Last week, I talked about continuing to tighten the purse strings in this sluggish economy. Some more ideas to get a bigger bang for your buck:

. Newsletters-- Newsletters are a nice way to stay in touch with customers, prospects, employees and others. Newsletters with graphics are easily produced in Microsoft Word. They can be e-mailed, posted on the company intranet, or printed out and delivered in hard copy. A professional looking, external newsletter can be produced in-house and converted into an Adobe PDF document. This enables the company to e-mail the newsletter in its original format. The newsletter can also be posted on the company website, or printed out on high gloss paper for those customers without e-mail.

. Seminars-- Seminars do not have to be a big ticket activity. If a nice space is available in-house, hold your seminar there. A daytime seminar will enable you to get by with soft drinks and a few nice snacks, rather than expensive liquor and catered hors d’oeuvres. Send out invitations via e-mail, and eliminate the printing and mailing costs associated with a brochure. You might also book speakers at seminars sponsored by other companies, or offer speakers for in-house seminars. Then you are no longer responsible for the expenses typically associated with promoting and staging a seminar.

. Direct mail-- You don’t need to hire an advertising firm to create a direct mail campaign. Color printers and copiers allow brochures, flyers and postcards to be produced in-house. Some can also be converted to an Adobe PDF format and e-mailed, saving on mailing costs.

All of these tactics assume that a competent and creative public relations person is available in-house to perform the tasks outlined above. However, many of these activities are time-consuming. It may be necessary to balance prioritized activities against available human resources.

When an in-house public relations professional is pressed for time, consider hiring a public relations consultant or designer to complete more time-intensive tasks.

Budget-friendly communications essential in a sluggish economy

We are still blessed with a sluggish economy, and the purse strings for public relations activities remain tight. The only solution is to continue to focus on those communications activities that give you the most bang for your your buck!

Some suggestions:

. News releases--Instead of spending money on advertising, invest in a media relations campaign. Media coverage is free and is generated by well-written news releases. Effective news releases are topical, and focus on issues that will interest targeted media. And remember, news staffs have been hit with layoffs like everyone else--they need your help more than ever. Send your news releases via e-mail, and significantly reduce expenses for postage and copying.

. Letters to the editor--Letters to the editor are among the most read section of a publication. Letters are especially useful when managing issues or positioning a company. Some staff time may be needed for research, writing and editing. But the only cost involved is postage!

. Media kits--If you are launching a new product or service, you may need a media kit. Media kits have many uses. They can create advance buzz about a product or service, or provide background information for a product launch. Media kits can also be used to promote a company or individual to a publication. With the increased use of color printers and color copiers, attractive media kits can be produced at little or no cost. A typical media kit includes a targeted news release, the company profile, industry statistics, biographies of key players, photos, product samples, and customer testimonials. This information should be contained in a nice folder bearing the company logo.

. Social media--Public relations and marketing firms have whole divisions devoted to “buzz marketing.” Generally, a buzz is created by utilizing social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, and talking about a company, product or service. If you have access to the Internet, you should be able to generate a similar result.

Next week: More tips on cost-effective communications