NORTH STAR INTERVIEW: Jessica Barlow, CEO of 'No Agency Method'
Jessica Barlow is the CEO of ‘No Agency Method’, something I think has been a long time coming, a PR offering that helps startups do their own PR. Writing about startups and working for agencies, in-house and for startups I can attest it’s a murky world out there for all involved. Here’s how Jessica is changing the startup world. Oh, and the next cohort starts on 18th November.
What is No Agency Method and why did you set it up?
I started two businesses in the middle of the pandemic, the first one is changing how care is being delivered in Hackney and the second is making PR easy for founders, solo-prenuers and startups to do it themselves. I call it the No Agency Method. I’ve helped meditation, life and business coaches as well as cool brands you’ll know & love (like Teapigs, Ombar, Moma foods, Freddie’s Flowers & Pasta Evangelists, and startups you’ll get to know like District 34, Grandnanny and MotherRoot)
No Agency Method teaches founders and startup marketing teams how to bring their PR efforts in-house and save themself thousands. I’ve empowered founders/CEO’s, CMOs, Head of Marketing, Head of Brand and Marketing Managers to DIY their PR.
The bureaucratic challenge of building a startup in healthcare, birthed the No Agency Method so I should really thank regulators for the fun four months I’ve had!
With 6:1 PRs to Journalists out there, a little more signal and a little less noise is needed. Startup PR is famously rough going though, why do you think this is and how do people give themselves the best ammunition?
PR can be rough going no matter what sector, unless you’ve got £10,000/month to chuck at a big agency you’re likely on the receiving end of many no responses or constant rejection.
I think the biggest thing that creates this is a lack of research. You absolutely need to tailor your media lists and pitch outreach, otherwise you’re shooting in the dark.
Everyone thinks their baby (startup) is gorgeous (going to be a unicorn) but the best startup PR takes an eye of discernment and stops to ask themselves; “who cares?” - if you can’t answer that compellingly, you’ll struggle to get a journalist to care too!
What are the common errors when doing startup/Founder PR?
Feeling overwhelmed with business operations and therefore outsourcing PR from day one, while never understanding how PR works. If you’re paying someone to do something for you that you have no idea about, it creates a scenario where you can easily be taken advantage of. Next thing you know you’re six months down the line, £18,000 out of pocket and you’ve had hardly any coverage.
Working with an agency can be just as hard work as DIY-ing it, you’ve got to give them all of the juicy bits they need to get started and help you shine, neglect this and you’ll waste your money.
Reminder: TBD Conference tickets just went on sale. Speakers include Maye Musk, The Economist, VCs, stealth startups, Harvard Business Review, Kim ‘Radical Candor’ Scott, NOBL, Simudyne and +20 more. Jan 28-29, 2021. ‘Mollitiam’ is a journey you need to go on.
Why is people doing their own PR better? Doesn't it look weird to journos? How much of PR is optics these days?
Dealing with a middle man is never fun for anyone. For a journalist dealing with a PR agency, you’re constantly on the back foot waiting for the correct info, the date, the time for an interview etc. Speed is key in the media, so if you are dealing direct - golden. It can look odd to journos if you’re trying to place yourself in founder stories, however, so involving your whole team is a great way to get around this while still DIY-ing it.
What are the results to date?
Very proud to share that since launching in July I’ve taught 60+ brands/solopreneurs how to DIY their PR. My client list has been totally sector agnostic, meaning the knowledge can be applied to any business - from meditation, business and life coaches to branding agencies and law firms to tech startups in finance, insurance, education and direct-to-consumer and FMCG brands.
No Agency Method ‘graduates’ have been featured in the Metro, LBC radio and The Telegraph - and all press has been pitched and secured by themselves! I’ve even helped one brand save £48,000/year by taking PR in-house.
I teach both online and live, and my next live course kicks off Wednesday 18th November so I’m inching towards my goal of 100 brands taught by the end of 2020 *pretty* quickly!
What are the biggest issues the startup PR community faces? How do people overcome then?
The enemy is time. There is always going to be another fire to put out, that pushes PR off the to-do list. But if you’ve got a marketing team and they aren’t also doing your PR (or at least aware of how it works, or how to manage an agency if you are outsourcing) then you are missing a trick. Keeping it in the family, and in-house is letting the magic of your startup and the fountain of knowledge that is your team, skyrocket you into the media.
What are the biggest issues the PR industry has to deal with now and post-pandemic?
Now and post-pandemic, we’re moving into a scrappy era where spending in PR and Marketing budgets are going to be drastically cut. All third party outsourcing is going to be evaluated with a fine-tooth comb, and those who aren’t delivering are going to struggle! I believe we’re going to continue to see both startups and established brands be far more discerning with their budgets, and instead of outsourcing to agencies - they’ll look at how they can build out their creative, marketing and comms teams in-house.
I see PR agencies offering a model which involves more kick start services and offer training or in-house support, eg. a member of the PR Agency team works internally with the team to get them off the ground before leaving them to DIY it. I reckon we’ll see more agencies coming after my gig!