How to Take Control of Your Brand's Story With This DIY Strategy

I've always believed that every business, big or small, should have the ability to shape how it is perceived online. Building a brand today means being seen, trusted and found online. Still, many entrepreneurs and professionals I meet are stuck in a waiting game. They might be waiting for a journalist to respond, for some buzz to materialise or simply for permission to become visible.

DIY PR — public relations in a do-it-yourself style — empowers us to start taking action instead.

It's not about cutting corners or doing it on the cheap. It's about building your media presence from day one and reclaiming control across paid, earned, shared and owned channels, which is more important now than ever.

When one Google search can shape your credibility, your message shouldn't be left to chance. Nowadays, almost all employers (98%) use search engines and social media to vet potential candidates, and 82% of Americans believe companies are more influential when their founder or executives have a strong personal brand.

Related: Mastering Public Relations — A Comprehensive Guide to Boosting Your Brand's Reputation

I can't count how many experts, founders or consultants I've spoken to who feel stuck because they are great at what they do, but hardly anyone knows it. They are buried in word-of-mouth, overwhelmed by social media noise or simply unsure where to start.

Content marketing is the answer I keep coming back to. Not because it's trendy but because it works. The options are wide: blog posts, podcasts, videos and thought leadership posts on LinkedIn, newsletters, press releases on reputable media outlets and contributor articles on magazines. Publishing useful, experience-based content gives people a reason to notice you, trust you and remember you.

When you write about what you know, you position yourself as someone who gets it. Do that consistently, and you go from "one of many" to "the one they think of." You don't need to be loud — just present in the right places, saying the right things, one piece of content at a time.

Related: Your Current Marketing Plan May Not Work Overseas — Copy Strategies From Spotify and Snickers to Succeed Anywhere

Traditional PR can be slow and uncertain. You pitch, wait and hope for a response that may never come. Meanwhile, you've got a launch coming, a shift in your business or a key message that needs to be heard now.

Publishing articles on trusted media platforms allows you to reach new audiences and grow brand awareness faster, while the benefits go deeper. In practical terms: the Pressboard Branded Content Benchmarks Report 2023 found that readers spend an average of 42 seconds engaging with written branded content, which is significantly higher than the 2.5-second attention-memory threshold they spend with a banner ad.

When your name appears in a trusted media outlet, people start to take notice. You show up stronger in search, and the story people find is the one you wrote.

You decide what to say and when to say it. Especially during time-sensitive moments, I've found that publishing directly cuts through the noise. Instead of waiting weeks for a pitch to land, I can get something live and working for me by the end of the day.

Branded content allows you to take control of your story and achieve measurable outcomes: reach the right audience at the right time, increased website traffic, improved rankings and a level of product and brand exposure that is hard to build any other way.

Related: How Paid Media Can Increase Your Brand's Value

Real-life examples of DIY PR success

In our own experience, investing in a sponsored article on Reuters played a key role in amplifying visibility during the launch of a new platform. At that critical moment, we needed to reach a wider audience quickly and position our strategic move in a credible and high-authority outlet. The article served that purpose effectively, proving how a well-placed paid piece can outperform the slower path of building new media relationships, especially when timing and public exposure are essential.

Another case is Dalmo Cirne, an emerging author we have been working with. He leveraged content marketing to strategically build his personal brand, going beyond traditional publishing methods to market his books. This approach led to increased website traffic and social media engagement. Additionally, he gained greater visibility within the literary community through media features, ultimately resulting in improved book sales and more opportunities for speaking engagements.

We also worked with Smaily, an email marketing platform based in Estonia, that was exploring ways to expand into new markets like Latvia and Lithuania. By running a consistent PR campaign focused on localized paid media placements, Smaily significantly boosted brand awareness in both countries. As the campaign expanded from one to several publications per country, article views increased from 800 to around 5,000 per month, and both regions quickly became top sources of new customer accounts.

These stories show how DIY PR through content marketing can deliver results when backed by a clear strategy.

Steps to implement a DIY PR strategy

The first thing to ask is, "What do you want to be known for?"

If you are unsure, you cannot create content that sticks. So that is the place to start: getting clear on the message you want people to remember when they come across your name or brand.

Once you've defined that, the next step is to start creating content, but don't aim for perfection or a sales pitch. Done is better than perfect, and perfectionism can kill momentum. Aim for useful. Share stories, insights and lessons learned.

Now, consider where your audience already hangs out. Maybe it's LinkedIn, an industry blog, a trusted trade website — or all of the above. Go where they are already paying attention and start showing up there with something real to say.

Finally, make sure it gets seen. This is where content marketing platforms can help. These platforms let you distribute your articles to trusted media outlets without the delays and gatekeeping of traditional PR. Publishing through the right outlets and channels can open doors to better visibility and credibility.

It's not about going viral. It's about being seen by the right people again and again.

Related: How to Increase Your Brand's Exposure By Integrating These 2 Tools

Taking the first steps in DIY PR

DIY PR through content marketing isn't a shortcut — it's a long-term strategy. It's how you stay visible, relevant and credible in a world where attention is limited and trust is gained over time. You won't build thought leadership in a day, but you will be surprised what one well-placed article can do.

You need a presence, a voice that shows up when people look for you, search your name or research your business. That's what content marketing can give you. According to the Content Marketing Institute, 73% of B2B marketers say content marketing has helped build brand awareness, while 52% report increased loyalty among existing clients and customers.

So, start right now to create content that makes people notice you. Take the lead. Own your message. Show up where it counts.