Media's role can give new businesses the edge Special

The media can make or break a new company. For retail businesses using the media in a positive way can bring in sales and investors.

Often new companies are not aware of the way to foster more buzz about their products. That is where media comes in. New businesses needs to be aware of the function of establishing a good working relationship with journalists. Creating a buzz in the earliest stages can help not only sell your product but interest possible investors. For example an article I wrote about the new company, Spost Love co-owned by my husband's daughter has generated a lot of attention for the owners.

Spost Love's Americk Lewis told Digital Journal, "Once there was an article about the Spost Love brand our blog hits increased 5 times! Everybody starting messaging me congratulating us on the success. Now have something to show liquor sponsors. In other words it was affirmation. We are on the map, we exist, and people are watching. Not to mention when you google Spost Love our article is the first thing that pops up! It has nothing but flattering things to say about us."

So how does a new business get the word out? First contact local papers and online news sources about themselves. If a company launch is happening invite the media. Treat the media kindly, their articles can help you or they can put you in the dumpster quickly. Target the audience that you want. Don't focus on a publication aimed at parents if you are a new bar, for example. Do something for your community and invite the media to cover it. Charity events are a great way to get your name on the map. Be prepared to spend a little if you can afford to. You need to have press packs run off to hand to the media if they are requested. Word of mouth used to be the way a new business got a following but that has changed. Jobvite conducted a survey of 438 human resource and talent management professionals finding that 72 percent plan to increase their use of social networking in the future. The Victoria Advocate reports:

"For the next generation of entrepreneurs, that's going to be their go-to marketing platform," Joe Harper, executive director of the University of Houston-Victoria's Small Business Development Center said. "The rest of us will have to play catch-up."

The use of networking sites are a free high tech type of having a focus group. Jeremy Bludau owner The Nest Sound Studio is quoted by the Victoria Advocate about social networking.

"Without MySpace or Facebook, I probably would not have any clientele whatsoever," he said. "It's crazy, like everybody's helping each other."

Another social networking source is Ning. The users create their own sites that Ning members can join. It allows for celebrities, educators, businesses and NGOs to combine their network of followers online. The Social Media Bible by Lon Safko and David Brake is a must have book for businesses when it comes to using social networking to their advantage. It discusses many of the little known networking skills that can help a business grow. Business Week encourages companies to monitor Twitter's conversations about your company. By building an online community your clients have a real time chance to discuss, share ideas and interact about your product line. In these hard economic times new businesses need to use any means possible to succeed. By taking a bit of time and coming up with a plan of action using media that success rate can increase.