PR: 12 Tips to Getting Instant FREE Publicity More Profitable Than Any Advertising You Can Buy

June each year is "Entrepreneur's Do It Yourself Marketing Month" and every small business owner on a tight budget who wants to explode their businesses quickly, easily, and without breaking their bank account should be using press release marketing in their overall plan to generate profits. Writing a press release is a great way to gain plenty of exposure for your business and unlike advertising.....it is free.

Do you know how easy it is to get stories about your company on TV, on the radio, in newspapers, in magazines and on the internet simply by submitting a press release about the new thing going on with your company? And keep in mind, these are stories about your company. These are not ads that you are paying for. People are more trusting of the stories they read. Printed stories do not evoke in readers suspicion as advertising does.

Now that's exposure you just can't buy.

- Write and distribute press releases consistently to promote your product, service, cause or issue. Be certain they are direct-to-consumers releases.

 
- To demonstrate your expertise, write "how-to" articles and submit them to high trafficked directories such as: EzineArticles.com & Ideamarketers.com These same articles can be sent to newspapers, trade publications, magazines and both online and print newsletters.

 
-Start your own blog and post entries to it at least three times a week on your topic. You'd be surprised how many journalists do their research on the internet and interview bloggers.

 
-Create a profile at social media sites like Facebook, MySpace, Squidoo, Ryze, and LinkedIn. These sites are growing by the day as millions of people turn to them instead of to traditional media for their news, entertainment and networking activities.

 
-Find out the reporters who cover your industry and invite them to lunch. Let them know that you are someone whom they can call on for background, commentary and story ideas. Don't be shy. Reporters appreciate it when you call to ask, "How can I help you?"

-Contact the advertising department of every newspaper and magazine you want coverage in and request a copy of their editorial calendar. This is a free listing of all the special sections and special topics coming up during the calendar year. This information alone will tip you off to sections where your story idea would be a perfect fit, enabling you to query the editor weeks and even months ahead.

-Send in press releases to radio stations letting them know about any fun and unusual promotions your business is putting on.

-Make a pitch to the media suggesting profile stories about individuals (your employees, of course!) with interesting or unusual hobbies or volunteer in outstanding community service projects. The reporter will call to ask them where they work-and that's more publicity for you.

 
-Develop relationships with columnists at newspapers and magazines and continue to feed them fresh ideas because they are hungry for it. Mail them a press release about the trends you are seeing in your industry.

-Ask your trade association to refer reporters to you. This is one of the places that reporters call when they are looking for sources.

-You can send in a press release and a complimentary issue to reporters in your industry if you've published a printed newsletter with helpful tips or off-the-wall stories of your customers, with their permission, of course. This will more than likely get you lots of interviews with the media.

-If there is a national story being covered and you can give a perspective being the local angle....a simple press release can get a reporter over to your business with pen in hand ready to give you free publicity if you can appeal to a wide audience. You've just made it so much easier for the media as they don't have to spend too much time on researching a topic of great interest to their audience.

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