| Often times, small businesses fail to see events as a | | | | specialized magazines |
| way to promote their company. Coordinating special | | | | Some good ways to use the Internet as a way to |
| events is a great way to promote a small business, | | | | publicize an event include: |
| but what comes as a challenge to most businesses is | | | | - Tweeting about the event in advance |
| getting people there. Although most small businesses | | | | - Starting a Facebook or Linkedin event |
| do not have a public relations department, it is not | | | | - Keeping the Web site updated with event |
| difficult to generate publicity for an event. | | | | happenings (A calendar is good to have on Web sites |
| There are two ways you should promote your event: | | | | because the viewer can see about the event months |
| traditional media and new/social media. | | | | before it happens) |
| Traditional media is the "old media," the traditional | | | | - Uploading a video promoting the event onto |
| means of communication that were in existence | | | | YouTube |
| before the Internet age. Traditional media includes: | | | | - Blog about it |
| - Newspapers | | | | Some strong tactics that individuals could do to |
| - Magazines | | | | promote an upcoming event is to attend networking |
| - Books | | | | socials and meet up groups regarding the specific |
| - Radio | | | | event. Having a spokesperson is always good to have. |
| - Television | | | | This will give the media a "go-to" person if any |
| New/Social media is interactive digital media that | | | | questions arise. The spokesperson needs to be |
| began in the later part of the 20th century. New/Social | | | | extremely articulate and know the ends and outs of |
| media includes: | | | | the event. Word of mouth is one of the oldest forms |
| - Internet: Social media networks such as Facebook, | | | | of getting information out and is also very strong. |
| Twitter and LinkedIn | | | | Conventional media, new/social media and word of |
| - Podcasts | | | | mouth, is how the public finds out about any and every |
| - Vlogs | | | | event. Although some forms of medium may cost or |
| - Forums | | | | may be harder to attain without the proper |
| - Wikis | | | | connections; such as traditional media, new media |
| - Blogs | | | | makes it possible to promote an event without being |
| - YouTube | | | | to costly. |
| Defining what type of medium to use is essential when | | | | Some people ask why even use traditional media if |
| deciding how to promote an event. Using traditional | | | | social media is so much cheaper but cutting out |
| media is the most common but new media has | | | | traditional media cuts out a whole audience. Some |
| become very popular as well. However; everyone | | | | reasons why it is not beneficial to publicize an event by |
| does not use social media. A company would want to | | | | using only social media include: |
| find a good way to use conventional media such as | | | | - Not everyone uses the Internet |
| newspapers, radio and television, in addition to social | | | | - Not everyone uses social media |
| networks such as Twitter and Facebook. Using | | | | - Traditional media spreads to the masses faster and |
| Internet outlets for publicity is an important complement | | | | broader |
| to publicity in more traditional media. | | | | - It is hard to gain brand recognition on social media |
| A few ways to use traditional media as a way to | | | | networks |
| publicize an event include: | | | | - Traditional media builds awareness while new/social |
| - Sending out news releases | | | | media builds trust |
| - Writing and sending a media advisory (contains the 5 | | | | Always remember that repetition is key. Do not let the |
| W's and H) to newspapers, radio and television | | | | public forget about your event by publicizing it so far in |
| stations | | | | advance that people forget about it. Keeping blogs, |
| - Sending the event specifics to be added to the | | | | Web sites and event pages up to date as well as |
| "calendar of events" section in the newspaper | | | | continuously tweeting and talking about it will help to |
| - Sending the information about the event to | | | | maintain a buzz until the actual event takes place. |