Starting Small Business

There is perhaps no bigger myth than the one that states all publicity is good publicity.  PT Barnum is said to have made that statement along those lines.  But who knows.  If it wasn’t PT, whoever said it certainly made an impression, since it has now become a part of our lexicon.  If he did say it, I’m not sure you want to take branding and image advice from a guy who owned a circus and made a living out of promoting what he referred to as freaks.   If you own a circus, maybe your PR standards are a bit different, but even then, all PR is certainly not good PR.  

Standing out from your competition and getting through to new clients is a challenge that many small business owners know well.  With limited marketing dollars, more and more small business owners are turning to PR and seeing results.

So what is PR?

Like marketing, public relations is a term that covers a broad range of communication activities. It can range from stakeholder relations to event management, but the most common purpose of PR is media relations to generate positive publicity. That is, getting FREE editorial coverage – news stories – in the media. Getting a story in the media can be priceless for your business. Sales, recognition and new customers are just some of the business benefits. Good PR can also make you stand out from your competition and can instantly build traffic to your business or website.

According to small business owner Antonette Golikidis, founder of Australian organic baby product label, Little Innoscents, PR had a direct impact on her business. “We were featured on Channel 9′s Weekend Today show and it was sensational for our sales and hits on our site.  It has really lifted our profile,” said Antonette.