Internet PR for small business

Small businesses can use the Internet as a public relations tool. Well-written articles placed on high traffic Web sites and online directories help companies generate exposure among potential customers while keeping relationships with existing customers.

Boost Credibility

Articles and interviews can either be written from a news-oriented third-party perspective or ghostwritten for executives and companies wanting to share their story in a personal manner.

Target Readers

Information can be targeted to reach a local audience in a specific, geographic location or written to provide international exposure.

Leverage Information

Articles provide a base of content to refresh Web sites, serve as press releases for traditional media and can even be turned in to sales letters or letters of introduction. Written text can also be turned in to brief on-camera interviews for uploading to YouTube. Consultants can use online articles to display industry knowledge and email links after meeting contacts in-person.

Conduct a personal interview, or personal focus group, to determine the goal for the articles and interview. Interview yourself or interview others using the following guide:

• What is your business? What does your business do extremely well?
• What do you hear yourself saying about your industry and your company?
• What unique benefits or services does your company offer that competitors don’t offer?
• What do customers say about your company? Why do they turn to you? What problem do you help them solve or what need do you help them fulfill?

List 10 Tips you give your customers.

Existing brochures, Web sites, and related content are read for background information and to determine how the business benefits its customers.

Keyword research is conducted to help determine how the article will rank in search engines via the article titles and the keyword phrases used to attract the audience.

A series of articles, blog posts, and appropriate blog comments are written and uploaded to audience appropriate Web sites and online directories.

Industry Web sites, print publications, and contacts with traditional media may be utilized as well.

Take the answers to the above and write articles using the information.

Also, write and send out electronic press releases.

Utilize the tips, your knowledge, and use the tips on Twitter.

Use Facebook and Twitter to promote valuable customers.

Companies can either have a few different staff write tips, brief articles and then have a writer edit and finish the articles. Rates may vary between $ 50 to $ 100 an article depending on word length.

Does Internet PR work?

I wrote several articles for a property management company in 2009, set up a Twitter account for them, and posted regularly on several related blogs. I also rewrote select portions of their website.

The result was nearly doubling the number of keywords visitors used to find the apartments in the search engines. They tracked those who came to rent their apartments and they believe that two renters came as a result of the online exposure.

Their company url also previously came in at number 4 on Google and only a few places in the top 20. After I posted their articles, they held the top 18 of 20 spots.

I charged $ 3, 000 for a few months and the renters for their apartments pay on average $ 1,400 per month and typically stay 2-3 years. So if they picked up two renters, they achieved an awesome Return on Investment.