New DIY PR website for Small Business

Many small business owners want to publicise their business, product or service but just can’t afford to pay a professional PR agency to do it for them. The Handle Your Own PR website (www.handleyourownpr.com.au) has been created to allow small and home-based businesses to do it themselves.

Jules Brooke and Simone Heydon have been running their PR agency, Handle Communications, for many years. They know how powerful good publicity can be for a business. They decided to create a website to help businesses without the budget to employ a PR agency to run their own campaigns. "PR is not rocket science," says Jules, "you need a strong media release, some great media contacts and the time to dedicate to your campaign."

The Handle Your Own PR website is a great resource for people who want to create publicity for their own business. The site explains what PR is, how to go about setting up a campaign and media release writing tips. It sells a variety of media contact lists and a media release writing service.

www.handleyourownpr.com.au also offers really practical advice about running your own campaign. It tells you what to gather before you start (e.g. gorgeous photography and media samples), how to approach the media and even explains what not to do (e.g. ‘don’t call the editor too many times - no one likes a stalker!’).

All of the media lists on the Handle Your Own PR website contain the names, phone numbers and email addresses of media who WANT to hear from relevant businesses. "We have developed a lot of media relationships over the years," says Simone, "and these media lists are full of people who have been specifically contacted about Handle Your Own PR and have agreed to be included. They want to hear about great new businesses, products and services."

The media lists are broken down into specific categories such as parenting magazines, newspaper supplements or new business media so that people only pay for the media that is right for their campaign.

Handle Your Own PR is also selling media release writing services. "Some people just aren’t confident writers, no matter how great our release writing tips are," Simone says. "So we can help with this crucial element of the campaign if required."

The Handle team sees the Handle Your Own PR offering as being a little like cutting your own child’s hair; you know the professional hairdresser will do a better job, but sometimes you just can't afford to use them and sometimes you want to have a go yourself!

Handle Your Own PR launched in April 2009. Handle Communications will continue to offer traditional agency PR services for those who prefer to leave it to the experts.

Visit www.handleyourownpr.com.au for more information or email jules[@]handle.com.au or simone[@]handle.com.au

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