By Mark Copans, Partner and Director of Marketing & Production, Hand in Hand MarketingI am a marketer. My job is to help businesses communicate who they are, what they do, and what makes them different to their target audience. I know my team is good at what we do and I’m confident that it will increase your business. But traditional marketing is not the only way to get your word out. Reaching out to the media—getting some good PR—is another great marketing tool.To make this happen, you should consider enlisting the services of a PR professional. Small businesses rarely think about PR for themselves. They often feel that it is out of reach financially—something reserved only for larger organizations with deeper pockets. Keep an open mind, though, because I can tell you from experience that PR works!For the smaller businesses—those who don’t have millions to spend on Super Bowl ads—you’re certainly keeping a close eye on your budget. The temptation can be to try do-it-yourself PR, but that can prove to be a fruitless effort if you don’t know what you’re doing. A good local PR expert knows who to contact, how to best reach them, and with what information. They will “pitch” your news to the media that would be most likely to pick up the story. There may also be several angles to your news and they will know which angle to pursue with each individual outlet. Also consider that the quality of the writing will matter. A PR person won’t just help distribute your news, but can also help you write the press release. If you hire the right person who knows your market, they can turn you into somewhat of a local celebrity.Our friend and colleague, Filomena Fanelli of Impact PR & Communications likes to say, “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will.” So the next time you have a story to tell, consider getting some help. It can be a great investment in your business. After all, if you just launched your company, hired someone new, or got a new piece of equipment that will help you do a better job for your clients, don’t you want to let as many people know as possible?[author]About the Author: At Hand in Hand Marketing, Mark Copans works with small businesses to provide everything from broad strokes--like marketing plans--to visual branding, such as logos and websites, and promotional items, apparel, trade show displays, and printing. Mark holds a Bachelors in Advertising Specialties and now uses his experiences working with major international brands to help smaller organizations go to market in the most effective way possible.[/author]