THE GOLD MINE YOU'RE IGNORING - PR

Chatham's Fine Chocolates had just launched. The online marketing component hadn't yet begun, and the site visitor count for the first week was so near zero it's not worth mentioning. Then, a local TV channel did a live remote from the store...and internet sales jumped from zero to a full wallet in a matter of hours.

If you're like most small e-retailers you've tried a lot of marketing ideas. Maybe you've sunk money into Pay-Per-Click marketing, or comparison shopping engines, SEO services, maybe even banner advertising.

Chances are, you've never considered hiring a PR (public relations) consultant.

But...PR is expensive, right???

A good PR strategy, well executed, is worth every penny - and usually a whole lot more.

Of course you'll have to have a budget for it, like any other advertising strategy. Typically a small e-retailer can expect to get started and get some good value from a consistent $1,000 - $2,000 per month budget.

Why is PR so valuable?

Good PR usually means good press. And press is valuable. Whether a mention in an online guide published by your local newspaper, a 3 minute morning television show appearance, or a mention in "Oprah's Favorite Things" - each press mention has significant value.

The obvious value is the "free advertising" - a write up in a popular magazine is probably worth thousands of dollars compared to the cost of purchasing the same space. But that's only part of the value.

One of the greatest challenges a small e-retailer faces is a lack of credibility. Consumers are wary of purchasing online from companies that they don't already know.

Press mentions help overcome this challenge. A visitor coming to your site after seeing you in the press automatically assumes you are a reputable company (instead of the normal "guilty until proven innocent" consumer mentality).

Visitors coming to your site from elsewhere will often "Google" your site just to see what others have said about you. If Googling you results in a list of press mentions (no matter how minor), you automatically seem more credible.

Another strong value is that online publications will usually link their mention to your site - which impacts your Google search ranking as well.

Press mentions can drive business substantially - sometimes immediately, and strongest over time.

How PR Works

The first concept to understand is that PR is executed on a strategy and the results of a PR strategy are incremental - they build over time. PR agreements are typically done on an annual basis, requiring a one year commitment.

Good PR is not a "nah nah, there I did it", one-time effort. It's a highly involved, coordinated process that requires consistent time and effort on the part of both the PR consultant and you. Simply authoring and distributing a few press releases does not constitute an effective PR strategy.

A good PR strategy generally follows a process like this:

1. Your PR consultant will take time with you to understand your products, your key target audiences, and your unique selling position.
2. They will then determine a list of target publications that reach the key target audiences your products appeal to.
3. They will help define a creative strategy for the term of the agreement, coming up with ideas to position your company to be appealing to the publications you intend to reach.
4. They will write press releases at each stage of the strategy execution to communicate the ideas and strengths that get the attention of the press.
   
5. They will then leverage their connections, contacts, and tools to distribute your press releases to the right people at the right publications.
6. They will actively "pitch" the right editors and journalists your story.
7. They will coordinate and coach you through interviews with the media, making sure your message is communicated just so.
8. They will watch the media and alert you each time a story is published about you.
   

Over time, the value of the press you have received should grow and blossom into ever increasing results for your online retail site.

Picking a Good PR Consultant
There are plenty of good PR consultants in the marketplace. A small e-retailer will typically benefit by choosing a small firm, or freelance consultant because they tend to be more affordable and flexible than a large firm will be.

A few things you'll want to consider:

• References - as with any service provider, one worth their salt should have impeccable references.

• General Experience - you'll want an PR consultant that is very experienced, at least 5 years of experience (I recommend) and someone that's acted in a PR Director role.

• Industry Specific Experience - you'll likely get the best results if your selected PR consultant has experience providing PR services to companies in your general industry, and/or has plenty of experience pitching to the publications you want to appear in.

• Creativity - a fundamental requirement of good PR is that it's creative. Your selected PR consultant should be obviously creative, and have interesting out-of-the-box ideas.

• Communication Skills - PR is largely written and verbal communication...lots of it! If a prospective PR consultant can't send you a well written, grammatically correct email, and communicate comfortably and clearly verbally, they're probably not a good choice.