PR Services for Small Business: Where to Start

Start small business PR with three things: a short list of stories that are truly newsworthy, a focused list of the outlets your customers read, and a realistic plan for who will write and pitch. If you don't have the time or know-how in-house, a PR agency for small business or a done-for-you PR team can handle the writing, the pitching or both.

Why PR matters for a small business

According to the SBA Office of Advocacy, there are 36.2 million small businesses in the United States, generally defined as independent businesses with fewer than 500 employees ( SBA Office of Advocacy). Getting noticed among them takes more than a good product.

PR helps in ways paid ads can't. The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) describes PR as building "mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics" and "protecting the reputation of an organization" ( PRSA). Coverage in a publication your customers trust comes from an independent source, not from you. The Federal Trade Commission notes that knowing something is an ad affects "the weight or credibility consumers give the information it conveys" ( FTC). For a full comparison, see PR vs. advertising.

Step 1: Decide what PR should do for you

Pick one or two goals before you write anything. Common small business PR goals include:

• Awareness: More people in your market know your name.
• Credibility: Buyers, partners or investors see you covered by sources they trust.
• Search visibility: Coverage and links help people find you online. Google says links and references from other prominent websites are one of the factors it uses to judge quality ( Google).
• Recruiting or investment: Coverage that helps you attract people or capital.

The SBA recommends setting marketing goals, budgeting for them and planning to "compare your marketing and sales costs to the revenue it generates" ( SBA). Treat PR the same way.

Step 2: Find your newsworthy stories

Journalists cover news, not promotions. In Muck Rack's State of Journalism survey, the most valued parts of a pitch were clear relevance to the journalist's beat (70%), interview access to relevant sources (58%), original data or research (40%) and high-resolution images (37%) ( University of Minnesota summary).

Story ideas to look for in your own business:

• A new product, service or location
• A new hire or promotion in a leadership role
• A partnership, award or milestone
• Data or research only you have
• An expert view on a trend in your industry
• Community involvement in the markets you serve

Write down five or six, then plan when each one goes out. That plan is your press release calendar.

Step 3: Build a focused media list

A long list isn't the goal. About half (47%) of journalists in the same survey said PR pitches are seldom or never relevant to their work ( PR Daily). Focus on:

• Trade publications in your industry
• Local and regional outlets where your customers live or work
• Specific reporters who have covered companies like yours

A media database can speed this up, but read each journalist's recent work before you add them.

Step 4: Create your core PR assets

Before you pitch, get the basics in place:

• A press release for each announcement, written so a journalist can grasp the news in the first paragraph
• An online media room on your site with your releases, company facts, images and a media contact
• Blog posts that add context to your news and give searchers something useful to find
• High-resolution images of your product, location or leaders

Step 5: Pitch, follow up and monitor

Journalists have clear preferences. In the Muck Rack survey, 62% prefer to be pitched in a one-to-one email, 69% prefer pitches under 200 words and 78% prefer pitches sent before noon ( University of Minnesota summary). Keep each pitch short, personal and clearly tied to what the journalist covers.

Then track what happens. Monitoring shows you when coverage runs, whether it links to your site and when a journalist reaches out.

Step 6: Measure what PR delivers

Simple measures that work for a small team:

• Coverage earned, and in which outlets
• Links from coverage to your site
• Referral clicks from coverage
• Inbound requests from journalists
• Leads or sales you can connect to a story

Review them on a set schedule and adjust your stories and targets.

DIY, freelancer, agency or done-for-you team?

• Do it yourself: Good fit when: You have time and some writing skill. Watch out for: PR competes with every other task on your list.
• Freelance writer or consultant: Good fit when: You need help with one piece, such as writing. Watch out for: You may still need media lists, pitching and monitoring.
• Traditional PR agency: Good fit when: You need a broad, ongoing program. Watch out for: Retainers may be more than you can justify yet.
• Done-for-you PR team: Good fit when: You need strategy, writing and pitching without hiring. Watch out for: Check exactly which deliverables are included.
• In-house hire: Good fit when: PR is a full-time, ongoing need. Watch out for: The BLS median wage for PR specialists is $74,750, before benefits and tools.

The salary figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ( BLS). The CE Shop described the retainer problem this way. Liz Meitus, SVP of Corporate Communications at The CE Shop, said: "We weren't at the stage to justify a full PR agency retainer, but we needed more structure and expertise than our internal team alone could provide."

What to look for in a PR agency for small business

• Clear deliverables: a set number of releases, posts and pitches each month
• Industry targeting: a plan for the outlets that matter to your customers
• Your voice: a team that learns your business and writes like you
• Speed: a turnaround that keeps up with your news
• Reporting: regular reports on coverage, links and results
• Earned, not paid: if any placement is paid, it's advertising and should be labeled as such

For a full list of what providers can offer, see types of PR services.

How Newswire PRO helps small teams

Newswire PRO is a boutique PR team for companies that lack the resources, time or know-how to get media visibility. Giant Le of CLS Health described where she started: "I was a one-woman team trying to build something from scratch, we didn't have a baseline, we didn't even have a voice. I knew I couldn't do it alone."

Choose the package that fits your gap:

• CONTENT PRO: press release calendar, 12 written press releases, SEO optimization, 1 blog a month, an online media room and reporting. Social posting (1 post per press release) is an optional add-on.
• MEDIA PRO: custom media targeting, media pitching (up to 10 pitches per month), media monitoring, media databases and reporting.
• TOTAL PRO: both together, an outsourced PR team at a fraction of the cost of a traditional agency.

"The PRO team feels like an extension of our own as they understand our goals, move quickly, and bring ideas to the table that elevate our communications," said Kelsie Hengel of Dispatch. PRO clients have earned 42+ media placements, including Forbes, PEOPLE and US News & World Report.

Turnaround is approximately 3–5 days. Contact us for pricing. Explore Newswire PRO's press release writing and media pitching services, or see how PR services can help your business.

Frequently asked questions

How much does PR cost for a small business?

It depends on what you need: writing, pitching or both, and how much of each. For context, the BLS median annual wage for a PR specialist is $74,750, before benefits and tools. Outside services price by scope, so ask for a list of deliverables.

Can a small business do its own PR?

Yes. Start with a press release calendar, a focused media list and short, relevant pitches. Outside help makes sense when you run out of time or need media connections you don't have.

What is the first step in small business PR?

Decide what you want PR to achieve, then list the newsworthy stories you can tell in the months ahead.

How long does small business PR take to work?

There's no fixed timeline. Coverage depends on your news, your targeting and journalists' schedules, so plan for an ongoing program rather than a single announcement.

Should a small business hire a PR agency?

If you have news but not the time, team or know-how to turn it into coverage, outside help can fill the gap. Compare a traditional agency with a done-for-you team by deliverables, reporting and cost.