Press releases, television appearances and social media are three ways to be known in your community. As an entrepreneur you also need to look outside of the box. You don’t want to be known as just one of the many service providers in your community – you want to be known as THE service provider; the one that everyone turns to and the one that receives the most word of mouth recommendations.

Even a small business owner can become well-known and work toward becoming a hometown celebrity. It’s evident that in the minds of consumers, some entrepreneurs are of a higher “rock star” quality than others and you want to be the biggest rock star in your realm of influence. Local fame can translate into more clients and therefore more money.

Here are seven ways to get your business the celebrity it deserves:

1.  Get in the newspaper, on the radio and on television. Send press releases to the local news outlets and tie your release into a specific holiday or event or a fundraiser your company is involved in, with an anniversary your company is celebrating or in conjunction with a specific trending news topic. Look for news outlets that regularly feature local business owners, search out the contact for the news segment or section of newspaper that your business would be suitable for and make contact.
2. Turn your expertise into a book. If you’re an author you are almost instantly elevated to expert status and you can leverage that status to amp up your exposure and garner celebrity.
3. Sponsor an event. If there isn’t an event available, create your own. The public support of a charity is much more than a publicity stunt, it helps you promote a cause about which you feel connected and draws supports from the community as well.
4. Do you have a business that lends itself to offering training classes or lessons? An accountant that can teach business owners how to spot exemptions for which they may be eligible, smart money ways to promote their businesses, a massage therapist that can offer a workshop on meditation or aromatherapy, or a blogger that can teach business owners how to set up a blog.
5. Build your mailing list and send out newsletters. A newsletter is a great way to be front of mind for clients and potential clients. Make certain the newsletter is short (people have too much to do to read lengthy newsletters), offers relevant hints and tips and above all, closes with some sort of an offer or a coupon or special discount.

While you certainly need to be involved in the running of your business, you also need to set aside time for marketing and networking as a way to keep your business front of mind… and viable!