Holiday Publicity

You may not think of Easter as a holiday to generate publicity for your business but it's actually just as good a time as any other holiday---especially if you're planning a feel good, give back to the community kind of story.

As a journalist who spent more than 25 years in radio and television news, I can tell you first-hand that journalists are always looking for stories during the holidays because it is generally a slow period. The earlier you contact them about your story idea, the better chance you have of getting their attention.

Let's say you sell products specifically catering to women. You could contact the homeless shelter in your community and offer to do holiday makeovers. Then contact the media and let them know your plans.

Or you could plan a day to do something special for children---like an Easter egg hunt or other activity. Here's where collaborating with other small businesses would be a plus and win-win situation for everyone involved.

The more creative your thinking is, the better chance you have in getting the media's attention.

Getting media exposure is often a matter of timing. You can get publicity during the slow holiday period. Remember to:

Create your plan.

Notify the media (that includes the newspapers) and make sure you follow-up with them.

Bring a video camera to your event and offer it to the TV stations if they are unable to make it for some reason.

Make it your time to shine this Easter!