Getting publicity for your Startup - 4 more cost free options

by Startacus Admin

Last week we highlighted 4 cost free options to get publicity for your startup, small business, or creative concern. And bingo, like all great epics, there must be a sequel, albeit with more explosions, great plot twists, and a great all round tale. Of course, we'd recommend you read the first post first - sequels often make more sense that way don't ya think? Anyhow, forgive all the rambling, but the movie-esque link leads us on nicely to our first fab option (and analogy) for getting cost free publicity for your startup...

Be like the Wizard of Oz
Yep you read it right the first time. In fact, we reckon this analogy is so spot on, a future more detailed post might follow. But for the short term consider this.

Give the impression that you are huge. A bellowing voice. Full of illusion, sorcery, knowledge, and depth. 

And here's the point. We all know the truth is that as a startup business, the likelihood is that you ain't all of the above (well not yet anyway). In fact you probably are just plonked behind a computer screen sending out tweets and intro emails and just trying to find your way. But like the Wizard of Oz, hiding behind his big screen, create a brand and a marketing strategy that means you come across as a giant of a business - or at least a professional one.

Acting the part, or what the paying public would expect, is publicity in itself and means you can give the impression of being a wizard of business.

Become a Movement

Businesses don't make viral videos, they make videos and then they go viral. Likewise businesses on the whole, won't start out with an audience or an active community they will grow into one (if they are successful that is). Having an audience or customer base that is actively involved and passionate about your business is most definitely an advantage, however creating a movement can be amazing free publicity as your audience (or at least some of them) become free marketers and publicists of your enterprise. Of course there are some businesses that can create movements much easier than others - social enterprises, charities, businesses with a cause for example. However we all need customers for our businesses to grow, so consider how you can make you can encourage your audience to be active marketers of your business.

Send an e-newsletter
There's some thinking that email newsletters are losing their power and impact, and indeed it's fair to say that the more newsletters you receive via email, the more they just brush past or wash over you. Email settings may even mean that newsletters no longer appear in your main inbox, meaning you might miss them being sent full stop. However, and it's a big however, newsletters are still a valuable and vital way of getting recurrent publicity to your active audience or customer. Done well, newsletters can mean that big piece of news, that special offer, those tips about using your product or service, that fab comp you are running is discovered by your customer. They can be a way of reaching and looking after your active customers and potentially a way of interacting with prospective customers too. Newsletter providers such as Mailchimp offer an initial fab free offering too, meaning that while you grow your audience, you are not paying for the publicity and privilege.

Submit your startup
We subtly mentioned it last week and bob’s your uncle, we thought best to mention it again - we might as well give our own startup and small business platform a little free press too hey! 

On Startacus, you can submit your startup, your big or small ideas, and your business projects into our Collaboration section for the World to see, share, comment and support.

Not that we are the only place to share news on your big ideas and startup plans, simply do a quick search on business directories and startup lists to do just that. However we think our own space is just fab, (go take a look), but semi promo done, as a more general observation, there's a few other places and spaces that are specifically designed to support the self starter, startup and small business owner too.

As well as all of the above, if you are looking fo a little more tailored publicity - check out our own affordable startup publicity programme. 

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• #e-newsletter
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• #submit

Published on: 1st September 2014