I totally understand why people believe some of the common myths about PR. It’s not like PR is a mandatory class or skill you need in everyday life. Unless you’ve done PR, it’s an unknown world and that leaves a lot of room for speculation, false assumptions, and myths. 

The problem is that these myths can keep a talented business owner from getting the media attention they deserve. If you are holding back on pursuing a media strategy that will put your brand in the spotlight only because of a myth that’s not even true—that would really be a shame!

So let’s get a little more familiar with PR by busting the most common myths that might be holding you back from reaching out to the media hopefully, by the end, you’ll realize you are much closer to getting started than you realized. 

Myth #1 – Only big companies get PR

I know big companies get a lot of PR, but it is definitely not exclusive to them. In fact, the trend is increasingly favoring small upstart businesses more and more. 

Everyone loves a story about the local hometown hero, the underdog beating the odds, and the creative founder who followed their dreams. 

And even if you’re just pitching a product, I’ve found that the media is more interested in writing about unique finds than the name brands people already know about. 

The myth that a business needs to be big to get PR is totally wrong. You don’t need to be big, you need to be interesting. 

Myth #2 – You have to pitch new products and services

A lot of small businesses come to me because they are launching a new product or service and they want to generate PR around it. And on the flip side, I know a lot of small businesses will hold off on PR because they think they need a new product or service first. 

But here’s the thing, neither approach is in your favor. 

When you center your media outreach on getting publicity for a new product or service, it’s too promotional and typically doesn’t get a ton of traction. 

When you hold off on PR, you’re simply not getting media attention. 

The better way to go about it is to take what you already have and find a way to fit it into the stories the media is already going to write about.  The best example of how this works is with seasonal stories. You know that the media will publish about winter concepts in winter, summer concepts in summer, and so on. And you know how your products fit into these trends. All you have to do is use PR to tell the world about it.

Myth #3 – You can’t do PR on your own

Too many brands hold back on PR until they can afford a publicist. You don’t need to wait that long! Just like everything else, where there’s a will, there’s a DIY tutorial to show you the way. 

This myth that you need a professional to get media attention is so big, I see it all the time, and it’s why I have dedicated so much of my work to busting it. 

Media attention can change a business. Not only can a media placement put your brand in front of new audiences, it also can add major credibility to what you’re doing. It’s like the media is vouching for you and customers love this. 

So why wait? You can learn everything you need to know to start pitching your brand (and have fresh story ideas all year long) by taking this PR Foundations Course today. It only takes an hour or two to finish and at the end you’ll have a clear strategy to put into action. 

Don’t let myths hold you back!