• How-to

It’s free, easy and fun to be on social and business networking sites. Yes, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are your three best options for high publicity turnover, especially if you don’t have the budget to build a website just yet.

Give your company a Facebook profile, send out invites to everyone on your list, and ask them to pass it on to people on their respective lists. Ditto with LinkedIn. Get people in your personal network to recommend your startup. Use Twitter to send out quick updates/teasers on your business. Follow anyone you think will be a potential customer or is relevant to your startup/industry.

Also, use the web to offer discounts and contests. Want free publicity? Offer some freebies! Blogging is also a good way to talk about your business.

Be your own billboard
Metaphorically speaking, of course! Print, hand-paint or embroider your company logo on a t-shirt—it’s bound to pique a passerby’s curiosity. Now, wear it in public. This could be at a networking event, at the gym, or even when you go shopping for groceries. You never know who is watching you!

Attend press conferences
Be in the loop of all press conferences happening in your city. This is where the media mingles. Journalists are always on the prowl for fresh story ideas. Talk to them; pitch a few ideas specific to your industry; tell them about your startup. Make sure you keep in touch with your friends in the media and update them with the latest developments in your company. You never know when you can be in the news!

Write articles
If you’re in the financial services space, you could write something on personal finance for a financial daily that is useful to a reader. Try to get column space, but don’t ask to be paid. Also, the media loves surveys—this is another smart tactic. Conduct a survey with your own customer base on specific issues related to your business; tell the media about it.

Another route is to write letters to the editors of relevant publications. Connect it to something about your business… and don’t forget to include your contact information at the end!

Live vicariously through friends and family
Have a friend or family member you bailed out of trouble long ago? Here’s your chance at pay-back—literally! Ask them to talk about you or refer you. If you have products or services to sell, leave your catalogue at their homes and ask them to spend a few minutes publicizing it to their guests. If you can, leave a few products and ask them to keep it in a visible place in their homes. If they are business professionals, use their database and send mailers out. Most entrepreneurs get their first few clients through friends and family.

Shoot the breeze
Yes, don’t stop talking about your company. There is nothing like hearing it from the horse’s mouth. Try and weave your story into conversations at social gatherings, networking events, or even over a cup of coffee at points when you sense a person’s interest in your business. But be discreet and tactful. Don’t try and sound desperate to sell; that could repulse people.

©Entrepreneur June 2010

Tags:
Facebook, free, LinkedIn, networking, PR, publicity, sites, Twitter