Small business owners, charities and non-profits can find success by sharing their charitable deeds in a press release.  In the right hands, and with some clever and tactful promotion, your press release can spread rapidly, raise awareness for a cause and reinforce your company’s commitment to social good.

Need proof?

In April, Mediabistro.com reported on a campaign by @abolishcancer that generated more than 22 million unique impressions via social sharing, which began with a press release that cost the company only $200 to submit through PRWeb.

“The team spent just $200 getting a press release about their campaign to the media. The rest was done purely on Twitter, and shows how a thoughtful, creative and meaningful campaign can go viral.

Between March 26th and April 2nd, the campaign saw 22,747,250 impressions on Twitter. These were unique impressions of tweets that contained either the campaign’s hashtag #CancersNoJoke or the @abolishcancer username.

The campaign really kicked into high gear in the days leading up to April Fools Day. On March 31st, the number of mentions containing #CancersNoJoke or @AbolishCancer rose to 1170, up from 499 the day before. And mentions peaked on April 2nd with 1326 uniques.”

If you’re a small business owner who has performed a good deed within your community, it could benefit your company to submit a press release that expresses your commitment to social good.  Your contribution to society as a part of your overall small business marketing strategy is also helpful for those directly and indirectly affected by your charity.

A graceful account of your good deed or charitable effort will demonstrate the connection between your small business and the community, which can allow consumers to gain a larger picture of your brand’s mission. You become more than just your product or service offering. You become a company that cares: an entity with the courage and commitment to help worthwhile causes. The unselfish nature of a company that performs good deeds can translate into superior customer service in the mind of the consumer.

Of course, sharing a company’s philanthropic efforts requires sensitivity and care. Done incorrectly, a genuine charitable gift can appear as a ploy for publicity. Here are three guidelines for sharing your company’s good deeds.

1)    Lead with the Cause – The story isn’t about your company; it’s about the charity and how your business’ values align with a worthwhile cause.

2)    Don’t Over Promote – Keep it simple. There’s no need to overtly pat your own back for your effort. The facts of the story should stand on its own.

3)    Leave a Link – Link to the cause your business supported. This will allow others to learn more and even possibly offer their own support.

Looking for more ideas?  Check out this case study on how Hoops for Hope scored Facebook fans with PRWeb.

Filed under: Content, Tips and Tricks by Stacey Acevero