How Giving a Free Seminar Can Get Your Small Business Publicity..

How Giving a Free Seminar Can Get Your Small Business Publicity You Never Have to Pay For

A
seminar is an excellent means of bringing potential customers and
referral sources straight to your door. Seminars can take various
forms, most usually being a formal presentation with some opportunity
to meet and greet before and after the main presentation.

Now
applying some originality, you also can exploit seminars by turning
them into something more than what has come to be the standard format.
Some of the best seminars in my experience are those that combine some
formal presentation with some hands-on activities whether it is a
social event or a corporate tour.

Whatever you decide for your
format and content, holding a seminar is rather like inviting a ton of
people to a party , you never know who or how many are going to show
up. What you need is a means of generating publicity to promote the
event and also to follow up on it once you’ve held it, and the tools
are simple and free.

You will find help with your local business
bodies such as the Chamber of Commerce who regularly provide
newsletters and can handle invitations to their members. Invitations
can also be extended to attendees bringing a guest further spreading
the word.

You’ll find that issuing a press release will help in
generating exposure and the event may be covered, especially if you
link this in with some advertising. Advertorials are a combination of
press coverage promoting the business but written in the form of an
article highlighting the business, it’s people, products and services
and very often including quotes and testimonials from existing
customers.

Aside from arranging your own seminars, you can offer
to act as a speaker at other events and seminars. Again approach your
local trade bodies with your offer; they are always looking for new
ideas and speakers for their own programs.

Following on,
consider your business neighbors and see if there are firms that
complement rather than compete with you. A business attorney would
complement a business accounting practice, while a mortgage broker can
partner with a realtor and a leasing company with an equipment
supplier. Simply making the approach to such complimentary partners
will begin raising awareness of you and your firm for potential
referrals from such sources.

Seminars can take the form of