For small business owners and startups, navigating the realm of PR can feel daunting. Wondering what the most effective way to get your business’ name out there is, and when should you consider hiring professional help? The James Collective offers actionable steps to help you take charge of your PR efforts, and decide when it's right to offload them. 

As a small business owner or startup leader, it’s hard to know when the perfect time is to allocate time and resources towards investing in PR. 

To get started, take these simple steps:

Who are you trying to reach? Ask yourself this question, and apply your own brand personas or customer demographics to the media landscape to determine where they might be consuming media. 

1. Make a list - and get reading. Identify 10 - 20 of the top publications your ideal customer might be consuming as part of their media diet and start to read them yourself as a daily practice.

2. Decide where you fit in. Are you offering a product that’s a perfect fit for Mother’s Day Gift Guides? Do you have the right background to weigh in on the startup drama of the day? As you read, think critically (and honestly) about what you have to offer. 

3. Reach out. Focusing on 1:1 outreach, pitch yourself, your company or your product to the appropriate journalists at these publications. Keep it short and to the point - and don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back right away. 

Dedicate a couple hours each week to this practice. Even if you’re not planning on doing your own PR long-term, this will give you a working knowledge of the key outlets in your space. 

So how will you know when it’s time to bring on help? Consider these factors:

1. You’re seeing the ROI - and you’re ready to level up. You’ve seen positive results from your efforts and you’re ready to scale. Bringing on an agency can help you program, plan, and capitalize on existing interest. 

2. You’re TOO popular. In this rare but wonderful position, you’re receiving more media inquiries than you have the capacity or desire to manage. 

3. You’re running out of time. As your business grows, you simply no longer have the time to devote to PR efforts at all. 

4. You’re navigating a crisis or reputational event. A pivot, a leadership change, an unhappy customer base - all of these can lead to less than positive media coverage. Working with an expert can help you navigate these challenges with confidence.