As the founder of PR over Coffee, which is a growing PR movement for DIY-minded businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals, I can tell you firsthand that PR is currently not working for the majority of small businesses. 

I realize that’s a pretty extreme and sweeping statement to make, but I stand behind it 100 percent.

Here are a few explanations of why PR is largely ineffective for small businesses:

1. Lack of understanding: A majority of small business owners have little to no experience with PR. Therefore, they don’t really understand the potential benefits ongoing PR can have for the business, from brand awareness to lead generation. Most businesses will do what is “closest to the money,” meaning they will invest in lead-gen activities like email marketing, direct mail or telemarketing to generate a direct lead – even if, when it’s all said and done, the cost per lead is higher than other marketing and PR methods, or the quality of the lead is suspect at best.

2. Houston, we have a problem: The PR model as it’s commonly practiced – a monthly retainer with no guarantee of media coverage or sales improvement – is not something small business condones. Small business owners may be a lot things, but one thing they have in common is their insistence on results. They also like to form partnerships with vendors that are willing to share in their risk. The traditional PR firm requires money upfront and takes zero risk in the transaction. 

3. 80/20 rule: Pareto’s rule applies to PR and media coverage as much as anything else. In other words, 20 percent of the companies (large corporations, actually) tend to grab 80 percent of the headlines at any given time. Is that wrong? Not necessarily. It’s just a natural law. Still, small businesses, by virtue of their size, are frequently invisible to the media’s radar. It doesn’t always have to be that way. It just is.

4. Big picture: Small businesses need to wake up to the incredible media opportunities at hand. With just a little PR each day, a small business could improve its chances of getting media exposure – and new revenue – by as much as 50 percent. That’s why I called my new organization PR over Coffee, which implies that PR is something a business can do every day for no longer than the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee.

5. Media bears some blame: The majority of media outlets would do well to create content more reflective of the demographic they serve. With more Americans employed by small or mid-sized businesses than ever, journalists would be wise to aggressively go after stories more directly related to that market. Frankly, one of my favorite parts of the Wall Street Journal website is the section that deals with small businesses. I read it religiously for tips, trends and stories about new, up-and-coming businesses. We are also all admirers of NSIDE Austin magazine for a reason, as it is committed to being a publication with an authentic local business and nonprofit focus.

6. Market correction for PR firms: As with many other expensive services, over time, small businesses will always tend to gravitate toward lower-cost solutions. Why? They want to keep more money in their pockets, or to pass it along to their customers to win greater market share. Well-heeled PR firms may be teetering on the edge of a major market correction. Off-shoring and technology innovation are constant pressures on every service market, meaning nothing is safe from a radical price correction. Small business may ultimately drive that change – as may the media itself – in the market’s relentless search for absolute value for a dollar spent. 

In short, the PR world as we know it will change. How it will change, nobody knows for sure yet. One thing is certain, however: Small business will be a catalyst. I imagine a new pricing model will emerge where PR firms will be partners in the process, sharing risk with small businesses along the way and reaping the rewards for their hard work and shared success.

Join me in the ongoing PR revolution, and receive information about monthly PR over Coffee meetings, local media interviews and ongoing PR tips for small businesses at www.provercoffee.com.

Dave Manzer is the founder of PR over Coffee, an organization focused on helping small businesses and nonprofits earn the media coverage they deserve. He also runs his own PR consultancy, Dave Manzer – Creative Relations. For more information, visit www.davemanzer.com.