If you are just starting a new business or simply operating one on a budget, there are a lot of ways to get free publicity for your home based business. Not everyone can afford an aggressive marketing or advertising campaign. Lets face it - advertising is expensive. In fact, for many business, advertising is the largest expense that they incur. This is especially true of home based businesses due, in part, because there are not many additional expenses for a business operated in the home.
In order for customers to find you, they must first be made aware that your company exists. One such way to get free publicity for your home based business includes the distribution of a press release. A well-written press release will be one page or less in length. It will offer the basics - who, what, when and where. In order for your press release to gain publication, your business must be noteworthy or be hosting something that is of interest to the public. For example, if you are launching a home based business and would like to share your story, this would make a great press release. If your business is launching a new website, promotion or product line, these would provide for good quality news as well. In order for a press release to be printed, you must include a contact name, address and telephone number at the top of the page. Press releases can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to newspapers, magazines and local trade publications. This is a terrific way to get free publicity for your home based business.
If you are operating a home based business, its likely that you will also have a website. The internet is a gateway to a world of potential customers so, if you haven’t already, now is the time to launch a new website. Promoting your spot on the world wide web is an excellent way to get free publicity. If you sell collectibles, then you will want the major search engines to list your site high in the rankings for that keyword. It’s important to be ranked well on search engines so that customers may find your website, so make sure that your site is generous in its use of keywords, contains active links and is updated with new content regularly. Search engine rankings are one of the greatest ways to get free publicity for your home based business, especially if that business is primarily web-based.
In addition to the methods above, many webmasters are finding that article marketing can provide a powerhouse of traffic to their website. And, after all, each new visitor is a potential customer. If you are an expert in your business field, write a brief article about it. There are people who may be interested in reading what you have to say, so make sure that your article is informative. At the bottom of the feature, include a brief paragraph with your name, brief biography about you or your business, along with the business name and website address. After submitting this article to one of the many article marketing websites, other webmasters may pick up your content for use on their site. The more distribution your article receives, the more potential you will have for more traffic to your own website.
Just as there are plenty of ways to gain paid advertising, there are many ways to get free publicity for your home based business. Publicity doesn’t have to cost a fortune and, for those who are truly creative, it may not even cost a penny.
How To Get Free Publicity For Your Home Based Business
Gain Publicity for Your Home Business
Your home business thrives on promotion. If you own a Web site, you probably understand the importance of continual promotion to receive targeted visitors. Publicity is one of the most inexpensive and effective ways to help consumers learn about your home business.
What is Publicity?
Unlike advertising, publicity is getting others to talk about your business in an objective way because of something unique you are doing. Anyone from the news media reporters to local magazine writers might be talking about your business. This type of advertising gets attention for your company because no pushy advertising is involved. People will read or hear about your story because it's interesting.
How to Get Publicity
Your main goal is to do something spectacular to help others or to solve a tremendous problem for consumers. Below are just a few examples of how some companies have received tons of free publicity:
1. Offering assistance in times of disaster, or helping the needy each holiday season.
2. Creating an innovative product that solves a widespread problem in a particular industry.
3. Giving away extravagant prizes.
4. Donating portions of their funds to a needy cause.
5. Getting involved with politics.
6. Offering free expert advice.
7. Breaking a record in their field.
The above methods have worked for years, and they still work today. Just read your local newspaper or online news headlines. Most stories about companies fall into one of the categories above. Reading can give you some great ideas too!
Motives of Publicity
Some say that publicity should only be won unintentionally. However, newspapers and magazines are continually searching for interesting stories. The public enjoys reading interesting stories as well. Providing an interesting story adds to the content they're looking for.
How to Apply Publicity to Your Home Internet Business
The Internet makes gaining publicity much easier. Technology enables "media companies" to publicize any story at the click of the mouse. You will have to pay to use these services, but for the price of one newspaper ad, your company might receive thousands of dollars in publicity. It's worth the money to take advantage of new press technology.
An Internet business can do unique things online. For example, a percentage-per-purchase donation campaign can be set up for every online purchase your visitors make. You can give away extravagant prizes from your Web site. You can offer expert advice through articles on your Web site, and make the articles available for reprint. Online and off line magazine publishers might decide to use your articles and give you free publicity.
Steps to Maximize Publicity
Once you plan an event or something unusual that the media might find interesting, the steps below will help you maximize your publicity efforts.
1. Write a press release about your story (or have a professional write it for you).
2. Contact a company who specializes in publicity campaigns (press release
distributors).
3. Publish your press release on your own website, and submit the page to the search engines.
4. Submit your story to small, but targeted e-zines online.
5. Have someone (doesn't have to be a media person) to interview you, and publish the interview on your Web site. Link the interview from your press release page and make it available for reprint also. This makes life a whole lot easier for the media person who's thinking about interviewing you.
There's no amount of money that can equal free publicity. A news story about your company can be far more valuable than advertisements.