Discover How to Get Free Publicity for Your Company
“No, I don’t want any kind of publicity,” said no company ever. Of course all businesses—the legitimate and legal ones, that is—want to be in the public eye. They want their brand to be as widely known as possible, and that is why companies dedicate a significant part of their budget to advertising and marketing.
The problem these days, however, is that economic times are getting tougher, and marketing budgets are getting smaller. While multinationals continue their advertising juggernauts regardless of the economy, shrinking marketing budgets can pose a problem for much smaller businesses. Budget cuts mean less funding for TV, radio, print, and Internet marketing, and that could create a significant impact on a company’s bottom line.
Then again, businesses don’t have to pay for publicity all the time. There are several ways your company can grab attention without spending a single dollar for it. Here’s how to get free publicity for your company.
Write about top online influencers
One thing you need to know about influencers on the Internet and social media is that they will appreciate pieces that feature them as top dogs in their niche. They will like it enough to share your article on their own popular blogs and social media pages, and you’ve got free publicity! Just make sure the content is written well because they likely won’t post it if it’s peppered with errors, grammatical and otherwise.
Do charity work
Now, this may sound a little self-serving, but getting your company involved in charity work can give you some media mileage. And we’re not even talking about cash contributions. Lending your time, your products and services, or any resource you have access to will go a long way in helping charitable groups or individuals, and that is something the media will definitely notice. If the charity you’re helping is somewhat relevant to your business, then that would be a bonus.
Press releases
Admittedly, press releases are old-fashioned, but they still work, so why not make one every time your company launches a new product or service or does anything newsworthy? Sure, there is no assurance the media will pick them up, but when they do, that’s free publicity for you, all for the price of a sheet of paper and printer ink.
Cultivate relationships with the press
As mentioned above, sending in press releases, while effective, is mainly a hit-or-miss affair. However, if you have good relations with journalists that matter in your industry, your company’s need for publicity will certainly be addressed more easily. So talk to them and give them industry insights, even gossip, if you have them. Your willingness to share information will certainly sit well with them, and they will likely feature you and your company on a regular basis and raise its profile.
Maintain a strong social media presence
There are billions of social media users in the world. Be one of them (if you aren’t already), and take advantage of the free publicity that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and other social media platforms provide. There are so many Facebook groups to join and Twitter feeds to interact with, and you will be giving your brand a lot of exposure in the process. Getting the services of a top social media agency, your company will be likely to gain a vast social media presence and increase ROI.
Speaking engagements at relevant events
Do you consider yourself an expert in your industry, and do the other people in it think the same way? If so, then you should be doing the rounds being a guest speaker at events relevant to your niche. The more events you speak at, the more people will know you and the business you represent.
Become an award-winning entrepreneur
Winning an award is a big deal. The press coverage that you will get for it is even better. There are so many award-giving bodies across all industries that you have a good chance of getting at least one in your lifetime. And if you do win an award, don’t forget to make your own publicity material about it and send them out yourself for more exposure.
Go viral
Any content we put up on the Internet, whether it’s a list article, a funny image, or a highly entertaining video has the possibility of going viral for whatever reason. Should you create content that is extremely interesting, entertaining, and highly-informative, it stands a chance of getting shared by many people, and that will give your company’s public profile a major boost.
There’s an adage that says something about bad publicity still being publicity. Agreeing or disagreeing it with those words depends on one’s perspective, but there’s one thing about publicity that everyone will agree with: Free publicity that casts a good light on your brand or company is infinitely better than the publicity that will take a significant portion of your budget.
