How to Do Your Own PR If You Can’t Afford to Hire an Agency
Whether you’re an entrepreneur or SMB owner, you likely want to publicize your message to a target audience. It could be customers, prospects, or partners you want to engage.
But maybe you can’t hire a creative agency. It could be due to budget constraints or past bad experiences.
Regardless, you can use tools and strategies as an SMB owner to build your social and PR game plan without a monthly retainer.
Chicago-based PR firm, Walker Sands Communications, provides tips for SMB owners to publicize their company without an agency. We’ve expanded on their recommendations to help you achieve marketing success.
1. Engage with thought leaders on social media
To gain credibility in your industry, establish your team as thought leaders.
Engage with people on Twitter and LinkedIn who you follow for advice and important news. Building relationships with them will increase your visibility and create connections that may be useful in the future.
Jonathan Michael, Palo Alto Software’s Community Manager, recommends building relationships before making an ask. Start by complimenting and sharing their work.
To identify influencers, use platforms like Followerwonk, Tweepi, and Keyhole.
Consider multiple factors when choosing influencers. Look at followers, social authority, and tweet frequency. Even if someone has a low follower count, they may be worth your time if they have good social authority.
Building your own thought leadership takes time. Start by maintaining a regular blog or using platforms like LinkedIn’s publishing platform.
2. Create and share your own content with relevant hashtags
Creating original content like blog posts, white papers, and webinars establishes your credibility and expertise. Share these assets via email and social media for maximum visibility.
Look at how others in your industry and outside of it are doing content marketing. Determine what your target audience finds useful and where they spend time online.
Use pre-existing hashtags instead of creating your own. Be careful not to associate your brand with negative connotations.
To monitor your content’s performance, use tools like BuzzSumo to track shares and see what’s trending.
3. Choose the right hashtags
Ensure your hashtags are relevant and not broken up. Use pre-existing tags and avoid hijacking them.
If you’re unsure about popular hashtags, use Twubs or Hashtagify.
Using more than one hashtag can clarify your content. But be aware of the multiple applications of a tag and consider creating your own or using another tag alongside it.
4. Monitor your content marketing efforts
Use tools like BuzzSumo to track your content’s performance and see what’s popular on social networks.
Neil Patel’s blog on Quicksprout offers valuable marketing advice and insights.
In conclusion, these strategies can help you do your own PR without hiring an agency. Take these tips and start building your social and PR game plan today.
Other free tools you can use to monitor your content marketing efforts include:
– Google Alerts: Monitor brand mentions, including those you may not be aware of. Stay on top of any mentions.
– SocialMention: Find out what’s being said about a specific term across blogs, video, and social media. See how many times a term has been mentioned.
– Respond to timely topics in the news: Offer yourself as an expert source to comment on hot stories. Stay informed on issues relevant to your audience.
– Use free trials of social media and content marketing tools before you buy: Take advantage of free trials to evaluate different tools. Freemium products are readily available.
– Choose the right social media platform for your brand: Identify your target audience and determine which platforms they prefer. Focus on platforms that reach your audience effectively.
– Engage with your customers on social media: Monitor conversations related to your brand and respond to customer comments. Use social listening tools to stay on top of customer complaints.
– Use Google Analytics: Monitor your online presence, keywords, and website traffic. Gain insight into your owned and earned media conversion rate.
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