise you would be working for someone else.