Somewhere along the way the idea got circulating that PR was difficult and expensive. Perhaps that’s true if you’re a major corporation managing thorny subjects but for most small businesses with a few basic steps you can get some valuable local coverage and improve your SEO in a hour or so a month.

Here’s how you can leverage the power of PR for pennies…

Newsworthy

It doesn’t have to be ground breaking but you do need something fresh. An office move, new hire, expansion, customer project, donation to a charity, a contest or promotion – many of the everyday things you do count as local news. Your focus is your local media so always try to get a local angle in – and better yet organizations or customers other than you to help tell the story.

Who, What, When, Where, Why, How

You don’t have to be a wordsmith – just give the facts in a logical order. Focus on benefits or outcomes. You donated money – that’s good. Disadvantaged kids have a chance to learn new skills is fabulous! If possible also try to relate to what’s happening in the news such as; environmental or economic trends. “School District installs new network” isn’t near as interesting as “School District fights global warming and improves operations with tech upgrade”.

Don’t Forget the Keywords

Your company name, key products, city or area. Also think about what your customers might search on for IT services and weave these in to the text.

Distribution

Do a little research and know who covers small business or IT in your local newspapers, magazines and other local media. Send them the press release. Next post to your web site – that’s where the SEO comes in. If you want an extra SEO boost you can try one of the distribution services such as prweb.com. Lastly don’t forget to send to your customers and prospects – they are people who care about your news and this gives you a great opportunity for some proactive communication.

A Few Last Tips

• Keep it short and sweet. One page is fine.
• Include a client quote to broaden the appeal. This is also a great way to say thank you.
• Include photos – a picture tells a thousand words.