10 PR mistakes for startups to avoid
For UK founders and early-stage marketers, PR isn’t just about press coverage: it’s a long-term investment in trust, brand story, and reputation. Avoiding common PR missteps helps your startup earn credibility, attract early customers, and support fundraising — all while building a sustainable communications foundation.
TL;DR
Startups often trip up in PR by launching too early, having unclear messaging, ignoring owned channels, over‑hyping, or focusing on the wrong metrics. These mistakes erode credibility, slow growth, and can make fundraising harder. In the UK, underinvestment in PR, weak crisis planning, and tactical errors are especially common.
By addressing these issues, your PR efforts become a strategic, measurable growth tool.
1. Starting PR before product–market fit
Why it matters
If your product isn’t validated, media coverage may feel irrelevant to your customers — and confusing to investors.
How to avoid it
Focus on product–market validation first. Collect real user stories and referrals. Once you’ve got traction, think about working with a PR specialist: our guide on when to work with a startup PR agency can help you decide.
2. Failing to create strong brand messaging
Why it matters
Vague or inconsistent messaging makes it hard for journalists to understand your story — and even harder for your audience to remember it.
How to avoid it
Clarify your core brand narrative and distil it into a simple elevator pitch. When you're ready to talk to media, our guide on preparing for interviews with journalists has practical tips.
3. Treating PR as a one-off campaign
Why it matters
Launching PR just for a funding round or product launch may generate noise — but won’t build sustainable relationships or long-term awareness.
How to avoid it
Create a long-term PR plan tied to your growth milestones. Build relationships early. For a structured approach, check out our PR strategy for startups.
4. Targeting the wrong journalists
Why it matters
Pitching broadly or randomly leads to wasted effort. Irrelevant outreach can frustrate journalists and damage your reputation.
How to avoid it
Spend time researching journalists who cover your sector. Use media databases or tools to find the right fit. Our piece on finding relevant journalists covers how to do this effectively.
5. Overhyping without evidence
Why it matters
Exaggerated claims make your startup look less credible. Investors, journalists, and customers all value honesty.
How to avoid it
Talk about verified milestones — real customer wins, measurable growth. Use data-backed tools: check out our list of free PR and startup tools for tracking your progress.
6. Sharing news that isn’t newsworthy
Why it matters
If what you announce doesn’t matter to your audience (or to the media), journalists won’t pick it up - and may stop taking you seriously.
How to avoid it
Prioritise updates that have clear value for your stakeholders. When a journalist reaches out, use our guide to handling journalist requests to shape a thoughtful response.
7. Ignoring owned media channels
Why it matters
Relying purely on media coverage means giving away control of your story. Owned channels like your blog, social media, and website enable you to communicate directly with your audience.
How to avoid it
Keep your website and blog updated, and share coverage from other outlets to amplify impact. For insight into how owned media complements traditional media, see who are the traditional media.
8. Being unprepared for interviews
Why it matters
If you go into interviews unprepared, you risk miscommunicating your brand, which could lead to misleading or low‑quality coverage.
How to avoid it
Invest in media training and rehearse your key messages. Our preparing for interviews guide includes frameworks to help.
9. Lacking a crisis communication plan
Why it matters
Research from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) shows that over a quarter of UK businesses have no crisis communication plan. (newsroom.cipr.co.uk)
Without this, a bad product issue or a reputational incident can escalate quickly.
How to avoid it
Develop a simple but clear crisis plan. Share it with stakeholders and rehearse potential scenarios. If you’re not sure who should own PR internally, see our guidance on who should do PR.
10. Not measuring PR results
Why it matters
Focusing on vanity metrics like article count gives a superficial view. What matters more is real business impact.
How to avoid it
Track meaningful metrics: website traffic, inbound enquiries, share of voice, backlink quality, and investor signalling. For a deep dive, our guide on 10 PR mistakes for startups outlines how to do this right.
Why these mistakes matter (UK data)
- Underinvestment: Nearly 1 in 5 UK businesses have no PR support, according to the IoD–CIPR report. (iod.com)
- Crisis planning: More than a quarter of companies admit they lack a crisis communications strategy. (newsroom.cipr.co.uk)
- Reputation risk: CIPR Business Leaders Survey shows many UK businesses identify reputation damage as a top risk but don’t have a clear plan. (newsroom.cipr.co.uk)
- Executive alignment: Research finds that many FTSE-100 companies lack a dedicated communications expert on their board, highlighting under-prioritised reputation even at the top. (newsroom.cipr.co.uk)
Key takeaways
- Validate your product first — don’t start PR too early.
- Build a clear, compelling brand message.
- Treat PR as an ongoing strategic activity, not a one-off.
- Target the right journalists, not just any media.
- Use real, verifiable data — don’t overhype.
- Share only meaningful news.
- Maintain and optimise your owned media channels.
- Prepare for interviews thoroughly.
- Build a crisis plan to protect your reputation.
- Measure what matters — not just volume, but impact.
Explore more of our startup PR resources:
- When to work with a PR agency
- Difference between PR and marketing
- How to choose the right PR agency
FAQs: PR mistakes for startups
1. What are the most common PR mistakes for startups?
Launching too early, unclear messaging, ignoring owned media, overhyping, tactical errors, and poor measurement.
2. How does getting PR wrong affect funding?
Bad PR can undermine credibility, making investors more cautious. Well-strategised PR, on the other hand, builds trust and visibility.
3. When should my startup start PR?
After you’ve validated your product and clarified your messaging.
4. What’s the best way to measure PR success?
Track KPIs like website traffic, inbound leads, share of voice, and high-quality backlinks.
