However, if you want free publicity, you need to employ the right strategies. We asked a panel of Forbes Communications Council members to name their top strategies for getting free public relations.

No one is in the business of giving you free publicity, but they are in the business of sharing valuable, interesting and good stories. So that is what you have to give them.

Free publicity is one of the best tools that you can use to promote and grow your small business or startup. P.T. Barnum used it to grow his little circus to international fame.

Other publicity outfits also will handle distribution of your release, especially if you're a small firm or lack a dedicated staff to make contact, handle releases, or do follow-up.

Free publicity — particularly on-message publicity that is likely to be read or watched by your business's target customers — is the most cost-effective marketing that money can't buy.

IF YOU'RE LOOKING for a way to stretch your marketing budget a little further, don't overlook the potential of free publicity. This is your chance to keep your name in your market without having to ...

There are plenty of free marketing tactics small businesses can do that deliver results on little to no budget. EXPERT OPINION BY ADAM HEITZMAN , CO-FOUNDER, HIGHERVISIBILITY @ HIGHERVIS Feb 2, 2017 ...

My biggest mistake was not going after free publicity sooner. I did not begin to think about, develop and execute a publicity plan until two years into my new business. Like most entrepreneurs ...

Getting publicity in the 2.0 landscape is hard. Don't make it harder than it needs to be.

Specifically, I suggest that if you want to get some free publicity for your business, take these steps: 1. Have a good story. As they say, dog bites man is not news, but man bites dog is.