Public Relations - Publicity Can Mean Mass Media Exposure for Your Business - Obtaining Online Publicity

Manual Nineteen: - Manual Twenty - Legendary Public Relations

Public Relations and publicity can mean mass media exposure for you. Historically, these marketing vehicles meant garnering exposure on TV, radio, newspapers and magazines. Today, the Internet gives you many more places to obtain added publicity. Publicity can vary from a mention of your event in a newspaper calendar listing, to a major feature story with color pictures of your business in a national or regional publication. A story about you can create a surge of immediate business while it builds your visibility and image long-term.

Publicity is worth more than advertising because it is an implied endorsement by the media. People also typically pay more attention to stories than ads. It takes a two-step process to reap the benefits of publicity. You have to sell the media on using your story and then, when it appears, it helps sell you to your ultimate customers. As discussed later, journalists are a difficult group to sell to, so it pays to know what you’re doing and who you’re dealing with. Because publicity is free, lots of people are competing with you for it. In order to stand out, you have to work to develop what journalists call your “hooks.” These are concepts to “hang” a story on (your USP will help you here). Fortunately, getting the media’s attention in your area doesn’t need to be terribly difficult. You just have to make the effort and be persistent.

In this manual, you will learn: