II read with interest the post of fellow contributor and PR expert Robert Wynne on why you can’t do your own public relations. I agree with the value of agency connections and the need for media training before going into interviews or appearing on air. But on his other points — the discouragement of rejection, the risk of poor writing, and social media fails, I disagree that agencies are required. And I am far from alone.
Admittedly, as someone who expands my own PR company by selling public relations, it pains me to visit with hundreds of founders and see some of them trip. They may accidentally talk about a partnership that isn’t quite signed. The next day — voila — the story is at the top of the press and a deal is ruined. Or an employee says “Hey, we’ve got as good a story as anyone” and calls up TechCrunch. The reporter agrees and the resulting story goes wild.
But the company isn’t ready to respond to the sudden attention. There’s no clear positioning. On the website, there’s no contact information or even a section to describe their “About.” Only one of the two founders is mentioned. And now the opportunity to make a great first impression is gone.