If you run a small business public relations needs to be a primary concern. Getting the word out about expansion, a new business location, a change in management, or the unveiling of a new product should be a top priority when the goal is to establish a strong relationship with your customers and the community at large.

Particularly if you do not have the human resources available to handle this aspect of your company in house, you may consider outsourcing your press release marketing to public relations consultants who can provide expert advice and recommend savvy strategies for maximizing your overall reach.

If you do hire an outside public relations business, you will likely want to make sure that your PR release distribution is wide enough to accommodate the major news outlets in your region. Failing to provide access to a prominent newspaper, TV news station, or website means failing to inform their readers and viewers, which results in less possible clients for your business.

You will also want to discuss with the PR firm how they effectively monitor their campaigns. What do they see as worthy of a press release? How often do they follow up with media outlets? Beyond press releases, what other tools are at their disposal? The answers to these questions will help you to get a clear sense of how the collaboration will work.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions about press releases or small business public relations in general, share your thoughts in the section below.