**As seen on Medium.com

So you’ve got a great idea. You worked so hard, spent days, nights, weekends, and holidays developing your product or service and you have officially launched your startup. The first round of funding has gone well, whether regulation crowdfunding or venture capital, but now you’ve hit a wall with your brand recognition. All of your Google Ads, social content, and word of mouth marketing have been instrumental to your brand’s development, but how else can you grow your business, raise awareness for your product and establish yourself as the leader in your industry? Public relations might be your answer.

There are many definitions as to what public relations is and is not. In a nutshell, public relations is the foundation of a brand’s relationship with its consumer through the media. It’s not just brand recognition. It’s not just press. It’s finding a cohesive way to brand your message and present it to the media to get in front of the consumer. When successful, you will be perceived as the go-to for whatever needs you are meeting for your customers or clients. Public relations is not just for big businesses or crisis situations. Startups especially need to establish credibility and a reputation from its inception, not only with consumers but with the media. Former Facebook PR chief explained to TechCrunch that “smaller startups need to be even more strategic with their messaging because ‘People just fundamentally aren’t walking around caring about this new startup — actually no one does.’” Not to mention, if you do end up with bad press, the best way to combat that is to already have your reputation established.

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