Why every woman should seek out media coverage for their business

Is media coverage really worth all the time and hassle?

According to most entrepreneurs and small business owners who have done it, the answer is a resounding yes! Even the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) recently described how important PR is to the small business owner.

In the story, many companies turn to PR after they have unsuccessfully spent money on advertising campaigns that produced little or no results.

The WSJ explains why PR is vital. “People are skeptical of advertising,” says Lena Fiore, head of a company that doesn’t use advertising. By itself, she says, one successful media placement brought half a million sales. “I don’t know what it is about newspapers,” says Ms. Fiore. “When people read about something, maybe it’s more real to them. They seem to believe it whether it’s true or not.”

In addition, more and more companies are able to tie sales directly to media mentions. For example, one company featured placed a “how did you hear about us?” box on their website ordering page and was able to draw a straight line from PR results to their sales figures. A mention in a newspaper, news show or web page can bring in huge results for a company.

Here are some ways publicity can benefit you and your company:

The most cost-effective promotions for your business. It may cost a bit of time for the preparation of press materials and for getting to know the appropriate contact persons. But once you get the coverage, you’ll easily see it didn’t cost you anywhere near the big bucks that the same number of column inches in the newspaper or the same amount of airtime on the TV news would have cost if you’d paid for it as advertising!

You get more audience attention with editorial coverage. Paid ads can be glossed over, skipped or even totally ignored. But if your business is the focus of an article, or gets mentioned favorably in feature TV segment, you are able to capture the attention of the readers and engage them in your news story.

It is more credible. It is a fact: news is more believable than advertising. While belief in advertising is understandably tainted with varying degrees of suspicion, people have more faith in what they read in newspapers or magazine and in what they hear from radio or TV commentators than they have in paid advertising. For the audience, a third-party comment implies objectivity.

It not only builds your visibility & reputation, but also boosts your bottom-line. Media coverage can be effectively used as a sales tool for potential customers. Remember how you found your new favorite restaurant? From a restaurant review? Positive media coverage translates into more customers and increased sales.

It is DIY-able. Women entrepreneurs can be their own publicist. There are thousands of PR websites that show you step by step, exactly how to do your own publicity just like the pros. You can learn everything there is to know about the various forms of media and how to get your business noticed by them.

Media coverage is the best way for a company to establish position on issues. All businesses are vulnerable to issues and criticism. You can proactively avoid issues or influence an issue when it comes up by establishing a strong position in the press releases you send to media.

About the author:
Shannon Cherry is the blogger behind Startup Spark (http://www.startupspark.com). She is also the owner of Be Heard Solutions (http://www.beheardsolutions.com), a publicity firm that helps women-owned business attract more clients and customers by making them the recognized expert. Get her free report: Be the Big Fish at http://getfreepublicitytips.com