Page 201 - Duct Tape Marketing

Chapter 12

Earned Media Attention
and Expert Status

Defining Public Relations for the Small Business

Let’s start this PR journey with a textbook kind of definition just so
we are all on the same page. According to the Duct Tape Marketing
system, public relations activity for the small business consists primarily of
gaining positive mention of your company or your products in newspapers,
magazines, news shows, newsletters, Web sites, and journals read or viewed
by some portion of your target market. There are other activities that fall
under the heading of public relations, but for our purposes, this is the
definition we will use. PR is also a primary plank of your overall lead
generation foundation.

Press coverage can come in the form of a feature story, news
brief, announcement, or even a quote in an industry-related story.
Many people refer to this as free media, but I like to refer to it as
earned media because it does take some systematic effort to make it
happen.

In this chapter, I will cover some of the strategies and tools
employed by professional public relations firms to help you gain posi-
tive press and avoid the pitfalls that cause most business owners to fail
in this arena. Obtaining media coverage for your firm is not neces-
sarily difficult, but there are some strategies and tactics that you must
understand in order to achieve the greatest success.

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