You dont need a big budget to get your name, or that of your company, out there in the public domain. There are many ways in which you can use your skills, time and resources to help boost your profile. You just need to keep track of the relevant publications and websites to make the most of the opportunities.

Its more important than ever to make sure any budget you have for promotion and publicity works as hard as possible. If you can ensure that your activity is linked up then that will get you more bang for your buck and help get your messages across. There are many ways in which you can do this.

One way which is often overlooked, and is free apart from the your own time, is writing letters to editors. Every week there will be many opportunities for you to comment on stories and other peoples news. That gives you great scope for getting your point across and building your brand as well as your reputation. They may also open the door on providing comment on a more regular basis as well as ideas for feature articles.

So, what do you need to think about to get your letter writing up and running? Here are some tips that are worth considering.

• Monitoring your target press you need to get a good feel for the publication you are targeting. Its useful to track it over time to become familiar with topics and style as well as regular contributors. You should also keep an eye on the letters that get published and follow the trail of discussion and debate. If you can stay informed then that helps to put you one step ahead.
• Be first off the mark speed is all important. Youll be competing with many others to get your letter printed but if you can get in there early then that helps.
• Know the publication as well as monitoring you need to really get to know the publication. So, you need to track down the relevant contact details to use to get your letter to the right person. Researching the publications deadline will also help to ensure your efforts are as effective as possible.

Thats half the story. Of course, you also need to actually produce the letter. That means writing your letter in a tone, style and format that will get noticed and published.

Using PR to build your profile and protect your reputation can help you influence the audiences that are important to you - I invite you to access more free articles, tips and information on this and other subjects by visiting the ‘free stuff’ section of the website - href="http://www.profilematters.co.uk/resources.php">http://www.profilematters.co.uk/resources.php

You can also receive regular advice, support and information by signing up to the newsletter via the website as well as accessing the DIY PR Toolkit, designed to give businesses a step-by-step approach to doing their own PR.

Debbie Leven - Profile Matters - href="http://www.profilematters.co.uk/">PR Consultants UK