You do! Every business needs publicity. And there are many ways of getting your business in the spotlight for free.

Free publicity can actually generate more business than expensive advertisements, massive direct mail campaigns and haphazard Yellow Pages listings. Why? Because it lends legitimacy to your business. A restaurant critic praising the power of your pasta is much more likely to send hungry people your way than a listing in the phone book that says: Tony's Pasta Palace. An ad that reads "Voted the Pasta Most Likely to Make Your Date Pucker Up — by restaurant critic, Polyana Positive" carries more weight than an ad where you laud your own praises.

That's why publicity must always be strategic. It's important not to leave it to all the media venues to come and find you. More importantly, you need to know what your message is. Don't leave it to the journalist who heard about your delicious pasta to create a story about a family-owned restaurant that has been around for 3 generations, if the message you want to create is about the romantic powers your pasta sauces embody. Make sure the journalist knows that 9 out of 10 troubled couples who visit your pasta palace leave happy, satisfied and in love. Make sure the journalist knows that these secret sauces began 3 generations ago and have been working ever since. Have a list of available sources willing to talk to the journalist. This is publicity with a strategy, and it's free.

Start from the beginning. Create a realistic goal for your publicity campaign. Understand that all smart business people are vying for free publicity and the attention of editors and journalists. Most editors make decisions about stories within 5 seconds of reading a headline because of the mountains of press releases and story ideas they receive daily. The bigger the media outlet, the more competition for editors' attention. So start small and be specific. Instead of national coverage that will turn you into an instant millionaire, set a goal to expand your business by promoting romantic meals for two with extra "special sauce" to take home.

• Once you set a goal, step back and think how best to achieve it. Think about who your audience is. In the case of the amour-inducing pasta, the audience would be couples who want to spice up the romance in their relationship, couples who already have romance and want to celebrate it, and singles who are becoming couples.

• Be clear about what your message is. Now that you know you want to promote romantic meals for two, be sure you know why these meals aren't your everyday meal—why they induce romance. Is it because of the special ingredient in the sauce? Is it the intimate candlelit setting of your restaurant? Is it the fact that 9 out of 10 troubled customers report wedding proposals, renewed love or forthcoming babies after eating your penne? Any reporter will be looking for the who, what, where, when and why so be sure to have those answers ready. What do you do if your pasta has no magical power to melt frozen hearts?

• Whatever you do, tell the truth. If 9 out of 10 couples don't experience renewed romance after eating your sauce, don't use that angle. Try something else. Maybe you offer the only authentic Sicilian cuisine in a 400-mile radius. Or your restaurant is so dedicated to romance that you offer a board where singles can leave a photo, or fill out a questionnaire, and a matchmaker will send two people an invitation to meet for dinner.

• You have to know the news. Free advertising is not handed out easily, so you do need to find what is newsworthy. It's easier than you think. Once you know what your goal is and what product or service you are promoting, ask yourself "why would anyone care?" A chronic mistake that businesses (small and colossal) make is releasing news that only they care about. News is generally concerned with what is extraordinary, what serves the public well, what is new and what is important to readers. A new restaurant opening up, a new product or an enhanced service is not enough to make the news unless there is something unique about the restaurant or the product or service is relieving a problem. Once you know how your product or service is serving the public, you have a good opportunity of getting attention.

• Now think about what media are likely to attract your audience. Women's magazines are a goldmine for businesses attracting forlorn lovers. So are the sections of your local newspapers that attract women: the home, metro and lifestyle sections. Now think about what outlets for your message are available to you. What outlets isyour audience likely to use? Do you have any news contacts?

• Think of nontraditional outlets. Decorate your store window bestowing the romantic benefits of a meal at your place. Consider partnering up with a local florist. In exchange for decorating the florist display window with promotional materials about your restaurant, agree to sell single, long-stem roses table to table, or to purchase table centerpieces that display the florist's name and address. (To read more about host-beneficiary relationships, see Edition 5.)

• What about events? When creating a strategy, think of events that you can sponsor, create or attend that might draw attention to your business. If your pasta is putting the romance back into relationships, try having a romantic poetry reading to celebrate a famous poet's birthday. If you offer the best hardware in town, be sure that it is your store sponsoring the new playground for the local kids. Journalists love events like kids love candy. It is quick and easy material. Valentine's Day is a great opportunity to promote romance. Come cupid's day, it would be hard to find a juicier cover story for a local paper than a restaurant that's 3-generation-old sauce recipe promises to send unhappy couples home in love. Be sure to grab an editor's ear well before the event because production schedules can vary.

• Now that you have considered all of your outlets, plan and be persistent. Once you have listed all the outlets fit for your message, analyze what is realistic and what isn't. Start small. The great thing is journalists are predatory. They scour other media outlets for their stories. So while it may not be realistic to approach the editor of your nation's best daily, a journalist may very well scour your local paper, see your story there and approach you about an article. It also depends on your message. Just because one editor isn't interested, does not mean that another won't be. Use any information that an editor gives you to rework your story and try again.

To learn more about promoting your business, contact your business development consultant at Cody LeGrant McKinney, CPA, P.C..

Getting attention for your business can feel like wrestling a wet fish out of water sometimes. It requires focus, detail and attention. Even for the smallest of enterprises, there are firms and consultants willing to take on the big fish. And this is worth considering. It can be cheaper than hiring a full-time team member and more fruitful than trying to do it yourself. It can also be more expensive, require additional management and demand that you give up some control.

Outside agencies:

• Offer specialized expertise in specific fields

• Have a wealth of strong established media contacts

• Give an unbiased and dispassionate assessment of your organization and its marketing strategy

• Bring an outside perspective

• Are up to date with the most advanced techniques and resources

• Leverage the experience of an entire team of professionals

• Eliminate the cost of benefits, training, holidays and team member expenses

• Offer a menu of services available from strictly writing press releases to planning events to occasional consultation to full media campaigns

Internal publicity operations:

• Offer in-depth understanding of your business

• Let you determine the degree of control and participation in the process

• Are solely dedicated to and focused on your business's publicity needs

• May have established media contacts

• Can be cheaper to maintain

• Are more excited about your business

• Know your customers well and may elicit better success stories

• Know the latest and greatest news about your company first

Questions to ask if you are considering hiring an agency

• Do you need a full-service agency or an agency that specializes in your field of business?

• Do you want your agency to work on a project basis or full-time?

• What is the right size agency for your business and your strategy?

• Do you want a local agency or one with international offices?

• What kinds of clients does this agency serve? Is there any conflict of interest?

• What references has the agency given you and what have the references said?

• Can the agency quantify results for your campaign? What is their track record of success?

• Does the agency have contacts at the magazines you regularly read to stay abreast of your industry?

• Does the agency already have experienced people to work on your account or will they have to hire people?

• Can the agency do what you need and produce the benefits you are expecting at a price you can afford?

How do small businesses compete with national franchises that have millions to spend on advertisements, public relations and marketing? In the shadows of large chains with strong reputations, small businesses can face virtual obscurity. But there is some light. And it doesn't have to cost you a fortune!

A public relations campaign centered on community involvement and commitment can outshine the big guys and reinforce your integrity and experience. You have to come out of the shadow and be seen and heard by your community. People like to support their neighbor, their community and the business owner down the street who always sponsors their kid's athletic team. A business that shows goodwill in the community receives the goodwill of its community.

The key to successful community relations is integrity and honesty. Businesses that take on community projects need to choose what they are truly interested in because it is a commitment and, ultimately, a relationship.

Here are some tips for developing strong community ties and visibility:

• Consider joining business and community organizations that will bolster your visibility and reinforce your integrity

• Sponsor local athletic teams

• If there is a community crisis like a natural disaster, a fire or blizzard get involved in supporting the effort to fix the problem

• Develop a customer referral program

• Consider a host-beneficiary relationship with another business that's ideal customer/client is similar to yours

To learn more about customer referral systems and host-beneficiary relationships, contact your business development specialist.

One of the fastest growing segments in advertising and PR is cause-related marketing. According to Corporate Citizen, a think tank based in Seattle, Washington, cause-related marketing increased ten-fold between 1984 and 1994. But what is it and how can it work for you?

Cause-related marketing is when a company and a non-profit form a partnership in which the non-profit benefits from donations, volunteers and heightened visibility. The business benefits from excited team members, heightened visibility and strengthened ties to the community. While this type of promotion can reach grand heights like Revlon's sponsorship of a breast cancer walk, cause-related marketing is another avenue for small businesses to build strong reputations in their community.

But there can be pitfalls. If you are considering taking on a cause, here are some tips to keep you on track:

• Involve your team members in selecting the non-profit or cause. Having your team committed to the project is critical to its success and to sustaining a long-term, valuable relationship with the non-profit

• Make sure the non-profit or cause is something that team members are truly motivated by and is not just the latest hot topic or issue. This will improve the chances of developing long-term valuable programs

• Choose a charity carefully. Conduct research to make sure you know how the charity is run, what the mission is and how well it is serving the community

• Be sure to include the charity in your planning, including input into what its needs are. Sponsoring a clothing drive for a shelter that has no storage space to hold the clothes is not helping anyone

• Consider organizations that are likely to appeal to your customers. If you run a bookstore, sponsoring a book drive for a public school, a shelter or a literacy project would be a good match. If you own a beauty salon, sponsoring a battered woman's shelter, a woman's health project or a teen pregnancy program is likely to generate good faith in your customers

• Be clear with yourself, your team and the charity about what you can and cannot offer as support to this organization. Is it volunteer time? Supplies? A project that raises money? An awareness campaign? Don't promise what you can't deliver

Be sure to read each article with the mindset "how could this apply to our business." Thinking of it that way will guarantee that you get value. Better yet, take notes as you read and commit to having the ideas implemented by the time next month's edition arrives. Also, make copies for each team member. To really make sure something positive happens, work with your business development specialist to talk your team through the ideas and how to set a schedule for getting them implemented. We're here to help you get started.
Cody LeGrant McKinney, CPA, P.C.

The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.

— Linus Pauling

While every effort has been made to provide valuable, useful information in this publication, this firm and any related suppliers or associated companies accept no responsibility or any form of liability from reliance upon or use of its contents. Any suggestions should be considered carefully within your own particular circumstances, as they are intended as general information only.

At Cody LeGrant McKinney, CPA, P.C. we have the business development system and solutions that can be tailored to get results for you. To learn more about any of the ideas outlined here, and/or how to build the business you've always wanted, call Cody or Jamie at (828) 765-4400 before 5:00pm, Monday through Friday and receive 2 complimentary tickets, valued at $250 each to our next Business Development Workshop.