Small business has been surging toward social media in the last few years, which is a good thing since it’s a fast, easy way to communicate with current and potential customers. A strong social media presence is crucial for doing business today, but we can’t forget about the face-to-face network either.

Forbes.com recently published an article titled, “Five Things Every Small Business Should Know About Public Relations.” The article praises social networking for reaching a wider audience, but also illustrates the importance of basic public relations skill. “You still need coherent messages, valuable networks and great stories,” says Robert Wynn.

Wynn explains his five points and also adds bonus tips to further clarify his advice. These five points are: Write well, Network, Learn the tools, Make friends with the media, and Pick up the phone. All five show how much effort goes in to public relations, but all of that work will bring a great reward in the end.

This isn’t just for large salons chains either. All salons can benefit from practicing these five things, especially those who aren’t 100 percent comfortable with social media.

To read the entire Forbes article, click here.