10 Common PR Mistakes Startups Make (And How PRISM Can Help You Avoid Them)

For startups, PR is often the secret sauce that builds brand awareness, drives growth, and establishes credibility. However, in the race to gain traction, many startups make critical mistakes that can reduce their PR efforts or harm their brand. Understanding these pitfalls—and knowing how to avoid them—can make a significant difference in how effectively a startup tells its story.

PRISM, Marquet Media's proprietary PR framework, is designed to guide businesses through the complexities of public relations with a structured, actionable approach. Here's a closer look at startups' ten common PR mistakes and how the PRISM methodology can help avoid them.

1. Neglecting to Define Clear Objectives

The Mistake: Many startups start PR campaigns without a clear purpose, treating it as a catch-all for "getting noticed" rather than a targeted approach. PR campaigns often need more direction and clear objectives, leading to scattered results that align with business goals.

How PRISM Helps: The PRISM framework begins with "Purpose," emphasizing the importance of defining precise goals. Are you looking to drive brand awareness, position yourself as an industry thought leader, or attract potential investors? By clarifying these goals early on, PRISM ensures your PR efforts are purposeful and aligned with your startup's broader mission.

2. Failing to Understand Your Target Audience

The Mistake: Startups frequently approach PR with a "one-size-fits-all" mentality, assuming that their message will resonate with everyone. But this can lead to generic messaging that fails to connect.

How PRISM Helps: The "Research" phase in PRISM emphasizes identifying and understanding your target audience. Through thorough research, PRISM helps startups pinpoint who they're talking to, what matters most to this audience, and where they spend their time. This insight allows for messaging that resonates deeply and reaches the right people.

3. Inconsistent Messaging Across Channels

The Mistake: Startups often need more fragmented messaging across social media, press releases, and customer interactions, which can create confusion around their brand identity.

How PRISM Helps: PRISM emphasizes consistency in the "Identity" phase, focusing on crafting a cohesive brand voice and messaging that aligns across all channels. This consistency strengthens brand recognition and trust, ensuring that each piece of communication supports a unified image.

4. Overlooking Media Relationships

The Mistake: Some startups see PR as a purely transactional process—send out a press release and get published. This short-sighted approach overlooks the importance of building relationships with journalists and media outlets.

How PRISM Helps: PRISM's "Media" phase is dedicated to relationship-building, encouraging startups to view PR as a long-term strategy rather than a quick fix. By focusing on authentic engagement with media contacts and offering valuable insights, PRISM helps startups establish credibility and foster lasting connections.

5. Focusing Solely on Product Launches

The Mistake: Many startups only engage in PR around product launches, missing out on opportunities to keep their brand in the spotlight year-round. This sporadic approach can limit visibility and create gaps in brand awareness.

How PRISM Helps: The PRISM framework encourages startups to maintain an ongoing PR presence rather than limiting it to launch events. By continuously generating news, sharing insights, and promoting thought leadership, startups can keep their brand relevant and top-of-mind for customers and investors alike.

6. Using Jargon and Buzzwords

The Mistake: Startups sometimes assume that industry jargon and buzzwords make them sound more credible. However, this language often confuses readers or comes across as insincere.

How PRISM Helps: PRISM's "Identity" phase emphasizes clear, authentic communication. By focusing on approachable language that conveys value without unnecessary complexity, startups can build a more trustworthy and relatable brand image. PRISM encourages simplicity and clarity in messaging to make a genuine impact.

7. Neglecting Crisis Management Preparation

The Mistake: Startups rarely anticipate the need for crisis management. However, in today's fast-paced media environment, issues can escalate quickly, and a lack of preparedness can turn small problems into PR disasters.

How PRISM Helps: PRISM includes crisis management strategies that help startups prepare for potential issues. By proactively planning responses to common crisis scenarios, startups can mitigate damage and handle crises in a way that reinforces their credibility. PRISM equips startups with tools to respond confidently and transparently, minimizing reputational harm.

8. Ignoring the Importance of Social Proof

The Mistake: Startups often need to remember the power of testimonials, case studies, reviews, and customer success stories in PR. Without social proof, potential customers may view the startup as unproven or unreliable.

How PRISM Helps: PRISM's focus on building credibility extends to encouraging startups to gather and share social proof actively. By incorporating customer stories and testimonials into PR efforts, startups can create a compelling narrative highlighting real-world impact, making it easier to gain trust and traction.

9. Failing to Track and Measure Results

The Mistake: Many startups need to measure the outcomes of their PR efforts, making it difficult to understand what's working and what isn't. With data, strategies can be refined and better results achieved.

How PRISM Helps: PRISM's "Metrics" phase prioritizes tracking and evaluation, helping startups implement systems to measure the impact of their PR initiatives. By analyzing metrics such as media coverage, social engagement, and website traffic, PRISM provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of campaigns, allowing startups to make data-driven adjustments.

10. Setting Unrealistic Expectations

The Mistake: Startups sometimes expect immediate results from PR, viewing it as a shortcut to success rather than a long-term investment. This mindset can lead to disappointment.

How PRISM Helps: PRISM sets realistic expectations from the outset, emphasizing that PR is a marathon, not a sprint. The framework encourages startups to adopt a steady, consistent approach that builds credibility and visibility over time. By setting achievable goals and focusing on sustainable growth, PRISM helps startups maintain motivation and see the value of PR as an ongoing strategy.

Navigating the PR world can be challenging for startups, but understanding these common pitfalls is the first step in developing and implementing a successful PR strategy. The PRISM framework provides a roadmap to avoid these mistakes and maximize PR impact. By focusing on purpose, research, identity, media, and metrics, startups can build a strong PR foundation that supports growth and longevity.

PR isn't just about getting attention—it's about building a brand that resonates, endures, and leads. With the guidance of PRISM, startups can achieve their PR goals and create meaningful, lasting connections with their audience and industry influencers.

Unlocking Growth: How Our PRISM PR Framework Empowers Clients to Thrive

In today's rapidly evolving and fiercely competitive marketplace, businesses must adapt. PR plays a significant role in landscape, bridging organizations and their target audiences. The PRISM PR Framework is at the core of our success in delivering the best possible PR services—a strategic, comprehensive approach designed to propel our clients toward their growth aspirations. This article dives into how the PRISM PR Framework aids our target audiences and clients in achieving remarkable growth, all while maintaining the confidentiality of its proprietary methodologies.

Understanding the PRISM PR Framework

The PRISM PR Framework is a model that encapsulates the essential elements of effective public relations. PRISM stands for Proprietary tools, Relationship building, Insights, Simplified Workflow, and Message Development and Measurement. Each piece is vital to ensuring that our PR efforts are impactful and aligned with our clients' goals and market dynamics.

Proprietary Tools

At the heart of our process are the proprietary tools that power our PRISM Framework. These tools allow us to streamline the planning, research, and execution phases of PR while providing our clients with data-driven insights that enhance strategy and performance. From media tracking platforms to custom analytics dashboards, we use advanced technology to measure the reach and impact of every campaign. Our tools also provide real-time feedback, enabling us to adjust strategies quickly and efficiently to align with client goals.

Key Activities:

• Analytics and Media Monitoring: Real-time tracking of media coverage, audience sentiment, and engagement across all channels.

• KPI Dashboards: Proprietary dashboards that provide clients with an overview of campaign performance and results against key objectives.

• PR Workflow Automation: Tools that automate outreach, reporting, and follow-ups, allowing us to focus on high-value strategy and relationship building.

Relationship Building

Successful PR is built on strong relationships with media professionals, influencers, and key stakeholders. Relationship building is the cornerstone of our approach. We cultivate meaningful connections with journalists, bloggers, and industry influencers to ensure our clients' stories are heard and amplified through the right channels. We also build trust and collaborate with our clients, ensuring that we seamlessly extend their internal teams. The relationships we develop ensure sustained visibility and credibility over time.

Key Activities:

• Media Relations: Building relationships with reporters, editors, and influencers to secure meaningful coverage.

• Client Collaboration: Partnering closely with clients to ensure alignment between their brand vision and our PR efforts.

• Industry Networking: Attending key events, conferences, and forums to strengthen industry connections and gain insights into media trends.

Insights and Data-Driven Strategy

Our data-driven insights form the foundation of every strategy we develop. We gain an understanding of industry trends, competitor activity, and audience behavior using research and analytics tools. These insights guide us in crafting strategies that are not only creative but also effective in achieving measurable outcomes. Our data-driven approach allows us to tailor every message and campaign to resonate with the specific audience segments that matter most.

Key Activities:

• Competitor Benchmarking: Analyzing competitors' strengths and weaknesses to uncover opportunities for differentiation.

• Market and Audience Research: Gathering data on audience preferences, industry trends, and media consumption habits to develop targeted campaigns.

• Sentiment Analysis: Monitoring public perception, sentiment, and tone around our clients' brands to identify areas of improvement and opportunities for positive storytelling.

Simplified Workflow

We understand that PR and branding can be complex, so we've developed a simplified workflow that ensures seamless execution of every campaign from start to finish. Our streamlined processes reduce friction, ensuring campaigns are timely and within budget. By automating routine tasks such as outreach tracking and reporting, we enable our teams to focus on what matters most—strategy, creativity, and building relationships. This workflow enhances client collaboration by providing clear timelines, transparent communication, and real-time reporting throughout the campaign lifecycle.

Key Activities:

• Automated Outreach and Follow-Ups: Using proprietary tools to track media interactions and automate communications for efficiency.

• Timeline Management: Establishing clear timelines and milestones to ensure campaigns stay on schedule.

• Collaborative Platforms: Providing clients access to our platforms for real-time campaign progress and results updates.

Message Development and Measurement

Effective messaging is central to every campaign we run. We strategically craft vital messages and narratives that align with our clients' brand values and resonate with their audiences. These messages are carefully developed through research, brainstorming, and collaboration, ensuring they reflect the brand's authentic voice and align with business objectives. Measurement is equally important, allowing us to assess how well these messages are received and where adjustments are needed to maximize impact.

Key Activities:

• Message Crafting and Storytelling: Developing consistent, compelling narratives highlighting the client's unique value proposition and strengths.

• Channel Selection and Adaptation: Tailoring messages for each channel, whether social media, traditional media, or direct outreach, to ensure maximum relevance and engagement.

• KPI-Driven Measurement: Tracking key metrics—such as media mentions, audience engagement, and sentiment—against campaign goals to evaluate success.

• Reporting and Continuous Optimization: Providing detailed reports to clients and refining strategies based on data insights to optimize future campaigns.

Together, these five pillars—proprietary Tools, Relationship Building, Insights, Simplified Workflow, and Message Development and Measurement—create a holistic PR and branding strategy that delivers measurable, sustainable results. They ensure that our work is not only efficient and impactful but also aligned with our clients' long-term goals. By combining cutting-edge technology with meaningful relationships, data-driven insights, streamlined processes, and effective messaging, we provide comprehensive PR solutions that help our clients grow.

How PRISM Drives Client Growth

The PRISM PR Framework is not just a theoretical model but a practical, results-driven approach that has consistently delivered growth for our clients. Here's how each component contributes to their success:

Enhancing Brand Visibility

Planning and implementing targeted PR campaigns, we significantly increase our clients' visibility in their respective markets. This heightened presence ensures potential customers become aware of their offerings, increasing brand recognition and trust.

Building Strong Relationships

Research and strategy are pivotal in understanding and connecting with the right audiences. Building meaningful relationships with media outlets, industry influencers, and key stakeholders, we create a robust network that supports our clients' growth objectives.

Driving Engagement and Interaction

Effective implementation ensures that our PR activities are engaging and interactive. Whether through compelling content, interactive events, or dynamic social media campaigns, we create opportunities for our clients to interact meaningfully with their audiences.

Example: A retail fashion brand wanted to boost its social media presence. We developed a series of interactive campaigns, including live Q&A sessions, user-generated content contests, and exclusive online events. These initiatives resulted in a 40% increase in social media followers and a significant rise in customer engagement.

Measuring and Optimizing Performance

Continuous measurement and optimization are at the core of the PRISM Framework. Analyzing performance data and feedback ensures that our strategies remain aligned with our clients' needs.

The PRISM Advantage: Why Choose Our Framework?

Tailored Approach

Every business is unique, and so are their PR needs. The PRISM Framework is flexible and adaptable, allowing us to tailor our strategies to align with each client's goals and market conditions.

Proven Results

Our track record speaks for itself. The PRISM Framework has consistently delivered measurable results, driving growth and enhancing the reputation of our clients across various industries.

Strategic Insight

Our deep industry knowledge and strategic insight enable us to anticipate market trends and position our clients ahead. This proactive approach ensures sustained growth and long-term success.

Client Case Study: Serenity Mind & Wellness – Scaling Mental Health with PRISM PR Framework

Client Overview

Serenity Mind & Wellness is a mental health-focused online shop and media brand founded by a licensed therapist. It offers products such as guided journals, self-care kits, digital workbooks, and a content hub featuring mental health resources, expert-led workshops, and articles on well-being. Since its launch, Serenity has become a trusted platform for individuals seeking mental wellness solutions. With our PRISM PR Framework, Serenity set out to boost media visibility, grow its online audience, and increase product sales.

The brand has now been featured in Forbes.com, FastCompany, Inc., SheKnows, Luxe Living, Oprah Magazine, Allure.com, Newsweek.com, Healthline, Psych Central, and countless others, building credibility and trust in the mental health space. Serenity also expanded its email list to several thousand subscribers and now attracts thousands of monthly readers to its media property.

Challenges

1. Limited Market Visibility: Despite high-quality offerings, serenity is needed to help build brand recognition in a competitive wellness space.

2. Crowded Market Landscape: With mental health becoming a growing focus, Serenity needed to differentiate itself from other wellness brands.

3. Lack of Media Connections: The team must establish relationships with journalists and influencers to garner meaningful media coverage.

4. Managing Growth Efficiently: With a small team, Serenity needed streamlined workflows to manage PR campaigns while focusing on product development and community engagement.

How the PRISM PR Framework Fueled Growth

Proprietary Tools: Precision-Driven PR Campaigns

We tracked Serenity's coverage, audience engagement, and campaign performance using proprietary analytics tools and media monitoring platforms. Our custom KPI dashboards allowed the team to monitor which campaigns drove the most traffic and sales, making optimizing efforts in real-time easy.

• Analytics & Media Monitoring: Identified high-impact platforms and tracked referral traffic from media placements.

• KPI Dashboards: Provided Serenity with real-time updates on campaign performance, including media mentions, social media engagement, and email list growth.

• PR Workflow Automation: Automated follow-ups and outreach, helping the team manage media relationships efficiently.

Relationship Building: Connecting with Key Media and Influencers

Our success in building meaningful relationships with journalists, editors, and influencers was critical to Serenity's visibility boost. We focused on targeting mental health, lifestyle, and wellness media outlets to position the brand as both a product line and a trusted source of mental health content.

• Media Outreach: Secured product features and founder interviews in FastCompany, Inc., SheKnows, Oprah Magazine, Newsweek, and Allure.

• Influencer Collaborations: Partnered with influencers in the wellness space to promote Serenity's products through organic social media campaigns.

• Client Collaboration: Worked closely with Serenity's founder to align PR strategies with the brand's values and mission.

Insights: Data-Driven Campaign Strategy

With our data-driven insights, we segmented Serenity's audience into distinct groups—mental health professionals, self-care advocates, and digital content consumers—and tailored messaging accordingly. Competitor analysis revealed gaps we could exploit, helping Serenity position itself as an e-commerce platform and a media brand.

• Audience Segmentation: Identified messaging that resonated with Serenity's primary customer groups, including those seeking practical mental wellness tools.

• Competitor Benchmarking: Analyzed competitors' media strategies to identify opportunities for differentiation.

• Sentiment Analysis: Monitored audience feedback and public sentiment to ensure messaging aligned with mental health conversations.

Simplified Workflow: Streamlining Campaign Execution

With Serenity's small team focused on product development, we implemented a streamlined workflow to manage PR campaigns smoothly. We handled outreach tracking, reporting, and follow-ups using automated tools, ensuring campaigns stayed on schedule without overburdening the Serenity team.

• Timeline Management: Developed a detailed campaign timeline with milestones for product launches and media outreach.

• Collaborative Platform: Provided Serenity access to real-time reports and campaign progress, keeping communication seamless.

• Automated Follow-Ups: Ensured timely engagement with journalists and influencers, increasing the chances of media coverage.

Message Development & Measurement: Crafting Compelling Stories

We worked closely with Serenity to develop key messaging that reflected the brand's commitment to mental health and self-care. This narrative positioned Serenity as an online shop and a trusted media platform offering educational content.

• Storytelling & Messaging: Crafted narratives highlighting Serenity's mission and product value.

• Channel-Specific Adaptation: Tailored messaging for social media, digital publications, and influencer campaigns to increase relevance and engagement.

• KPI Measurement: Monitored referral traffic, sales, and email subscriptions from each media placement and campaign.

• Continuous Optimization: Adjusted messaging and outreach strategies in response to performance data.

Results and Impact

1. Significant Media Visibility: Serenity was featured in top-tier publications, including FastCompany, Inc., SheKnows, Luxe Living, Oprah Magazine, Allure.com, and Newsweek.com.

2. Email List Growth: The brand expanded to several thousand subscribers, creating a strong base for direct marketing efforts.

3. Increased Web Traffic and Engagement: Serenity now attracts thousands of monthly readers to its media property, significantly boosting its audience reach.

4. Social Media Growth: Engagement on Serenity's social media platforms increased by 50%, with a surge in new followers from organic campaigns.

5. Sustainable Growth: The combination of PR, influencer outreach, and optimized messaging positioned Serenity as a trusted mental health resource and a growing e-commerce brand.

How PRISM Elevated Serenity's Success

The PRISM PR Framework was pivotal in Serenity Mind & Wellness's transformation from a small online initiative to a leading mental health brand and media platform. By leveraging proprietary tools, building strong media relationships, applying data-driven insights, streamlining workflows, and crafting compelling messaging, we helped Serenity achieve remarkable growth and visibility.

Today, Serenity continues to thrive, offering meaningful products and content to its expanding audience. With ongoing features in top-tier media, a growing email list, and increased product demand, Serenity has established itself as a go-to brand in the mental health space. The PRISM Framework fueled Serenity's rise and set the foundation for sustained, long-term success.

*Client name has been changed.

How Startups Can Leverage Cutting-Edge PR Strategies to Propel Growth

In today's hyper-competitive digital landscape, startups require more than innovative products and services to succeed. They need robust public relations strategies that help carve out a unique market space and foster sustainable growth. Marquet Media, a pioneer in advanced public relations solutions, has introduced a new suite of PR strategies designed specifically for startups, helping them maximize visibility, engage effectively with target audiences, and accelerate growth. This guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of these strategies and offers a step-by-step approach to integrating them into your startup's growth plan.

Understanding the Importance of Tailored PR Strategies

Startups face distinct challenges differentiating them from established companies, including limited resources, brand recognition, and a limited customer base. Traditional PR tactics often need to address these challenges. Marquet Media's tailored PR strategies are crafted to meet the specific needs of emerging businesses, offering them the tools to compete and stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Step 1: Develop a Customized Brand Narrative

Building a Connection Through Storytelling

A compelling brand narrative is crucial for startups. It transcends basic product descriptions to convey your business's values, mission, and vision, forming an emotional connection with your audience.

• Identify Core Values: Clearly define what your startup stands for. What problems are you solving, and why should people care? These values will form the backbone of your narrative.

• Craft Your Story: Work with Marquet Media to turn these values into a story that resonates with your target audience. This narrative should be engaging, authentic, and reflect your brand's identity.

• Maintain Consistency: Consistently integrate this narrative across all platforms. Whether through website content, social media posts, or press releases, ensure your brand's story is unified and compelling.

Step 2: Enhance Digital Visibility

Expanding Your Online Presence

In the digital age, visibility is critical to attracting and retaining customers. Startups must be visible online and captivating enough to maintain audience interest.

• Implement SEO Best Practices: Use SEO techniques to improve your website's visibility on search engines. This involves optimizing content with relevant keywords, enhancing site speed, and ensuring mobile compatibility.

• Create Valuable and Relevant Content: Design a content marketing strategy, including blogs, infographics, and videos that provide value to your audience and position your startup as a thought leader.

• Leverage Social Media: Use all social media platforms at your fingertips to amplify your content and engage directly with your audience. Tailor your messages according to the specific demographics of each platform.

Step 3: Execute Precision-Targeted Media Strategies

Crafting and Placing Impactful Media Pitches

Effective media outreach can dramatically increase a startup's visibility and credibility. It involves identifying the right media outlets and crafting pitches highlighting your startup's unique aspects.

• Target Appropriate Media Outlets: Identify which publications and platforms cater to your audience and industry. Marquet Media's proprietary database can help pinpoint these outlets.

• Develop Custom Pitches: Create tailored pitches for each outlet. These should highlight how your startup's story aligns with its content and audience interests.

• Monitor and Adjust Strategies: Track which pitches gain traction and why. Use this information to refine future media strategies.

Step 4: Build Strategic Influencer Collaborations

Enhancing Reach and Credibility through Influencers

Influencer marketing can be particularly effective for startups looking to establish trust and expand their reach quickly.

• Choose Relevant Influencers: Select influencers with significant followings and audiences that align closely with your target market.

• Collaborate on Authentic Content: Work with influencers to create genuine content that provides value to their followers. This could include product reviews, behind-the-scenes looks at your startup, or co-created content.

• Measure the Impact: Use tools to track the effectiveness of influencer collaborations in terms of engagement, reach, and, ultimately, conversions.

Step 5: Implement Robust Crisis Management

Preparing for Potential Setbacks

No startup is immune to potential crises. Effective crisis management involves preparation and quick, transparent communication.

• Develop a Crisis Response Plan: Identify potential crises and outline response strategies for each scenario. This should include designated spokespeople and pre-approved messages.

• Conduct Regular Training: Train your team on crisis response techniques to ensure everyone knows their role during a crisis.

• Engage Proactively: Monitor online mentions and customer feedback actively. Quick, thoughtful responses can mitigate damage and demonstrate your commitment to customer service.

Leveraging Marquet Media's PR Expertise

Marquet Media's new suite of PR strategies provides startups with the tools they need to survive and thrive. By developing a strong brand narrative, enhancing digital visibility, executing targeted media strategies, engaging with influencers, and preparing for crises, startups can build a solid foundation for lasting success.

Following this guide, startups can leverage Marquet Media's cutting-edge PR strategies to propel their growth and establish a strong market presence. Each step is designed to build upon the last, creating a comprehensive approach to startup marketing that attracts attention and builds lasting customer relationships and brand loyalty.

Publicity 101: 6 Proven Tips to Secure PR for Your Startup or Small Business

Getting publicity for your small business or startup can seem like an insurmountable task for even the most seasoned founder, entrepreneur, speaker, or coach. But it doesn’t have to be. When you have the right knowledge and tools in your marketing arsenal, securing media coverage in any publication or on any podcast or television show is attainable. 

 Continue reading to learn how you can secure media coverage for your startup or small business within the next 30 days! You will save tens of thousands of dollars on hiring a public relations agency.  

If you’re a small business owner, coach, speaker or startup founder, crafting a compelling story for the media can seem like an overwhelming and intimidating task. It’s one thing to produce content for your social media channels, your company blog, your email newsletter, or communicate with customers over email and a live chat, but it’s an entirely new ball game to come up with content for a journalist, editor, television producer, or podcast host.

It’s important to understand that publicity is crucial to the long-term success of any business; however, trying to figure out what story or pitching angle that will resonate with the media the most is very difficult even when you have a PR background or a newspaper or magazine’s editorial calendar in front of you. So, don’t be fooled—PR people have just as hard of a time as regular entrepreneurs. 

But to help you maximize your chances of securing media coverage while shortening your learning curve, I’m going to share my top tried-and-true PR tips below.

1.     PR Newsworthiness and Media Interest: Figure out what makes you and your small business or startup newsworthy to secure publicity. Before you pitch any story, you will need to determine what makes your business newsworthy. A newsworthy story can be anything from a prestigious new hire, opening a new office in a new city, releasing a book, taking a controversial stand, or hosting an event. Announcing the launch or the release of something can be considered newsworthy. Just keep in mind why the media should care about this launch and how this angle will be of interest to whatever outlet you’re pitching. My best piece of PR advice is to consider how your story will help the media or be of interest to the media’s audience/viewership.

2.     Where Your Story Can Fit in What Outlets and What Columns: Now that you know what makes your business newsworthy, it’s time to determine where your story can fit in what types of publications, as well as which column. I encourage you to read all of the websites, blogs, magazines, and newspapers, as well as watch/listen to the television stations and podcasts where your story can fit.

Start by looking at your local news. If you own a restaurant or brick-and-mortar business, then your story can fit into your local newspaper, magazine, or on a local television segment. However, if you own an e-commerce shop, then depending on what you sell, your story can fit into a wide range of media. For instance, if you own a women’s apparel brand, you may be able to secure publicity on ELLE.com or Glamour.com. If you own a SaaS business, then try looking at Mashable.com or business outlets. Determining where your story can fit is just as important as figuring out what makes your business newsworthy enough to generate PR.

3.     Create The Media List of Your Top 10 Outlets: Now that you know why you and your business could be considered interesting to the media as well as which outlets that may want to run your story, it’s time to figure out which media professionals to pitch. I like to build my media lists in Google Sheets and segment it by Name, Outlet, Title, Location, Email, Beat(s), and Status (so you can keep track of who you pitched and when). Beats are topics that editors cover, btw. Keeping a spreadsheet allows me to know who, when, and what I pitched and helps me stay organized because it’s easy to forget who you pitched and when with what story angle. There’s nothing more annoying to journalists than sending the same pitches to them over and over again.

Please note--today it’s easier than ever to find the right media contact through LinkedIn.com, on Twitter, or Instagram. You can also find the right media contacts by looking at the masthead of a magazine, newspaper, or website. If email addresses are not visible, you can use this useful tool to find out the right email format. This resource will show you the format for the largest and notable magazines, websites, and newspapers.

4.     Start Building a Relationship with the Media Before Pitching Your Story: So now that you have your media list, it’s time to build a connection before pitching your story. But I’m sure you’re asking, “Kristin, how do I introduce myself to an editor or journalist without sounding awkward or like an idiot?” Well, I like to reach out to an editor or journalist before I pitch them, so they become familiar with who I am and the types of clients I represent. A short introduction goes a long way. I would use an introduction like the following one.

Subject Line: Introduction to Name or Company Name

Hi Name, (Make sure you spell their name correctly because it shows laziness if you don’t).  

I read your (article name) in (X publication) and I found it useful (in Y way). I wanted to reach out to introduce myself. I’m (name) and I do (insert job title), and in case you’re ever in need of (X), I’m available to comment on:

·      Topic 1

·      Topic 2

·      Topic 3

·      Topic 4

·      Topic 5

Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kristin 

End with a short media bio. Here’s an example of mine.

In some cases, you will hear back from the editor or journalist, which is exactly what you want to happen. When you do hear back, be sure to respond within 24 hours with what the journalist is asking for, if not sooner. But if you don’t receive a response, it’s okay because now they’ve seen your name and your pitch yourself accordingly. Just be polite and respectful when you do send your pitch.

5.     Making Sure to Pitch Your Story to the Right Media Professionals: Okay, so you’ve reached out to the top 10 outlets to introduce yourself to all of the places where you want to be featured, but now you’re stumped on how to draft a pitch that someone actually wants to read and respond to. Your pitch should be relevant and timely, as well as concise and written in the tone of the outlet in which you’re pitching. Your pitch’s subject line should include who, what, and why, the text of the pitch should be fewer than 500 words, answer the five W’s and how in the first paragraph, include a handful of bullet points, and a media bio or boilerplate. Here’s an example of an outline/format of a pitch that I use for all pitches.

Subject Line: Include What You’re Pitching, When, and What Type of Story You Are Pitching  

Hi Name,

You recognize what beat the editor covers and the topic you're pitching (one sentence)

Your introduction (one sentence)

What/who you're pitching and how it relates to the editor's readership (one to two sentences) Why/where/when/how you're pitching it (one to two sentences)

Five to seven bullet points (each one has its own line)

Closing (one line)

Contact information (Telephone number, company, and email address)

Bio or Boilerplate (Four to five lines) Website (one line)

Social Media links (two lines)

If you haven’t heard back from an editor, journalist, or television producer after the first pitch, you can follow up two more times (over the course of two weeks) before marking that publication’s pitch a “no” and moving into the next publication. It doesn’t necessarily mean you were rejected, but it’s more than your story wasn’t the right fit at that time. It happens all of the time, so try not to let it bother you. You can always reach out with a new angle a few months later. 

6.     Syndicate your placements to leverage bigger media opportunities: You’ve secured publicity—a story on an industry website or the digital version of a national magazine or newspaper. That’s very exciting but it’s only the first step. To ensure you promote this credibility and attract more and larger media opportunities, you should syndicate your media features. Here are a few ways we encourage our clients to promote their publicity features.

·      Social Media: Promote all of your publicity features on your social media networks. Twitter.com, LinkedIn.com, Facebook.com, and Instagram.com are the best places to promote your PR stories.

·      Videos: Create videos featuring your publicity stories and upload them to Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, and YouTube.

·      Email Marketing: If you send out newsletters, include all of your media features in the footer of the emails. These features enhance your credibility.

·      Email Signatures: Include links to your publicity in your email signatures.

·      Your Website: Add a media or press page to your website and include an “As Featured In” section on your website’s homepage. Featuring press on a single banner on the homepage is a great way to show off those media placements along with increasing your credibility.

·      Tag the Media that Cover You and Your Small Business on Social Media: Tag all the media in your social media posts that featured you. In some cases, they will repost your posts. This also helps make the editor’s job easier because the media run will get more traffic, reads, and shares.

·      Blogging: Write blog posts about each PR feature. This is great for showing off your credibility and can help improve search engine rankings.

·      Internal Team: Ask your team members to promote any and all features in their email signatures.

·      Content Syndication: Create a publication on Medium.com and post all of your media features there.

Keep in mind, if an editor or television sees you were featured in a top-tier publication—whether it’s on your website or in a magazine or newspaper--they will be more likely to reach out to you for a comment or quote, over someone who has not had any publicity. A perfect example of this is, a client of mine had been featured in many top-tier women’s publications, so an editor from one of the biggest women’s beauty magazines used her expertise and quote over all of the other experts in her field. This was due to the fact that my client had earned a tremendous amount of publicity and was notable.  

o   Please remember this one thing when it comes to content syndication, Google can penalize your content if it’s duplicated on multiple websites. My recommendation would be to add canonical tags to your duplicate content to prevent any penalties. You can learn more about canonical tags here.  

Getting publicity for your startup or small business can seem like a grueling task for an entrepreneur, but if you follow the six steps above, it will make the process of getting PR a lot easier than hiring a PR firm--which can cost in the mid-four to low five figures per month.