Common PR Mistakes

The goal of all good public relation tactics is to position and portray the brand in a positive light. Good public relations is about knowing who your audiences are and how to communicate with them in a way that leaves a lasting impression. 

For startup businesses in particular, having a strong public relations plan is essential for establishing a presence in the marketplace and amongst consumers. When done correctly, public relations will establish trust and build loyalty between your consumers and your brand. 

Public relations mistakes, no matter how small, can be costly to your brand’s reputation and eventually even your financial position. 

To help you along the way, here are three common public relations pitching mistakes small business owners make when first starting out, and how you can avoid them!

Don’t write a novel -

It is essential that you make your point clearly and consciously. Editors are very busy, so make sure to capture their attention quickly within your pitch and get right to the who/what/when. 

Don’t mention another publication’s coverage of your news and product -

While you always leverage your press success “as seen in” talking to the media about competitors coverage  is a surefire way to tell the media person whom you are pitching to that your news is old news and that they should move on. Instead, mention how your news is relevant to the editors audience today.

Don’t badger editors on social media to see if they have received your pitch and if they can cover your product -

Instead, at the end of your pitch, add a date as to when you will be formally following up with the editor in an appropriate time frame.

Learn more about the do’s and don'ts of pitching with our Operation Exposure tool kit and start building your perfect media list, writing killer pitches and spreading the news about your business!