In today’s PR landscape, navigating tight budgets while still achieving impactful results has become an art form. Brittany Sykes, founder & CEO of Brittany Sykes PR, shares her insights on how to stay scrappy and resourceful, even in an industry where pay-to-play opportunities are increasingly common. From building meaningful relationships to crafting standout pitches, she draws from her experience working with early-stage startups to offer practical advice for PR professionals looking to deliver strong results without the backing of big budgets.
Ten to fifteen years ago, the PR world was vastly different. There was a surplus of media outlets and journalists, stories on every topic under the sun (both newsworthy and evergreen) continually ran online and in print, and while there were still sponsored opportunities (let’s not even get started with the award submission fees), it was a much simpler time to land an organic placement without prices attached.
The landscape has changed and it feels like pay-to-play has become so intertwined that sometimes we wonder – is this still PR or is it marketing? It’s become more common that lifestyle correspondents request upfront fees to showcase a product on-air, having an affiliate program set up for clients with DTC and CPG products is the norm and working with influencers typically have a price tag attached.
So is it still possible to work with a minimal budget (if there’s a budget at all) and still produce those strong results?
The short answer is yes.
What Does It Mean to Be Scrappy?
Regularly working with early stage-startups, I’ve never worked with large budgets as a PR professional. I’ve always had to come up with creative and out-of-the-box ways to get my clients steady results while also keeping strong and positive relationships with the media. The word “in-kind” became a best friend to me when it came to events, and when you’re working with a product that can actually be beneficial to the event (like flowers or furniture), you find people are much more open to just receiving product in exchange for exposure. It’s the same with influencers. Yes, it might be extra challenging to land on the grid, but with features like Instagram Stories, this opens an additional vertical to be featured without having to shell out hundreds or thousands of dollars.
And don’t forget about negotiating. You’d be surprised at how flexible people can be on their initial quotes.
How to Keep These Organic Relationships Thriving:
We’re all super busy and we all have so many people in our professional networks that sometimes it feels impossible to keep track of everyone – especially when positions and roles are changing every day. But for a seamless PR experience, having those “friendlies” can really help. And if you need a bone thrown, they can be your hero (disclaimer: not always – because of course, PR is never guaranteed). LinkedIn truly is a lifesaver. I always love connecting there, and it makes it so easy to interact with your relationships. Plus, if you’re ever traveling (I’m going to be in NYC for a few weeks in November and will be setting up so many meetings – maybe we can meet!), it’s super easy to sort your connections by location rather than digging through countless emails and Muck Rack to see who could be in the same city as you.
How to Make Your Pitch Stand Out When You’re Among Hundreds of Others
It’s all about the subject line, baby! If the subject line is weak or even comes off spammy, you know the journalist will hit “delete” before it’s even opened. As a lifestyle and consumer publicist with clients whose services I can personally relate to makes writing the pitch 1,000x easier. As someone who’s the prime demographic the pitch is trying to reach, I make it as relatable as possible. And of course – bullet points, the most important and non-fluffy information and keeping it short and sweet can make your pitch a winner. When it comes to photos, though, throughout my career I’ve heard both sides. I personally include one low-res image just for the pitch to add a little jazz.
The Best Tactics To Garner Great Results?
It really comes back down to the basics here: planting the seeds and persistence. I don’t always stick with the same exact journalists any time I have a pitch to send – I’m always creating new lists because if you only stick with the same 20 people each time it really limits you. There is so much to explore out there – online sites coming up all the time, podcasts, you name it. And while there are a few journalists who don’t enjoy follow-ups, the vast majority really don’t mind the 1-2 extra bumps to their email boxes at least a few days later.
PR has definitely gotten more competitive throughout the years, but the organic and traditional method is still alive and well. It’s almost like a digital scavenger hunt – you just have to find those opportunities.
