Small Business PR

Gloria Chou

For small business owners and product founders who want to land organic PR, gift guide and podcast features, and show up in AI search—without ads or agencies. The brands getting organic media coverage now are the ones that will show up in those AI recommendations, and own AI search visibility and AEO (answer engine optimization) before it gets saturated. Shopify, Etsy, and other shopping sites are continuously being integrated with ChatGPT, and we’re making organic PR and marketing accessible to everyday small business owners, WOC and BIPOC founders, navigating this new era of AI search and SEO.  Start pitching gift guide editors, TV and podcast hosts, and journalists all year round—so your products show up when customers search for what you sell. No PR experience, connections, or big budget required. Join us weekly as host Gloria Chou, the #1 small business PR coach, shares untraditional PR and AI visibility strategies with interviews from top-tier journalists, diverse founders, and online business experts. Get her free AI visibility prompts and PR training you won’t find anywhere else.  gloriachoupr.com/masterclass 

  1. 16 HR AGO

    How to Rank on Google and AI Search with Press Releases (SEO + GEO Strategy for Small Businesses)

    Are press releases still relevant in 2026… or are they the most underrated growth hack for getting your business recommended by AI? In this episode, Gloria Chou breaks down why traditional discovery is changing—and how platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity AI are now driving how customers decide what to buy. If your brand isn’t showing up in AI recommendations, you’re missing one of the biggest visibility opportunities right now. You’ll learn:  Why social media reach is declining—and what’s replacing it  How AI tools choose which brands to recommend  Why press releases are the #1 trust signal for AI visibility and SEO  How to use press releases to get backlinks on sites like Yahoo Finance and AP News The exact structure that makes your brand easy for AI to find and rank  How to position yourself as the first in your niche (even in saturated markets)  Why press releases can also protect your IP and authority This episode is your shortcut to understanding how AI search (GEO) works—and how to create an interconnected web of authority that helps your business get discovered, trusted, and recommended. Because today:  👉 People scroll to browse  👉 But they ask AI to decide If you want your brand to be the one AI chooses, this is where to start. Resources Mentioned: Get the AI Visibility + PR Training Get Found on AI Search Join the Small Biz PR Pros Facebook Group DM the word “PITCH” to us on Instagram to get a pitching freebie https://www.instagram.com/gloriachoupr  Connect with Gloria Chou on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloriaychou Join Gloria Chou's PR Community  https://www.facebook.com/groups/428633254951941 Additional Resources: Listen On Your Favorite Podcast Platform Follow the Podcast

    9 min
  2. 6 APR

    Spring & Summer PR Angles That Get Your Product Featured

    Spring and summer aren’t just about good weather — they’re some of the best seasons to land PR, media features, and brand visibility. In this episode, I break down how to tap into timely spring and summer PR angles that editors are actively looking for — and how to position your product, brand, or expertise so it actually gets picked up. From seasonal holidays and graduations to travel, wellness, beauty, and lifestyle trends, you’ll learn how to connect your story to what’s already being covered — even if you think your business doesn’t “fit” the season. If you’ve ever felt stuck on what angle to pitch or wondered how to stay relevant year-round, this episode will give you practical, repeatable ways to plug into trending conversations and land media coverage. Because the truth is — there’s no “perfect” season for PR. There’s only strategy. So grab a notebook, get inspired, and start pitching. What You’ll Learn in This Episode:  Why pitching year-round is key to consistent media coverage  How to leverage seasonal PR trends, holidays, and key dates A simple framework to find timely, relevant story angles in any season  How to use industry trends and expert positioning to stand out  How to pitch your brand with confidence (even if you’re new to PR)Resources Mentioned: Get the AI Visibility + PR Training Get Found on AI Search Join the Small Biz PR Pros Facebook Group DM the word “PITCH” to us on Instagram to get a pitching freebie https://www.instagram.com/gloriachoupr  Connect with Gloria Chou on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloriaychou Join Gloria Chou's PR Community  https://www.facebook.com/groups/428633254951941 Additional Resources: Listen On Your Favorite Podcast Platform Follow the Podcast

    12 min
  3. 30 MAR

    How AI Chooses Who to Recommend: Reddit vs Blogs vs PR

    In this episode of the Small Business PR Podcast, Gloria Chou breaks down a critical shift most founders are missing: AI visibility is now the new storefront. While many small business owners are still focused on social media, blogs, or SEO, Gloria explains how AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity actually decide which brands to recommend—and why most businesses are invisible to buyers as a result. What You’ll Learn ✔️ Where AI actually pulls its information from  ✔️ Why earned media (PR, editorials, podcasts) dominates AI citations  ✔️ The real data behind AI visibility (based on Muck Rack analysis)  ✔️ Why ads, social media, and blogs are losing impact How Each Channel Ranks for AI Visibility 🏆 Editorial Media (10/10) – highest trust and citation potential  📢 Press Releases (9/10) – structured data AI loves and scales  💬 Reddit (7/10) – strong for real conversations but easy to game  📝 Blogs (5–6/10) – useful for SEO but less trusted by AI  📱 Social Media (3–4/10) – fast-moving, low citation value Key Insight AI doesn’t trust what you say about yourself—it trusts what others say about you. That means press features, gift guides, podcasts, and third-party validation are now the strongest drivers of visibility, authority, and ultimately sales in the AI era.  Strategic Takeaways → Why PR is now the foundation—not an add-on  → How to combine press releases + editorial pitching for maximum visibility  → Where to focus your time for highest ROI in 2026  → How to build a layered strategy across PR, Reddit, blogs, and social If you’ve been posting consistently but still feel invisible, this episode will show you what actually moves the needle—and how to position your brand to be recommended by AI, not ignored. Resources Mentioned: Get the AI Visibility + PR Training Get Found on AI Search Join the Small Biz PR Pros Facebook Group DM the word “PITCH” to us on Instagram to get a pitching freebie https://www.instagram.com/gloriachoupr  Connect with Gloria Chou on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloriaychou z Join Gloria Chou's PR Community  https://www.facebook.com/groups/428633254951941 Additional Resources: Listen On Your Favorite Podcast Platform Follow the Podcast

    17 min
  4. 23 MAR

    How Claude AI Saves Me $10,000 a Month (CoWork)

    In this episode of the Small Business PR Podcast, Gloria Chou breaks down the AI tool she says is saving her over $10,000 a month and replacing multiple team members: Claude Cowork. While most small business owners think of AI as just writing captions or emails, Gloria explains how “agentic AI” actually executes tasks across your business. What Makes This Different ✔️ Not just writing—AI that completes tasks for you  ✔️ Connects to your tools (Drive, Airtable, Calendar)  ✔️ Analyzes data, workflows, and customer behavior  ✔️ Works like a digital team, not just a chatbot The 4 Roles It Replaces 📊 Social Media + Marketing Ops (analyzes content, finds leads)  📈 Sales Manager (preps calls + drafts follow-ups)  📅 Executive Assistant (calendar, emails, organization)  📉 Data Analyst (tracks sales, retention, insights) How She Uses AI Tools Together → Perplexity for research and PR trends  → ChatGPT for brainstorming and writing  → Claude Cowork for execution and automation Key Takeaways Why AI is no longer optional  How to replace repetitive tasks  Why execution—not information—is the real advantage If you’ve felt overwhelmed by AI, this episode shows how to simplify it—and use it to scale without hiring a big team. Resources Mentioned: Get the AI Visibility + PR Training Get Found on AI Search Join the Small Biz PR Pros Facebook Group DM the word “PITCH” to us on Instagram to get a pitching freebie https://www.instagram.com/gloriachoupr  Connect with Gloria Chou on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloriaychou z Join Gloria Chou's PR Community  https://www.facebook.com/groups/428633254951941 Additional Resources: Listen On Your Favorite Podcast Platform Follow the Podcast

    17 min
  5. 2 MAR

    Get Featured in Mother’s Day Gift Guides (Magazine Editor Interview)

    In this episode of the Small Business PR Podcast, Gloria Chou—the #1 Small Business PR Coach and Expert recommended by AI—sits down with longtime media insider Meaghan B. Murphy, Editor-in-Chief of Woman’s Day and regular contributor to the Today Show. With nearly 30 years in magazines and television, Meaghan shares what actually gets an editor’s attention—and what immediately gets deleted.  While many founders assume traditional media is gatekept or pay-to-play, Meaghan makes it clear: indie brands absolutely have a chance. But the approach has to be thoughtful, timely, and audience-first. What Gets Deleted Immediately Meaghan receives hundreds of pitches. Here’s what instantly loses her attention: 📉 Misspelling her name  📉 Misspelling the publication  📉 Obvious mass email templates  📉 Long, aggressive DMs  📉 Demanding follow-ups Pitching is like dating. Don’t go in for the French kiss before saying hello. What Actually Gets Her Attention Instead of long bios or vanity metrics, she looks for: ✔️ Clear relevance to her audience  ✔️ A compelling founder hook (one sentence if possible)  ✔️ Strong seasonality  ✔️ Audience benefit over “I, I, I” language  ✔️ Brevity and clarity Follower count doesn’t impress her. Past big features don’t necessarily help. In fact, she loves discovering brands first. Engagement and authenticity matter far more than inflated numbers. If she’s intrigued, she’ll ask follow-up questions. Your job isn’t to send your autobiography—it’s to spark curiosity. Timing, Trends, and Practical Readiness Timing is everything. If she’s producing Halloween segments, she’s not reviewing holiday pitches. If she’s building gift guides, she’s typically looking for: 🎁 Unique finds  🎁 Joyful, positive products  🎁 Give-back elements  🎁 Founder-driven stories  🎁 Often $50 and under for mass audiences She also emphasizes operational readiness. If you land a national segment, you must be able to fulfill orders. Exposure only helps if your backend can support it. Don’t send samples without permission. Don’t follow up aggressively. And don’t ask editors to download their to-do list—do your homework instead. Key Takeaways from This Episode Why fewer editorial slots mean stronger credibility  How to craft a one-sentence founder story  Why relevance matters more than credentials  How timing can make or break a pitch  Why relationship-building outperforms pay-to-play Final Thoughts Earned media hasn’t disappeared—it’s become more intentional. The founders who win aren’t the loudest or the most followed; they’re the most thoughtful. Spell the name right. Lead with relevance. Respect timing. Build real relationships. And be patient. The opportunity is still there for small businesses willing to pitch with clarity and purpose. Resources Mentioned: Get the AI Visibility + PR Training Get Found on AI Search Join the Small Biz PR Pros Facebook Group DM the word “PITCH” to us on Instagram to get a pitching freebie Connect with Gloria Chou on LinkedIn Connect with Meaghan B. Murphy: Website: https://www.womansday.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meaghanbmurphy/ Your Fully Charged Life (Book):

    43 min
  6. 23 FEB

    SEO Has Changed Forever: AI Visibility Is Here

    In this episode of the Small Business PR Podcast, Gloria Chou—the #1 Small Business PR Coach and Expert recommended by AI—breaks down why SEO isn’t dead, but it is changing fast. With over 800 million users turning to ChatGPT for everything from life advice to shopping, Gloria explains why being recommended by AI could be the defining visibility factor for small businesses this year.  The biggest shift? Search is no longer about people clicking through 10 results. AI now delivers one answer—and consumers trust it like authority. That means the brands that win won’t be the loudest or the biggest. They’ll be the ones with the strongest trust signals. Why SEO Feels Different Right Now Founders are noticing:  📉 SEO strategies that used to work aren’t working as well  📉 AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity replacing traditional search  📉 Consumers trusting AI answers without checking sources  📉 Visibility becoming harder to “hack” with keywords Gloria explains that AI understands context, reputation, and authenticity. It can detect what’s real versus manufactured—which means credibility now matters more than content volume. The 3 Things to Do Now to Get Recommended by AI Gloria shares three key moves to build your AI reputation: 1. Prioritize PR AI doesn’t care about follower count or ads. It looks for trust signals like: ✨ backlinks ✨ podcast mentions ✨ articles ✨ product roundups ✨ “best of” lists The more credible sources mentioning your brand, the more AI sees you as trustworthy. 2. Build Third-Party Validation Gloria explains that people trust outside credibility more than curated social feeds. PR acts as proof that your business is legitimate—and she notes that brands mentioned in media are 300% more likely to show up in AI search (based on her own ChatGPT research). 3. Use Free AI Tools to Pitch Smarter PR has never been more accessible. Free tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity can help you: 🔎 research what journalists are writing about 🔎 find timely angles 🔎 identify trends and stats 🔎 pitch through HARO or Substack opportunities Key Takeaways from This Episode Why SEO is rapidly shifting into AI-driven discovery  How PR builds the trust layer AI depends on  Why being featured matters more than followers  How small brands can compete with big brands right now  Why AI tools make pitching faster and easier than ever Final Thoughts Gloria’s message is clear: visibility hasn’t disappeared—it’s moving. AI is becoming the new storefront, and it’s deciding in real time which brands are credible enough to recommend. Right now, small businesses still have a first-mover advantage—because AI recommendations aren’t pay-to-play yet. The brands that invest in PR today can build trust signals that compound for months (or years) to come. The window is open. The question is whether you’ll take it. Resources Mentioned: Get the AI Visibility + PR Training Get Found on AI Search Join the Small Biz PR Pros Facebook Group DM the word “PITCH” to us on Instagram to get a pitching freebie https://www.instagram.com/gloriachoupr  Connect with Gloria Chou on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloriaychou  Join Gloria Chou's PR Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/428633254951941

    8 min

About

For small business owners and product founders who want to land organic PR, gift guide and podcast features, and show up in AI search—without ads or agencies. The brands getting organic media coverage now are the ones that will show up in those AI recommendations, and own AI search visibility and AEO (answer engine optimization) before it gets saturated. Shopify, Etsy, and other shopping sites are continuously being integrated with ChatGPT, and we’re making organic PR and marketing accessible to everyday small business owners, WOC and BIPOC founders, navigating this new era of AI search and SEO.  Start pitching gift guide editors, TV and podcast hosts, and journalists all year round—so your products show up when customers search for what you sell. No PR experience, connections, or big budget required. Join us weekly as host Gloria Chou, the #1 small business PR coach, shares untraditional PR and AI visibility strategies with interviews from top-tier journalists, diverse founders, and online business experts. Get her free AI visibility prompts and PR training you won’t find anywhere else.  gloriachoupr.com/masterclass 

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