PR for startups feels like the proverbial hair pulling experience. Unless you’re Twitter itself how in the world do you get business changing PR? And how relevant is traditional PR in the new social media universe? PR agencies are expensive and generally geared towards flinging blue chip clients and corporate press releases at traditional media.

And social media is (time) consuming, complex and confusing. The 3 C’s.

Here’s a simple, yet bullet proof startup action list:

1. Start with social media not traditional media

2. Learn how to do it yourself – i.e. blog, figure out online networking using Linkedin, Xing etc, follow that offline with Meetup etc and take your message out wider via Twitter, Facebook and public blogs.

3. Build relationships with just a few key traditional media journalists in the most relevant media for your startup.

4. Hire a PR intern for six months and gradually develop them into your full time MarComms person.

5. Support them by regularly blogging great, relevant content for your company blog and beyond. Coach them in all relevant social media tools, techniques and places for your venture. And excite them daily so they take that energy and enthusiasm out there.

6. Go like mad – because in the social media world we live in you’ve gotta win the PR war!