Read through with presentation for a quick primer on using press releases to promote your small business

1. From The Smart Marketing Playbook Article Series:Using Press Releases to Market Your Small Business Author: Susan K. WatkinsFounder, SMBmarketer.com ©Copyright 2010, Watkins & Associates and SMBmarketer.com.

2. Getting Started Marketing Your Business As a small business owner, getting started marketing your business can be: Overwhelming, Confusing, Costly There are easy, actionable strategies that can help your business prosper Issuing press releasesregularly: Keeps your company top of mind with prospects and customers. Builds awareness for what you do, and the value you provide. Is a smart marketing play that gets your company known! ©Copyright 2010Watkins & Associates and SMBmarketer.com.

3. The Press Release Has Evolved … from a simple news announcement sent only to journalists and media outlets… … into a powerful marketing tool for organizations of all sizes. ©Copyright 2010Watkins & Associates and SMBmarketer.com.

4. The Internet and Social Media With the Internet and social media venues, readers of your press releases can now take multiple actions after viewing your announcement. ©Copyright 2010Watkins & Associates and SMBmarketer.com.

5. Press Releases Can Be.. ©Copyright 2010Watkins & Associates and SMBmarketer.com.

6. When to Use Press Releases Smart marketers invest in developing a pipeline of potential announcements To ensure they are putting out a steady stream of news throughout the year. The following business milestones are perfect opportunities to feature press releases in your public relations efforts… ©Copyright 2010Watkins & Associates and SMBmarketer.com.

7. Press releases announcing your newest product or service offering are a must for smart marketing. Help youeffectively get the word out to news media A great tool for your sales force to relay your news to customers and prospects. A steady stream of new product announcements reminds your marketplace of your constant innovations, helping you build a positive brand. Milestone: New Product or Service ©Copyright 2010Watkins & Associates and SMBmarketer.com.

8. Milestone: Customer Win or Partnership Promoting customer wins, strategic partnerships or other business successes are critical to building momentum for your organization They create credibility within your marketplace, and help you to establish a proven track record. Smart marketers know that having reference-able customers is must! ©Copyright 2010Watkins & Associates and SMBmarketer.com.

9. For small businesses, holding educational events and webinars are a great way to drive leads and prospects to your business. Any event should be announced via a press release that identifies who should attend, and how they will get value. Talk about what your prospects will learn by attending such as: Using a new skill through hands-on training, Gaining insight into a new technology Hearing thought leadership from an industry expert Understanding the ROI of your solution Networking with like-minded industry peers or professionals Learning from case studies or some new research Describe the compelling content that will be presented and the expertise of your speakers. Milestone: Events or Seminars ©Copyright 2010Watkins & Associates and SMBmarketer.com.

10. Milestone: Promotions or Community Programs Whether you are a small business offering a special promotion, or a local public agency announcing a new community assistance program, announcing your special promotion or community program will drive customers or end users to respond to your offer. ©Copyright 2010Watkins & Associates and SMBmarketer.com.

11. Milestone: Award Recognition Award programs area great way to free publicity for your organization, particularly if you have customers doing good things with your solutions, and are willing to talk about it. Don’t wait for awards or special recognition to come along. Research industry groups and publications within your industry or local community to identify potential award opportunities. Put together a calendar of submission deadlines and proactively submit ballots or applications. A well-written press release promoting your special honor can be used by your sales teams, emailed out to your prospect lists, and forwarded to local media outlets. ©Copyright 2010Watkins & Associates and SMBmarketer.com.

12. How to Get Started In this era of email and text messaging, the skill of effective communication is becoming a lost art. Additionally, small business owners can be reluctant to hire outside public relations agencies to write a news announcement, due to cost and the amount of time it takes to ramp up a marketing specialist on their business history and domain experience. As a business owner, investing some time creating the right messaging is essential to a well-written announcement. You know your business best, but creating a clear and compelling message can be challenging, especially for “non-marketing” professionals. ©Copyright 2010Watkins & Associates and SMBmarketer.com.

13. Press Release Tutor The answer to this dilemma is the Press Release Tutor™ template, from SMBmarketer.com. This interactive template interviews you to collect answers to basic questions about your business. These key data points are automatically organized into a well-written press release draft that incorporates the fundamentals of good press release writing. You review and do some final editing, and then you are ready to distribute! ©Copyright 2010Watkins & Associates and SMBmarketer.com.

14. Press Release Tutor guides you through this process in 5 easy steps:

15. About SMBmarketer.com As a small business owner, getting started marketing your business can be perceived as overwhelming, confusing and costly. SMBmarketer.com is a website specializing in smart marketing templates and advice for small to medium businesses. Rather than experimenting with “trial and error” marketing tactics, SMBmarketer.com enables entrepreneurs and business owners to start marketing their businesses fast, without investing a lot of time and money up front. Since launching in 2010, SMBmarketer.com offers downloadable marketing templates and advice from its website and blog, including the Press Release Tutor™, an interactive template that takes answers to basic questions about your business, and turns it into a well-written press release, instantly! To learn more, please visit: www.smbmarketer.com. ©Copyright 2010Watkins & Associates and SMBmarketer.com.