Positive publicity for your brand doesn’t have to cost an arm or leg, just your time. Do you want and need to elevate your online presence? Do you have a small or nonexistent budget? Yes! At Fearey, we have some tried and true methods that will help you garner earned coverage, FOR FREE!
With the right objectives and strategies, you can earn press coverage and social media buzz at basically no cost. It’s not rocket science, just rocking ways to gain free publicity for your business.
Check out our five tactics to gain free publicity.
- Google My Business
One of the best ways to get your business front and center digitally is to create a free business profile on Google My Business. When someone wants to learn more about you and your business, they’ll Google you. Like an online directory, you add all your important business information: what you offer, location, hours, photo and contact information. Google My Business is multi-functional; it is your free digital ad that is easily editable, user-friendly and helps build your online presence with old and new customer reviews.
Our recommendation: Take these reviews and use them. Amplify the positive reviews on your website or on social media. Take the negative feedback, learn from it and integrate it into your key learnings.
- Be A Guest Contributor with a Strong and Active Social Network
You are your biggest champion. If you’re positioning yourself as a thought leader and expert in your field, then having an active social network –LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, etc.– is crucial in today’s tech-savvy world. Publishers are more willing to work with guest contributors and experts with strong and active social media presences because they’re more likely to amplify the content across their channels, creating more exposure for the media outlet and themselves.
Our recommendation: Create high-quality content on your own website first. Developing credibility as a thought leader in your industry has everything to do with generating interesting and engaging content that will get your peers thinking. And, it’ll be easier to pitch yourself as a guest contributor on a website if you have the work to show for it already.
- Collaborate Strategically and Build Real Relationships
Relationships and connectivity are so important when building your brand and online presence. Identify and pursue partnerships with like-minded companies, people and media and build a real relationship with them. Think through what these people need and genuinely try to position yourself as a resource.
Our recommendation: Tap into social media influencers or community partners and figure out how to best partner with them in a mutually beneficial way. Could you highlight some of their most influential blogs? If so, they’ll be more likely to amplify the highlight and share your coverage with their followers. Work to integrate what you’re working on with their story or the bigger trend.
- Research and Find Free Tools
With every new launch or announcement, you must do some research. How do you align your product and news with what’s trending or with what is most interesting to a journalist? Free tools like HARO (Help A Reporter Out) allows you to monitor daily leads on journalists who are working on a story and looking for sources.
Our recommendation: Utilize these tools to align your message with what is already relevant. If you think you’ve designed the most comfortable shoe out there, then maybe there is a travel reporter looking to highlight the most stylish and comfortable shoes to travel in.
- Leverage Local Event Calendars
Do you have an event coming up and need to spread the word? Research your local news and media websites for their event calendars. Typically, news organizations have free community calendars where you can submit your event details through an online form.
Our recommendation: Submit your event details a minimum of one month ahead of any event to maximize exposure and to give the media outlets time to publish your request.
In conclusion, these methods may be new to you or not, but they are tried-and-true methods to get free publicity. Building your online presence comes with time. Develop a strategic plan that outlines what you’re hoping to accomplish and engage in the above tactics.