Earn Attention You Don’t Have to Buy: When a PR Expert Turns Credibility into Growth

The Complete Guide for Startup Founders

Founders don’t wake up craving “press.” You want customers, partners, hires, and investors to believe faster. That’s what great PR does—it turns your real wins into stories people want to share, and places them where your market already pays attention.

Here’s the pattern: some teams blast cold emails to every journalist in Australia and hope; others ignore PR because it feels fluffy or out of reach. Meanwhile, the brands that break through treat PR like a strategic sales motion—to a very specific audience with a very specific story. A strong PR expert helps you find the angle that matters, package proof (data, customer outcomes, founder story), and land it with the right outlets at the right moment.

A Melbourne fintech I advised had a solid product and steady word-of-mouth, but no credibility beyond their website. A PR specialist reframed their launch around a timely industry shift, paired it with customer data, and secured coverage across niche trade media and one national outlet. In 60 days: site traffic up 3×, inbound partner requests doubled, and investors started calling them first.

If you’re serious about trust at scale, don’t treat PR like luck—treat it like strategy. Let me walk you through how to work with a PR expert.

PR focuses on earned attention.

What Exactly Is a PR Expert?

A PR (Public Relations) Expert is a professional who manages how your business is perceived in the public eye. They build positive awareness, manage communications, and protect reputation. Unlike paid advertising, PR focuses on earned attention.

They typically handle:

• Media outreach and press coverage.

• Writing press releases and media kits.

• Crisis communication and reputation management.

• Building thought leadership for founders.

• Managing influencer and stakeholder relationships.

• Aligning PR with broader marketing and growth strategy.

Examples:

• Canva used PR to position itself as a world-leading Australian success story.

• Local startups like Who Gives a Crap gained traction with creative PR stunts that went viral.

A PR Expert helps you move from being a hidden gem to a recognised brand.

Why This Could Make or Break Your Business

In today’s crowded market, attention is currency.

Growth: Media coverage accelerates brand awareness and customer trust.

Financial: Strong PR lowers customer acquisition costs by boosting credibility.

Crisis Protection: When things go wrong, PR prevents damage to reputation.

Investor Appeal: Media visibility strengthens legitimacy and helps with fundraising.

Ignore PR, and your competitors will control the narrative.

Real-World Examples

• A Melbourne fashion startup secured PR in Vogue Australia with the help of an expert. Sales tripled in the following quarter.

• An Adelaide medtech founder spoke at industry panels arranged by their PR consultant. The exposure helped close a $2M funding round.

Before You Start

Before hiring a PR Expert, prepare:

• Clear business goals (awareness, leads, fundraising).

• A compelling founder or brand story.

• Media-friendly assets (photos, logos, brand guidelines).

• Budget for both PR and amplification.

• Openness to thought leadership (podcasts, panels, interviews).

• Awareness that PR is long-term, not instant.

This helps your PR efforts land faster and more effectively.

How to Work With a PR Expert:

Step by Step

Step 1: Define PR Objectives

Clarity drives success.

• Do you want brand awareness?

• Are you chasing investor attention?

• Is it about crisis prevention or growth campaigns? 

Result: Your PR strategy is outcome-driven, not scattershot.

Step 2: Craft Your Story

PR runs on narratives, be intentional.

• Identify founder story or brand mission.

• Position your unique angle.

• Build a core media message. 

Result: Journalists and audiences engage with your story.

Step 3: Build a Media Kit

Make it easy for the media to cover you.

• Press release templates.

• High-quality brand assets.

• Company fact sheet and founder bio. 

Result: You look credible and media-ready.

Step 4: Outreach and Pitching

Visibility requires proactive effort.

• Research relevant journalists and outlets.

• Pitch tailored stories.

• Offer commentary on industry news. 

Result: Media coverage builds awareness and authority.

Step 5: Amplify Coverage

Don’t let media wins sit idle.

• Share coverage across socials and newsletters.

• Repurpose interviews into blogs and clips.

• Leverage press in investor decks. 

Result: Media coverage compounds into trust and reach.

Step 6: Monitor and Manage

PR is an ongoing effort.

• Track media mentions and sentiment.

• Manage negative press proactively.

• Refresh your story as you scale. 

Result: Reputation stays strong as your business grows.

Mistakes to Avoid

A Sydney startup spammed journalists with generic press releases. They were ignored and burned relationships that could have helped later.

A Brisbane founder relied solely on PR for customer acquisition. Coverage spiked awareness but didn’t convert without a sales funnel.

A Perth SaaS company ignored PR until a product failure made headlines. They scrambled in crisis, damaging long-term trust.

What It Costs and How Long It Takes

You’ll need to budget for both money and time.

Here’s what founders usually face:

• DIY / In-house: $0–$500 AUD + 10–20 hrs/month. Founder-led PR outreach; limited reach without media contacts.

• Template/Resource: $100–$700 AUD + setup time. PR templates, press release kits, and pitching guides.

• Professional / Done-for-you: $3,000–$10,000 AUD. Includes strategy, media outreach, pitching, and coverage management.

  
  

• Ongoing / Renewal: $1,000–$5,000 AUD/month for retainer-based PR support.

Hidden Costs

• Wasted time pitching the wrong stories.

• Damaged reputation from poor crisis handling.

• Missed credibility if coverage isn’t amplified.

Mentor Tip

Start with a specific PR campaign (e.g., product launch, funding announcement) to test results before committing long-term.

What to Do Next

✅ Book Noize to build your PR engine—we design and deploy the PR system that pays for itself in the first news cycle. Get expert strategy + hands-on pitching in days, not quarters. Pass, and you’ll spend the next 90 days testing what we already know lands coverage. [Noize.com.au].

✅ Get The StartupDeck. It’s a deck of 200+ proven plays to clear bottlenecks—It’s the antidote to procrastination. Without it, you’ll default to busywork and lose another week. [theStartUpDeck.com].

By acting now, you’ll turn your story into a growth engine.

COMING SOON IN 2026...

✅ Access free business tools from ProDesk’s resource library—templates, checklists, and scripts so you can launch in hours, not weeks. [ProDeck.com].

The Bottom Line

A PR Expert doesn’t just get you headlines—they help shape how the world sees your business.

Without PR, you risk being invisible, misunderstood, or unprepared for crisis. With PR, you build credibility, accelerate growth, and create opportunities money alone can’t buy.

The smartest founders don’t leave reputation to chance—they invest in it early.

PR builds credibility and trust, which ads alone can’t buy.

FAQs

Do startups really need PR? 

Yes—PR builds credibility and trust, which ads alone can’t buy.

Is PR the same as marketing? 

No—marketing is paid promotion. PR is earned media and reputation building.

How long before PR shows results? 

Campaigns can land coverage quickly, but reputation benefits compound over months and years.

Can I manage PR myself? 

Yes, but without media relationships, it’s slower and less effective.

What’s the ROI of hiring a PR Expert? 

Media exposure lowers acquisition costs, improves brand trust, and attracts investors.