Entrepreneurs on tight budgets often assign a low priority to public relations (PR). Many startup business owners don’t understand PR or think it is a frivolity, so they don’t hire a firm to do it nor invest in the in-house talent to do it.

However, I must point out the obvious. What do you find to be more credible, a media story about a business or a paid advertisement about a business?

In a recent survey by BIGfrontier Communications Group in Chicago, forty-four percent of the respondents who used PR outreach received funding in the one-to-three-month time period versus 14% of those that did not. PR is, of course, the craft of obtaining proper media coverage.

In the course of my business, I associate with many blue collar and white collar entrepreneurs. I find many of them to be possessed of leadership skills, energy, and optimism that are normally not found within layers of management in a large organization such as a corporation, university, or government. They have to have that type of life force because their livelihood depends on it; they don’t get paid until they bring in sufficient revenue. However, the silver lining to that cloud is the freedom to say and do things their way. And nobody sells a story better or more passionately than an entrepreneur discussing their business concept.

So, if you are starting a business, just communicate your story to a reporter with the same fervor as if you are talking to a potential customer or investor at a chamber of commerce event. Unless you are starting a franchise (and have to work within the franchisor’s media relations policies) or work in a heavily regulated industry, you have the freedom to express yourself however you choose. Here are some thoughts.

1. Go ahead and be your unfiltered self. Of course, common sense applies, but you are free to sell it your way. You control your message, and unlike a corporate or government communications scenario, you do not have to submit it through many layers of review. That means there is no committee of risk-averse attorneys and managers to water down your message to make it “safe”. The content of your press release or other communications with the media can reflect your view of your concept and yours alone. A qualified public relations firm can help.

2. Avoid overly formal, wordy press releases, and avoid industry jargon and acronyms. Acronyms are a lazy man’s way of communicating. Nobody except the users of unique acronyms knows what they mean. The moment you use one that is not understood by your audience, you have lost your audience. Set yourself apart from your average or below average communicator by ditching the acronyms and taking just a little time to explain things in simple “Sesame Street” language.

3. Your audience is first the reporter, but ultimately it is readers in your target market. You are speaking to a large number of potential customers.

4. Position yourself as a thought leader. You know more about your concept than anyone, and you know what problems you can solve and for who better than anyone.

Finally, just be yourself, but be your best self. A good public relations firm can help you to do it right, say it right, and help you reach the right public.