Five PR habits founders should break

Most PR problems we see aren’t about the story. They come from habits that feel sensible inside a company and look different from an editor’s desk. These five come up again and again, and each has a simple fix.

Table of Contents

1. Waiting for the news

The most common mistake is waiting until the round closes or the product launches to start PR. Editors need 6 to 8 weeks. Founders who are preparing to raise ask for coverage 3 to 6 months before the round, because investors google them before the first meeting.

The announcement itself is a one-day story. The coverage that keeps working is what the founder says about the market in the months after.

Instead: start two to three months before any date that matters, and plan articles for after the announcement too. Our guide to media embargoes for funding announcements covers the day itself.

2. Chasing only the biggest names

Many founders ask for Forbes first. For B2B companies, a niche outlet like CIO or FinanceMagnates often brings more qualified leads, because the right buyers read it. A Forbes mention that nobody in your market reads does less than a feature in the trade outlet they do read.

Instead: list the five publications your best customers read, and aim for those first. Add one or two big names for credibility once the core is covered.

3. Too many people editing

Four people editing one draft once added three weeks to a placement. The biggest delay is rarely the outlet; it’s the client’s review.

Instead: name one approver before work starts. Everyone else sends comments to that person, not to the writer. We now ask every client for this upfront.

4. Changing the story halfway

Once an editor approves a topic, switching angles restarts the clock. A new idea three weeks in feels small inside the company, but for the outlet it’s a new pitch.

Instead: settle the angle first. We send two or three, the client approves one, and only then do our writers start. Keep the other ideas for the next placement.

5. Publishing and moving on

Expecting coverage to sell on its own is the last habit to break. The companies that win share it, link to it, and put it in front of buyers. An article that only lives on the outlet’s site is doing half its job.

Instead: the week it goes live, post it from the founder’s and the company’s LinkedIn, add it to your website, and give your sales team a two-line note on when to send it.

The common thread

None of these need a bigger budget. They need decisions made before the news, not after it: which outlets, which angle, who approves, and how the article gets used.

If you’d like help with your plan, get in touch. Edamame PR & Strategy commits to a 21 to 60 day window for each placement, counted from topic approval and agreed before you pay, so you can plan around real dates.