Once your business is established, doing PR is a must. Most companies hire an agency to do their PR and get them interviews, media mentions and promote company news.
If you have a smaller business or have dedicated your budget to other marketing expenses, it’s understandable why you may not want to spend money on PR services right from the start.
Here are a few ways to help you do your own PR for your business.
Identify the Top Outlets in Your Niche
Do a quick search on Google to see if there are any local or national publications or news outlets that you could see your business working with.
It may be easier to get into a print publication but don’t limit your efforts right away. Create a master list of all your options and research the main point of contact for each particular outlet do you know who to reach out to.
You can source the list yourself in as little as an hour, then outsource the research part on Upwork.
Develop Your Pitch
What makes your business special or unique? What do you provide to others? Getting clear on how you’re looking to serve your audience is important because you want to promote a brand you can be proud of.
When you are proud of your brand, others will be too. Also, consider any recent accomplishments your business has made. One of my clients advises professionals who have massive student loan debt and he and his time have advised borrowers will hundreds of millions of dollars of debt collectively.
He is showing them how to save on their student loans and potentially even pay them off early so his business is definitely changing lives. This is not only commendable but great for PR purposes because outlets have something interesting to share.
People don’t just want to promote your business. They’re looking for a unique angle or an intriguing cause to share as well.
Start Networking
PR is all about relationships. If you want your business to be mentioned on major platforms, it’s important to promote what you’re doing and also introduce yourself to other power players in the industry.
Get familiar with certain journalists, editors, and media producers. You can reach out and offer to be an expert source or send them helpful resources. Or, you can try to make connections at conferences and other networking events.
Warming up your leads before sending a cold pitch is a great strategy, but you can also send cold pitches too and follow up consistently.
Don’t Forget About Podcasts
Podcasts are becoming huge these days. If you can get an interview on a top podcast, it can be great for PR. Work on your professional bio and business profile so you can pitch podcasts to be a guest.
Some podcasters also have booking agents so you may want to reach out to those people as well and network so you can get tapped for more features.
Summary
When you do your own PR for your business, you save money and still get the results you want. It all comes down to building a solid brand, then networking and positioning.
Before you go out and hire an agency, it’s worth a try to do your own PR for your business.
