3. Be an expert
This is such a powerful idea that many of Publicity Heaven's PR services incorporate it.
If you can successfully position yourself as the leading expert in your industry, in your area, you will give yourself an almost unfair advantage over your competitors.
Once you're successfully positioned, the media will actually turn to you for comment on your industry. Often, even if it is comment about something your competitors are doing!
It really doesn't matter if someone else is the true leading expert in your industry, in your area. As with all marketing, publicity is a battle of perceptions, so you've just got to make sure you get in there first - and once you've built a reputation, maintain it.
You also shouldn't worry about being an expert - so long as you've been in your industry for a couple of years or more, you're an expert.
OK, here's how to do it.
Firstly, the positioning. In every press release you send out, describe yourself with a line such as Name, the Industry expert in Area. Back that up with press releases about things happening in your industry - not just to your business. Over a period of time journalists will form an opinion that you are an expert in that industry and you're leading it.
Make yourself available to journalists. On every press release, put your mobile number. Say you're available for interview any time, on any subject relating to your industry. Put your personal email address as well. Make sure you return calls and emails promptly - more on this in rule number 4.
Maintain your expert position. Send regular factfiles out, whether they're about your business or the industry as a whole.
As your expert status builds, you should find it'll have a positive effect on your business. Your customers will also see you as the leading expert in your industry. It's a powerful position to occupy, and one that should be used across your entire marketing.
PS it's more powerful to position a person as an expert, rather than a company. This is why this approach is particularly suited to owner-operators. The public are more likely to be sceptical of a company claiming to be an expert. Whereas they will accept an individual.
PUBLICITY HEALTH WARNING:
Make sure you know enough about your industry to successfully act as an expert. This is not a trick to be attempted by beginners! And you must be confident to do media interviews, it's a vital component of being an expert. Get some help with that here.
EVERY DVD: OUR TOTALLY MADE UP EXAMPLE
Lets apply these rules to a made up business Every DVD, a DVD retailer.
Because they sell every DVD on sale in the UK, they should position the local store manager as the Area's movie expert. He or she can send regular press releases out commenting on new film and DVD releases. They should also do reactionary press releases, for example providing a local comment with some trivia when an old movie star dies. The store manager doesn't need any kind of expert knowledge to do this, they could just use a website like IMDB.