Julie Ann enjoyed putting on a business-to-business publicist ‘hat,’ as a way of helping clients of Barrel Builders. Read on for why Little League enters in the equation…..

You can find it here http://barrelbuilders.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/09-16-B2B-PR.pdf

or below:

Pithy points from a patient publicist

I’ve been “practicing” the art (or is it a science?) of publicity for 34 years, in New York and California, with jaunts overseas as well as domestic pavement pounding as part of that adventure.

I am honored that Barrel Builders asked me to share some tips for business to business PR which could benefit their customers. A gift from Barrel Builders to you!

In hopefully easy to digest bullet points, off we go!

Credibility: Who are you? When did you start your business? To answer those questions—and in fact, to anticipate them—look for a local newspaper or magazine who could write a profile of you and your business. In the Napa Valley, that would most likely be the Napa Valley Register’s 10 Questions column. Here’s an example: http://napavalleyregister.com/business/10-questions/burton-builds-barrel-business/article_01cb180b-11ee-577c-8a06-6407d0b2d6c7.html

Visibility: You must have an opinion or two, right? What’s an issue where your business intersects with something in the community? Put pen to paper: write an op-ed column and submit it. A variation on this theme, in the San Francisco Bay area, is to propose a piece to the KQED Perspectives series. Browse around here and you’ll get the idea: https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/

Act like an expert: Look for panels and symposia which your industry conducts. Offer to be a panelist. You’ve probably already considered having a booth if it’s that type of program, but don’t forget the panels and speaking opportunities.

What do the people say? Hopefully you get some great mail once in a while, someone expressing their gratitude for the quality of your work, how you rescued them, what a creative and thorough pro you are? Put those up on your website (it’s nice to ask permission first or using a first name only works well too).

Play ball! Visualize your logo on the back of the high school baseball team’s shirts. Donate to your local schools’ sports teams or the community Little League or rec center basketball. Not only does that show your community spirit, it also of course is a not-so-subtle ad for your business.

Act like an expert #2: Your goal is to be an expert whom the media seek out. They want your opinion on something in your field. Be available. Return the call as promptly as you can. Stay professional and as concise as possible. I once knew a winery president who had a separate business card he gave out only to journalists, and that number rang at a phone on his desk which only he answered, so when it rang he knew it was a journalist.

Hear all about it! When you have news—a new product or service, for example—tell the world. Do you have a place on your website to share news? Do you have the ability to send eblasts to your customers (and prospective customers)? Do it!

Prowl the web: Do you know of online forums which specialize in discussing the nuances of your particular niche of business? Find them and become a commenter. The readers are pre-selected and ‘silo-ed’ to be interested in your field and your products or services.

Change up your delivery: Someone in your organization is good with a cell phone. Occasionally put video clips on your Facebook page or on your website: there’s nothing like a picture and there’s nothing like a moving picture.

As Eliza Doolittle sang, “Words, words, words!” Go for it!