Getting a Big Impact From a Small PR budget

As experienced PR consultants, we’ve had the pleasure of working with companies ranging from start-ups to major corporates. The one thing they have in common is that they all want the best return on their money. Clearly that’s more challenging for a smaller company, but there are ways to make sure that even limited PR budgets work for you.

• Are you doing your research?

Public relations can cover communications with many different stakeholders, but what the majority of small and medium sized businesses actually want is positive press coverage. Before you put out any communications, make sure that you put some time into a) understanding the publications or channels where you’d like your business featured and b) the interests and routines of your target journalists.

• It’s personal

One of the most cost-effective ways to get your company top-of-mind with a journalist is to meet them personally. Consider inviting them out for a coffee or lunch, especially if you have a story. If you are at a conference or exhibition, ask the organisers if there is a press office where you can leave stories for journalists, or look into which publications are covering the event in depth and offer comment or the opportunity to meet with them.

• Cover all the bases

Getting press coverage is not just about issuing news releases. If you take any publication, written or online, there are multiple opportunities for businesses to get themselves heard. Blogs, viewpoint pieces, round-table or web discussions, upcoming features and online comment forums are just some of the tools that can improve your media presence. But there’s a snag….you HAVE to have something interesting to say. Which brings us onto….

• Do you have a view?

Journalists are often looking for new angles and industry viewpoints on news stories. We know that business owners are really busy but it pays dividends to come up for air occasionally and look at what is happening in the market. You might want to say something, for instance, about how new legislation is going to affect your customers or warn people against making a mistake or educating them about a new innovation or technology. In all of this, think about your tone of voice – it’s OK to be controversial or informal if that suits your company brand, otherwise don’t try to be something you are not.

• Are you “on message”?

If you’ve ever tried to do PR yourself and got limited results, it could be because you need to think about your messaging. Have you ever mapped your key sales points against your competitors for instance? Having compelling messages that thread through all of your external communication is one way of helping you to stand out.

• Get social

If you aren’t on it already, make sure that your business has a social media presence and then use it to develop your relationships with journalists. Follow journalists or news outlets for instance, see what they are talking about and become part of the discussion. You can also use e.g. Twitter to search for journalist requests for case studies and comment.

• Consider a campaign-based approach

If your budget is limited, it may not be the most effective use of your time or money to do regular but relatively small amounts of PR all year round. We have had great success with some clients by devising shorter, but more concentrated PR campaigns at certain times of the year, particularly ahead of a key customer period for them, or to promote events or product launches. This way, you get the support when your teams most need it, rather than scraping the barrel for stories in barren months.

Finally, if you don’t feel confident enough to do it yourself, speak to a professional PR consultant who can help you further.