Why should I do my own PR?

There is a great article out there, somewhat old but still very relevant, it’s called 5 Reasons You’ll Regret Hiring a PR Firm for Your Startup. In this article the author shares his personal frustrations with hiring PR firms. I’m sure you can related to these, a typical PR firm is guilty of the following:

• They don’t know how to tell your story better than you
• It’s very hard to figure out ROI on their activity since it’s very rarely tied to business goals
• They often act like they know everything
• They take more credit than they deserve

The truth is that you know your company better than anyone else. You are best positioned to represent yourself authentically. If you learn how to be pitchable, you'll be able to leverage this skill for PR outreach for years to come (not to mention the many other areas where outreach skills come in handy). And you won't have to pay anyone else the big bucks to do it, you can simply train others on your team as you grow.

Whether you are an entrepreneur or a busy founder of a small business, there are far more effective ways to get media attention on your own.

Here are a few guides to get your started on doing your own PR: