Public Relations Tips

Tooting Your Own Horn in a Recession

If you’re humble, it’s hard to toot your own horn. I understand that. But during times like now, with the recession as thick as it is, you must step outside your comfort zone and try things that might make you feel, well, just a bit uncomfortable – even though they shouldn’t.

Tooting your own horn, or telling your story filled with accolades, news and testimonials, is not something new. It’s called PR. But many times when we think of PR, we think of it in the traditional sense – sending out press releases of new products, services, awards, or charitable contributions, trying to get a story in the local press about how your company is much more beneficial to customers than the rest, and so on. And all of those tactics still hold true, but there’s more. Small nuances, subtle mentions of your finest hour, should never go unnoticed.

Self-promotion. It is critical to differentiate yourself from the competition right now, and one of the easiest ways to do this is with self promotion. Think of some of the things you may have done lately. Win any awards? Launch any new products or services that were innovative in the industry? Are you expanding to new markets? Were you appointed to a local board of directors or are you sitting on any special committees? Regardless of the “magnitude” of the event, you must take advantage of its newsworthiness – and start talking about it. During a recession, there is a good chance that customers will want to partner with those businesses who they hear about and see in the news and in the industry the most. That needs to be you. But if you sit behind closed doors, give yourself a quiet pat on the back for a job well done, and don’t tell anyone about it – another business will come along to tell his story, and the customer will listen to him instead.

If you’re a bit uncomfortable about tooting your own horn, then how do you get started? Some people simply feel natural spreading the good news about their accomplishments, others don’t. That’s OK. Here are a few things to keep in mind and some other ideas about how to tell your story to others:

- Be yourself. Be real. Don’t try to be something you’re not. Your story is going to be believable because it is genuine and truthful. Don’t try to embellish it or make it sound bigger than it is. If you’re accomplishment is worth noting, it will tell the story itself. If you have to work too hard at it, it might not be worth telling.

- Share your news with those you trust and feel most comfortable with. Close customers and friends will be your biggest cheerleaders so start with them when spreading the word about your achievement or newsworthy information. If they are excited about what you have to say, you’ve passed the litmus test in a way. Because good friends and customers will either react with a “Bravo!” or a “So what?” That will allow you to move on to the next step of self-promotion.

- Spread your news virally. If you receive a “Bravo!” from the step above, starting telling others about your news through social network sites like Facebook and LinkedIn or leave a tweet on Twitter. A quick mention with a link to more of the news is easy and unobtrusive. If people are interested, they’ll search to read more. If not, you haven’t hit them over the head with something they didn’t want.

- Write a press release and send it to targeted individuals. One of the simplest ways to toot your own horn is with a press release. But don’t stop at sending it only to your local press. Pass the press release along to trade associations and local organizations that you belong to, post it to your website, write a teaser blog and include a link to the release, and use Google to send it out as well. If your story is newsworthy, people will want to hear and read about it.

- Share your news and expertise with articles or speaking engagements. This may be a bit over the top for some, but if you have something unique that can be shared through a larger story where others can benefit, by all means, tell your story. Perhaps you go after and land the keynote speaker spot for the next industry conference or deliver the opening address at a local community function. Or you have the ability to take your news and create a full story about it, available for download on your website.

There are so many ways to toot your own horn. The possibilities are simply endless. The key is to actually do it! Many say they understand the value of self-promotion but then don’t take that extra step to get started doing it. Each week take a moment to reflect back on the previous week as to what happened in your world. Was there something newsworthy? Should you be sharing your story? If it’s a good one, others will follow and listen.

A dedicated marketing professional, Michelle Kabele has been helping technology companies develop award-winning channel partner programs and marketing strategies for over 10 years. Michelle has worked extensively with small businesses throughout North America.

Michelle has an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management (Evanston, Ill.)

Visit my blog: http://mkabele.wordpress.com