How to Get National Exposure For Your
Business Or Service
By Tom Egelhoff
 For most small businesses the likelihood
of showing up in the Wall Street Journal or Inc. Magazine is
pretty remote. But it's not impossible. Before we tackle national
exposure, let's quickly review local exposure.
Once more, the small town has the advantage
In big cities, news of local interest has to compete with
news from the entire world. In small towns, including small neighborhoods
in big cities, local newspapers are often the only real source
of news in the community. A local school board race that would
be ignored by a major newspaper would be covered extensively
by a small or neighborhood paper.
We all try to keep up with national and international events
that shape the world. However, in the day to day operation of
small business in small towns, the rest of the world hardly exists.
Yes, I know that from time to time the price of sugar, rubber
or some other import in a foreign land can affect local small
businesses, but for the most part small business exists within
its own defined geographic boundaries.
So, testing local newspaper, radio, direct mail and TV, if
affordable, are going to be your best bets for small town exposure
to your customers. It's often easier to get news releases into
local papers than national ones because the people making the
decision are your neighbors. People you know who have a vested
interest in your success.
How does national exposure happen?
In many cases national exposure happens by accident. Someone
is talking about your product or service to someone else and
that person has the ear of a major publication or electronic
media.
In other cases the business person took a chance and contacted
the media with a press release at the right time with the right
message.
Sometimes the exposure can be negative. Consumer Reports found
and ranked your product dead last in a comparison test. Are you
ready for the negative as well as the positive?
Where do you start?
The best place to start is with yourself. Is there something
about your product or service that is "newsworthy?"
If there is, the best place to take that information is to your
own industry.
Almost any industry you can name will have some kind of national
association tied to it. These associations will have trade magazines,
journals or at the very least, a newsletter. You can find a listing
of trade magazines in "The Encyclopedia of Periodicals"
at your local library.
How do professional PR Agencies do it?
Professional Public Relations firms know who and how to contact
the necessary people to insure the best chance of your news release
being picked up for a story. How do they keep track of all the
newspapers, magazines and journals?
Your local library should have a copy of the (SRDS) Standard
Rate and Data Service Directory. Listings like "Business
Publications" will list hundreds of magazines and newspapers
you can contact with your story. If you need a listing of newspapers
and magazines immediately, or you are outside the US, Click
Here. For talk radio stations, Click
Here.
Two other sources are, "Bacon's Publicity Checker"
and "The Editor & Publisher International Yearbook."
These two are not always available in small town libraries but
might be brought in by request. Check with your local librarian.
Do the research.
What is being printed about your industry now? Do you know?
One way to find out is to contract a "clipping service."
Clipping services read everything. They clip out articles about
subjects you have specified. Along with the articles they will
commonly attach, the media circulation, the date it ran, and
the name of the media.
This can give you a good handle on what is of interest to
readers about your industry.
Don't forget the local media
If you are fortunate enough to be featured in national media,
don't forget to let the local media know about it. Small towns
love it when locals make the "big time."
Also be sure to let employees know about your national exposure.
It will add to their self-esteem that they are working with a
company with national or international recognition.
Don't forget important contacts of your business. We have
more confidence when we think we are dealing with a major player.
It's OK to blow your own horn about your success.
The last word on exposure
There may come a time in your business when you need to hire
a PR firm. This usually happens because something negative is
happening in your business. Lack of sales or some other catastrophe
has sent business into a downward spiral. The PR firms job is
to pull you out.
In the event that this happens, make sure you arm the PR people
with everything they need to do the job. Don't hold back any
negatives about the company. Sooner or later the media will discover
the negatives and you will find yourself in worse shape than
before.
Public Relations is a business of persistence. Keep sending
the information out. If you really have a worthwhile product
or service, someone will eventually see it and you're on your
way.
Have a business question for Tom? Click
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This article may be reproduced for your non-profit
group or organization provided it is not altered in any way and
the following is attached:
©1998 - 2004 Eagle Marketing PO Box 271 Bozeman, MT
59771-0271
http://www.smalltownmarketing.com - (406) 585-0219 - Toll FREE
(888) 550-6100
email: tommail@smalltownmarketing.com
Based in Bozeman, MT, Tom Egelhoff is the author of How To Market, Advertise & Promote Your
Business Or Service In A Small Town, and The
Small Town Advertising Handbook: How To Say More And Spend Less.
He is also a seminar and workshop presenter
and trainer. He may be reached at 888-550-6100 or PO Box
271 Bozeman, MT 59771-0271
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