The first step to getting loads of free publicity for
your business is to ask yourself - what's newsworthy?

What's newsworthy may depend on the particular media you
are targeting. Metropolitan daily newspapers and television
networks will be interested in a different type of news
story to one that might interest a local radio station or
suburban newspaper. Sometimes the same news story can be
pitched differently to suit the different news organizations.

Here are some opportunities to get media coverage:

Staff news
If you employ an important new person, tell the press.
Have any employees being given awards? Have you had
record-breaking orders or have you promoted someone
for excellence?

Customer's news
Have you had any celebrity customers? Have you helped any
customers out of a tricky situation?

Business changes
Are you increasing (or decreasing) the size of your
business? Have you captured a big export order. Are you
bringing in a new product range, or providing new services?

Location
Is there anything newsworthy about the building you occupy?
What is its history?

Unusual services
Do you have a strange occupation, or have you been asked
to do (or make something) that's unusual?

You
What have you done that could be seen as newsworthy?
Any awards, sporting achievements, seminars, guest speaker
roles etc.?

Start making a list of how you could generate a newsworthy
story for your business.

If you are still stumped, then the following 7 questions may
give you some ideas to get some free publicity:

1. Do you offer something that is not available anywhere else?

2. Are you a new business in the community or have you
recently renovated?

3. Are you celebrating an opening, an expansion or some
anniversary?

4. Are you the last or only type of your business in the area?

5. Have you or your staff recently completed any specialist
training?

6. Do you do charitable work or do you sponsor a club?

7. Could you host special events like free demonstrations,
free lessons, free seminars?

These are all media opportunities that have the potential
to make you and your business famous... well, for a short
time anyway.

I'll give you a couple of examples from my own experience.

When I first started in business I had a craft store and
regularly had various experts give demonstrations on
glass blowing, pottery making and china painting etc.
I also held art exhibitions for well-known artists.
The amount of free publicity my business got would have
run into many tens of thousands of dollars. The publicity
cost me nothing, apart from a little time and organization.
It resulted in hundreds of new customers and thousands of
extra dollars in the cash register.

Also, back in my days in the toy trade, the media were always
interested in what children wanted for Christmas. They had
a fixation to know "what's hot and what's not!" So, every
Christmas I would tell the media what kids wanted Santa
to give them for Christmas. Or, to put it another way...
"what parents should buy their kids for Christmas." I knew,
because demand was driven by television advertising and by
what I had on my shelves. Every year without fail I got
thousands of dollars worth of free publicity. It was that easy.

The really good part of all this, is that a news story is
worth far more in terms of credibility than advertising.
There are opportunities for any and every business to get
free media coverage. You just have to hunt them out.

© Noel Peebles. Market Leaders Limited.
http://www.instantsellbusiness.com
http://www.instantsellhome.com

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