5 PR Myths: Debunking The Most Common Mistakes
Sometimes it feels like PR is a sort of mystery, and the way it’s done are kept secret by selected few. Or quite the opposite - some think that doing PR is like a walk in a park - you simply tell everyone your news, and they write about them.
No surprise, both opinions are quite commonly heard from the startup founders. First one - if they are focusing on a product and have no intention to go deep into PR woods. The second is often a pitfall for visionaries who are so used to pitching their startups to VCs, accelerators and competitions that they think they’ve mastered media pitching, too.
Sadly, both opinions quite often turn into source of urban PR myths and misconceptions. And, as a result, to failed PR strategies.
Let’s debunk 5 most common PR myths and get those facts right once and for all.
PRs pay to journalists.
No. Just no. Never mix up PR and partnerships.
Probably the most common one. We have seen our share of startup founders who think that if they pay for PR, they pay directly to journalists. And they expect the immediate coverage full of positive comments.
Well, we have good and bad news. The fee paid for PR services are covering just the time of the PR specialist spent on your project: creating the pitch, picking the right media, pitching, following up and creating reports. Hence it takes a lot of time, PR fees are often so hefty. However, they never include any payoffs to journalists - in fact, reporters can get in trouble for those.
Tip: quite a few media have a format of paid publications or partner projects, but those always have a ‘Sponsored’ mark on them and are way more expensive than a PR retainer. So if you want real coverage, have patience and prepare a quality pitch with PR Guy (psst! no retainers here)
Reporters are only falling for hypes.
Sometimes. Not always.
Indeed, a hype hook in your pitch can make it more attractive for a journalist. However, don’t expect media queuing up for an interview just because you’re an NFT crypto startup. A hype hook is a cherry on top of a solid pitch, the one with a story, a market research and an evidence of a product.
Tip: first create your pitch, then add various hype hooks, based on the media you want to reach out. We at PR Guy always curate pitches based on your story and industry best practices, showing the best of you to the media.
Once in TechCrunch, always in TechCrunch.
Tier-1 media are extremely selective.
Another common misconception in PR for startups is that it’s possible to get monthly coverage in Tier-1 media - Forbes, TechCrunch, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and so on. Sorry to disappoint - unless you’re raising rounds, launching fully functional products or land some big names in your team every month, that won’t happen.
Tip: diversify your PR strategy. For a startup, it’s still possible to get a monthly coverage - but with a right balance of Tier-1, Tier-2 and other media. Keep your big news for the top papers, and share relevant updates with either local, or industry, or even blogs every month. We are happy to help with sourcing the right media for your news - don’t be shy and reach out!
Journalists simply repost pitches.
Why are the newsrooms still full of people then?
Let’s set this straight - sending a press release to a service like PRNewswire or a low-tier media which posts a story as is (for a fee in both cases) is not media relations. See is as a love life: if you have to pay for it, it’s not real. Authoritative media value their reputation and always create a unique story, using your press release as a basis.
Tip: in some countries including UK and US, newswire copy is a thing. It’s an add-on to your pitch and press release with a set of short paragraphs that reporters can actually use in their stories without reposting the whole pitch. Works best for the lengthy researches and complex product launches. We are happy to support with newswire copy within our custom packages - ask us for details!
Every news is big news.
We wish it was the case.
If your startup from Russia is expanding to the U.S., chances the story will be picked up by American media are low. Mainly because there might be a few similar products already on the market. However, the same news might be interesting for the Russian media, as a national pride thing. Similarly, even a genius prototype or an idea addressing the same problem as Elon Musk does, will not get covered - sorry for no sugar coating. If you want publicity, create a product worth of it.
Tip: it’s not easy to find the right balance between being ambitious and humble, but you better. Talk to PR Guy about your needs, and we’ll help you craft a killer pitch and a relevant list of media.
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