The Art of Spin

PR IS A NO-COST WAY TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS. HERE’S HOW TO PLAN A CAMPAIGN AND TARGET YOUR MESSAGE.

What’s the biggest mistake small businesses make when it comes to public relations? It s not properly planning a PR campaign, or worse, not taking the time to do any public relations at all.

“Unless you’re in a situation where you have all the business you can handle, doing public relations is an essential piece of the marketing plan—one that will give the most return for the least cost,” says Shel Horowitz, principal of Accurate Writing & More, a marketing consulting firm in Hadley, MA.

Because PR involves writing and reaching out to the press, many small-business owners are uncomfortable and intimidated by where to begin. They also aren’t clear about what constitutes news and when issuing a press release is not only warranted, but welcomed by the press. (For a look at what’s press-release worthy, see sidebar, right.) Crafting a press release, however, is not rocket science and can easily be accomplished with a couple of quick steps, says Al Lautenslager, principal of Market for Profits), a marketing and consulting firm based in Wheaton, IL, and the author of Guerilla Marketing in 30 Days. “It’s essentially writing one page—editors throw away anything else,” he explains.

Lautenslager’s formula for writing a press release couldn’t be easier: The first paragraph covers the classic who, what, when, where, why; the second paragraph should be a quote from someone on the importance of the business or the event; the third paragraph should have background information on the company; and the wrap-up should be devoted to contact information for editors and media people who want to follow up.

Once the press release is written, there’s still work to be done. Much of the effort surrounds knowing whom to contact and how to spin your story so it catches the eye of the media. Here are a couple of suggestions from PR experts:

Pick your spots. Research the newspaper or broadcast media you want to be featured in and learn about what they like to report on. Do some brainstorming and come up with a list of things about your business that might make a good story. Don’t be afraid to bounce your ideas off people, including local reporters, to see what sticks and what doesn’t.

Schmooze the media. Get to know who covers the local beat where your business might be a fit. Call them up (not on deadline) and suggest some story ideas with points that underscore why their readers or viewers might be interested. Buy them a cup of coffee.

Talk yourself up. “When the media comes calling, don’t hide behind your hat,” advises Horowitz. “Talk proudly about what you’ve done without being hypey.”

Of course, in the PR biz, a little hype never hurts. Lautenslager tried a gutsy PR move a couple of years back for his other business, The Ink Well, a commercial printing and mailing company. In early 2001, The Boeing Company was relocating from Seattle and considering Chicago, among other cities. Lautenslager made Boeing an offer of free business cards if they choose Chicago and tried to get other businesses to jump on the bandwagon offering free services if Boeing picked the Windy City. When Boeing did, Lautenslager issued a press release, with the spin that maybe it was his offer of free business cards—not the multi-millions in tax incentives— that got Boeing to make the leap. Boeing never responded to his offer, but the press sure reacted to the story. “It was a huge PR home run,” Lautenslager says. “It got picked up in eight or nine newspapers, radio stations, and on TV. You can’t buy front-page advertising that can do that.”

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