WOMEN MEAN BUSINESS - Blog

No cost ways to market your business - TWITTER

Open a Twitter account for free publicity. You've probably been aware of all the fuss about Twitter. I feel more "at home" on Facebook but again, as Twitter is free and high visibility you could be missing out by not joining in. Open an account and do follow me at "Shona Partridge". And you can link your blog and Facebook accounts to post automatically to Twitter!

No cost ways to market your business - SPEAKING

Public speaking is one of the most effective ways you can build your visibility as an expert in your field. Many groups are looking for speakers and you may get a fee or your expenses paid too. Even if you don’t get paid, think of it as great free publicity for you and your business.

As the speaker at the front of the room you're going to be much more memorable than just one of a dozen business cards people pick up.

Read this earlier post on dealing with speaker's nerves

27 zero cost ways to market your business!

Join the Women Mean Business information list today to learn almost 30 ways you can market your business for zero cost! Even if you have absolutely no marketing budget you can still keep your motivation and you profile high! This is what I'll be talking about in the October newsletter, out on Thursday this week.

To get this vital information for your business all you need to do is sign up in the blue box at the top right of the Women Mean Business blog or website. You'll get this information, plus effective marketing and PR advice every month at absolutely no cost to you! There's also a sign up box on the Facebook Women Mean Business page

I've been running a successful business for more than 7 years. I've never been without paying clients - even in a crowded market and even in a recession. Sign up for our regular business building tips to find out what I've done that really works and get the bonus Special Reports:  "Marketing Mastery"", 57 Confidence Boosters" and "Work Effectively From Home".

PUBLIC RELATIONS - Listen to this interview

Earlier this week I was the guest on my friend Louise Barnes-Johnston's internet radio show.

You can click on the link below to access the half hour recording where I talk about why PR is so important to your small business, especially now  in an economic down turn.

I talk about the top three things to consider when doing your own PR, especially if you're a newbie. I give some useful tips, including one you won't want to miss - most of your competitors aren't doing this one thing that costs almost nothing but could pay dividends for years to come.

Here's the link - enjoy, and I'd love to hear what you think.
www.blogtalkradio.com/louisebj  My interview is episode 3.

Don't forget I'm doing a special free call on small business PR on Thursday 19th February.

There's still time to get your questions to me. You can either post them on this blog or email: 

info@womenmeanbusiness.co.uk  with "PR question" in the subject line.

YOUR PR QUESTIONS ANSWERED! Free teleclass on February 19th

On Thursday February 19th at 7.00 pm GMT (2.00 pm Eastern) I'll be running a free teleclass on PUBLIC RELATIONS DEMYSTIFIED FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. I'll be giving you the low down on how you can use low cost and no cost PR strategies in your own business.

On the call I'll also be answering your specific questions on PR and publicity.

All you need to do is  e-mail me your question at info@womenmeanbusiness.co.uk with "PR QUESTION" in the subject line. Alternatively, you can post your questions on this blog. I'll cover as many of the questions as I can on the live call.

I'll be giving more details of how to call in in a later blog post.

This call is for you if :

• you're fed up of advertising that doesn't work
  
• you're looking to save money
  
• or you just want some useful insider information on PR from an industry professional

I originally trained as a journalist and worked in PR for nearly 20 years before starting my own business 7 years ago. I'll be leading the call personally, ready to answer your most pressing questions about PR.
 

GRAB A PR POWER HOUR!

From YOUR PR MENTOR

If you want to get professional PR advice, why not contact us for a short, clear and focused PR POWER HOUR or even just a PR POWER HALF HOUR? 

We can give you expert advice on your press release, brochure, website or PR Plan. In fact -any PR or marketing ideas you may have for your business.

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YOUR PR MENTOR LAUNCHED

YOUR PR MENTOR is launched

I've just launched YOUR PR MENTOR with a range of PR services suitable for all sizes of businesses.

If you want to get your business noticed and unlock your publicity potential, then contact us for expert PR advice and training.

Find out more about our PUBLICITY AUDIT and our PR POWER HOURS  at the new website

Unlike many PR consultants, we don't tie you in to a monthly retainer. You can access our PR expertise in units as low as 30 minutes!

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Public Relations and Publicity, handled properly, can be far more effective and much cheaper than paid advertising.

Your potential clients will pay more attention to editorial coverage than they will to an advertisement they know you have paid for yourself.

Many people are confused about the whole concept of PR and Publicity. I originally trained as a journalist and sub-editor and have spent more than 20 years in the PR field. So it may be easy for me to say "It's not rocket science" because I've been doing it professionally for a couple of decades. But believe me it really isn't that hard to get some effective publicity for your business once you understand the basics.

More and more of my business coaching clients have been asking for help with their PR and Publicity. So I've listened to what the market is asking for and I've decided to launch a whole new business based round my expertise in PR. Look out for forthcoming postings where I'll tell you more.