Natural Entrepreneur: Publicity for Your Business

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Create a Publicity Plan

You have a business plan. You may even have a marketing plan. But do you have a publicity plan? Creating a publicity plan need not be long or involved. But it will help you do one thing: Focus on what's important -- and help you stay consistent -- when you get your message out to the press. It will also help you sort out your short and long-term publicity goals.

What's important is for your publicity plan to answer three basic questions: Where are you now in terms of publicity (your situation analysis)? Where do you want to be (your goals and objectives)? And, what can you do to get there from here (your strategies & tactics)?

1. Where are you now? Take stock of what you have.

Access your publicity/ public relations materials up to now and make a list. Have you announced your business via a press release (when you first started)? Do you have a web site? Do you have a brochure? A newsletter? How are you getting the word out about your business other than advertising? Are you considered an expert in your industry or field? Have you had any publicity -- entire articles or small briefs -- written up in any newspapers or magazine? Make an inventory of everything you have at the moment, however small.

2. Where do you want to be? Goals & messages.

GOALS: Focus on creating three objectives for generating publicity. Think about why you want publicity. Simply "getting more business" is too general. For example, you may want to break into corporate gifts in the Keene area, or get people to attend a hands-on workshop you will be holding, or perhaps raise the level of awareness of your craft.

MESSAGE: These are the key messages you want to convey to the press (and your prospective customers or clients). List the top three messages only (too many messages creates confusion). Again, be specific ("I have the best customer service" is too general). Messages can include that you deliver your products in the area, or your products are hand-made with local sustainable wood, or your jam recipes are handed down from five generations of cooks.

3. How do you get there from here? Strategies & Tactics.

List the places you can realistically get publicity -- in local, regional or trade publications (or even national -- think big!) First, make a list of the publications and study them: Who are the writers in the sections you would like to be? Are there special yearly sections in these publications such as "home" or "garden" or "food"? Find out the name of these writers/editors as well.

Then, go back to step one. What kind of materials do you have? fact sheets, press releases, brochures? What are you missing? What do you need to accomplish your goals?

Next time we'll talk about the most basic (and most hard-working) form of publicity: The Press Release: When to Send One & How to Write One.

Marcia Passos Duffy is a freelance writer and publicity consultant based in Keene, NH. She is also the publisher of her own online magazine, www.TheHeartofNewEngland.com. To contact her send an email to marciaduffy@cheshire.net or give her a call at 603-357-8761

Upcoming Events

Feb 21 (8-9:30a): NH Forum on the Future, NHHTC, CR Sparks, Bedford, NH

March 1 (6:30-8:30p): Women's Business Center and MicroCredit-NH Networking Event, Bank of America, Portsmouth, NH

March 6 (10a-noon): Growth Capital Resources in New Hampshire, City of Nashua, Office of Economic Development, Daniel Webster College, Nashua, NH

March 8: (12pm -1pm) Break the Rules and Close More Sales, Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester, NH

March 16: Peak Pitch (pitch your plan to invstors on the chairlift), Mt. Sunapee, NH ($)

March 22: Breaking Trends in Web Develoment, UVCIA, Hanover, NH ($)

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