![\"positioning\"](\"https:\/\/www.marketingforsuccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/positioning1.jpg\" "\\"positioning\\"")
<\/a>hesitant getting involved in Public Relations, but here\u2019s the thing: whether you know it or not, as an expert in your field, small-business owner or entrepreneur, you\u2019re already engaged in a public relations campaign.<\/p>\nPR is in everything you do<\/strong>: it\u2019s how you answer the phone; it\u2019s how you respond to emails; it\u2019s your voice mail message; it\u2019s in anything and everything you do where you engage with the public. If you want your business to be a fun and lively experience for your customers, but when they call, you answer the phone with an unenthusiastic \u201cHello,\u201d how do you think that small little detail positions you?<\/p>\n Ask yourself \u201cWhat is it I\u2019m committed to helping people with, and how do I achieve this?\u201d Then make a detailed list of all the places and platforms where you interact with the public. Be thorough and don\u2019t leave anything out.<\/p>\n Comb through your website, your answering machine greeting; listen to how you or your staff interacts with callers; check to see what your automatic email signature looks like; inspect all of your website copy for spelling or grammatical errors; and anything that the public could see. All these things are part of the PR campaign you\u2019re now knowingly engaged in. How have they positioned<\/a> you thus far?<\/p>\n Take it step further by Googling yourself, your company and the topics surrounding your expertise and business. What do you find? Is your name and company coming up in conversations when you search those topics? What are people saying about you? Do you approve? Do you agree?<\/p>\n With the advent of the Internet you\u2019re now afforded a perfect opportunity to position yourself in the way you want to be seen and start achieving what it is you\u2019re committed to. A great way to begin is by writing by-lined articles and submitting them to free portals, which will link back to your website. These portals will help build your online presence and will position you in the way you want to be seen.<\/p>\n You can also create an online press kit, which will increase your online presence, as well as help keep you organized and give you a professional edge. Then keep the ball rolling by landing media placements. There are quite a few free resources out there that journalists are using to find sources for their stories, segments and interviews.<\/p>\n These sites like PitchRate.com<\/a> allow authors, small business owners and entrepreneurs connect with the media in a way that makes the journalist\u2019s job easier at the same time as it boosts the exposure of the source.<\/p>\n So take it one step at a time and begin by figuring out what you\u2019re committed to helping people with and how you can achieve your goal. Once you have the answer, use Public Relations<\/a> to position yourself for success. There\u2019s nothing else out there that can compare and you have all the resources at your fingertips.<\/p>\n – Drew<\/em><\/p>\n