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PR Tips For Your New Business



Congrats! You've started your new business and now it's time to get the word out. You may be wondering what will be the most effective way to get the news to the public. Traditional advertising may be the first method that comes to mind. However, if you are under a tight budget, PR might be the way to go as a cost-effective method. PR is earned media exposure that is almost always free. Here are a few tips for starting a PR plan for your new business.

What Makes You Different?
Every day, reporters and TV producers are bombarded by emails about new restaurants and products. As a new business, you will have a greater chance of gaining the attention that will result in receiving printed or TV hits if you are able to identify what makes you stand out from the crowd of similar competitors pitching to the same media. Whether it's brewing so many beers in-house or creating a product that no one has invented or sold, any little difference can help you rise above others who are jockeying for the same type of exposure.

Who is Your Demographic?
Figuring out who you are trying to reach through the media is also important. Are you a company that wants to focus on men between the ages of 25 and 30, or is your target audience stay-at-home moms ages 30 to 40? Even determining if you want to focus your attention on a specialized trade audience, rather than a lifestyle will help your PR plan exceed expectations. Figuring out your demographic will also help your small business and PR team narrow down which publications are appropriate to pitch to, to maximize exposure to your target audience.

What Are Your Goals?
Setting a goal to garner more publicity is important, whether it's wanting a certain amount of print and TV placements or dreaming about being on the cover of Time. Creating benchmarks for your business will help keep your PR plan on track and not leave you questioning what you should be doing each month to help get your name out to the public.

Do You Understand Media Deadlines?.
Looking to be on the cover of a national magazine? Expect to reach out to those magazines months ahead of when the issue hits the stands. Every national publication creates an editorial calendar (or "ed cal" for short) to help publicists and businesses know when the deadlines are for a certain issue, which will in turn help those not in the press know when the best time is to pitch a client. For example, if you have a product that you want featured in a magazine's holiday gift guide issue, it is best to reference these ed cals early in the year because this specific issue most likely has a summer deadline of June or July. Knowing and understanding deadlines will also help explain why something you've pitched now won't be seen until months later. Sometimes PR is very much like a waiting game when it comes to seeing your business in print.

Strategic PR planning goes a long way to assure that your business receives the attention and exposure it deserves.