Putting Public Relations to Work for You

This post comes to us from Rich Hudson on the WebsiteBox blog:

Looking to augment your marketing efforts at little or no cost?

Many people believe that a complex marketing campaign is expensive. Not necessarily true. After all, marketing shouldn't cost, it should pay. A good marketing plan includes many collateral items that take just a little bit of time and effort, but can yield great results. A good public relations campaign is one of those items.

Creating an effective public relations campaign is a great example of how you can maximize your public image and gain exposure at little or no cost. And, in the process, make yourself the local industry expert when the local press needs information on the local market or reaction to national stories.

Newspapers and other media outlets are constantly looking for content, particularly LOCAL content. Providing them with a little information on a regular basis can go a long way in creating a beneficial relationship that benefits both parties as well as the consumer.

The first step is to connect with local real estate and/or news editors. Start with small, community papers and news outlets. Real estate is still a people business and so is the Fourth Estate. The phone is one option, but if you can set up a personal visit it will go a long way toward creating a memorable connection.

Do your homework. Make sure you know the right contact. Go to the publication's website, check to see who writes about real estate and read their bio and some of his or her articles. If you don't determine the right contact, your pitch will end up in the round file.

If you or your broker is advertising or has advertised in the publication, talk with your ad rep and have that person introduce you to the right person. If you don't have a rep, make sure to mention your advertising to the editorial contact.

What are real estate editors looking to publish? First and foremost: anything that would be of value to the readership.

As a former real estate editor for both daily and community newspapers, I can tell you finding relevant, local content was always a priority. As a real estate professional you already know what is important to your customers. Editors are looking to provide that same information to their readers, just in a different delivery system.

And today, with most media outlets publishing both printed and online versions of their newspaper and/or magazine, finding good content is more important than ever.

If you don't already, make sure to educate yourself. It is critical you know your marketplace like no one else. Subscribe to select industry sources that provide information on real estate such as Inman News, RIS Media's Real Estate Magazine, The Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch.com, Reecon Advisors' Real Estate Economy Watch, Mortgage Rate News by Bloomberg, Multi-Housing News by Yardi Systems and others that are out there.

Pick and choose the publications that best fit your comfort level, your marketplace and your market niche.

The National Association of REALTORS® website also offers an incredible array of articles, studies, data, guides, and useful information. The NAR Research Department cranks out an incredible amount of useful data. Your job is to comb through it, digest it, and then convert it into a form that meets your needs.

Here are five keys to success in getting your articles published:

• Study local trends and market conditions to create informative articles.
• Create current, relevant, hyper-local content.
• Provide information editors can't get anywhere else.
• Craft compelling stories targeting the reader's perspective.
• Create long-term relationships through consistent delivery of content in the proper format.

Effective public relations isn't something you do once in a while. It must be done in a consistent manner on a constant basis. Studies show that people won't notice most marketing until they have seen it from eight to 10 times. And only then if they are looking for or thinking about what you have to offer.

And consistency is just as critical. You must brand yourself in every way on every day. Make sure you present a consistent manner in all aspects of your business.

Utilizing the media as a public relations tool is just one of many ways to enhance your image, minimize costs and maximize profits. There are numerous other ways to promote yourself and your business.

In the meantime, get involved. It's true. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Real estate has always been a people business and in today's free information world, relationship building is more important than ever.

The bottom line: A good Public Relations campaign incorporates everything you are and everything you do. When it comes to the real estate business, you are the brand.

Rich Hudson is the owner of One-Stop Desktop. The company specializes in keyword-rich, highly localized copy for real estate websites, website review and analysis, marketing and public relations, online publishing, social media and more.

To view the original article, visit the WebsiteBox blog.