How to know if it’s time to dip your toe into public relations

There’s a lot to consider when deciding if your small business is ready for PR. You need to have a dreamy product or service, effective marketing that takes your ideal customer on a purchasing journey and a healthy dose of confidence. But most importantly, don’t even consider going near PR until you’re crystal clear on what you want to say to the world.

But first, is PR even worthwhile?

In short, yes. Provided you are prepared (more on that later), PR is the single biggest investment you can make in the growth of your organisation. The benefits of PR exist beyond more delicious sales (although that’s a massive help) and can be used for loads of different reasons.

Building trust and authority in your brand or service
Acting as a change agent to move the needle on current perceptions of your business
Making your business more attractive to venture capitalists and early stage investors
Attracting stockists for your product
Drawing attention to wider societal issues

Let’s bust PR’s biggest myth

The biggest misconception of PR is that you need to be the MOST qualified expert to be quoted.

This is simply not true.

Businesses that thrive are led by people who are willing to put themselves forward as an authority in their field and stand behind their (well-researched) point of view.

50-80% of articles you read in the media are the result of an amazing pitch to a journalist. This means that there are loads of opportunities for you to kick start media conversations that add to the discourse all while getting your name into the arena. Those who sit on the sidelines, waiting until the media come knocking or until they’re 100% qualified, will miss their chance.

To be ready for PR you don’t need to be a walking Google search but you do need to have a razor sharp understanding of what you’re trying to say and who you’re trying to say it to.

Get clear on your purpose and your point of view

I hate to break it to you. Your business isn’t newsworthy. Media outlets are designed to entertain, delight, inform and educate their audience. Typically your latest company announcement or product launch isn’t going to be headline news.

For your PR efforts to be worthwhile, you need to have a clear vision and a strong point of view. You should be able to speak on the current issues affecting your industry that exist beyond spruiking your product or service. This may look like:

An organic cotton clothing retailer educating audiences on supply chains and fast fashion
An tax accountant speaking out on female superannuation gaps
An online store selling pool inflatables championing water safety

As we know, opinions are like elbows. If you want to instil trust and authority in your audience, your viewpoint needs to be anchored in a comprehensive understanding of the concerns and controversies within your field.

This means it’s time to get across the goings-on in your industry.

What are the key issues affecting your stakeholders at the moment? Your suppliers, your customers, your employees, even your government
What trends are you seeing in the marketplace? Are they brand new or a rehash of the zeitgeist from years past? What does this say about the here and now?
Are you across the latest industry research that’s been released? What changes or improvements could be made to your industry as a result of this research
Is the government implementing any new policies that affect your industry? What do you think? What are the pros? Cons?

Once you’re willing to spend valuable time advocating for your industry and being part of the border conversations that affect it, you’re on your way to being ready to enter the PR arena.

Listen to what your customers are saying

Do you have loads of happy customers? Are your Google reviews a stream of 5-stars and joyous commentary? Do you have an online community full of chatty, engaged members?

If yes, then chances are you’re ready for PR. If your current customers are already evangelical about your brand, you’ve most likely built trust and authority that will result in positive press coverage.

Conversely, if you’re struggling with negative reviews or customer complaints, address any niggling customer service issues first so they don’t derail your media efforts.

Getting the business essentials sorted

The last things to want is to secure killer coverage only to find that you’re not ready to capitalise on all your new traffic.

It’s time to get your house in order so that you can maximise all that hard work and money you’ve invested into your business.

These practical steps will ensure you’re ready and raring once you hit go on the PR button.

1. Digital audit – have you Googled yourself lately? I didn’t think so. Unless you’re Kim K chances are you haven’t in a looooong time.

Run a quick search on your name and business to ensure all digital touchpoints are up-to-date.

Read and reply to all your Google reviews.

Close old social media accounts and unpublish or unlink anything that doesn’t represent who you are and where you’re headed. Ensure your current social media accounts represent your values in business and views on the world.

As a rule, consider updating your privacy settings on your personal social media accounts. This particularly applies if you use it to showcase your wild side and you run a conservative business or conversely, if your business is all about the party lifestyle and you’re a teetotaller.

2. Update your website – nothing frustrates a potential customer more than reading all about your amazing product or service only to hit a janky website that hasn't been updated in years.

Review your website to ensure the user experience is seamless. Is it obvious how to navigate around your site? Are your digital shelves stocked? If you’re a service provider, is it easy to book an appointment with you?

All of your PR efforts are wasted if it’s too hard for your customer to take the next step, whether that’s buying a product, signing up to your cause or booking an appointment. And in our increasingly online world, we literally have seconds before a bad user experience will have potential leads bouncing from your website to your competitors.

3. Write a killer media bio – while you won’t send your media bio to every journalist or TV producer that you pitch to, it will become the central pillar to build your pitches from.

It’s also a fabulous tool that podcast or radio hosts use to introduce you to their audiences.

A great media bio will outline your credibility and experience in a flattering tone, think of it like a narrative version of your CV.

Once you have this sorted, you’ll be in a great position to start pitching.

When you should steer clear of PR

While you may have a clear vision and slick website, there are some brands that should steer clear of PR lest they do themselves, and their brand, more harm than good. Consider giving PR the flick if:

You’re not willing to be the spokesperson for your business. Ultimately, someone needs to be the face of your brand. If the thought of fronting up to all those journalists makes you break out in hives, PR might not be for you.

Your product or service doesn’t have an interesting backstory. Try as you might to get across industry news or position yourself an expert, some brands just aren’t inherently newsworthy. This doesn’t spell doom. Plenty of brands are successful while keeping out of the media spotlight. Look for additional marketing opportunities such as paid media spend, affiliate marketing programmes or partnerships to meet your marketing objectives.

Your product or service that’s a little on the contentious side. Instead, consider engaging the services of a publicist or PR professional. They’ll be able to workshop key messages, prepare your for potential curly questions from journalists and can use their industry relationships to target specific journalists.

Hang on, why don’t I just outsource my PR?

The lure of a publicist is strong. Someone to shoulder the burden of research and write all those pesky pitches for you. Not to mention the sheer value of all those delicious media contacts.

Yep, there are definite pros and cons to outsourcing versus a DIY approach.

When to outsource

You can afford the retainer - a publicist can cost anything from $5-10k per month. PR can take time to really gain traction so before you press go, deep dive into your forecasts and ask yourself if you can really afford the investment.
You know what you’re paying for - I’m a big believer that before you outsource, you should have a decent working knowledge of the service you're outsourcing. This will save you from being hoodwinked by a nefarious publicist or worse, wasting money on a media strategy that’s not aligned with your objectives.
You’re just waaaaay too busy - if business is booming, you can afford the fees and understand that you need to commit to PR for a decent time period, and you have a deep understanding on how you should be positioned in the marketplace, you have my blessing. Go forth and hire your very own publicist!

Check out my handy guide where I drill down into everything you need to know if you’re asking yourself if you should hire a publicist?

When to go solo

You’re a new player in the game - I’d hazard a guess that if your business is fairly new, there’s a lot of costs competing for your precious budget. In these early stages, managing your own PR will save you some coin, plus you’ll learn valuable PR skills that will stand you the test of time
You can set aside the time - researching, pitching, turning up for interviews. PR is a serious time investment that needs consistent effort. If you can realistically dedicate an afternoon a week on your PR efforts, consider riding solo for a while
You can check your ego at the door - you write the perfect pitch, excitedly send it off to your favourite journalist and hear… *crickets*. It’s a tale as old as time. Whether your angle doesn’t pack the requisite punch or you’re bumped by breaking news, you’ll need confidence and a thick skin when you invariably get a few nos. And that’s if you get an answer at all!

We’ve got you covered if managing your own PR is more your style.

Are we ever really ready?

Here’s the thing. You’re never going to feel completely ready for PR. It’s a big step in your business journey and it’s going to feel daunting. Stepping into the spotlight and speaking with authority and confidence

I’ve been working in PR, and a small business owner, for well over a decade and some days, I still feel that nervous flutter when I send off a pitch or come off an interview.

But if a few of the points below apply to you, bby you’re ready for PR.

You have happy customers
You know how to do your thang
You love talking about what you do and how you do it
Your product is interesting, unusual or new
You have a personal story that speaks to why you do what you do

I can’t wait to read all about your success in the press!

Am I ready for PR?