Being Your Own Publicist

By: Bryan Thompson

If you have a small business or non-profit group, you may not want to hire your own publicist or public relations firm. However, if you are thinking about being your own publicist, there are a few rules that you should follow so you can help ensure success.

First, learn how to think objectively. Being objective is something that many entrepreneurs and small business owners find hard to do, but it is necessary if you want to be successful. While you may never be totally objective, and you certainly don’t want to be, you should still be able to think objectively so that you can effectively pitch news stories to journalists. You should be passionate about your business while being able to look at it from other perspectives.

Secondly, you will want to read the news constantly and stay very up to date with current events. While every major event in the world will not necessarily affect your business, some will in ways that are hard to see and understand. If you are able to see these before other people or able to capitalize on them soon after they happen, you will help ensure success in your campaign. When you are able to show the journalist how a certain event affects your business, you can give them a good story and get exposure for your business.

Finally, you should attempt to constantly network with journalists, publicists and other businesspeople. When you are able to network and make contacts, you will be able to know who might be interested in your next story. By knowing the journalists that cover your industry, you can dramatically increase the chances that your story will be covered.

There are some people that could benefit from being their own publicist. Many others, however, would be best to hire a freelance publicist or small PR firm that specializes in helping promote small businesses. By getting a publicist who is professional and already has the right contacts, you will be on the right path to getting your business the positive exposure it needs to succeed.