Solutions today on best ways to store and charge batteries , or lawn-mower blade sharpening .

Polished press releases that show your expertise and share helpful information can help earn media coverage that will make you the trusted expert in your local market . You ’ ll also build relationships with local reporters who will learn they can trust you as a source for future stories they ’ ll write .

Being social Another way to build trust and boost awareness surrounding your brand is by writing regular blog posts and keeping up with your social media accounts . Writing blog posts and sharing links to that content on your social media accounts also keeps your website refreshed , which the Google algorithm loves .

Blogs are a place to reach customers looking for helpful information , they have questions , problems to solve . It ’ s not a place to sell your wares . Your posts shouldn ’ t be about promotions or inventory . Write about industry news or service tips . Use other parts of your website for sales pitches . While there ’ s nothing wrong with linking to a solution on your website to the problem you ’ re discussing , the blog itself should be informative and entertaining .

Being involved in your community If you and your coworkers are involved with a local charity or volunteering to serve on the board of a non-profit , you can share those stories on your blog . Not only are you doing something great for your community , but you are attracting eyes to your business .

Local volunteer work takes time , of course , and so does writing stories about that work . That ’ s where a PR agency partnership becomes invaluable . PR professionals are the experts at writing content and reaching out to the media to ensure that content gets seen by others outside of your usual sphere of influence . OPEB

Heather Ripley is founder and CEO of Ripley PR , a global public relations agency specializing in skilled trades , B2B tech and franchising . Ripley PR has been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top Franchise PR Agency five years in a row and was named to Forbes ’ America ’ s Best PR Agencies for 2021 .

By Glenn Hansen

Public relations is often referred to as “ earned media ,” while advertising is “ paid media .” Any business owner can pay for an advertisement . But to earn a PR placement on a news website or in a local paper or magazine , you can benefit from the expertise and relationships of a PR pro .

A business earns a placement in the media in two ways . One , it has important news to share . Two , a business owner or leader has built a relationship with a journalist or editor . I ’ ve worked on both sides of this PR relationship , as a corporate PR leader and as a magazine editor . This article is an example of that second type . How it happened is an example of good PR .

Audrey from Ripley PR contacted me on behalf of Ripley ’ s client RC Mowers . We set up a call to discuss more about robotics .

She stayed in touch with me about RC ’ s work and robotic equipment , providing information and helping me get to know robotics and her client ’ s company . Nothing pushy or sales-focused , just good info .

When Audrey sent a press release that was not a news fit for OPE Business , I told her that . But she stayed in contact and provided relevant information too .

I asked Audrey if she could provide an article on how OPE dealers can benefit from PR today . And she asked the owner of the agency to write that article .

Ripley PR provided helpful information , based on knowledge of PR and experience in the OPE industry . They earned a PR placement – this article .

As a magazine editor , I got a helpful article written by an expert . Yes , I could have written the piece myself . But I saved time , and I continued a relationship .

You can do the same for an editor or journalist . It takes time , like all good things do .

www . OPEBusiness . com July 2023 OPE Business 15