If you are planning to do any public relations online then you’ll have to get a little creative and think outside the box on how to approach it. There’s more to online PR than sending a press release out to the distribution websites and waiting for a phone call. You’ve got to be a bit more aggressive and get your feet moving.
Certainly you want to send out press releases. I’m not saying don’t do that. But there are other ways to get the publicity you seek. Three sources of online publicity that you don’t want to overlook are:
- Bloggers
- Podcasters
- Videocasters
Bloggers will often interview or highlight a business professional with a particular expertise. But you don’t necessarily need a press release to approach a blogger. Often, just a short, brief e-mail explaining your pitch is enough. If the blogger likes it then you’ll get a mention.
With podcasters, if you’ll scour the podcast directories you may find a podcast show within your niche. There are online radio stations now that program shows by the hour or a particular time slot. See if you can find one that deals with your topic and pitch the radio show host the same way you would a blogger.
If you scan YouTube, Hulu, and other video websites for video shows within your niche you can often find video shows within your niche just like podcasts. A short e-mail to the video show host or producer may often produce some publicity for you as well.
Don’t hold back. Be relentless in your pursuit of online publicity and don’t be afraid to pitch people you’d least expect. Just be polite and courteous and professional.
