In a rough economy, small businesses are struggling to bring in sales and new customers. After all, if the business is not in constant growth mode, it will not survive: you are growing or your going. However, when there is a recession, less money and uncertainty, people are more cautious about buying decisions. So how do you attract new customers and grow your business? You educate the public through public relations that puts your brand right into the hands, minds and hearts of the consumer.
Instructions
1. Find a topic of interest that you or your business are an expert. For example, if you are a doctor's office, health care or "how health insurance works" would be areas of expertise.
2. Research and create a PowerPoint presentation that would educate the public on the details of how insurance works, for example. Highlight cost-saving points like deductibles, Health Maintenance Organizations versus Preferred Provider Organizations and which would be best for you. lower the cost of insurance premiums and what you pay out of pocket. If you are in computers, you could use "how a computer works," "lower your PC maintenance costs," "secure your valuable information" or "preventing virus infections and what to do if you have one."
3. Make your seminar available to the public. You have three outlets you can use. They are a scheduled seminar at your place of business, affinity group meetings and/or webinar. The first is simple. The second, affinity groups such as PTAs, Chambers of Commerce, churches, Boys and Girl Scouts of America are always looking for speakers on topics of interests for their meetings. By offering your seminar, you get to inform the public on a topic of interest, engage them and create a relationship, put your business card into their hand and inform them that you can help them with their problem if they will call you during business hours. When that person needs your type of service, they will remember the company that was so helpful and call for information. Finally, webinars are inexpensive ways to make your information available to an audience online, making it convenient to attend your seminar at lunch from work for others. Or, an evening seminar that people can attend from home after putting the kids down for the evening.
4. Create a short three-to-four question survey. Hand out the survey at the beginning and ask that they please fill it out at the end to help you improve the seminar. If using a service such as GoToWebinar for online presentation, it collects a roster for you that you can retrieve and follow up with. Call and thank them for participating and let them know that you are available to address their needs. Offer to send them some information on your company.
5. Place some of the same material in digital form.
