As I wrote last month, I’ve been working for myself for 10 years and seven years ago I started appearing in your inbox every month.
I thought it fitting to review the 360 posts on the Strawberry Communications blog to share some of the key articles I’ve written in that time (plus two bonus posts pre newsletter that I thought you’d like). Here you’ll find tips on small business PR, making the most of your business story and some analysis on where PR fits in the marketing mix.
PR Myths Exposed
I am an Australian Anthill newsletter subscriber and a recent edition featured a great article by Jules Brooke from Handle Communications on the Five Myths of PR.
I come across many business owners who aren’t sure of the benefits of public relations to their business. I have no problem with that, because it’s my job to tell them how PR can work to promote their business, but there are some basic assumptions that Jules covered in her article that really resonated with me.
The Difference Between Publicity and Advertising
A recent conversation with a fellow business mum about recognising the difference between free publicity and paid advertising made me wonder how easy it really is to tell.
I have worked in writing, public relations and marketing for more than 10 years, so recognising material – particularly in print – which has been paid for has become second nature.
Read on to find out the differences.
Newsletters are an Excuse to Contact Customers
Email newsletters are a fantastic way to stay in touch with your customers and clients – and an excuse to contact them every fortnight, month or quarter (whichever suits you).
As it is a regular communication method, you can use a newsletter to build a relationship with your prospective and existing customers, letting them know what is happening in the business, special offers that are coming and offer advice. This contact allows you to become their expert on your subject matter.
Getting the Right Pitch
I was a guest for an online chat with the savvy members of the AusMumpreneur Network on Wednesday night to speak about writing and pitching media releases. The questions posed by the business owners made me think about pitching to the media, so I wrote about it for this month’s newsletter.
Pitching a story to the media can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially if you hate making cold calls.
There are some techniques you can use to increase the chances of the media taking notice of what you have to say.
A Picture Tells a Thousand Words
Last week marked the halfway point for the online group PR program Make Me a Star Strawberry Communications is running, and one of the popular topics discussed was using photos in media pitches.
There is something incredibly powerful about a fantastic image (as you can see from the shot of chef and author Sally James to the left), which is why you should always consider sending a photo when pitching a story to the media. It can make the difference between the story running on the front page or, sometimes, not at all.
What To Do When a Journalist Calls
You’ve been working really hard to share your business story at every available opportunity and this effort has finally paid off with a call from a journalist to arrange an interview.
As tempting as it is to freak out and avoid the call (yes this does actually happen), the best course of action is to take a deep breath and follow these five tips to help give an interview worth quoting:
How Blogging Grows Your Online Profile
When you’re looking to make your name as an industry expert, the online space is the place to be. And the easiest way to build your profile as a thought leader is blogging.
Why blog?
I’ve been blogging in the personal and business space since 2006 and have watched this world change dramatically in eight years. When I first started blogging I was constantly explaining to people what a ‘blog’ was and why it was useful. Now bloggers have become such powerful forces that they are considered as vital as traditional journalists when it comes to building relationships with the media.
Read on for more blogging information.
5 PR Hacks to get Better Publicity for Your Business
Marketing your business can be hard work. When you’re not working in your business, you should be working on it, which means doing all things needed to make it tick along nicely and earn you a sustainable profit.
So in the interests of helping out fellow business owners who put their PR activity to the bottom of a very long to do list, I thought I might share some of my favourite PR hacks with you. These are a combination of tools websites and services I use to market client businesses, as well as my own, and I hope you pick up something that makes your life easier.
6 Things Every Media-Savvy Small Business Owner Should Do
This post is not about the skills you should have to run a business; it’s about what you need to do if you want media attention.
Unless your business revolves around something we absolutely must have, like water or you’re an expert in a medical specialism, you will need some level of publicity to survive. Often that publicity comes in the form of media interest – both from traditional outlets like a newspaper, or newer platforms, like social media.
Which of these posts was the most useful for you?
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