Episode #271
How Small Businesses Can Get Started with PR Without Hiring an Agency
April 28, 2017

In Episode #271, Eric and Neil discuss how a small business can get started with public relations without hiring an agency. Tune in to learn the online tools that can help make your PR a breeze and other effective ways that do not cost you a single dollar.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

  • 00:27 – Today’s topic: How Small Businesses Can Get Started with PR Without Hiring an Agency
  • 00:36 – Public relations is still relevant today
  • 00:49 – Eric recommends HARO or Help a Reporter Out
    • 00:54 – You can find reporters who are also looking for help
    • 01:04 – They have all sorts of categories of stories that you don’t expect
    • 01:16 – Monitor it and get daily alerts
  • 01:28 – Neil, as a startup, loves using agencies and individual people
    • 01:37 – Chris Barrett is a performance-based PR rep
    • 01:47 – Traditional PR people don’t think that Chris’ model is healthy for the space
    • 01:55 – Chris still continues with his model and has also worked with Eric
    • 02:14 – Pay per performance is definitely an option
  • 02:21 – PRLOG is another tool that you can use
  • 02:28 – “The best PR isn’t what most people think of”
  • 02:36 – Neil hit people up in their space and he helped them out for free
    • 02:44 – Get them to blog about your business in exchange for the “help”
  • 03:06 – You can also use Mail Merge to reach out to people
  • 03:22 – JournoRequest can also do PR for you
  • 03:33 – Take a look at your dimensions and your competitors’ as well
  • 03:51 – Have the monitoring tools in place
  • 03:56 – PR is a numbers game
  • 04:22 – Another tool is Radio Guest List which is similar to HARO, but for audio
  • 04:56 – BlogDash will make blog outreach easier
  • 05:15 – Marketing School is giving away a one year annual subscription to LeadQuizzes which allows you to collect leads from the quizzes you made
    • 05:30 – To win, rate, review, and subscribe to Marketing School
    • 05:33 – Text MARKETINGSCHOOL to 33444
  • 05:43 – Neil used LeadQuizzes on his website, Nutrition Secrets
  • 06:18 – That’s it for today’s episode!

3 Key Points:

  1. PR is still relevant today and even small businesses need it – it increases brand awareness.
  2. Pay per performance is an option that you can try, especially if you’re a small company.
  3. PR is a numbers game – track your dimensions.

Leave some feedback:

  • What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below.
  • Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review.

Connect with us:

Discover Latest Episodes

Episode
The Wells Fargo Client Retention Strategy That Actually Works
October 16, 2026

Some agencies win clients by inviting decision makers to Formula One boxes, but Neil prefers the way banks play the wine and dining game. Bank of America sent his CFO to a World Cup game with the hote...

Episode
ChatGPT Took Our YouTube Views From 800 to 15,000
October 16, 2026

Eric built thumbnail, editing and posting skills, and his long-form YouTube videos went from about 500 views to 15,000 to 25,000. Some of the team wouldn't use them, so they had to let people go, and ...

Episode
ChatGPT Plugins Added $500K ARR in Days
October 14, 2026

Someone added $500K in ARR in a week by putting their app in ChatGPT plugins, and Eric wants Carrot, Answer the Public and Ubersuggest in there too. Neil says that at scale, plugins help retention mor...