PR and media relations
AI-powered PR agency for Australian small businesses
iStories is a PR agency for Australian small businesses and startups: finding the story, building the media list, writing the media release and pitching the journalists who actually cover your sector. The iStories team sets the strategy and makes the calls. AI does the research, the list building, the first drafts and the monitoring, which is what keeps the retainer affordable.
What AI changes about PR, and what it doesn’t
Traditional PR spends a lot of billable time on work that software now does in minutes: finding which journalists cover your beat, reading what they’ve written lately, drafting a first version, watching for coverage and compiling the report.
What it can’t do is judge whether your story is worth a journalist’s time.
What you get
Finding the story
Before anything gets written, we work out what about your business is genuinely newsworthy this month, and to whom. AI-assisted research on sector trends and recent coverage feeds that; the call on what to pitch is the iStories team’s.
Media lists that reflect who’s writing now
Journalists move beats and outlets constantly, which is why bought lists go stale. We build yours from current coverage, using AI to scan and summarise recent articles, then check the result by hand before anything is sent.
Pitches written for the person receiving them
A pitch that ignores what a journalist covers gets deleted. Each media release and pitch is written against that journalist’s actual beat and recent work, drafted with AI and edited before it goes.
Monitoring and reporting
Coverage tracking runs continuously rather than in business hours, with alerts when something lands or when a story worth reacting to breaks. Reports say what ran, where, and what it did.
How it works
- Discovery. Market, competitor and audience research, AI-assisted, human-interpreted. You get a view of where your story fits.
- Targeting. A media list built from who is covering your sector right now, with an angle for each outlet.
- Pitching and coverage. Media releases and pitches go out, follow-ups happen, and you see what lands.
- Reporting. Coverage, reach and what it drove, in plain terms, every month.
Who it’s for
A good fit if
- You’re a small business or startup with something to say: a launch, a milestone, new data or an expert view on your industry.
- You want coverage in national, metro or trade media, and can make a spokesperson available.
- You don’t have anyone in-house doing PR, and want senior judgement rather than a junior account team.
Probably not the right fit if
- You need guaranteed placements. No honest agency can promise those.
- You want one release sent to as many inboxes as possible. We pitch fewer journalists, chosen for what they cover.
- Your budget is under $2,000 a month. AI-Stories is built for that, and its PR team is free to try.
What it costs
PR projects and retainers start from $2,000 a month. The exact figure depends on scope: iStories Lite suits one announcement or a launch, and iStories Pro suits ongoing coverage across more than one audience. You’ll get a quote after a short brief, before any work starts.
If you’d rather run your own PR, AI-Stories gives you an AI PR team you can try free, then $19 + GST a campaign.
Common questions
What is AI-powered PR?
PR where software does the research, list building, drafting and monitoring, and an experienced practitioner does the strategy, the judgement and the relationships. The output is the same kind of media coverage a traditional agency chases, at a lower cost, because less of the retainer goes on manual work.
How much does PR cost for a small business in Australia?
At iStories, PR projects and retainers start from $2,000 a month, quoted on scope after a short brief. If that’s more than you can spend, AI-Stories gives you an AI PR team from $19 + GST a campaign, and the guides on our blog cover how to do your own media outreach.
Can you guarantee coverage?
No, and be wary of anyone who does. Editorial decisions belong to journalists and editors. What we can do is pitch a story that stands up, to people who cover that subject, at a time when it’s relevant, which is what makes coverage likely rather than lucky.
How long does it take to get media coverage?
It depends on the story and the news cycle. A timely angle on something already in the news can be picked up within days; a planned announcement or a feature takes longer to place. At the brief stage we’ll tell you honestly what’s realistic for your story.
What’s the difference between a media release and a press release?
Nothing: they’re the same document. Australian newsrooms and businesses more often say “media release”; “press release” is the more common term overseas. What matters is that it reads as news to the journalist receiving it.
Which outlets do you pitch?
Whichever ones cover your sector: national and metro mastheads, trade titles, regional press, podcasts and newsletters. The media list is built from who is writing about your subject now, not from a bought database.
Is this suitable for a small business?
Yes. Automating the research and admin is what brings senior PR within reach of businesses that could never carry a traditional agency retainer.
Will my media releases read like AI wrote them?
No. AI produces the first draft. Everything that reaches a journalist has been edited by a person, because generic AI output is the fastest way to get ignored.
Do you work with businesses outside Sydney?
Yes. iStories is based in Sydney and works with clients across Australia.
Guides to doing your own PR
- How to pitch the media like a pro, without hiring an agency: a four-step workflow for small businesses.
- How to write and pitch a press release using AI: drafting, pitching and costs.
- How to build an Australian media list without an expensive database: free tools instead of Meltwater or Medianet.
- How to newsjack without getting burned: reacting to breaking news, and when not to.
- The media pitch follow-up: what to send, when, and when to stop.
Ready to get your story in front of journalists?
Book a free, no-obligation 15-minute strategy session and we’ll tell you honestly whether you have a story worth pitching.
Send us your brief · Or email info@istories.com.au
Prefer to run it yourself? AI-Stories gives you five AI departments, from $19 + GST a campaign or $29 + GST a month for all of them, and the PR team is free to try.