The following 8 tips, if worked correctly, will take your business to the top — in a jet. Try one at a time and see what happens.
1. Authenticity is catnip. People want you to be authentic. People buy from those they know, like and trust. They want to know that what you say is true, that you will deliver as promised, and that your product or service will work as advertised. If you hope to garner great PR, your campaign must be authentic as well. It has to come from within and reflect what you truly believe and how you actually perform.
2. PR never sleeps, it’s an ongoing, 24/7 battle. Since you’re the product, you’re also your best marketing tool, so to be successful, you must honestly believe in what you’re promoting. You can’t fake it.
3. Establish yourself as an expert. It’s been said that it takes 1000 hours to become an expert. Well, guess what? You’re already one. You know what it takes to get the job done. Just make sure people are aware that you get it done right.
4. Sing your own praises. You campaign starts with you, so it’s your job to prove your expertise. The most obvious signs of expertise are that your clients or customers keep coming back and recommend you to others, and that your peers consult you for advice and assistance. Make this information known. You can capitalize on your achievements by singing your own praises.
5. Self-promotion is essential. You can’t be shy, embarrassed, or rely on others to champion your cause. Successful people let everyone know who they are, what they do, and how important it is. With practice, extolling your own virtues will become easier, then fun. Self-promotion, when done well, is extremely beneficial, but when done poorly, it’s offensive. It can be the difference between success and failure. The public has become selective. They want authenticity. They insist on seeing results in order to believe the pitch. Today’s audiences will seldom buy what doesn’t ring true to them. And, if they buy and it doesn’t work, they’ll remember who sold it to them. It’s not enough to tell others that you’re an expert, you have to explain how you can benefit them.
6. Capitalize on Every Opportunity. Position yourself for opportunities by joining clubs, groups and organizations where you can meet new people. Attend the meetings, stake out a leadership position, become a member of their social networking sites, and tell them who you are, what you do, and how you can help them.
7. Always Be Prepared. A successful PR campaign works on volume. It takes repeated efforts and consistency to spread your message to the world. If you deal in a product, carry it with you. Take it everywhere. If it’s too big, carry pictures, or wear a button.
8. Be Kind and Humble. Sure, media people need stories for their outlets, but arrogance will get you nowhere.
