This week’s guest post is for our small business readers and comes courtesy of Nicole Nolte, a public relations executive.   Today, she shares four  free resources on how to get started with organizing & tracking your PR efforts.  Next week, she will tell us her top 7 tips to get your small business on the right PR track.

PR Plan a Complete Cluster? It’s Time to Organize Small Biz Owners!

I’m sure the word organize is not the first thing that comes to your mind when discussing public relations (PR), but it is a key component of any successful PR initiative. Given that most small business owners face extreme time and resource constraints, organizing PR efforts is critical. Clearly, there is a need to increase awareness about your company but do you find you have no idea where to begin, what you’ve already done and/or how to maintain tracking of your efforts? Below are some suggestions for organizing and tracking your PR efforts.

Where to Begin?

Several small business owners I’ve spoken with understand the need for public relations but tend to ask – How do I find money for PR? What if I can’t hire for a specific PR position? What if the resources simply are not there? Like anything else, PR is a commitment. Do you label it a priority and if so, are you willing to take the time necessary to make the program successful?

Whether you decide to handle the PR program or hire an external person/agency, there are several free resources for you to consider in helping your efforts.  Below are some examples:

• “20+ Free Press Release Distribution Sites” - Check out this Mashable article that lists over 20 free press release sites.  You need to let the media know what you’re doing, so why not do it for free?
  

• Sign Up for the “Help A Reporter Out” (HARO) Newsletter - This provides you with queries from journalists looking for potential resources. Three times a day you will receive up to 30 possible pitching opportunities! Can’t beat it.

• Social Media Tools – These are a great way to build relationships with reporters/target audience: find them on Twitter, Facebook and Linked In. Please note: do not pitch reporters directly via these avenues but rather build relationships – its all about engaging.  In today’s landscape, social media provides an excellent avenue for resources to help with a successful PR strategy – but that is a whole different blog post!

• Sign Up for Key Sites – Industry leading sites such as Mashable or Alltop can provide you with articles focused on PR and social media to help direct you.

*Next Thursday, we will share Nicole’s top 7 tips that will give your PR program a kick in the pants.

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About the Author

Nicole Nolte is an Account Director with Welz & Weisel Communications where she serves as an account lead working to support companies within the security, government and telecommunications industries. In addition to managing accounts, Nicole provides strategic guidance across the agency as how to best implement today’s social media tools for building communities, increasing brand awareness and creating relationships that matter. With a solid background in technology, Nicole started her career at Weber Shandwick Worldwide, where she primarily supported the Microsoft Mobile and Embedded Devices Group.   If you’d like to join her on Twitter, you can find her tweeting here: @NicolePRexec.

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