Why ‘Profile Raising’ is the new PR

Article by Dee Blick

The Marketing Gym

I was the keynote speaker a few weeks ago at the BFA Women Working Well Conference in Birmingham. After my speech I shared PR tips from the PR masterclass in my new bestselling book The 15 Essential Marketing Masterclasses For Your Small Business.

Here are some of those tips:

Broaden your understanding of what constitutes valuable PR. It’s not just about gaining coverage in magazines and newspapers anymore. It’s about raising your profile through many channels.

Could this be your ‘Profile Raising’ list?

1. Radio - community, special interest and local stations
2. Blogging - your own website – sharing nuggets of your expertise not selling
3. Blogging on other websites sharing your expertise again
4. Responding to questions on forums
5. Public speaking - on stage, at local networking events, at exhibitions, and conferences
6. Printed publications
7. Online publications
8. Newspapers – local, regional and national
9. Guest contributing to newsletters
10. Television – special interest programmes
11. Webinars/podcasts
12. Seminars
13. Helpful videos
14. Sponsoring events
15. Social media – posting expert tweets and messages and of course sharing your news

With the online world offering new opportunities plus the traditional channels such as exhibitions and networking events holding their own, you have many opportunities to share your expertise and tell your newsworthy stories.

But just because you now have the power to publish at your fingertips don’t spare the horses! If you want to stand out as a genuine expert; as a person who shares great stories and news, commit time and energy. Anyone can spin a story in seconds and be forgotten in seconds too (or remembered for the wrong reasons).

• So find out what your audience needs
• Craft content they will love
• And put your sales head to one side
• If you want to raise your profile be committed to sharing fantastic meaty content
• Sales will follow without you having to sell