Ready or not, time to PR? Nope, nope, nope. If you’re not ready, it is NOT time to PR. We believe in the power of public relations, but we also believe that timing is everything. If, like us, you know that PR can help propel your business forward, but you’re reading this and wondering how to know when the timing is right, we’ve got all the tips for you.

✅ 3 Signs You’re Ready for PR:

1. You have a defined target audience, a clear brand identity, and a killer story to tell. If you lack in these departments, it’ll make PR harder and much less effective. If you’re golden in terms of knowing who you are and who your audience is, that’s fantastic news. Figure out your story, and it’s time to PR.
2. Your website, social media accounts, and media kit are “camera ready.” You wouldn’t go to a photo shoot in your pajamas, right? If you’ve put in the effort to represent your business well to the world, it’s a good sign you’re ready for PR.
3. You know what your PR goals are, and you have a call-to-action that’ll help you accomplish those goals. Whether your goals are to launch a new product or service, put positive vibes out there after some negative reviews, or earn good press to help drive sales, once you have a call-to-action to use in a PR campaign that will help you hit your target(s), you’re on the right path.

❌ 3 Signs You’re Not Ready for PR:

1. You’re not market-ready with your product or service. It’s tempting to want to get a head start when you’re really excited about what you’re working on—we hear you. But in most cases, a PR campaign is best saved for when you’re ready to go to market.
2. You’re not making money yet and/or can’t support a reasonable PR budget. If you can’t afford to see a PR campaign through, then don’t start one yet. A good public relations strategy takes time to fully blossom. Cut it short and you’ll only be wasting money. 
3. You’re stretched so thin that you don’t have time to support a PR campaign. If you plan to tackle PR efforts yourself, then you really need to make sure you have time to do so. Even if you’re hiring a PR firm or PR professional, you will need to understand what that firm or professional expects from you in terms of time commitment and availability. 

If you checked all three boxes in the first group and none of the boxes in the second group, congratulations! Your timing sounds brilliant. When you’re ready to get started with PR, brush up on the differences between marketing and PR, set a reasonable budget (possibly with the help of a PR professional or firm), dig in and get comfortable. Patience is important in PR. It’s like growing a garden. You put in the effort upfront to plant a bunch of seeds, then continuously tend to the saplings as they grow. Eventually, you have plants—or, in this case, earned media coverage.

When you’re ready to tackle PR, we can help. Fill out our intake form to get started today!