There's More To Publicity Than Just Getting Your Name Out There

So, you want to get more exposure. That's a great idea, but how are you going to do it? How are you going to get not only more exposure, but also the kind of exposure that results in more business? Too often I hear business owners say, "I didn't make any money from it, but I got our name out there." Getting your name "out there" is fine, but at some point, your efforts have to provide a return on your investments.

To get that return, your publicity activities have to resonate with your target audience. It could be with existing prospects, or it could be with those in your audience who have never heard about you. Whichever it is, you must implement it repeatedly for it to be most effective.

Since elections are coming up in a few weeks, I'd like to spotlight an organization that has used publicity to gain an incredible amount of the right kind of exposure. I know it is not an example of marketing a small business, but you can use it as a means to inspire your own ideas.

Quinnipiac University, a small school in Connecticut, used to be relatively unknown. Then in 1988, it began polling in conjunction with a marketing class. Six years later, it began formal operations as a polling center. In the years since, it is one of the more highly-respected polling centers when it comes to politics. As a result, it is often cited throughout the media.

You can see how the university increased its exposure through publicity. But you may be wondering how it increased sales, if at all. Well, it did, and quite nicely. It used to be that, when the school's admissions personnel spoke to high school students, it was the first time the students had heard of the university. Now, it has much higher name recognition, and if a student is interested in politics or a career in opinion poll research, the university is often on their list of possible choices. In fact, the publicity gained through the polling is often credited with helping to increase the number of students attending the university.

How can you gain publicity that results in growing your company? How can you "get your name out there" and do it in a way that makes your other marketing efforts more effective? When you answer these questions, not only will you be on your way to attracting more clients, but you will also be more profitable while doing it.