By Will Anderson

Small business owner’s sometimes may not think they need to utilize public relations; however, that is not the case. Public relations is an integral part of any business no matter the size. The only difference is for a small business, is that you may not have the luxury of being able to hire a high-end PR firm or be particularly skilled at PR yourself.

Here are some tips that can help generate some PR Buzz for your SMB:

  • Create a unique story. The best way to get someone to write about your business is by getting their attention. Focus on what sets your business apart from the rest. That could be the product you sell, the service you provide, the culture you built, the problem you solved or the way you hire. These types of topics allow people to write about something new or of human interest.
  • Promote your expertise. One way to get mentioned by reporters is by promoting yourself as an expert in your field.
  • Sponsor and participate in charitable and community events. As a small business getting your name out in the community is enormously helpful. The best way to do this is by supporting nonprofits. You can support them by helping them sponsor a local event, operating a booth at fairs, or creating a team to participate in fundraisers. You can also spread the word in a way that benefits the event as well as your business’s reputation.
  • Reach out to influencers. The main goal of public relations is to build relationships. Try to find social media influencers, media outlets and reporters that cover your business’ industry and reach out to them to cover your business. It’s essential to keep up a regular conversation with these influencers that way you are top of mind when they’re looking for something to write about.
  • Create a media kit. Media kits are a package of information about your business, created for the press. Reporters use it to collect the data and images they need to write about your business. Virtually all substantial companies have one, so it will give you a much more professional look. Now put it on your website electronically.
  • Use Google alerts. As a small business, it can be challenging to know how well your PR tactics are going. However, one way you can track it is by using google alerts.
  • Hire a Pro at a Reasonable Rate. If the above is overwhelming, try hiring an individual or smaller agency, such as TLC Marketing Consultants to handle your PR for you; they typically will work on a project by project basis or at a much lower retainer than large PR firms.