Generating local publicity is a worthwhile investment of effort for small businesses that serve a particular geography. Even if your target is national or international, your perspective as an informed and active member of your locality can boost awareness and sales for your business.
Sarah Evans is a recognized expert on how to generate publicity and we were fortunate to get her advice on the topic of local PR. I had the opportunity to interview Sarah at Blog World Expo 2010, an annual conference that we recommend to bloggers.
Sarah’s public relations company Sevans Strategy is adept at both traditional and new media PR. She has recently been included in Vanity Fair’s America’s Tweethearts, Forbes’ 14 Power Women to Follow on Twitter and Entreprenuer’s Top 10 Hot Startups of 2010.
You can find Sarah on Twitter @PRSarahEvans and on her blog. Sarah launched in 2008, and hosts #journchat, a weekly live chat between PR professionals, journalists and bloggers held on Twitter – Monday nights from 8PM to 9PM Eastern Time. (Please look forward to an article about how to participate in Twitter Chats on Boomer Tech Talk in the near future).
Transcript of Sarah Evans Tips:
“One of the most simple things you can do is watch your national news in the morning and see if there any national angles that relate to your business where you can serve as a local source.
That is important because you can contact your local daily print, radio, TV outlets and say ‘I can offer a local perspective on this topic or issue.’
Really get to know your local media and in addition to that now your local bloggers – people who are talking about business, industry or if you serve a certain niche – food, entertainment, tech whatever your business in, find the people who are writing about that.
These days that would include bloggers.
Invest time in getting to know people who can help you reach your consumer – just like I learned in my background for traditional media, the same applies to your social networks and bloggers.”
Have you had a local publicity success? Please tell us about it.
