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Free publicity

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Meaning: Free publicity

Free publicity or free publicity is positive attention for your business without having to pay for it. Free publicity is a PR tool that requires creativity from an entrepreneur. Free publicity often consists of a press release about your business in the media. So as an entrepreneur, you have to be creative enough to come up with a fun or newsworthy message about your business.

Free publicity as a marketing instrument: 8 tips and tricks

Free publicity is therefore an effective way to gain publicity for your business. This publicity is necessary to make your business grow, plus you get a better SEO position this way. However, it does require some creativity on the part of the entrepreneur, which is why there are 8 tips for you to get started with free publicity:

Think like a journalist

A journalist has a different interest in the press release than the entrepreneur. For a journalist it is important that the press release is objective and relevant. Therefore, it is important for the entrepreneur to think in the shoes of the journalist. Find an interesting and newsworthy angle for the story you want to tell. There are many press releases about companies on the Internet, read these for some inspiration.

Plan your news

Planning your news can help make your press release even more relevant. Does the season, a holiday or any other fixed event have an impact on your service or product? Try to actively respond to this. In this way you add current events to your press release, and you can also work faster and easier if you have planned your news in advance.

Plan your contact with the media on time

Don't rush headlong when you have written a good press release about your new product, service or merger by sending it out to hundreds of journalists. You may be better off contacting a few journalists first. This way you can gauge what they find interesting and be able to respond accordingly. In this way you build a long-term relationship with a media person, which may come in handy in the future.

Do not forget your own channels

Is your press release a success and do you appear on one or even multiple media channels? Very cool and this will bring a lot of publicity. However, this does not end here, you still have your own media channels. Your website, LinkedIn, Instagram, Newsroom and so on are the perfect channels to spread this press release as well. This way you generate some extra publicity.

Use a special press release website, also for SEO press releases

Presscloud has the perfect tool to create a press list to distribute your press release. The white paper provides lots of information on how to write a good press release. By using a tool that takes some of the burden off the business owner, you can work faster and more targeted as a business owner. This way, you have more time to write press releases and manage your business.

Write legibly, clearly and compellingly

You are not expected to be a full-fledged journalist who can write a great press release right away. But try to be creative and stand out. Think at least of an interesting and catchy headline, this is read first after all. In addition, pay close attention to your writing style and try to avoid spelling / grammar mistakes.

Respond after the publicity to questions, requests and requests from other media

Once you have been in the media for the first time, reactions will come. You will be called, emailed, addressed and approached by potential customers and other media. Make sure you reserve time in your schedule to respond to this. This can lead to new customers or even more publicity.

Recycle, recycle and recycle

As mentioned before, it is very useful to use your own media channels for free publicity. You should optimally use your LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram page to share all content about your company. So your company appears in the media, you are interviewed or you wrote a blog somewhere. Recycle this also on your own channels.

What is free publicity?

Free publicity is of course the literal translation of ‘free publicity’. This term is mainly mentioned in English but means the same. That is, a company or brand gets media attention without paying for it. It is a misunderstanding for some entrepreneurs that free publicity comes automatically. In practice, you will have to take care yourself that a journalist is convinced of the newsworthiness of your press release or PR stunt.

What makes your company interesting for the newspaper?

This is the question we often hear at Presscloud. Why is a journalist interested in my press release? The reason is as follows: newspaper editorial staff have had to cut back on staff costs in recent years. As a result, there is less time for original news gathering. It is quite nice for an editorial team/journalist to fill a medium with "creatively copied" articles. It is important, however, that the press release meets a number of requirements and is therefore newsworthy. By writing a newsworthy press release as an entrepreneur, two interests come together. The entrepreneur gets free publicity, and the journalist/editorial team receives a good press release for their medium.

Who appears in the news matters

However, it is not the case that every press release, full of unabashed self-promotion, is blindly picked up by the news. A journalist has a reputation to maintain, and that can only be done by publishing high-quality articles. Even in the era of fake news, the "mainstream" media remains a reliable source of information. Consumers have a lot of trust in newspapers and other real media, instead of social media. A company that appears in the news matters in the eyes of the consumer.

Creativity crucial

Newsworthiness is therefore important for the chance of publication. But you do not always succeed with ‘just’ a newsworthy article. Creativity also plays an important role here. The journalist’s mailbox is often full, so your press release must attract attention. In addition, a creative story also generates more publicity because your target audience also communicates with each other about your story.

Focused on your brand

Getting your brand in the media is great, but the attention you get must strengthen your brand. Therefore, your press release or PR stunt must fit your brand identity. Take the examples of free publicity mentioned above. A stiletto run through the PC Hooftstraat does not fit a brand for a men's razor. So, try to find something that fits your brand.

Dependent on others

Free publicity has many advantages, and it can greatly benefit the name recognition of your company. But you are dependent on others. A journalist does not necessarily have to take over your press release. They can also read your press release and have a completely different opinion. Therefore, there is a risk that negative publicity will also arise about your company. Therefore, try to compile a media list of journalists who fit your company and industry.

What goals can you achieve with free publicity?

If you think you are supposed to be doing pure advertising or informing people through free publicity, you are thinking of it wrong. The purpose of it is not to convey knowledge and information. Rather, it should focus on building brand awareness and promoting awareness. Consumers should understand the values and identity of your brand.

Internet, Free publicity and word-of-mouth advertising

Free publicity can spread quickly through the internet. You have probably read an awesome article and forwarded it to family or colleagues. This is the modern form of word-of-mouth advertising that the internet is perfect for. As an article is shared over the internet, it creates a snowball effect and can go viral in this way. A lot of free publicity, therefore!

10 simple tips for generating (more) free publicity

As a new entrepreneur, you obviously do not have a large marketing budget like larger companies. This is where free publicity becomes ideal for generating brand awareness on a low budget. Here are 10 tips to help you get free publicity for your business.

1. Recognize the news

A press release is only published once a journalist is convinced of the news you have to tell. Therefore, it is important for an entrepreneur to recognize where the news value lies in your company. It doesn't always have to be about an innovation or a new collaboration. Find a current event that ties into your company, a survey or something similar; journalists often love that.

2. Think from the target audience

Once you have identified the news in your company, it's time to write a press release and compile your press list. It is important to always think from your target audience's perspective. A press release aimed at young people is different from one aimed at older people. There is also a big difference in the medium used by different target audiences.

3. Ensure a media-proof press release

A press release always has a certain structure, which is clearly explained in our whitepaper. But here are the main guidelines to make your press release media-proof. Ensure your press release;

Is objective

Contains a headline, subheadline, lead, body text, boilerplate, and contact information

Around 1 A4 long is

4. Be good and tell it

Free publicity is the perfect opportunity to gain brand awareness, but you must not confuse it with advertising. Lavishing praise on your business is pointless because a press release needs to be objective. What you need to do is speak confidently about your business's qualities and added value.

5. Tell a personal story

With your press release, the intention is that readers will feel connected or inspired. A personal story scores well in the media because it evokes recognition. Think, for example, of a special experience with a customer or partner or add a quote from an employee.

6. Match press list with press release

A good press release is nothing without a good press list. The goal is to ensure your press release reaches your target audience. Therefore, only add the categories of journalists to your press list that align with the press release. Be critical because you will benefit from it later.

7. Seek personal contact

When your press release is written and your press list is set up, then it's a waiting game. But you can also use this time effectively. By looking at which journalists open your press release, you can make personal contact with them. You can further support your story and showcase the entrepreneur behind it. This way, you increase your chances of publication.

8. Also seize online opportunities

In addition to the media, there are many other online channels that you can use to get free publicity. Think of blogs, news sites, and forums. These channels are also accessible to journalists, but sometimes you can also post something as an entrepreneur. This way, you use all online tools to gain free publicity.

9. Be reachable

If your press release has been sent out, keep a close eye on your mailbox and phone. Journalists may have questions about your press release. The faster and better you respond to these, the greater the chance of publication. Even after the press release is published, it's still important to be accessible. Customers or potential partners may want to contact you.

Ensure integration with your own communication channels

Make use of all online tools, not only the media but also your own communication channels. If your press release is published, repost it on your LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also build a newsroom where you place all publications about your business. This provides extra publicity on top of the publication, and it’s free.

You don’t get it just like that

Free publicity is a wonderful tool to generate brand awareness for your business. The fact that it doesn't cost money is especially nice for startup entrepreneurs. However, don’t be mistaken, free publicity may not cost money, but it does cost time. As a business owner, you have to put in the work. Writing a press release is not part of the ‘core business’ of an entrepreneur, nor is creating a press list. So, as a business owner, make sure you take the time to do it as well as possible. And make use of online tools that can help you with this.

Indirect free publicity

To generate free publicity for your business, it requires an effort or investment. It will take time for example to create a press release and press list or the costs involved for a PR stunt. However, the effects of free publicity will last for a long time. The publicity can still have an impact even years later, which is referred to as indirect free publicity.

Earned media

Appearing in the media with your organization falls under the term earned media. Of course, as an entrepreneur, you have put in effort as well. Other than writing press releases to gain media attention, you can also use other PR tricks. Think of the PR stunt we mentioned before. By regularly appearing in the media as a company, you use earned media to its fullest extent and free publicity will come streaming in.

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