"Instead, many brands shifted to a thought-leadership approach where the focus was on how their founders were helping their teams deal with the challenges they were facing."

"Along with raising capital, I believe it’s equally important for startups to have a PR strategy in place. Good PR can help with investors, increase backlinks to your website, increase brand awareness and help companies claim the title of ""the first of their kind."""

"PR can help project a favorable image to a startup's target audience. Image is everything; it can make or break a company and could even be a deciding factor when it comes to sales."

"Consistency is key. Obtaining press coverage requires consistency, and when trying to grow a business, extra time is nonexistent."

"PR teams will need to push for a story and stay on top of the follow-up."

"PR is a marathon, not a sprint."

"The goal is to ensure your company’s name is constantly in the press and online publications."

"Be available."

"Whether that means providing materials for a story or even yourself for an interview, keep in mind that journalists work on deadlines, so if PR needs you now, it’s for a reason."

"Make PR a priority. Many times, PR is the last part of a company’s plan, but in actuality, it should be one of the first."

"My advice to founders who are planning to work with a PR firm is to do your research ahead of time and interview the company."