Building a buzz around your next product launch or event requires a coordinated PR response. You'll need to leverage your network effectively if you want the major players in your industry to pay attention, and you should take a strategic approach to advertising online, in magazines, and on billboards.
However, these common PR strategies usually come at a hefty price. Even simple PR strategies like placing ads in local media outlets may be out of your budget. These high costs can be deeply frustrating if you need to garner the attention of a large audience before publishing your product or launching your business.
Fortunately, you can still create a perfect PR strategy even for the smallest of budgets. Leveraging social media, hosting launch events, and other cost-effective strategies can significantly boost your visibility and help you maximise your media exposure.
Saving costs on PR while raising your media exposure requires careful planning and a tight grip on your budget. You can’t frivolously spend on PR items with a poor ROI and should be mindful of your costs when ordering fliers or contracting graphic designers. Get the ball rolling by creating a PR budget that suits your business.
This budget will include:
Once you've established a budget, you can start planning your product launch. It’s essential to get this right since there's nothing more important than a good first impression.
An effective product launch plan should include:
Establishing these variables will streamline your efforts and ensure you can build a buzz without breaking the bank. Taking the time to properly strategise will help you identify a few cost-effective strategies to aid your media exposure efforts.
Creating compelling content that resonates with your audience costs money. Even “free” social media campaigns will likely require some amount of ad spending while attending networking events, which incurs costs like gas money and hotel fees.
The key, therefore, is to engage in low-cost PR strategies with a low ROI and a high virality rate, like:
While these strategies are cost-effective, they still require investment. This can be a real issue if you’re running a new firm and haven't yet raised any profits. Consider taking advantage of low-risk alternative financing options for entrepreneurs like crowdfunding and angel investors. These non-traditional forms of fundraising are particularly useful if your product will solve a problem in the market or if you have access to a strong network.
Utilising innovative marketing approaches can help you create highly engaging materials. Tools like Canva and SourceBottle can aid your efforts to produce cost-effective content, too. However, you’ll need to produce snappy, high-quality graphics for your new product. Failing to produce professional-grade marketing materials will reflect poorly on your new product and may undermine your efforts to maximise media exposure.
Increase your odds of finding success by embracing innovative marketing techniques like:
These strategies can boost your exposure and help you garner a larger audience. Simple changes like omnichannel social media posting can spark a period of growth and help you gain credibility in your industry.
Putting together a PR plan on a budget is a tall order if you have ambitious goals for your new product or business. Get started by using free programs like Canva and taking a prototype product at networking events in your area. This will add credibility to your brand without breaking the bank. It can also generate some much-needed media exposure, as folks in your network are more likely to share your content if it's well-made and reflects a professional approach to PR.
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