Released on = November 28, 2006, 11:26 am

Press Release Author = Shannon Cherry

Industry = Management

Press Release Summary = Expert Provides Tips to Use PR Effectively

Press Release Body = Albany, NY -December 28, 2006 -As New Years rolls around,
everyone makes resolutions to kick bad habits, and stick to good ones. But what
about business? That could use some shaping up too.

According to small business marketing expert Shannon Cherry, APR, companies should
be making resolutions in order to improve their business growth for the upcoming
year.

"Taking stock of where a company is and where it\'s headed is always good to do a
couple of times a year," says Cherry, president of Cherry Communications
(www.cherrycommunications.com), which helps businesses and nonprofit organizations
to be heard through marketing communications. "Businesses that want a leg up on
their competition need to focus on boosting their public relations, or PR, efforts.
This keeps them from going under when the economy is weak, and gets them ahead of
their competitors when sales start picking up. With the economy emerging from
recession, now is the perfect time to get a fresh start on your PR strategies."

According to Cherry, public relations is a strategic form of communication that's
used to obtain positive exposure for your company and keep key publics informed.
"It\'s news releases, feature stories, interviews, analyst meetings, application
stories, speaking engagements, newsletters, websites, product launches and events,"
she says. "It\'s also developing a key message that differentiates you from your
competition and selecting the mix of tactics that will get your message to the
marketplace with the most impact."

She says that PR is different from advertising. "Advertising and promotion are about
salesmanship. Consumers know it and are on the defense against being sold something
they don\'t want or need - especially when money's tight," she explains. "Public
relations are about conveying information. By providing information to consumers
directly or through trusted third parties, PR is a cost-effective marketing effort
that has a big-payoff: credibility and visibility. That\'s why PR should play a key
role in your business plans in the upcoming year."
Cherry offers some tips to use PR to kick-start a business into high gear in the
next year:
Position yourself as an expert. Give advice on your business topic freely. "When you
consistently provide information of value, your reputation as an expert will make
itself known." she says.

Use your business cards. Think of your business card as a small billboard and start
handing them out everywhere. Include them in all your correspondence - even in your
bills!
Think of more than just a press release. Media coverage can be an excellent way to
influence public opinion, but today\'s media includes more than newspapers and
television. "Think outside the box to find the right medium for your message and
your target audience," Cherry says. She points to handing out small gifts bearing a
logo, maintaining a presence at trade shows or getting more links to the business
website are effective ways to generate public relations.

Keep messages simple. Surveys show that people in the US get bombarded with more
than 4,000 marketing messages a day. "Who has the time and energy to decipher
complicated jargon? Stick to one message, and learn to tell it in various ways to
make your point," she explains.
Free reports. Offering a free report online is a good way to get an e-mail from
prospects so you may market to them later. This is the whole basis of
permission-based marketing, or opt-in lists. You can do the same thing offline.

Focus on people, not products. "'Make the product the hero' is an old expression
that doesn't work today," explains Cherry. "People want to connect with somebody,
not something."

Cherry says successful companies make public relations a priority. "Whether selling
direct, through distribution channels or via e-commerce, a successful company must
achieve and maintain a strong market presence through a continuous and effective
public relations program."
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Web Site = http://www.cherrycommunications.com

Contact Details = Shannon Cherry
Cherry Communications
184 Lancaster St.
Albany, NY 12210
518-248-6592
shannon@cherrycommunications.com
www.cherrycommunications.com