What Level of PR Support Does My Business Need Right Now?
Hi there!
Carla and Kathryn here to help you get started. We created the All You Need PR Roadmap (which you can download below) to help you assess your needs as a small business owner.
One of the reasons we decided to create All You Need Method is because so many small business owners struggle with PR. There’s a lot of confusion about what exactly PR is and why you need it. There’s confusion about how much it costs, the right time to hire an agency or consultant, how long it takes to see results, how to measure success, and fundamentally, how to use PR in a way that will actually help grow your business.
The thing is, there isn’t a one size fits all answer for any of the above. While good PR can be invaluable to a small business, most don’t know where to start or how to make it happen. A PR consultant or agency can cost anywhere from $3,000 a month on the low end up to $20,000 a month - this is well worth the investment when the time is right, but many businesses don’t need this level of support quite yet.
To help assess your current needs, we’ve created the All You Need PR Roadmap (download below) which breaks down four levels of PR support to consider based on the stage of your business.
Over the years we’ve answered these questions and consulted for hundreds of small business owners and solopreneurs to help them figure out how to use their limited time and resources in the most efficient way. We’ve encouraged many to invest in a PR consultant or agency, and we’ve also advised against it when the business is not ready. If you are just getting started at your kitchen table you are going to need a different approach than a venture backed startup looking to scale as quickly as possible.
To help assess your current needs, we’ve created the All You Need PR Roadmap (linked below) which breaks down four key levels of PR support:
Level One - Build Your Foundation
Level Two - Tell Your Own Story
Level Three - Create a Plan
Level Four - Develop & Maintain a Long-Term PR Strategy
Level One and Level Two are stages every small business owner and solopreneur can work through on their own before investing thousands of dollars in a consultant or agency: the first is to build your foundation and the second is to craft your own story. Without mapping out the basics and clearly communicating what you’re doing and why, in a compelling way, you can’t start to build your brand.
If you’re reading this and feel like you already have a solid foundation, are telling a clear and consistent story through your social media channels and website, and are ready to step it up, you are likely a Level Three or Level Four. This is the ideal time to consider working with a consultant or PR agency to create a customized plan or long term strategy.
In the All You Need PR Roadmap there is more detail for each Level including suggested budget range and actionable advice. Please check it out and let us know if you have any questions.
If you feel like you need a little extra support, our first online course, The PR Starter Kit, is launching in a few weeks to help entrepreneurs and small businesses who fall into Level One and Level Two get started with building a foundation and crafting their own story. Or you can set up a small business strategy session where we help address your current PR challenges and business goals.
To determine which Level your business falls under, download our All You Need PR Roadmap below and check the boxes that apply to your business. If you get stuck or have any questions, email us at hello@allyouneedmethod.com.
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Carla & Kathryn