6 Low-Cost PR Tactics for Small Business Owners

Sir Richard Branson said, “Publicity is absolutely critical. A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front page ad.” Here are six low-cost PR tactics small business owners can use to promote their brand on a small budget.

Promote Your Small Business with 6 Low-Cost PR Tactics

Sir Branson could not be more spot on. There is a new media wave upon us – a swing from paying the big bucks for TV placement, mass media coverage, and billboards in favor of low-cost tactics like social media, giveaways, collaborations and cultivating brand ambassadors. As a small business owner, these low-cost, manageable, powerful tactics are perfect for you.

Before you can have a campaign or strategy that will move your audience, you need to have a solidified story or angle you want to pitch. As a small business owner this should be at the core of everything you do. If you need help figuring this out, check out these four stories every entrepreneur needs to tell.

6 Low-Cost PR Tactics Every Small Business Owner Should Master

Once you have a story, you are ready to share it with the world. But how? Try some of these low-cost tactics:

1. Get an intern (Free! Minus maybe a few hospitable coffees and lunches): There are a multitude of students out there itching for corporate experience and a taste of “the real world,” and it is time you capitalize on them. If you are able to provide them with tasks, feedback and the ability to sign off for school credit, you have yourself an eager and excited worker. If you like the sound of that, check out this SBA guide to find out how to set up an internship program that best fits your company’s needs.

2. Social Media (Free): Is this obvious yet? Social media is one of the best ways to share your story, and if your company is not on social than it is time to hire that intern and get to work. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest are the best networks you should use to reach your target audience on social and interact one-on-one with your customers.

You might also like: 7 Ways to Grow a Business and Sell Using Social Media + Infographic

3. Giveaways/promotions (Cost of giveaway item or package): Easily implemented using social media, this tactic helps spread awareness of your company by using your current audience to attract your future audience. People love free stuff, and when you incentivize them with these items it turns them into personal marketers. This can come in the form of contests, giveaways, promotions and more.

4. Brand ambassadors (Cost of incentives for ambassadors): With the plethora of advertising and marketing tactics out there, people have become skeptical towards company’s marketing. Brand ambassadors combat this as they have the ability to encourage others to use your service or product through a personal point of view, and that is powerful. For help implementing this tactic, check out these 10 questions every marketer must answer when creating an ambassador program.

5. Collaborations (Free!): Running a small business comes with competition, but what if instead of seeing others as your competitors, you see them as another tool to help your company succeed? Collaborative marketing is the next big thing, and it benefits both parties involved. Find another business or organization whose work is similar or complements your work, and see how you can market your services together. This could be through a social media contest, ad space on each other’s websites or any other creative idea that comes about when you put two entrepreneurial minds together.

6. Digital newsletters (Free!): A seemingly simple tactic could increase your sales, deepen customer loyalty, and provide another outlet to get information to your audience. This weekly, bi-weekly, monthly electronic (email) newsletter can be used in many different ways but it’s essential the content is quality, or people will unsubscribe just as quickly as they subscribed. Make sure your subscribe link is easy to find on your home page to maximize your number of subscribers.

There’s no time like the present to start, so get to it! You don’t have to implement these all at once, but taking steps towards sharing your story with your audience in creative outlets is essential. Think critically about what problem your company is solving, and sell that to your audience through these low-cost PR tactics.