Everybody is looking for a way to get free publicity for their small business. With today’s internet it is much simpler than most would suspect to generate these methods. The old tried and true method for free publicity is the press release.

However, there are other great methods available for free publicity that you’ll want to take advantage of:

The first of the methods is very simple indeed and used by thousands of people. Write an article on the subject matter of your small business. If you are a carpet and flooring store maybe you would write an article on stains and stain removal. Nothing overly complex or in-depth just something that defines your website. Once you are finished writing this article place it on-line submitting it to the article directories. In the footer place the contact information for your business. It is free and will attract people to your business that will be interested in your business.

Second, in the list is information. Start up a blog on your company site and write about your company and it's products. Simply adding a WordPress blog will generate search engine crawls and will also increase the find rate that you have for your website and company on the web.

Third, start posting in forums and place links back to your website in the footer. Forums are a great place to build relationships with customers and to help people find your website. You just need to place the link to your website and not break the forum rules.

Fourth, contact bloggers about upcoming company events and specials. Find bloggers that are relevant to your company and send them an e-mail. Some will mention your site or your location in their blogs. This is just another form of free publicity.

Fifth, write a how-to article for a local newspaper or print media outlet. In the printed version make sure that your company is referenced and a link to you can be found.

Sixth contact your local reporters and let them know that you are willing to be contacted for background and expert commentary. Many times a reporter will go to a trusted source, anytime your company is subsequently mentioned you will be racking up on free publicity.

Seventh, offer to speak at local events and functions. Many times churches and civic groups need to fill out their meeting agendas and a local speaker stepping forward is a welcome relief for the event organizer.

Eighth offer free classes or webinars on how to teach a certain skill related to your business. The large home improvement stores have capitalized on this with Saturday lessons on putting in bathrooms, floors, and a various sundry of other items. So jump in and capitalize on it also with your own teaching and instructional items.

Ninth simply ask your customer for a mailing list of friends if they are satisfied with your services. The mailing list can be physical or even electronic. With the electronic list contact each individual separately and with a personal e-mail. Never mass mail these individuals as this would be considered spam and most likely wind up in the trash bin of the potential client.

Tenth and final suggestion for free small business publicity is to submit information to airline magazines. Specifically talk about local events those concern airlines that fly to your area. If you sponsor a festival or have some other small event in your region perform a write-up and submit it to the airline editor. The airline magazines reach very influential individuals and potential clients.

In short there is not a shortage of ways to get your small business free publicity without having to send out a press release. In general being helpful will get you further with your marketing efforts than just sending press releases on their own – and can result in some great free advertising opportunities for your small business!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Entrepreneur and outdoor photography adventurer Caroline Melberg is President and CEO of Small Business Mavericks, a division of Melberg Marketing. She has over 20 years of experience creating marketing communications materials and writing copy for some of the largest and most successful companies in the world. Her small business columns are syndicated online, and she publishes the popular e-Zine “Maverick Internet Marketing Secrets.” Learn insider Maverick Marketing secrets you can use immediately to find new customers and increase your sales. Get your FREE subscription at www.SmallBusinessMavericks.com today!

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