Great Advice for Website Publicity

You have launched your website so now what. Having website presence in business today is important and can be done fairly inexpensively. But for proper utilization there is more to it than just having a website. As in the movie Field of Dreams where the man kept saying "If you build it they will come"--this normally does not happen. You might get a chance visitor but to draw traffic requires some work.

In the article below, Sue Currie has given some great information on creating publicity for your website. I hope you get great ideas from what she has written.

Create Website Publicity Buzz

Having a website is an important element of your public relations mix but it needs to be working for you. What else can you do to get people to click on your site? Well you could incorporate some PR activities around your site. Public relations is essentially communication, letting people know what your do, why you do it and how you make a difference.

One aspect of PR is publicity. Creating word of mouth interest in your business by getting free editorial coverage of your business in the media.

Publicity stories in the media are very effective but you won't get one for your website unless you have a new idea, controversial story, sensational aspect to your website, something unusual or completely different. Get the idea? Some story ideas: are you the first to use this technology? Have you made a huge sale through your website? Does your website help or benefit people in any way? Are you running a unique online competition or survey? Have you a heart-warming personal story to tell? My point is that you need to have a point.

Let me give you an example of publicity that was designed specifically to attract people to a particular website.

There's an online travel company Zuji.com.au and what they did was implement a publicity campaign to drive traffic to their website. It was a simple idea really. They put together on online competition asking people to write in their travel secrets of their favourite destinations throughout the world and they could win a valuable travel prize. They told the media about it and although a simple idea it captured the attention of the travel media.

Consequently the media promoted the competition quite heavily resulting in heaps of visitors to the Zuji website. And of course it involved real people telling their own stories so the human interest element worked. It worked brilliantly for the company. Firstly they were successful in getting lots of free publicity from the competition and they also collected the email addresses of all of the people that visited their website. Plus they captured some really interesting stories and content to put on their site. So an online competition works well but you do need tell the media about it. Once you've developed a good newsworthy story you'll need to contact the relevant journalists who will help you reach your target market. Don't contact everyone, just the media that are appropriate to you and your product.

Contact them by sending a media release (it of course includes your website address) or just telephone them. Research your target media by checking out the newspapers, magazines and wherever else your competitors are being featured. You can buy media directories.

Don't forget to let journalists know there is a media room on your website where they can obtain further information.

Another way to publicise your website is to put your domain address everywhere. Anytime you do send out a media release or newsletter or write a letter to a potential client or sponsor an event, not only is it really important to put your name on everything but put your website address there as well. So for instance you might have some fantastic caps or t-shirts designed for your business that you want people to wear that look great and effective and but why not on the back of that cap put your domain name. Every where that you communicate, put your web address. Include on your voice mail, stickers, business cards, your car, caps, t-shirts on everything!

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Sue Currie, the director of Shine Communications Consultancy and author of Apprentice to Business Ace ' your inside-out guide to personal branding, is a business educator and speaker on personal branding through image and media. To learn more about how you can achieve recognition, enhance your image and shine, sign up for free monthly tips at http://www.shinecomms.com.au/subscriber.html

The Power of Personal PR

Personal public relations plays big part in business success. People want to do business with people they like, so it is those "personal" relations that are just as important as traditional media PR.

The Power of Personal PR
by Sue Currie

Ten seconds is all it takes to make a first impression – whether it's your personal presentation or the first contact a potential client or customer has with your business through the telephone, website or other communication collateral.

When they walk through their door – or you walk through theirs – your image is imprinted in the first moment.

Research has proven that 67% of first impressions are accurate. Your personal image tells the world who you are and where you are going. Your business image says the same. Every email, voicemail, and phone call you make creates first impressions that build your brand.

But it's not just your logo or your business stationery that needs to look good. How you present yourself in person also says a lot about your brand. For many small business people or business entrepreneurs, you are your business and how your project yourself is vitally important to the success of your business.

How you shake hands, make eye contact, conduct yourself in social situations and the clothes you choose to wear contribute to your personal brand. Your image is like the weather. People notice when it's extremely good or extremely bad. People shouldn't judge us by our outward appearances but of course you know they will. First impressions can indicate to a potential client, your sense of style, ambition and self-confidence level.

Another measure of your success in dealing with people is due to personality.

Your voice, way of talking, body language and the way you develop relationships with your clients all count towards giving you a ‘manner'. Your personal manner speaks loudly to other people. You may need to do some self-analysis on your plus and minus personality traits before establishing a self-satisfying public image.

Sometimes things like aggravating speech habits, lack of good manners, sloppy dress or grooming can be your worst enemies.

Punctuality, your tone of voice, these are the things about you that speak loud and clear to others. Make sure that they're working for you.

I'm sure you've seen many examples of people who have had too much to drink at the office party and regretted things done or said. Perhaps not such good personal PR for career progression.

Maybe that date who sounded so promising on the telephone really let you down when you met and saw how badly dressed and untidy they were.

I'm not suggesting you need to have a complete makeover and invest a fortune in new clothes – but it is those little things that people notice.

You've no doubt invested a lot of time, effort and money into setting up your own business and learning many new skills – why not invest some time and effort into yourself – you're worth it!

* Business image – brand all letterhead, newsletters, email messages for a professional

* Personal image – establish a strong visual image – develop your own style and personal brand. Be aware of grooming and professional dress sense.

* Self image – get rid of bad habits, develop self-confidence and charm, walk tall and smile!

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Sue Currie, the director of Shine Communications Consultancy and author of Apprentice to Business Ace – your inside-out guide to personal branding, is a business educator and speaker on personal branding through image and media. Sign up for free monthly tips on personal and professional PR at
http://www.shinecomms.com.au/contactmanager/default.cfm
and learn more about how you can achieve recognition, enhance your image and shine.

I found this article through my search of marketing materials. It has excellent advice for those trying to improve their image and grow their business.

Carole

PR is More Than Just Publicity

So you've hung up your shingle and clients aren't exactly beating a path to your door. What can you do? Well you might think standing out on the street with a megaphone will do the trick. And it may be one way to gain attention for your business, but an overall public relations plan incorporating a number of promotional ideas could be just what your business needs.

Public relations is communicating who you are, what you do and how you make a difference. It's about having successful "relationships" with your "public". They could be friends, clients, potential customers, competitors or the media who can all help spread the word about your business.

One way of communicating your message is through publicity or media relations. Sending out media releases to create awareness of your product or service through editorial coverage is great publicity and it is very effective. They say publicity is seven times more effective than advertising. But it is just one tactic of an overall public relations plan that you could incorporate.

Let's look at a few other ideas:

* Newsletters email or hard copy – direct communication with your public, clients and customers. Send out some sort of communication to your data base at least once a quarter to keep "top of mind"

* Write articles about your area of expertise and submit them to business or consumer publications and online sites such as this one you are reading. I have had work come to me directly through published articles

* Fact sheets or a brochure. Include written information about you, your product or service with any mail outs

* Create a website. This is your online PR brochure but you need to keep telling people about it. Make sure you incorporate strategies to promote your site, such as include the domain name in every piece of communication collateral you have, whether it's brochures, stickers, pens or caps. Put it everywhere

* Product launches and product giveaways to the media. Create "buzz" for your business by giving something away. Be generous as ultimately it will help with sales

* Public speaking – free speeches to Rotary clubs or other organisations is a good way of letting people know about your business and area of expertise. By being known as an expert on a particular topic and getting the word out perhaps the media will contact you

* Networking – join organisations of like minded people such as business networks or your local Chamber of Commerce. Build rapport and relationships to help spread the word about who you are and what you do

* Special events such as a trade show or entering business awards can help boost your profile. Why not hold a launch or an open day or even a cocktail party at your place of business to thank your clients or customers

* Sponsorships. If you can't afford to hold your own event why not sponsor an event that somebody else is organising. Make sure your sponsorship is acknowledged on any advertising and other communication collateral

* Something as simple as sending thank you notes and letters is good personal PR

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Sue Currie, the director of Shine Communications Consultancy and author of Apprentice to Business Ace - your inside-out guide to personal branding, is a business educator and speaker on personal branding through image and media. Sign up for free monthly tips at http://www.shinecomms.com.au/contactmanager/default.cfm

To learn more about how you can achieve recognition, enhance your image and shine, visit http://www.shinecomms.com.au

Five PR DO-It-Yourself Tactics from Forbes.com

I received via a separate newsletter an article from Forbes.com titled, In Pictures: Five PR Do-It-Yourself Tactics. I do a little PR work with a couple of my clients, not to mention trying to promote my own business, so this is an area of business that interests me. And as the title read, it is in pictures. I thought it was good enough to share. Check it out at:

In Pictures: Five PR Do-It-Yourself Tactics

And as Copyblogger.com suggests, if you enjoy this entry subscribe to my feed or email subscription for more articles and/or suggestions of the same or better quality.

Carole