Low Cost Ways to Get Publicity
by Andrew Shedden
Promotion is the most fun you can have in marketing with your clothes on. Whenever you mention promotion to the average business owner the first thing they say is "Oh you mean advertising." Well actually, no. There is much more to promotion than advertising.
Sponsor a contest. Contests are a great way of promoting your business and you don't have to do something expensive to get peoples attention. Make it memorable and fun. You don't have to give away a Mercedes-Benz to generate interest. Let's say you own a Mexican Restaurant. Why not sponsor a salsa contest? Offer a two for one dinner coupon for anyone who enters the contest. Have each entrant pay $10 to bring in a sample of his or her hottest home made salsa. Donate all of the entry money to a local charity and get the local media to cosponsor your contest or at least promote it. Have a local "personality" be the official taste tester and judge. Give the grand prize winner a free dinner for four.
Contribute to other industry newsletters. For example, let's say that your business specializes in marketing services. You are very anxious to start working in the professional marketplace. Now's the time to do a little research on the phone. Contact a few of your local professional firms and see if any of them subscribe to an industry newsletter, you can be sure that they will.
Let's say that you are focusing on accountants. Some of them would subscribe to a newsletter with a title like "CA Today." Contact the newsletter publisher and offer to write a single article, a multi-part article, or ongoing column. For purposes of this example I would offer to write a three-part article on "Marketing your Professional Business." Make sure that your article offers good and relevant content and is not an "advertorial" for your company. Be sure that your contact information is included at the end of each article. Most newsletter publishers would welcome your articles as they always need more good content.
Volunteer for charitable work. Not all benefits in business are financial ones.
Give free talks at your local chamber of commerce as a low cost way to raise your profile. It is surprising how many business people think that customers have to be far afield. Many business owners won't look to you for solutions their problems because they don't know you exist. Have invitations sent out through your local Chamber of Commerce and get up there and get talking. As with anything else you plan on doing, make sure you offer useful information.
Donate products or services. Show people what you've got. This is especially effective if you operate a service-based business. If you are just starting out or if you have a lull in your business the one thing you do have is time. Offer a free consultation or product demonstration. Once you become more visible the business opportunities will start rolling in.
Teach an adult education class at your community college. Spread your knowledge. The people you are teaching today may be your customers or partners tomorrow.
