Marketing
Using Print to Boost Your Businessby Kevin Nunley
Many beginning business owners think that advertisements are the only REAL way to get people to know about themselves and their businesses. Experience will show, however, that there hundreds of ways to get that "name recognition" that you are looking for. One method that is especially good for promoting your business, as well as building your own personal credibility, is to use established media. Three types of media that are excellent for this are newspapers, newsletters, and books.
1. Newspaper Publicity. Marcie told me, "I've tried sending out a few press releases to the newspaper, but they never print them." Here's why. Newspaper editors look for press releases that are "newsworthy." Newsworthy simply means that the story is one that lots of readers will find interesting.
I asked a newspaper editor what she looked for and here are some of the guidelines she gave:
Editors like stories where people overcome adversity or perform acts of kindness.
Editors like stories that appeal to a wider audience and transcend your neighborhood or industry.
Editors like stories that give the reader some kind of emotion: happy, mad, afraid, proud.
Keep in mind that news must be new. An event that happened months ago will not be of interest to the newspaper. Of course, if something new happens that closely relates to an event months ago, the old event could become news again.
Don't get discouraged if your first press releases don't get into the paper. Look over them and think what you could do differently next time. Newsworthy-ness is the key.
2. Publish a Newsletter. This is the information age, and there's nothing that people like better than free information sent directly to their attention. That's what you get when you publish your own newsletter. Whereas many people will gloss past your ads and commercials, they'll often stop to scan through a helpful and interesting newsletter.
Newsletters can be a lot of work, so keep yours simple. If you are a small business person, there's no reason that your newsletter needs to be more than a single page printed on front and back. Keep customers and prospects interested and in touch by bringing them up to date on your latest products and services.
Provide them with a helpful hint that relates to your business. Don't have the budget or time to mail your newsletter? Leave it on counters. Hand it to customers. Stuff it in bags. If you have lots of customers who are on-line, don't miss the chance to send out your own email newsletter. They can be extremely simple and cost you nothing for postage. Build your subscriber list by asking customers for their email address.
3. Write Your Own Book. You've heard the old phrase "write your own ticket?" You can write your own ticket when you write your own book. For some reason, writing a book makes you the ultimate expert in your field. "Me? Write a book?" you say. I had the same reaction the first time I heard it. But writing a book can really be quite simple.
Start with ten topics and fill the details in under them. It's never been easier to find a publisher or to publish your book yourself. Your text can be printed on a computer and reproduced by a quality copy shop or by one of the many fine book printers that specialize in small run self-publishers.
For top-notch information on writing your own book, check out Dan Poynter's "Self-Publishing Manual." It's in libraries everywhere. As Poynter emphases, you don't have to be a great writer to put together a non-fiction, how-to book that gives lots of information on a topic that many people are interested in. Think of all the information you could supply about the business that you are in. Write down your ideas.
If you plan to remain in business for "the long haul," you will want people to know who you are and what you have to offer. Advertisements and flyers are fine, but for that long-term recognition factor, try to use as many media as possible, even those that aren't known for their advertising!
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