Blog - Page 2 of 2 - McCoy Communications

In the various professional positions I’ve held throughout my career, I’ve often been asked to write or publish information about something that management feels should be promoted or published “because it’s good PR.” I’m always happy to share good news that brings value to readers, but to do so, I need more than, “Here’s the information. Promote it.”

One recent example was recognition our firm received from a statewide organization for being an organization that fosters its professionals for three predefined reasons. Having not heard about the accolade or its purpose, I questioned the requestor how we were notified about the award, who and or how we were nominated, what the judging criteria were and who our competition was for the recognition, if any. These, I felt, were valid questions any reader would be interested to learn about how and why we deserved the accolade received.

As a writing and communications professional, if I am going to write or post a potentially newsworthy item, I’d like to be sure that the content IS newsworthy. Any communications, marketing communications, public relations, writer, editor or other related professional knows and will tell you that issuing non-news in today’s content-driven world is not only a waste of time, but also a good way to turn readers off from your posted content.

Having sat on both sides of the writing and promotion fence, I recognize the need to build and raise awareness for a business or organization. But the ratio of value-based content to self-promotional content should be 90 percent to 10 percent, not the other way around.

That said, I always look at a news piece or other bit of potentially interesting information with one question: Why? Why should anyone who reads this care? What value or information does it give them? What value or benefit does it bring to us? Understanding and responding to these questions is key to getting your content read. If you don’t bring value to your readers, you’re going to lose them.

Think about your favorite blog or news site. Why do you read it? What if your favorite site started posting nothing but content completely irrelevant to your interests? You’d stop visiting the site, wouldn’t you? For those of you who still read print newspapers, what if your paper stopped carrying news articles and simply printed advertisements? The revenue might be good for the publisher, but you wouldn’t get any value from the content (unless you’re a spend-aholic, which is a topic for another time).

In the case of the recognition our firm received, I never received answers to my questions and it turns out the information was not newsworthy. A colleague received a link to the “award” and all they had to do was fill out an application. It was open to anyone and there were no rigorous criteria to meet, making this recognition nothing more than paper-pushing praise.

I posted the content to our website and social media not because it’s newsworthy, interesting or of value. But merely because not doing so would be negatively received. Can you guess why?

One of the most challenging obstacles facing a new or small business owner is how to spread the word about your business or service to bring in customers and clients. How do you find the time to run your business AND promote your service to get clients in the door? These three easy tactics will help you spend quality time to achieve both.

1. Get Social!
If you don’t already have a virtual presence, get one. Even groups without a website can establish an online presence through any multitude of social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube—you name it! I’ve seen many small businesses use their Facebook pages as their website. This enables them to post updates and receive feedback directly and easily. Whatever platform you choose, make sure that it is appropriate for your audience or on a platform where your audience can find you. Also, be certain that your platform is appropriate to your offering. You won’t find many insurance companies on YouTube for a reason.

But don’t hide behind your computer screen and expect the cyber gods to do your marketing for you—get out there and market yourself! Join or attend meetings at your local Rotary, Kiwanis, toastmasters, chamber of commerce, or industry trade group. Even if membership isn’t an option for financial, time or other reasons, these groups are always interested in hearing and learning about new services available to help them in their service, professional or personal lives. As long as you have something new and different to offer, you’ll have a captive audience for your pitch.

2. Be Seen!
As if presenting before local community groups isn’t enough, share your knowledge in writing. Write white papers, speak at conferences or offer your insight to a trade publication. Like local community groups, publications are always looking for fresh content to share with their readers. A word of caution: when asked or offering to share your expertise, leave your sales hat at the door. The intention of sharing your knowledge is to establish yourself as a subject matter expert who can bring value to conference attendees or a publication’s readers. Overly promotional material will not get you an invite the next time around—or to any other opportunity.

3. Be a Team Player!
Do you have a client or colleague who has a need that you can’t provide? This is a perfect opportunity to refer them to another colleague or associate who can help. Are you a writer whose client needs a web site design? Share the name of a skilled web designer you know. This will demonstrate that you are truly committed to helping your client and establishing trust that you’re not trying to 1.) offer help that you don’t have the experience or expertise to provide, and 2.) shoehorn their need into your wheelhouse simply to make a profit. Both of these are bad ideas because not only will you lose your client’s trust, but you’ll lose their future business. This, in turn, can lead to bad publicity, which will drive a stake through the heart of your business in no time. Being a team player can also build relationships and partnerships that can pay dividends in the future.

These tips may sound obvious, but you would be surprised at how many established companies and organizations don’t do any of the above. As most business is based on relationships, these three tactics will help you build a foundation on which to grow.

Need help with your small business marketing or promotion strategy? Contact me at bmccoy@mccoycommunications.com or fill out the form below. I look forward to hearing from you!