7 reasons startups shouldn’t do their own PR | Muck Rack Blog

I recently got a call from a client I’ve worked with on projects in the past. This woman is a solopreneur who’s very savvy about media and could do her own PR – she just doesn’t want to.

Why? Because she feels her time is better spent elsewhere.

This got me to thinking about all the other reasons startups shouldn’t try to do their own PR, and the remedies to help turn them around.

Here are a few:

1. Their ego gets in the way

Of course, you want to work with clients who are excited about what they’re doing. But sometimes they seem to be believing too much of their own hype.

Businesses who are blinded by ego just don’t see the truth – that maybe what they think is so revolutionary, so groundbreaking really isn’t in the eyes of the reporter.

Remedy: An experienced PR pro can help entrepreneurs see the difference between what their egos are telling them is a good story – and what indeed is a good story that will help them achieve their goals. He or she will ask questions about how they differ from their competitors and help to position the business to highlight these differentiators.

2. They don’t have enough time

Startup founders are notorious for trying to do too much. Of course, many of them are jacks of all trades and will attempt to tackle every business initiative their startup is pursuing.

But, we know how this story goes. They’ll fail to do anything well if they’re pulled in too many directions. And for many smaller businesses and entrepreneurs, time equals money.

Remedy: A public relations practitioner can help by taking over the reins for activities like media outreach. He or she can stay on top of contacting reporters and keep track of where stories are in the pipeline. This means the entrepreneur can focus on what he or she does best.

3. They think they’re good at PR – but really, they’re not

Many of us have probably worked with a client who, while they may have thought they were a PR expert, in reality, understood little about public relations. These are the clients who will hire you, then try to tell you how to do your job.

Remedy: If they’re open to turning the reins over to a PR pro so they can focus on what they’re skilled at, they may find they accomplish more – and learn something in the process.

4. They confuse advertising with PR

Some clients don’t understand the difference between PR and advertising. They think they’re one and the same. These are the clients who want to load their social media posts and press releases with sales promotions.

Remedy: Explain why PR is not advertising.

“Marketing and advertising promote a service, product or brand for the purpose of selling it. PR is about building serious credibility and trust by sharing information, knowledge and insight in order to raise awareness about an organization or a subject,” says Robert White, the founder of PR Matters.

Then try to help them use ads to support their earned media (= PR) efforts.

5. They work on PR in fits and starts

Sometimes startup founders only remember to do PR occasionally when it’s suddenly time for a new product launch or other big announcement.

Doing a big splash once in a while – then going silent for months – is no way to win the hearts and minds of your audiences.

Remedy: Working with a PR pro can help them stay out in the limelight with public relations efforts that cover the company year-round, even during the periods between major milestones.

6. They don’t have the tenacity

PR requires not only outreach but follow up. It’s not a one and done type of activity. As in, “Oh, we tried to contact the media once and got no response – so we know that doesn’t work.”

If you don’t have the time or persistence to follow up consistently, your outreach may not go anywhere.

Remedy: A PR practitioner will be a dedicated resource to follow up on things, like media inquiries, speaking proposals and more. It may take more than one touch to get to the right contact and win his/her attention.

7. They don’t want to be the messenger

Some entrepreneurs simply don’t want to be the “messenger.” They want someone else to deliver their message for them.

This is the case with my client who could do her own PR—she just chooses not to. Not only does it save her time, but she feels that having a PR pro deliver her message helps her look more professional. And perhaps she feels more comfortable not "tooting her own horn."

Remedy: A PR pro can work with the entrepreneur to help him or her get the word out without having to be the one to deliver it. This keeps them firmly positioned as the leader of the company.

The next time you need to talk a startup out of doing its own PR, look to this list to help. Hopefully, you’ll be the “remedy” many startups who try to do their own PR so desperately need.

You'll find Michelle Messenger Garrett at the intersection of PR, content marketing and social media. As a public relations consultant, content creator, blogger, speaker and award-winning writer, Michelle’s articles and advice have been featured in Entrepreneur, Muck Rack, Ragan’s PR Daily, Spin Sucks, Freelancers Union and others. Her blog was named to the list of Top 25 Must-Read Public Relations Blogs and she was recently named one of the Top 13 Content Marketing Influencers to Follow in 2018 and one of 50 CMWorld Influencers to Follow in 2018. Michelle also serves on the advisory board of Women in PR USA.

Photo via Pexels