As a small business owner or solopreneur, you’ve probably wondered how to get your name out there without breaking the bank or hiring an expensive PR agency. The truth is, you can create a highly effective media and PR strategy yourself – but it requires more than just firing off press releases and hoping for the best.
A solid media plan isn’t about chasing every opportunity that comes your way. It’s about creating a strategic framework that aligns with your business goals, speaks to your ideal customers, and positions you as the go-to expert in your field.
Start with your foundation: define your ‘why’
Before you even think about contacting journalists or crafting press releases, you need to get crystal clear on your core message. What makes your business different? What problem do you solve that others don’t? This isn’t your elevator pitch – it’s deeper than that.
Ask yourself: if someone could only remember one thing about your business after reading about you, what would you want it to be? This becomes your North Star for every media interaction.
For instance, if you’re a productivity coach, your core message might be ‘helping overwhelmed entrepreneurs reclaim their time without sacrificing quality’. Everything you say to the media should reinforce this positioning.
Know Your Media Landscape
Many solopreneurs make the mistake of targeting every publication under the sun. This scattergun approach rarely works. Instead, create a tiered media list that reflects how your customers consume information.
Tier 1: Trade publications and niche websites where your ideal customers spend time. If you’re a sustainable fashion designer, this might be eco-lifestyle blogs, sustainable business publications, or fashion trade magazines.
Tier 2: Local media – often more accessible and surprisingly influential. Local newspapers, radio stations, and community magazines are always looking for local business stories.
Tier 3: National media – the holy grail, but often the most competitive. Only target these when you have a truly newsworthy story or unique angle.
Research each publication thoroughly. What stories have they covered recently? Who are their key journalists? What’s their typical lead time? This intelligence will make your outreach far more effective.
Create your content calendar with media hooks
Successful PR isn’t reactive – it’s planned. Create a 12-month calendar that maps out your key business activities, seasonal opportunities, and industry events. Then identify the media hooks within each.
For example, if you’re a financial advisor:
- January: New Year financial resolutions, tax planning tips
- April: Small business tax deadline stories, financial spring cleaning
- September: Back-to-school financial planning for families
- November: Year-end financial planning, small business tax tips
Each of these represents multiple story opportunities across different media outlets. The key is to think like a journalist – what would their readers find valuable and timely?
Build relationships, not just media lists
Here’s where most solopreneurs go wrong: they focus on the pitch, not the relationship. Journalists receive dozens of irrelevant pitches daily. The ones that get attention come from people they know and trust.
Start building relationships before you need them. Follow relevant journalists on social media, engage thoughtfully with their content, and share their articles when they’re particularly good. When you do eventually pitch, you’ll be a familiar name, not another stranger in their inbox.
Consider creating a simple CRM system to track your media contacts. Note their interests, recent articles, and any personal details they share publicly. This personalisation makes all the difference when you’re crafting your outreach.
Diversify beyond traditional press
While newspaper and magazine coverage is valuable, today’s media landscape is much broader. Consider these often-overlooked opportunities:
Podcasts: Often easier to get on than traditional media, and perfect for detailed storytelling about your expertise.
Industry panels and webinars: Position yourself as a thought-leader while building relationships with other experts.
Guest blogging: Builds your authority and often leads to other media opportunities.
Speaking opportunities: Local business groups, industry conferences, and online events all need speakers.
Awards and recognition programmes: Many industries have awards specifically for small businesses or entrepreneurs.
Develop your story bank
You’ll need different stories for different opportunities. Develop a bank of 5-7 core stories that showcase different aspects of your business:
- Your origin story: Why you started the business, what problem you identified
- Your biggest challenge story: A significant obstacle you overcame
- Your client transformation story: How you helped someone achieve remarkable results
- Your industry insight story: A trend you predicted or a shift you’ve observed
- Your failure and learning story: A mistake that taught you something valuable
- Your innovation story: How you do something differently from competitors
- Your future vision story: Where you see the industry heading
Having these ready means you can quickly adapt to different media opportunities and always have something interesting to share.
Perfect your pitch process
When you do reach out to media contacts, your pitch needs to be concise, relevant, and immediately valuable. Follow this structure:
Subject line: Make it specific and intriguing, not salesy
Opening: Personal connection or reference to their recent work
The story: One paragraph maximum, focus on the reader benefit
Your credentials: Brief explanation of why you’re the right person to tell this story
The offer: What exactly you’re offering (interview, data, photos, etc.)
Call to action: Clear next step, with your contact details
Keep the entire email under 150 words. If you can’t explain your story idea concisely, it probably isn’t clear enough yet.
Measure what matters
PR success isn’t just about the number of mentions you get. Track metrics that actually impact your business:
- Reach and engagement: How many people saw your coverage, and how did they respond?
- Website traffic: Are media mentions driving visitors to your site?
- Lead generation: Are you getting enquiries following media coverage?
- Reputation building: Are you being recognised as an authority in your field?
- Relationship building: Are you developing ongoing relationships with journalists and industry contacts?
Set up Google Alerts for your name and business to monitor coverage, and use UTM codes (In Google Analytics – GA4) on any links you provide to media contacts so you can track traffic from specific articles.
The long game
Building an effective media presence takes time. You might not see immediate results, but consistent effort pays off. The business owner who regularly shares insights, builds media relationships, and positions themselves as an expert will eventually become the person journalists turn to when they need a quote or story idea.
Remember, you’re not just trying to get your name in the paper – you’re building a reputation as the go-to expert in your field. Every media interaction, every relationship you build, and every story you share contributes to that long-term goal.
Your media and PR strategy should evolve with your business. What works for a startup will be different from what works for an established business looking to expand into new markets. Regularly review and refine your approach, always keeping your core message and business goals at the centre of everything you do.
The most successful solopreneurs understand that effective PR isn’t about luck – it’s about strategy, consistency, and relationship building. Start with these fundamentals, and you’ll be well on your way to creating a media presence that actually drives your business forward.
