Think about what would happen if your newspaper ran an
article about you and your product. And included your
contact information. Chances are, you'd be swamped and it
wouldn't cost you a dime.
It's an equal exchange. You've helped them do their job by
giving them a great story, and they'll help you out by
giving out your contact information. They want more good
stories from you in the future. The media doesn't like to
work late, just like anyone else, so they'll help you out
by publishing your contact information.
If someone sees an article about you in the media, they are
more likely to trust you and want to do business with you,
because the media is giving you an implied endorsement.
People don't trust advertising, but for better or worse,
they tend to trust what they read in the media. Most people
will skip right over an ad for your company, but they will
read an article about you.
You can also use that article for years to come. If you use
it in a direct mail piece, or as a display on a retail
store wall, it can greatly enhance your credibility. If you
walk into a business and see an article about them from the
Wall Street Journal, you are much more likely to feel
comfortable doing business with them, even if the article
is 2 years old.
This also automatically makes you an expert on whatever
topic you are being interviewed about. People will give you
celebrity status just because you appeared in the media. It
may sound ridiculous, but it's true.
However, there are some drawbacks to publicity. When many
people hear about publicity, they get excited and think
they may never have to advertise again. Although a few
businesses have been built on publicity alone, it's very
hard to do. Why? Because publicity is so unpredictable.
The biggest benefit to paid advertising is you can control
when, and where it runs. With publicity you are at the whim
of the editor. He or she decides if and when a story about
you is going to run. They may decide not to do a story
about you, or they may leave out your contact information.
Or, you may get an interview, but the story doesn't run for
two months. Or it gets bumped by bigger news.
Unpredictability is probably the biggest drawback to
publicity.
Another is the time cost. You can be on the phone with a
reporter for an hour, and then something will come up and
your story won't run. Or their readers just won't be
interested in your product or service. This happens more in
paid advertising than in publicity. Or a reporter will
promise to put in your contact info, and then leave it out.
This doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it's very
annoying. Publicity can be a big investment of your time.
One other drawback is the slight monetary cost. You do have
to spend some money to fax or mail your press release to
the media (unless you have other means and ways to
contact). If you're just after local publicity, you can fax
for free, but national publicity will cost you a bit of
money for broadcast faxing.
However, in light of the benefits publicity can bring you,
these drawbacks are very minor. You should be aware of
them, but they pale in comparison to the benefits.
Publicity can jump start a business, bring you a flood of
new customers, bring you a cash-flow "spike," plus give you
an article you can use for years to come to build
credibility in your business. If you are not taking
advantage of this, you are short changing your
business.
About
The Author
Abe Cherian is the founder
of Multiple Stream Media,
a company that helps online
businesses find new
prospects and clients, who
are anxious to grow
their business fast, and
without spending a fortune
in marketing and automation. http://www.multiplestreammktg.com
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