8 Lessons from Starting Out in Local PR
Public Relations Advice
8 Lessons from Starting Out in Local PR
Discover the golden rules of local public relations through the lens of seasoned professionals. This article distills the wisdom of industry experts into actionable insights for anyone starting out in local PR. Learn how to create impactful connections and strategies that resonate with your community and beyond.
- Cultivate Genuine Grassroots Relationships
- Translate Local PR to Global Campaigns
- Be Brief and Hook Journalists
- Engage Deeply with Community
- Build Connections Early
- Leverage Local PR for SEO
- Focus on Local PR Over Ads
- Invest in Genuine Community Relationships
Cultivate Genuine Grassroots Relationships
We wish we had known early on just how crucial and genuine grassroots relationships are in local PR. We sometimes leaned too heavily on polished pitches in our early days and overlooked the power of cultivating authentic connections with local media and community influencers. Understanding that local audiences crave authenticity, we later learned that building trust with these key voices opens doors for coverage and lays the groundwork for long-lasting partnerships.
If we could advise our younger selves, it would be to immerse ourselves in the local community from the start. Attend local events, engage with community leaders, and listen to what resonates. This approach helps you craft stories that genuinely speak to the local audience and, in turn, fosters a more dynamic, engaged media ecosystem. This deep, community-centric understanding transforms PR efforts into powerful, enduring relationships and results.
Translate Local PR to Global Campaigns
Local PR is always about building community with the local media and their reporters, your customers, your neighborhood, and focusing on staying relevant to them through your offerings - whether the business serves a small town or a metropolitan area. Through my agency, we have been providing local PR in specific locations since 2010, but it took us five years to realize that any local PR could be translated into global PR campaigns that would benefit any local business. Great success stories of local PR can be covered by international media. For example, trending local consumer businesses can be covered by travel magazines highlighting locations to visit during their vacations. Local B2B offerings can get their success stories covered in global industry publications, earning them valuable backlinks, applause from their audience, and potentially attracting partnerships and new market opportunities through press coverage.
Be Brief and Hook Journalists
One thing I wish I had known about local PR early on is that being brief isn't just polite—it's essential. Journalists, editors, and community influencers are drowning in emails, so a long-winded pitch isn't doing you any favors. If you can't hook them in the first sentence, you've lost them. Get straight to the point: Why should they care? What's their audience going to get from it? If your pitch is like a novel, you're getting deleted when they hit the second paragraph.
So rather than a rambling email about a new café opening, say: "Hi [Name], A new locally-owned café opens downtown next Friday, offering a new farm-to-table option for the area. Would you be interested in an exclusive preview or an interview with the founder?" That's it. No fluff, no unnecessary backstory—just a clear, newsworthy hook. If they're interested, they'll ask for more. Keeping it short doesn't mean cutting out personality; it means respecting their time while making your pitch impossible to ignore.
Engage Deeply with Community
When I first dove into the realm of local PR, I underestimated the power of community engagement. Building authentic relationships with local stakeholders, from small business owners to local journalists, is crucial. These connections create a network of allies who can amplify your message more effectively than any paid ad ever could. Engaging with your local community also gives you invaluable insights into the cultural nuances and preferences, which can significantly impact the resonance of your campaigns.
Looking back, I'd advise my younger self to invest time in attending community events, workshops, and town hall meetings regularly—even before needing anything from the community. It’s like planting seeds that will blossom into fruitful relationships over time. Giving first without immediate expectation of return builds trust and goodwill, keys to enduring success in local PR. Always remember, PR is as much about listening and responding effectively as it is about conveying your message; engaging deeply with your community will always enrich your PR endeavors.
Build Connections Early
**Local PR isn't just about press releases—it's about relationships.** When I first started, I thought getting coverage was all about crafting the perfect pitch. Turns out, it's way more about **who** you know and how often you show up. If I could go back, I'd tell myself to **start building connections early.** Go to local events, support community initiatives, and actually engage with journalists before you need something. When they know your name and trust your expertise, your pitch isn't just another email—it's a story they *want* to tell.
Leverage Local PR for SEO
When we first started HubliBox in Spreitenbach, we understood the importance of marketing and customer trust, but one thing we underestimated was the power of local PR combined with SEO. Initially, we focused on broad marketing strategies, assuming that strong service alone would drive word-of-mouth and online visibility. However, we quickly realized that local media coverage, partnerships, and community engagement play a crucial role in building credibility and attracting customers who are actively searching for storage solutions.
One key lesson I wish I had known earlier is that local PR efforts directly impact SEO. Getting mentioned in local news articles, blogs, and community websites not only increases brand awareness but also improves our search engine rankings. Google values local citations and backlinks from authoritative sources, which helps our facility appear higher in searches for terms like self-storage Spreitenbach or storage units near me. Now, we actively collaborate with local businesses, participate in community events, and optimize Google Business Profile listings to enhance both online and offline visibility.
If I could advise my younger self, it would be to invest in local PR and SEO from day one. Establish relationships with local journalists, submit press releases about facility expansions or promotions, and encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on Google and other directories. These efforts create a long-term digital footprint, making it easier for new customers to find us and trust our brand.
Ultimately, local PR and SEO work best when they complement each other, so focusing on both has been a game-changer for us.
Focus on Local PR Over Ads
Local PR beats broad ads!
When I first started, I focused on broad ads that reached everywhere. I thought more eyes meant more customers. But what I missed was the power of local PR. If you have a business offering services in a specific area, connecting with your community works wonders. Local PR brings trust and recognition. People prefer businesses they know and can relate to.
For example, sponsoring a local event or partnering with a community group can boost your reputation. You build goodwill that broad ads can't match. Your neighbors start to see you as part of their community. They'll often choose you over a faceless brand.
I'd tell my younger self to focus more on local efforts. Engage with the community and see how word-of-mouth spreads. This approach builds long-term relationships and loyal customers. And remember, local success can lead to broader success later on!
Invest in Genuine Community Relationships
One thing I wish I had known about local PR when I first started is the immense value of building genuine relationships within the community. Early on, I focused heavily on press releases and media coverage, overlooking the importance of connecting with local influencers, business owners, and community leaders.
If I could advise my younger self, I would emphasize the need to invest time in networking and fostering authentic connections. Attend local events, engage on social media, and collaborate with other businesses. These relationships can lead to organic support and amplify your message far beyond traditional media channels.
Understanding that local PR is as much about community engagement as it is about publicity would have accelerated my success and created a more robust support system for my initiatives. Building trust and rapport is the foundation of effective local PR.
