Maybe you are going gangbusters with your marketing. But you may have forgotten a very important part of your strategy to getting the word out about what you do.
What is that? A publicity campaign.
Why should you do a publicity campaign? It is a very effective way to increase your visibility in the marketplace, especially in your own community.
How do you do a publicity campaign? Let me answer that question by describing the publicity campaign that I am involved in right now.
This fall I have been promoting a fundraising book to help Colorado survivors of recent floods and fires. The idea to create this book was born out of my desire to help my community. I wanted to contribute my giftings so those affected by the disasters would receive help and those who read the book would be inspired and uplifted in the midst of uncertain, troubled times.
After I shared my idea with key mentors in my life, I received tremendous encouragement to move forward with the project. Now, you have to know this about me: normally I am a person who likes to be in the background. When given a choice, I prefer to sit in a back seat, unnoticed and in the shadows. But this tendency would not work for this project. In order to help people, I recognized I needed to play a bigger game. I had to step out of my comfort zone.
So I invested in a local media list, did some research on writing press releases, and am about half way done sending them out. And I am beginning to see results!
Now what started as a desire to reach out the community will result in my company receiving publicity in my region. That to me is a side benefit. This in turn will benefit me because I will no longer be a company “in the shadows.” Plus, this gives me credibility with my national followers. I am getting brand visibility!
Furthermore, as I worked on this book project, I realized that I am only just starting in this endeavor. I have a vision of creating a whole series of fundraising books for many different groups of people who need help. This excites me. I had no idea when I started out with this project that I was creating a long-lasting product that would benefit so many people and add revenue to my company as well. Because while the first project all the profits will go to organizations that help survivors, I realize that with subsequent books I will be giving a portion of my profits instead. If I didn’t, I would not be in business for long!
So for me, building a publicity campaign and writing press releases has helped me tremendously in achieving brand visibility. And I know it will serve as a foundation for future projects to come.
How can you take advantage of this idea? Think of how you can be involved in the community. How can you offer your gifts and talents to help those in need? How can you make an impact in your region or industry? What are the needs in your area?
Or perhaps you have found an innovative way to solve a problem. How can you make this into a newsworthy event? In fact, what kind of event can you create that will be newsworthy? Is there a contest that you can enter? If you win, especially in your region, you will get a ton of publicity! That happened to me in 2007. I won a logo contest and my work was seen by thousands of people and the local paper did an article about me.
A publicity campaign that will help bring brand awareness is only limited by your imagination! Do this and your brand will sizzle and your future will dazzle!
Coming next week: information and resources on writing press releases.