PR Pitching Guide for Small Businesses

Photo by @austindistel

When starting your own business, one question you may be asking yourself is “how can I make more people aware of my brand?” It is a tricky question to answer.

Of course, you may want to go for digital and conventional advertising. However, this implies getting ready to collect some bills, which you would prefer to avoid, especially if your brand is only emerging. Nevertheless, there is a more organic and advantageous way to increase your brand awareness without spending lots of dollars! The solution is public relations.

As Bill Gates phrases it, "If it was down to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations.”

Public Relations is a compelling, must-have tool for any business whether small or large. It not only allows you to let your audience know about your brand's existence but also helps you to build brand credibility and formulate positive perceptions about your brand. The main goal of PR is to work as an intermediary between you (as the company) and your consumer. It enables you to connect closer with your audience and to build trustworthy and loyal relationships. Why does it matter more than the advertising approach of gaining sales in a short amount of time? Well, if you seek only temporary success without any guarantee to repeat, then a sole marketing and advertising approach might be a good fit for you. However, if you're a long-distance runner, who understands the importance of the brand being on the same wave with the customers, we've created this step-by-step guide on incorporating public relations to promote your emerging brand.

Step 1: Identify who you are and what narrative you want to share with your customers.

This step requires you to dig deeper inside your brand's story, to think about the idea behind it and the primary value of what you do and why. It also may be a good idea to do some self-reflection and consider how you want to be perceived by your target audience. Lastly, think about what makes your brand storyline unique and different as well as appealing to the media. 

Step 2: Draft your editorial calendar.

Creating an editorial calendar with ideas for internal and external topics can work as your "pool of ideas." It will also help you to develop an appealing story angle when crafting a pitch for potential influencers or media representatives. Here is a link to a resource to help you create a calendar for your public relations initiatives.

Step 3: Build your media list.

Take some time to research who the key opinion leaders are in your niche. Think about media outlets and consider bloggers, influencers, or even public figures that might be relevant to your product or service. Use Google and other platforms to help you research the right outlets aligned with your pitch goals. It is essential to determine your reach at this step as well. Simply put, think about if your story will have a national or a more local scale. Keep in mind that you should tailor your reach toward your brand. It is not effective to gain global coverage if you're a small gift shop operating in Toronto.

Step 4: Connect, say "hi," and only then pitch.

It is vital to engage with the contacts on your list, whether through social media or an in-person event, to help you build a relationship. PR is not only about business affairs, but it is also about the importance of organic human interactions. 

Step 5: Create and distribute your pitch.

When crafting your pitch, keep in mind that it needs to be time-tied, relevant and offer a compelling story angle to be considered newsworthy. Follow the KISS formula: "keep it sweet and short." If you find yourself having difficulty creating a proper pitch, definitely shoot a message to DRPR! With our experience of promoting emerging businesses, we would love to help you craft the ideal pitch that will help your brand get featured!

Step 6: Being proactive is good, but also it is important to be reactive.

Be ready for the media to reach out to you directly! Consider possible follow-up questions and think about your answers to these. 

We hope that this roadmap of the pitch creation process will be helpful for your brand development journey. Although sending out pitches to the media may feel like a challenging task, DRPR is here to assist you every step of the way! You can trust our media team to promote your brand and create an influential pitch that leads to increased brand awareness, brand credibility, customer loyalty and ultimately increased sales. Feel free to book a consultation with our team and discuss your case today!

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By Mariia Minaieva