What Is PR, Actually? (And Why Small Businesses Ignore It at a Cost)

9 October 2024

Ask ten business owners what PR is and you'll get ten versions of "expensive people in London who talk to journalists". Here's the working definition that actually matters: PR is earning attention and trust you don't pay for. Advertising is what you say about yourself; PR is getting others to say it.

What counts as PR for a small business

• A story about you in the local paper or a trade publication
• A guest spot on a podcast your customers listen to
• An award entry, a charity partnership, a talk at a business breakfast
• How you respond publicly when something goes wrong

Why it's worth more than it costs

Decades of research says people trust recommendations and independent coverage far more than adverts — which is intuitive, because anyone can buy an advert. Earned coverage also compounds: a news article ranks in search for years, gets cited by AI answer engines, and becomes a credibility badge on your website ("as featured in…").

The starter move

Keep a "story list": anniversaries, new hires, unusual customer projects, charity work, local milestones. Once a quarter, pick the strongest and send a short, factual email to one named local journalist — what happened, why it's interesting, a good photo attached. That's PR. No London agency required.