10 Powerful Do-It-Yourself Publicity Tactics to Deploy to Invite More Success with Greater Ease

What are your top three, high return lead generation methods, and how consistently are you applying them? Ponder this question as you plan your journey to do-it-yourself publicity success.

Written May 13, 2008, read 1034 times since then.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask as a business owner is this one:

What are your top three, high return lead generation methods, and how consistently are you applying them?

So often, we make single attempts at any variety of marketing or public relations tactics, only to abandon them before giving them the benefit of consistent application. Let this year be the year you apply focus, discipline, and consistency to the top three high-return lead generation methods in your business-building toolbox so you can reap the greatest rewards.

To that end, here are 10 powerful do-it-yourself publicity tactics for growing businesses serious about generating quality leads.

Write how-to articles for the media that have the greatest influence with your ideal customers. The value of editorial placements is said to have three times the value of advertising placements. How-to articles reach a wide audience of decision makers and decision influencers with one pass. They serve as credible, affordable brochures and often reside online indefinitely. They demonstrate your expertise in a way that inspires quality leads to get in touch with you to learn more. And, business journals are eager to receive your commentary and perspective to lend insight to their editorial plans, as long as you do so in a manner that delivers your expertise without directly selling your company.
Post your how-to articles in the online article directories, such as www.ideamarketers.com, www.articleteller.com, and www.ezinearticles.com. E-newsletter publishers access these article directories for quality content, offering you the promise of potentially worldwide reach of your expertise and contact information.
Leverage your “how to” articles in the press with speeches and radio interviews. Media momentum can be a powerful thing. Early this year, I wrote an article for a marketing trade newspaper. A radio show producer invited me to be interviewed on his show after reading it. The radio interview helped promote one of my local talks, which – in turn – created interest in my services and generated several new engagements.
Serve as an expert to reporters that write about your industry. Newspaper editors want to hear from experts who have timely, newsworthy, relevant, and trend-worthy ideas to share. Offer yourself as a quality, credible resource to the right reporters and ask for the opportunity to share your points of view. Prepare a biography that makes clear about the areas about which you can comment with impact, credibility and insight and your qualifications. Share it with the special section editors and beat reporters so they’ll know to call you next time they write about your business or industry.
Launch and sustain a quality e-newsletter to stay in touch with interested potential clients. The beauty of e-newsletters is that prospects ask to be added to your distribution list because they are interested in what you have to offer, though they may not be ready to buy right now. As long as you keep the ratio of information sharing at 80% and selling to 20%, chances are good that your company will be the first readers will call when they are ready to buy. Your Web site visits, emails and phone inquiries will escalate in direct response to the effort.
Stage webinars or teleseminars or small scale free or low-cost seminars to make your expertise readily available to prospects. It is efficient to share your information in a one-to-many fashion. Group settings are comfortable for evaluators. One-to-one sessions are more like sales pitches, and that can be uncomfortable for those who are not ready to buy now.
Share meeting notices with the local papers. The exposure to their readerships brings your message to a wide audience of potential event guests. If you’d like a list of our best 27 media and online contacts to get this accomplished, visit our Website to read more about Media-Savvy-to-Go Special Report #3. Or, visit www.fullcalendar.com to engage this high value, affordable service that makes it easy to alert the media to your events with just one click.
Share valuable information by request. When folks read your materials, they engage more deeply with your expertise. That makes them want to engage you for a fee. Try it. It works really well. That is why so many businesses do it. And remember, this isn’t sales information. It is useful information that leverages your expertise. That is an important distinction.
Write press releases about grand openings, news, and staff additions/promotions, and other happenings at your company, targeting the correct reporters that cover your industry. If you want to learn 89 reasons to write a press release, Joan Stewart offers a free online course to jump-start your learning. Register at www.publicityhound.com.
Enter award contests that are well-supported by the media. Earning best-company-to-work-for recognition, a place on the list of most powerful U.S. women in banking, or company-of-the-year honors is a great way to earn media attention, new inquiries about both your services and employment opportunities, while enhancing your reputation.

These activities require time, but not much money, and they can deliver meaningful lead generation results. My advice is to choose the top three tactics that appeal most to your skills, talents, and passions, and get into action today. Your focused, disciplined, and consistent media relations efforts can set the stage for this year to be your best ever.

Learn more about the author, Nancy Juetten.

Comment on this article

Posted by Jeff Collins, I Come To You, Washington | May 15, 2008

Nancy,

Great article. I have used a couple of these techniques myself. Recently I've been asked quite a few times to be the expert on men's fashion. This link is one of them that I accepted.

Having written a press release myself, I can see how for future press releases it would be helpful to gain advice from someone like yourself who knows what the public and press want to hear. The list you recommended is a good source for potential topics but I think most of us need more assistance with content. How long should it be, how should it be written how much information should we share; stuff like that.

My Haberdasher - Professional Clothier For Men
Posted by Nancy Juetten, Bellevue, Washington | May 15, 2008

Hi Jeff,

I checked out your links and congratulate you on earning the ink and sharing your expertise. Your passion for your business is very clear, and I am sure that also serves you and your clients very well.

If you need more help with content, keep in mind that I rent my PR brain by the hour and also offer Publici-Tea™ half day workshops that get to the meat of the matter about all topics revelant to do-it-yourself publicity. If either of these offerings would support your success, I'd be delighted to be of service. Visit the DIY Publicity Store at my blog or www.publici-tea.com to learn more.

And, when in doubt about length, less is always more. Make every word count, offer clarity in your messaging, and make what you say compelling. In doing so, your story will rise above the fray.
Posted by Trisha Nerney, Bellevue, Washington | May 15, 2008

I like Nancy's idea of being helpful and offering advice to your customers instead of blatant advertising. I attended Nancy's Publici-Tea event and came away with a whole new perspective and set of skills for marketing my hair salon and for writing articles for my Seattle PI column. She really makes the lightbulb in your head come on!
Posted by Robert Allen, Potter Valley, California | May 15, 2008

Wonderfully written and full of great info, thanks!

Robert www.roguetantra.com www.reikiteaching.com
Posted by Lynn Wenger, Kent, Washington | May 15, 2008

Nancy is a PR powerhouse. I've seen her work in action and she is very effective! I particularly value the idea of publishing quality information that adds credibility to the author, and insight for the reader, rather than pushing advertisements. This is particularly valuable when publishing online, either on a website or email newsletters. The clients that I work with have had huge success in readership and online visibility when they apply the concepts that Nancy mentions here.

Lynn Wenger
webprodigy.com will make you shine, online!
Posted by Russell Cox, Kirkland, Washington | May 15, 2008

This is a great article. I have heard Nancy speak and look forward to attending a Publici-Tea soon.

I checked out the Publicity hound site it's got a lot of good tips.

Russell Cox The Author's Village
Posted by Nancy Juetten, Bellevue, Washington | May 15, 2008

Wow. Your comments make me smile this morning. Thank you so much.
Posted by Jan Clark, Montrose, Colorado | May 15, 2008

Nancy,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic. I have renewed motivation to implement some of these powerful tactics to grow my business and plan to use them for my existing and future clients. I also appreciate that you have provided the resources for online article submissions - very helpful to see what works for others.

Best to you, Jan Clark EVA - Electronic Virtual Assistant www.eva-colo.com "Administrative support only when you need it!"
Posted by Nina Durfee, Sammamish, Washington | May 15, 2008

Nancy, these are excellent tips for raising public awareness and engaging connection across media lines. The written word is a powerful tool, and when the writing offers a gift -- something valuable to take away right now, such as in your article full of juicy tidbits -- everybody wins.

As a writer and editor, I encourage people to proofread carefully before going to press. "You don't get a second chance to make a first impression" applies equally to written material. Precision, clarity and style go a long way to add punch to your message!

Thanks for sharing such great tips!
Posted by Joshua Lind, Seattle, Washington | May 15, 2008

Way to live by your own recommendations. I've been disappointed by using listing boards and other non-engaging ways of finding help and clients. This article reminded me again that teaching, learning, and sharing is the best way to grow your business and support the talented people around you.
Posted by Jamie Clausen, Seattle, Washington | May 15, 2008

I have found had my greatest "marketing" success from the free community classes that I offer on topics such as estate planning for new parents or end of life planning. I strongly agree that giving people a taste of the actual content you have to offer is more effective than a sales pitch about how valuable your services might be. I have not been as good about using press releases to maximize the the power of these presentations. Thanks for the motivation and educational links!

Jamie Clausen Phinney Estate Law www.phinneyestatelaw.com
Posted by Karen Rosenzweig, Edmonds, Washington | May 21, 2008

As always, you are brilliant! Thanks for sharing with everyone here - we appreciate your talent and insight!
Posted by Nancy Juetten, Bellevue, Washington | May 21, 2008

Hi Karen,

Thank you so much. It is wonderful to be appreciated. This sure is a great community for boosting one's confidence, and that packs a punch in priceless ways.