Soar to Success June 2020

SOAR TO SUCCESS / Feature Article her clients to share a unique message that offers valuable information in an easy-to-read format. Also, trained extensively in search engine optimization (SEO), Melanie adds the appropriate keywords, titles, links, and more when she is writing to help the final content get as much awareness online as possible. “Your content will work best if you provide reader-friendly titles, sub-titles, the appropriate spacing, bullet points, and more. This way, readers will know exactly what your message is whether they just skim it or read the entire piece.” Why Small Businesses Need Public Relations: Melanie mentions that while you may think public relations only relates to the media, it encompasses all of the communications you have with employees, associates, investors, and more. After all, all of the internal and external customers that you deal with need to easily understand what you have to offer and why you are unique. This helps you sell more, build relationships and grow your business. Now, this whole process takes time and effort for the best results, so it’s wise to hire an expert publicist and copywriter to help you. This way, you can focus on your core business responsibilities. However, you can also garner all the benefits of public relations even if you just have a small business. “PR is perfect for small businesses because a single call can lead to a feature story in your local newspaper or a television or radio interview without paying for advertising. This is third-party credibility that can build positive word-of-mouth quickly.” Melanie shared that if you have a small budget, you can start to reach out to the media on your own. It’s just a matter of finding the media members in your local area who cover your business or industry, contacting them directly and letting them know what you have to offer them. By making a simple introduction, informing them of your expertise, how you help the local community, and more, they will know who you are and possibly call you for a future story to get your expert opinion. Also important in today’s multi-layered media community is to send the right message for your target market. “Reporters are inundated with pitches from various entities on a daily basis. Before you contact them, think about how you can help them and offer value.” Melanie with Robert Kiyosaki Melanie with Dan Kennedy