Public Relations is about the management of the message others are conveying about your business.  It's important that you manage this process.  What others say about your business is worth ten times more than what you say about your business.

Good Public Relations (PR) is great for business.  The more the better.  Public relations is the task of managing the spread of information about your company with the rest of the world.  Spreading positive information about your company is a way to promote the business and attract customers.  There are a number of ways that you can do this.  Some are free and some can be done at a cost.  These are the top 10 ways to get PR for your small business.

1.  Contact Reporters: 

To get PR you can reach out to reporters directly and pitch your story to them.  If they like your pitch they will write about you in their publications.  There are services that you can subscribe to online that will help you to write your pitch and get you in contact with reporters or you can contact reporters directly.  Use the list below to get in contact with reporters. 

Help A Reporter Out (HARO):  HARO is an online resource where reporters seek out assistance from the public.  Help reporters out and promote your small business by subscribing to this service and using it to your advantage.

Pitch Rate:  subscribe to Pitch Rate.  This resource is where reporters go to find subject matter experts to help them write and publish articles for their respective publications.  This is another great way to promote your small business and get great PR.

ProfNet:  ProfNet connects journalists to expert sources.  This means you have an opportunity to promote your self as an expert in your field and use it to gain good PR from journalists. 

2.  Press Releases:  

A Press Release is a message that goes out to Journalists and Editors of magazines, newspapers, TV show producers, etc. that notifies them of a potential newsowrthy story that they may want to write or talk about.  Learn more about Press Releases.

3.  Contribute to Social Media: 

Contributing to social media is one of the fastest, cheapest and effective ways to get attention.  Learn more about social media sites such as Google+, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

4.  Attend Trade Shows & Expos:  

Industry trade shows and expos attract a large number of people.  They attract consumers, investors, journalists, etc.  Participating in trade shows and expos as a vendor is an opportunity to get attention for your small business.  Journalists might see your business as an interest story that they want to write or talk about.  It is also an opportunity for you to approach them directly.

5.  Hire A PR Consultant for A Short Period: 

You can hire a PR consultant.  They come at a price, so you may want to do so for a short period.  You con't need a PR consultant on a continuing basis.  Hire them for a specific task and when it is over sever the relationship.  Hiring a PR consultant can save you time and get your story before reporters, producers, bloggers, etc. quickly.

6.  Serve On A Panel: 

Serve on panels that discusses the subject matter that you're an expert in.  Journalists and producers look to panel members as a great source for expert advice.  As a panelist you're considered a subject matter expert and will attract the right people that can give you good PR.

7.  Free Promotion: 

Conduct a free promotion of your product.  If McDonalds stated that they will give every one a free cup of coffee between the hours of 7:00am and 9:00am for the next week, every media organization would mention it several times over.  This is a great way to get good PR.  Conduct a free promotion and notify the media.

8.  Donate:  Make a donation. 

Find a worthy recipient and make a donation to them.  This could be a school, church, disabled kids, the homeless, a city, a media organization, etc.  Find request for donations that are already in the news.  Then notify the news media that you will make the donation and give them a chance to cover it and get great PR for your small business.  If you make a donation of your products to a media organization they will definitely cover it and give you free PR.

9.  Host A Charity Event: 

Hosting a charity event is a good way to get attention for your small business.  The media loves charity events.  They like to write about businesses giving back to the community.  When you get ready to host the event, notify the word out to the media.  Team up with charity organizers that host popular charity events and pitch the idea of participating in the event.  Offer to make your self available to the media.

Sponsor A Local Event:  Sponsorship can significantly improve your small business image locally and nationally.  It provies and opportunity for you to make your business known to an audience who wouldn’t otherwise know about it.  Sponsor a local event such as a sports event, 10K run, a walk for the cure event, etc.  Sponsorship can give your small business the opportunity to advertise by placing your company information on program materials, logo on event advertisements and event uniforms, place logo on event sinage and banners, engage in joint press release, distribute free samples, coupons, etc.  Sponsoring events run by charitable organizations gives you the added benefit of getting a tax exemption for your contributions.