3 things locally owned businesses should be doing with PR—starting now (and nearly none are)
3 Things Every Locally Owned Business Should Be Doing With PR Right Now (But Almost None Are)
Let’s be honest: when most small business owners hear the word “PR,” they picture big corporate press releases and pricey agencies that work with national brands. They assume it’s not for them — that public relations is a luxury reserved for businesses with deep pockets and dedicated marketing departments.
That assumption is costing them.
Public relations, done right, is one of the most cost-effective tools a locally owned business has at its disposal. It builds credibility, drives awareness, and strengthens your reputation in the community you serve. The problem isn’t that PR doesn’t work for small businesses. The problem is that most small businesses aren’t doing it — or they’re doing it wrong.
Here are three things every locally owned business should be doing with PR right now, and why each one matters more than most owners realize.
1. Build a Local Media Relationship Before You Need It
Here’s how most local businesses approach press coverage: something newsworthy happens — a grand opening, an anniversary, a community initiative — and they scramble to find a journalist’s email address, fire off a rushed press release, and hope for the best. Then they wonder why they don’t hear back.
The businesses that consistently get covered in local papers, on local news segments, and in community newsletters aren’t just luckier. They’ve been doing the groundwork for months.
Building a relationship with local journalists isn’t complicated, but it does require consistency. It means showing up in their inbox before you need something — sharing a useful community statistic, flagging a story angle that has nothing to do with your business, or offering yourself as a knowledgeable local source on a topic in your industry. Journalists aren’t your enemies; they’re overworked professionals who need good stories and reliable sources. When you become a trusted part of that ecosystem, getting coverage stops being a long shot and starts being a natural outcome.
The lesson: don’t wait until you have news to start building media relationships. Start now, give generously, and watch what happens when you actually have something to announce.
2. Monitor Your Own Name Online
Your reputation isn’t just what you say about yourself — it’s what other people say when you’re not in the room. And right now, those conversations are happening constantly.
Google reviews. Community Facebook groups. Nextdoor. Local Reddit forums. Neighborhood apps. The digital landscape of any given town is full of conversations about local businesses, and those conversations are shaping how potential customers see you before they ever walk through your door or visit your website.
The good news is that you don’t have to respond to everything. Not every comment requires a reply, and not every online forum is worth your energy. But you absolutely have to know what’s being said. Flying blind on your own reputation is one of the most avoidable mistakes a local business can make.
Set up Google Alerts for your business name. Check your reviews weekly. Periodically search yourself in local Facebook groups. When you find something positive, acknowledge it — a simple thank-you goes a long way. When you find something negative, assess it honestly before responding. Sometimes a thoughtful, gracious reply to critical feedback does more for your reputation than a dozen five-star reviews.
Monitoring your name isn’t paranoia. It’s basic stewardship of the brand you’ve worked hard to build.
3. Treat Every Event as an Earned Media Opportunity
Your business participates in the local farmer’s market. You hosted a back-to-school supply drive. You sponsored the little league team. You’re showing up for your community — and that’s genuinely meaningful. But are you getting any credit for it?
Most local businesses miss a two-touch PR play that is almost embarrassingly straightforward: pitch the story before the event, and share the recap after it. That’s it. Two contacts with a local journalist or publication, one before and one after, and you’ve turned a single community moment into ongoing visibility.
Before the event: reach out to your local lifestyle blog, community paper, or neighborhood newsletter with a short, specific pitch. What’s happening, when it is, why it matters to the community. Keep it brief. Make it easy for them to say yes.
After the event: follow up with a few good photos and a one-paragraph summary. A picture of smiling kids with school supplies or a packed room at your workshop is exactly the kind of warm, community-driven content that local media genuinely wants to publish.
Events are not just marketing moments — they’re stories. Start treating them that way.
This Is the Work We Do Every Day
At Our Town Matters, these three strategies aren’t theory — they’re the daily practice we bring to locally owned businesses across our community. We help businesses build the media relationships that lead to real coverage, stay on top of their online reputation before small issues become big ones, and turn the community involvement they’re already doing into earned media that actually gets seen.
The best part? This kind of PR isn’t just for big brands with big budgets. It’s available to businesses of every size. A bakery. A hardware store. A yoga studio. A family law office. If you’re rooted in your community and proud of what you do, there’s a story worth telling — and an audience ready to hear it.
You just need someone to help you tell it.
Ready to get started? Reach out to Our Town Matters today.
Our Town Matters is a local marketing, PR and events firm dedicated to helping small businesses build lasting visibility, trust, and connection in the communities they serve.