Finding the Right PR Approach for Early Stage Startups

PR is an important part of the marketing mix for any business.  More so for early stage startups, where a single media story can propel them to the national or even international spotlight.  We’ve seen this happen more than once with our clients over the years.
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With early stage startups, budget can be a big factor and looking for more ways to save money by doing it yourself is a big temptation especially with the rise of AI based PR platforms that promote eliminating the PR professional or agency to do it yourself.

Yes, there are many ways you can maximize your PR by doing things yourself.  However, it needs to be done judiciously.

We recently saw a post on one of the freelance websites, where the startup had purchased a high end PR platform subscription.  But they weren’t getting results with their media pitches and outreach, and wanted someone to consult with them (briefly) to tell them how to get results.  The job was closed rather quickly, without being awarded.

The point is, just because you pay for the tool doesn’t mean you will get the results.  Most agencies and PR professionals require that you allow them to handle all the PR for you.  For early stage startups who want to save money and do some of it themselves, finding an agency or PR professional who will work with you in a hybrid manner is critical.  It isn’t impossible, but it takes time.  And more than posting a job listing for someone to write a press release for $100.