The sound is deafening. Businesses are beating their chests in an effort to capture the public's attention. The result? Potential customers are overwhelmed and hitting the mute button.
It's a jungle out there, according to Jay Conrad Levinson, founder of the Guerilla Marketing empire. Levinson's first book on this style of marketing was published in 1983, and his marketing "secrets" have continued to evolve as the economic climate changes. His common sense approach includes ideas like consistency, patience, convenience and measurement. One aspect he focuses on is using a variety of methods to communicate your messages. Another name for this is 360-degree marketing, which means people are being hit with your messages from every direction. That requires a marketing mix that covers five major categories:
• networking
• advertising
• public relations
• promotions
• community relations
Most business owners understand advertising and promotions, which are probably the most widely used methods of the five categories. They also are the biggest budget busters of the group. So, in these days of slow sales growth and a tight economy, let's look at how to use the other three to save money and drown out your competitors.
Networking is one of the least expensive and best ways to build a business. Building relationships creates loyal customers and good referral sources. Some people enjoy schmoozing at business or civic events but for others, it's painful. However you feel about it, networking is necessary.
To become a good networker, think about what you want people to know about your business and develop a short sound bite. This is sometimes called an elevator pitch, which means you should be able to describe your business succinctly in the time it takes to ride up or down a couple of floors. Practice your pitch out loud. Don't memorize it, but get comfortable with what you want to say so that it rolls off the tongue naturally. Remember that the people you're talking with are not experts in your field, so avoid jargon and acronyms.
Also, have some topics you could fall back on if the conversation lags. Everything doesn't have to be about business, and probably shouldn't be. Finding ways to connect to people outside of their business pursuits is more fun and can lead to good business relationships later.
Public relations covers a wide gamut of methods to manage the reputation of your business. One of the best ways to reach a large number of people and give credibility to a business is through publicity, a term many people use interchangeably with public relations.
Getting television or newspaper coverage is not easy and requires patience, but is worth the work. One word of caution: think carefully before approaching a reporter. Just because you think you have a great business, it's your anniversary or you're having a sale, doesn't mean a reporter will want to cover it. There must be a compelling reason for coverage, so find a way to make your story unique. Here are some ideas:
• Tie your story idea to an event, holiday or current news story.
• Find a different or unique perspective on a routine topic.
• Consider a charity tie-in or something that benefits children.
• Get the media involved as a participant, such as a being a contest judge or MC.
• Use a personal story of someone who has benefited or will benefit from what you're doing.
• Use research to create an angle or reinforce your points.
The downside to publicity is that you can't control what's printed as you do in advertising. Another obstacle is the dwindling number of reporters available to cover local stories. Again, this means you must have a compelling idea that captures attention. Also, make sure you know which reporters cover business before you call.
Last, if you are contacting a television reporter, think visually. TV reporters want to know what viewers will see, so be ready with some ideas for the photojournalist to shoot.
Community relations is not just about sponsorships, although that is part of it. Here are some other ways to get involved:
Volunteer for community activities like Habitat for Humanity, charity golf tournaments and walks/runs that raise money for research.
• Become a board member for a nonprofit.
• Join civic organizations like Rotary and Kiwanis.
• Join your local chamber of commerce.
• Volunteer to speak at civic and professional group meetings. Many of them are looking for speakers, and if your expertise can help an organization's members or enlighten them about something new, they will welcome your offer to speak. This costs you nothing and helps get your name before a good number of people while creating goodwill.
Keep in mind that networking, public relations and community relations can take time to build your brand and your bottom line. But you never know when that one contact, that one great story idea or that one nonprofit you've helped will turn into business for your company. It takes patience, as Levinson says. So get out into the jungle and get started.
Mary Hemlepp, APR, is co-owner of the Lexington-based public relations firm Wiser, Hemlepp & Associates. Contact her at mary@wiserhemlepp.com.