Four Things You Have To Do To Get Free Publicity for Your Business
Its true about any profession. The "old pros" somehow always seem to
get everything done much quicker and more effectively. Theyve made their
mistakes and are sensitive to the pulse rate of the industry.
Most professions take years of experience or education to master, getting
free publicity doesnt. Its much more an issue of finding out the little "insider
secrets" that work, and learning how to apply them to your publicity campaigns.
Above all others, there are 4 cardinal rules you cant afford to ignore if
you hope to be successful. Not following them is a sure fire way to start
depending entirely on luck instead of skill for your progress.
These rules that should be spray painted across the wall in the front office
of every business are:
1. Be Organized. Its fun and definitely rewarding, but becoming a publicist
isnt a game. You need to have a good idea where youre headed and how
you plan on getting there. Success doesnt come from a single "flash in the
pan" encounter with the press. You become successful when you start
developing a steady flow of income. This only happens when youre
organized. Carefully plan your campaign before you get started. Have your
press release, bio sheet and Q&A ready to go before you start any publicity
campaign.
2. Be Different. Remember youre in the news business. By definition,
something isnt news unless its unique. Being different isnt that bad a
business strategy, either. If you offer the same product everybody else does,
packaged in exactly the same package, then you really have very little other
than price to negotiate. If you can find ways to fill niches nobody else is,
then you start building loyalty, and developing seeds for a powerful news
stories.
3. Be Consistent. The old adage about all news being good news is wrong.
Just because your name appeared on the front page of the paper doesnt
mean youve made it. Yes, it offers momentum, but you need to be sure
youre rolling in the right direction. Earning the reputation of being self
seeking and ruthless wont help much if you then try to open a series of
homeless shelters. Chart your end goals and then move towards them, in a
consistent, steady pace.
4. Be Persistent. Dont give up. Its all a numbers game.
Actors and salesmen understand this. The fact that someone kicks them out
of an office doesnt mean theyre failures or "bad people". It just means that
person had some other agendas going.
You might send out press releases and get absolutely no response. Thats
not a reason to give up.
Try tweaking it a bit. Change the headline. Make sure your format is correct.
You can get plenty of free advice on the exact format to use at my site,
located at www.PressReleasesMadeEasy.com.
You might need to frame your story differently. Is it practical? Would the
average person stop in their tracks to take a second look at your headline?
Does the content of your story constitute a news item or an ad for your
product?
Its about hanging in there, not giving up, when others might.
Try averaging your failures. Instead of feeling youve failed 19 times for
every victory youve logged in, try thinking of it as a package. It takes 20
tries to get a victory. If a "victory" means you make a $100 profit, then every
one of those 20 calls makes you $5, even if the answer is no.
Edison was once asked how he felt about failing more than 10,000 times
while trying to find the correct filament to use in the light bulb. He looked
back curiously and answered that he hadnt failed once. It was just a
10,000+ step process.
Hang in there. The only person in the world who can decide when youve
failed it you.
As long as youre still in the ring, the fight isnt over.
Being prepared before you launch your publicity campaign and systematically
sending out your
press releases every week or two will go a long way toward leaving a lasting
impression about you in
the minds of reporters. That, in turn, will increase your chances of getting call from
reporters to do
interviews and promote your business.
# # #
Paul Hartunian is widely considered the worlds leading authority on writing press
releases and getting publicity for any product, service, cause or issue.
Subscribe to Pauls free publicity ezine Million Dollar Publicity Tactics. By going to
http://www.Hartunian.com/ezine. Also be sure to check out all the great free
publicity resources at his website http://www.Hartunian.com.
Also be sure to read the story of how Paul used press releases and publicity to
become the first person in history to really sell the world famous Brooklyn Bridge.
You can read the story at http://www.Hartunian.com/bridge.html.
You can reach Paul at (973) 857-4142 or by email at Paul@Hartunian.com.
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