Five Simple Public Relations Steps You Can Take

Much of the talk about public relations focuses on how you can get the news media to cover your business. If it’s good coverage, then it may have a positive effect on your sales.

However, getting good coverage can burn up a lot of time and energy that might be put to better use. Instead of courting the media, you could be courting potential clients.

However, this is not to say that public relations is best left to big companies with deep rosters of established clients and the ample cash needed for hiring outside firms to manage PR campaigns. There are simple PR steps that your freelance business can take. Here are five:

1. Pay your bills promptly.

I’m writing this article in Tucson, Arizona. A few months ago, a recall campaign was launched against two just-re-elected city council members and our longtime mayor. A well-known businessman was leading this campaign. Then the local media got to work and started investigating his business dealings. Turns out that he’d developed quite a reputation for not paying his vendors promptly – or not paying them at all. Shortly after these revelations came to light, he filed termination papers for the recall, and it ended.

The easy way to stay out of this kind of trouble is to keep your bills paid. And, if you do get into a cash crunch, don’t hide from your vendors. Be proactive and inform them about what’s going on. In most cases, they’ll be more than willing to work with you.

2. Be on your best behavior when in public.

Especially if you’re in the habit of driving a car with your company name or website address on it. There’s nothing that says bad PR quite like aggressive driving in highly visible vehicle. Same goes if you’re out and about in the company clothing or wearing the company name tag.

On the other hand, if you’re prone to lose your temper or engage in other freewheeling forms of public expression, skip the “in uniform” look and go plainclothes.

3. Resist the temptation to badmouth the competition.

And, yes, this is difficult, especially when others are doing the same thing. Best thing to say is something bland and neutral like, “Oh, yes, I’ve heard of that company.” Then move on to another topic.

4. Do you have employees? Know anyone who does? (Sure you do!) Employees can be the best PR force you’ve ever had.

Sure, they can come up with some offbeat things, like David Holmes, the Southwest Airlines flight attendant who does pre-flight safety announcements in rap. But then again, Southwest is known for this sort of thing – and a lot of people fly with them because they enjoy the experience.

One of the recurring themes on FreelanceSwitch is how many of us had our creativity thwarted during our employment years. While every company can’t be like Southwest, a bit of creative expression on the job can be a positive thing. (Former employers, are you listening?) In addition to giving Southwest quite a name among air travelers, it has also made the company one of the toughest places to get hired into. A former boss went to work there, and let me tell you, he had to jump hurdle after hurdle just to get through the interview process.

5. There’s nothing quite as synonymous with public relations as the press release.

And, truth be told, a press release can be a powerful tool for attracting media coverage. Unfortunately, media people are inundated with news releases. As in, hundreds of them landing in their e-mail inboxes every work day.

What’s a press release-writing and sending freelancer to do? Think beyond the media, that’s what! In addition to the media, send your press releases to your clients. Court prospective clients with them. Not to mention friends and family. Also, post them on your blog. Make printouts on your business stationery so you can hand them out when you’re at networking lunches and other public gatherings.

If a do-it-yourself press release campaign strikes your fancy, I recommend Joan Stewart’s Publicity Hound website. And, if you’re looking for examples of what to talk about in your releases, take a look at the “Toot! Toot!” entries on Portland, Oregon designer Jeff Fisher’s blog. Fisher says, “If I don’t ‘toot!’ my own horn, no one else will.” So be like Jeff and start tooting.

And, one more thing: If you do get media coverage (or any other sort of favorable result) from your press release campaign, be sure to say “thank you.” Media people seldom hear these words, so you’ll really distinguish yourself. They’ll also help you stand out among your clients and prospects. So, use them often.