If you own a local business there’s good news when it comes to online PR. With clever use of online web marketing and localised PR you can easily generate free messaging or promotion for your business. When a local business produces it’s own online news content, it almost always results in increased search engine rankings, traffic, and business.
The more education and informative your content is the better the results.
Below are 3 easy steps to get started with local online PR:
Put a News Section on Your Website
If your business has a news section on it’s website, you’ll have a place to publish and manage content about events, new products or services, and community involvement of your business. It’s unlikely to gain mainstream attention of major media outlets, but it does help improve your repeat business and build a loyal following of customers. In addition, it boosts search engine rankings, especially if you are writing news tailored to the region you do business in. Before you know it, your business will be known for it’s great communication and you’ll be ahead of your competitors in the search engines.
Use Press Releases To Generate Buzz
Think you can’t have a news section on your website because your company hasn’t been in the news? You can always write your own news. In fact writing press releases about your website is one of the best ways to generate a buzz for what you are doing. It gives local press a story. Even a charity walk could be newsworthy for your local newspaper. True, it’s not national front page material but it could gain exposure for your company in the community section or events of your local paper.
Connect With Your Customers Socially
With the ever-increasing popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, you can place your company’s name in front of a captive audience absolutely free. The key is to be personal and provide value to your friends or followers and think a little bit differently to your competitors.
I had the most fun on a recent photoshoot for The Clarion Hotel with photographer Neil Danton. It was great to do something completely light hearted to raise awareness of the fantastic deals that are available at The Clarion Hotel, Cork throughout the summer period for Live at the Marquee.
