Some Thoughts on 'Levelling' The Playing Field

Even though you may be a new start or small business doesn't mean you can't compete with the big guns and get all the leverage and visibility you need from external communications – a well thought out strategic approach to every contact you make with the media can help position you as 'lead dog' in your field even if you are on a tight budget.

Here's how and why...

Economics are important but it doesn’t take a lot of money to put in place these things I'm talking about here. It takes creativity; the desire to change/adapt... it takes such qualities as:

• Innovation (PR-otagonist confident to lead without authority)

• Inspiration (PR-edisposed to try out new ideas)

• Motivation (PR-agmatic with your time mangement)

• Imagination (PR-udent in your analysis of what is possible)

• Communication (PR-ecise in your selective use of the appropriate media)

• Determination (PR-emptive in your avoidance of naysayers)

• Dedication (PR-oactive in the drive for 'value added' service)

• Activation (PR-epared to step outside your comfort zone)

Progress is made in any business venture by simply out innovating your competition through the development of an effective and well thought out communications strategy.

The media and channels of communication are flooded with the big players, multimillion pound advertising, PR and marketing campaigns, backed by legions of proactive practitioners.

When viewed through the eyes of an SME, this environment can be decidedly unnerving, leaving small businesses wondering if they'll ever be able to compete and get their name out there, let alone derive any significant and measurable benefit from their marketing efforts.

But it doesn’t have to be this way – sometimes the most frequent mistake in marketing that an SME makes is trying to do too much, too early and too often.

Indeed, so many companies end up trying to take over the world with communications before mastering their own particular niche and immediate customer base, thus spending more than they can afford, on a shotgun approach rather than a sniper like communications campaign.

One important tip for SME's is to establish command of its own niche by taking control and identifying the problems then delivering solutions that are relevant to its industry and customers. This strategy centres on solutions ownership which has been shown, in a competitive marketplace, to be highly effective.

On a basic level the solutions strategy centres on knowing, guiding and developing discussion to the relevant press within their particular market or sector. By doing this an organisation will, over time, build a base of credibility, knowledge and inform new and potential prospects of their 'value added' business ethos.

Finding out which publications are read by your customers, what particular topics are written about and then making a concerted effort to contribute is an easy first step.

Another great way to get quality coverage is by guiding debate using development in your particular niche and regularly update relevant journalists on the hot topics in your industry in order to secure unbiased opinion
pieces.

Develop a contact list of the most important publications and journalists in your sector and keep them updated with relevant (i.e. of interest to their readership) information. Create a media page on your website giving all your contact details and archive any contributions or published releases/case studies so that they are available for review.

Another great thing about a solutions driven communication program is that it can always be reused – not for other publications - but in your search for new clients effort and later testimonials. Circulating information (within the bounds of copyright) to prospective clients can help you to really build your reputation with little extra effort or expenditure.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to become a dream crusher here but your integrated and communicative effort should be like throwing a stone into the pond and then allowing the ripples to dissapate before throwing your next stone.

Thought for the Day:

'Not having enough stones to throw is never the problem it's often that there are just too many people around the same pond'.

John
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John Wylie MCIPR Director of Public Affairs
Translate Scotland Public Relations & Marketing
www.translatescotland.co.uk

"It's what we learn after we think we know it all.....that really counts!"