Many small businesses in Australia suffers from a lack of visibility. With traditional advertising becoming less and less effective, now more than ever it is important for small business owners to understand how to leverage the media in a way which builds their brand.

PR is often about becoming visible to prospective clients and potential partners, with the over-cluttered advertising and marketing that consumers are bombarded with every day, small business owners need to put themselves where opportunity can see them.

Rule number one of PR is that no one cares about you. An effective press release will essentially “piggy back” off a current issue that is topical and better yet, controversial in the media today. It is for easier to rebut or add to an existing topic in the media than it is to create one.

Rule number two is to back up your arguments with facts and stats. Never go to market with “my opinion”. Unless the opinion is coming from a Gerry Harvey or a Richard Branson, journalists will want to see why this argument is credible and what’s the proof.

Rule number three is to include you or your business in the argument you’re developing, but this should only be 20% of the press release. The bulk of the release will be introducing new facts and stats, to an existing and controversial issue, and later introducing yourself as an example of your point of view or the messenger of the new insights.

Jack Delosa is a Gen Y entrepreneur and investor and was recently described by Sunrise as “The Young Aussie Millionaire That Didn’t Finish Uni.”

Jack has been named in Australia’s top 10 entrepreneurs under 30. From having his company listed in the Fastest 50 Start-Ups in Australia, to raising over $5m for his personal clients and acquiring businesses with his panel of investors, Jack Delosa is an emerging leader for future and existing entrepreneurs.

Netregistry was a proud sponsor of the 2012 Young Entrepreneur’s Event in Sydney.