3 Ways Your Startup Can Get PR -- Right Now

I'm a small business owner. And I'm always trying to get press for my business.

Startups need PR for several reasons -- it helps with brand visibility; it lets investors know they can work with press and tell a compelling story; it can bring in new customers; and when customers are on the website, it shows that even reporters are taking note of the product.

All angles of press will help your business. So how can you get some this instant if you don't have a PR firm or you have one, but they're not getting you the results you want -- now.

Related: 7 Must-Do Tips for Startups to Generate Good PR

1. Offer a reporter an exclusive

Get on Twitter immediately, and start following every reporter who covers your industry. Create a list, and start engaging or re-Tweeting these reporters. Once you get one hooked, and they follow you back, direct message them and offer them an exclusive story on something interesting.

2. Try NewsLauncher

NewsLauncher is pretty simple: You pitch a PR person your story, tell them how many people you want to read it, and a writer from that publication takes it on and gets it published. If it doesn't get published, you get a full refund. They have nine A-list publications to choose from to get you noticed.

Related: How to Avoid Journalists' 5 Worst Pitching Peeves

"Visibility is trust. Lack of visibility is conceit. This is what's in the minds of your consumer," NewsLauncher CEO Dave Polykoff says.

3. Create a newsworthy event

This takes some creativity and gusto. Remember the anti-robot protesters at SXSW? All for a dating app.

To make an event newsworthy, you must do something that no one has done before, and do it in a place public enough that people will take notice and post it on social media. Going to events where you know reporters will be is also a smart move -- conferences, conventions, etc.

Related: Pitch Perfect: 4 Steps to Capture the Media's Attention