Public Relations through Word of Mouth Marketing

By Bobette Kyle
Posted Monday, August 30, 2004

One of the least expensive and potentially most effective ways to promote your Web site or business is through public relations (PR). More specifically, word of mouth.

Word of mouth or mention in a published article can generate more attention to your site than all of your paid advertising combined. You must, however, tread carefully.

Public relations is different from advertising. When advertising, your explicit goal is to make your product or company known. You pay for the right to advertise by purchasing ad space, buying a sponsorship, or bartering.

When marketing through public relations activities, however, your explicit goal is to benefit a targeted community by providing them with something useful. Consequently, you build goodwill and a solid reputation for your business. You benefit from the resulting word of mouth.

Message Boards

Usenet newsgroups, discussion groups, and forums are Web or Internet based communities where members post topical messages. These create countless opportunities for business people to help others by answering questions or suggesting solutions to problems.

By participating in discussions related to your business, you can provide valuable information while increasing your site’s visibility. As you build a solid reputation, other members will be more likely to use your product or spread the news about you.

Press Releases

Reporters and editors have ongoing space to fill and are always looking for news that will interest others. If you go about it correctly, you can earn free press coverage - word of mouth - for your business.

To get the coverage, however, you have to play by the media’s rules. Sending them your advertising brochures will get you nowhere. You will need a press release that will interest the media.

Focus on why the publication’s audience will be interested in the information. You should also consider the media’s needs when developing a press release. Reporters and editors are busy people under deadline pressure and they have no obligation to read your press release. You increase the chances of your story being reported by delivering complete, concise, relevant, and newsworthy material they can quickly read and comprehend.

Leveraging Expertise

If you have experience owning or running a business, then you may want to position yourself as an expert in your industry or specialty area. By doing so, you not only educate the public, but also increase interest in your products through word of mouth.

As an expert, giving information comes first and "advertising" is secondary. If people see your efforts as a thinly disguised sales pitch you will lose credibility and may hurt your business. To remain credible, keep up-to-date on developments in your field and offer opinions.

By intelligently using public relations, word of mouth techniques as marketing tactics – message boards, press releases, and leveraged expertise – you can spread the word about your business without blowing your budget.

About the Author
Bobette Kyle draws upon 10+ years of Marketing/Executive experience, Marketing MBA, and online marketing research in her writing.

Bobette offers a range of marketing plan tools to fit your business and budget. Find out more at (http://www.HowMuchForSpider.com) or visit the Web Site Marketing Plan Network, (http://WebSiteMarketingPlan.com).