Sell Globally, Pitch Locally
You have a fierce product and you just know you are ready for some national media and celebrity exposure, but you do not have the time, connections, or money to make this happen.
Put your energy into local media.
Small businesses may not have the resources to get noticed by the big guns. However, local news channels, newspapers, and magazines are always on the look-out for heartwarming stories about local entrepreneurs and philanthropists. Even if you don’t have a bricks and mortar shop, you are still a productive member of your society!
Follow this easy three-step process to getting local media coverage:
- Get involved with your community. Donate product, time, or expertise to local charities. Join your local chamber of commerce. Network with other local business owners and work together. Look for areas where you can have a big impact. Donating $200 worth of shoes to the local shelter may be more effective philanthropy than donating $200 cash to the $50,000 annual fundraising extravaganza.
- Write a killer press-release with a local angle.
- Make personal contact with Lifestyles, Business, and Arts and Entertainment editors and programming directors. Pitch them stories they can use. Every month or so, check in to see what their feature calendar will be and discuss ways you might fit into their schedules. An occasional plate of cookies might not hurt either. Locally, a little kindness can go a long way.
Relationships are important in life and in business–and that goes doubly when you look at local opportunities.
Don’t forget to follow up by getting that press release distributed on the Internet (this helps with your natural search engine ranking). And you never know–a local celebrity may just notice your efforts or you may tap into a local market you did not even realize existed.