It’s not just for the big guns – how PR can still pack a punch for smaller businesses
Small businesses and startups can be some of our most creative and exciting projects to work on in PR, and it’s amazing how so many businesses think that public relations is only a tool accessible to the ‘Goliaths’ of their trade or sector.
As a small team ourselves here at Purple Pitch, we understand first-hand how hard it can be to get your business off the ground and build not just a brand, but a reputation that precedes it to spark your business growth.
Sometimes, the joy in working with a small business is the idea that they may not have got it all worked out just yet. From a PR perspective, that means flexibility and scope to pivot, try new things, and explore different ways of delivering. The niches and nuances of small-scale businesses often make the most interesting stories to tell, and provide a blank canvas for PR creativity.
As with all our work at Purple Pitch, the best place to start is a realistic and honest conversation about PR goals, immediate and long-term. The trick here is to drop assumptions about big headlines, media coverage and sales conversions and focus on tactical routes to brand awareness and reputation over time.
Tactics such as attending networking events, posts on social media, influencers, or creating your own blog are great ways to find your voice in a smaller sector. It can be a bonus (especially if you are working solo) to have another pair of professional eyes in the form of a public relations specialist to bring something new to the table which you may not have thought of.
The benefit of an external agency is that they have experience and expertise with other clients which they bring to your table in working with you, so being open to those ideas and experiences can be a great place to collaborate.
Understanding your brand and what makes your business different are powerful tools that will arm your PR agency to use their expertise to create a tactical plan that gets you moving in the right circles, seen in the specific right places and creating a buzz.
Seeing PR less as direct exposure and more about creating an emotional connection with the audience is a great mindset for a smaller organisation. Using PR opportunities not for your end goal (usually commercially driven) but to open doors for your business eases the pressure all round.
One of the big myths to overcome in PR is that of cost, and the reality is the right agency for you will be able to scale activity and support with you as your business grows. The real cost of redeeming your brand reputation soon outweighs the cost of external support, but any agency worth their salt will be able to tailor solutions within your budget as you grow.
Our personal favourite in working with smaller businesses is simply this – it’s an exciting journey! Building those relationships from the get-go, and having public relations advisors in your back pocket from day one can only benefit your business.
For us, getting to know a client over time, seeing their business grow and tactically working through the good and bad to achieve their goals is what makes us tick.
If you’re a small business or start-up looking to take your first step into Public Relations, book an easy discovery call with the Purple Pitch team to see how we can help you.
