You’ve built your business. You have a killer product or service, and you’re ready for your customers to start pouring in. And then…crickets. You may have come to the part as a small business owner where you realize that it doesn’t matter how great you are if nobody knows about you. That’s where public relations, or PR, comes in. Yet, sometimes major PR firms quote prices that are beyond what a small business can afford, with some reports showing even smaller boutique agencies costing $120,000 annually.
For those who can’t afford PR, but know they need it to move their business to the next level, there might be another way, according to the cofounders of Visibility on Purpose. Lydia Bagarozza and Bridget Aileen Sicsko started their media training company as a way to combat unaffordable PR costs of some PR agencies, and to teach small business owners how to do much of it themselves instead. “Built for brands with a face behind them, we support founders who want meaningful media attention and we teach them how to create a personalized PR strategy by dedicating just a few focused hours each week,” Bagarozza says.
How it started
When Sicsko first met Bagarozza, Sicsko was running a publishing house for authors who wanted to self-publish books. “As a part of my marketing strategy, I’d go live on Facebook each week and talk about the importance of visibility for personal brands. One afternoon, Lydia DMed me, mentioning how much she loved my content,” Sicsko says. “After a couple Zoom calls, we realized there was a huge need for brands that didn’t necessarily have the budget for a big PR campaign but still wanted to be visible outside of their social media pages.”
“They all came to us running into the same frustrating block of plateauing on their social media pages and wanting to grow beyond their Instagram followings. Another problem we’d often hear is them wanting to invest in PR, but after getting quoted over $30k – $60k packages, knew that a big agency wasn’t the immediate path for them,” Sicsko says. Their DIY package is considerably less and they offer quite a few free resources and a podcast as well.
Bagarozza did hesitate at first, worried she’d be “judged” by others in the field for getting something like this going. “This industry has been gatekept for so long, and many veterans are deeply protective of the relationships, contacts and strategies they’ve built. I used to feel the same way…” she says. “[But] I realized we’re all out here competing for attention online, and if we truly want to build a world that empowers small businesses and supports one another, we need to create content that helps inform brands to make better decisions for their growth strategy. One where everyone has a seat at the table and greater access to the tools that make visibility possible.”
Today, they’ve had hundreds of brands consume their educational content. and even hear from their audience that they’ve gotten press placements for their business, which Sicsko says is “so rewarding.
PR steps you can take on your own
Bridgette Ochoa, an ayurveda practitioner, occupational therapist and client of Visibility on Purpose, based in Los Angeles, approached Visibility on Purpose to get more exposure. “I decided the DIY route because I was looking for a life-long skill. As they say, ‘give someone a fish, you feed them for a day. Teach them how to fish, you feed them for a lifetime,’” Ochoa says. The PR program worked—within eight weeks, she was featured in major publications. “That’s huge,” she says.
Here’s what she did and what the DIY PR team recommends others try:
Get clear on branding
You can’t sell what you don’t understand, and it’s highly unlikely customers and clients will understand what you’re selling if you can’t properly define and explain it. That’s where branding comes in. “We first start by helping the founders get very clear on their branding. We have training and modules on finding their differentiators and brand positioning,” Bagarozza says. Sicsko says you should get your brand assets compiled, which “includes your titles, headshots, product images, professional website, social pages and an email. And whatever you do, please do not use your old AOL email from 20+ years ago,” she says. “This needs to be a branded, professional address.”
Part of branding is creating an “I help” statement that quickly shares with leads what you do and who you help. “We have seen many ‘I help’ statements over the years that just aren’t juicy enough or portray the core essence of a brand. Our rule of thumb is if you can swap out your ‘I help’ statement with other companies in your industry, it isn’t personalized enough,” Sicsko says.
Not sure where to start? Bagarozza says it’s important to ask yourself what values are most important to you and who and what you want your brand to be known as online.
Determine your PR goals
Not all PR is the same. So, figuring out what your end goal is can help you get started. Bagarozza says they help businesses with this step by creating a personalized plan. “We actually have a fun quiz called, Media Personality Quiz, which helps founders understand what kind of press makes sense for their brand,” she says. List the type of coverage and publications you’d like to be in.
Write your first pitch
A pitch is an email sent to someone in the media, such as a journalist or editor, representing the publication you are hoping to be published in. Sometimes you can work backwards to find writers and editors in those publications, looking for their emails and sending your pitch, but Bagarozza recommends focusing on strong hooks—the leading part of the email that grabs attention—as well as what differentiates your business. Sicsko adds you should look for a “press-worthy story angle or big idea” to write about.
Build relationships
It’s not called public “relations” for nothing—a key part is building a network of people in media and other industries to get the word out about your company. “We’re big believers in the saying ‘work smarter, not harder.’ If a writer interviews you, take the time to thank them, follow them on social media and build a genuine connection. When you do that, you increase the chances they’ll come back to you the next time they need a source in your field,” Bagarozza says. But she says it doesn’t stop there. They also prioritize podcast outreach in their training so brands can thrive on that platform as well, building real relationships with hosts for future collaborations and potentially, future clients.
Play the long game
It’s not super practical to jump into a PR strategy with the expectations of seeing increased sales tomorrow or maybe even next month. “Consistency is important. PR is a long game and it takes time for the media to get to know you and your brand,” Bagarozza says. “Just pitching for one week isn’t going to land you a full page spread in your favorite magazine… I mean, it could, but it isn’t typical. Every media win is a stepping stone to the next, and if you’re consistent with your PR strategy, the growth is very much worth it.” Instead, try sending a pitch each day, or building a few pitches to try out what works and what doesn’t over time.
Highlight your wins
If you do get featured in a media placement, make it known. Bagarozza recommends not skimping on your website updates and socials. “This includes: updating your website with featured logos, sharing your press wins on social media, adding ‘as seen in’ to your marketing materials and bio and engaging with your audience around your features,” she says.
Know when it’s time to pull in the experts
DIY PR isn’t for everyone, and if you don’t have the bandwidth to truly run your business while doing a full PR campaign, it might make sense to hire someone, whether it’s a PR assistant or a full agency. You might also find that you are doing PR in a vacuum, rather than part of a larger marketing strategy. “PR is not a quick fix to big sales and stardom. In fact, it’s just one part of a larger brand growth strategy,” Bagarozza says. “We like to think of marketing, social media, sales and PR as cousins or best friends. Yes, getting featured puts you in front of new audiences and gives you an SEO boost, but it’s just as important to do your part on the other fronts for the health of your business.”
Bagarozza says, “There are a lot of pieces when it comes to building a long-term brand, but when you treat PR like a part of a full-circle strategy, the impact is powerful.”
Photo by David Gyung/Shutterstock.
