Hold onto your hats, and your pink hair clips, because this episode is about to shake up what you think you know about PR, visibility and what it means to show up for your business when you’re NOT based in the city, NOT working in an ‘Instagrammable’ niche, and absolutely NOT buying into the old-school ‘just shout loudest’ visibility hype.

If you’ve been led to believe that the only way to make your business work is to “be more visible” … think again.

LET’S GET REAL ABOUT VISIBILITY

My guest this week is the brilliant, bold and refreshingly honest Karin Harmsworth, an agricultural consultant based in Shetland. Yes, you read that right, we’re getting niche, we’re getting rural and we’re getting into the nitty gritty of what it really takes to put yourself (and your business) out there when your clients are farmers, word of mouth is king and “being seen” means being spotted in Tesco as much as being featured in industry press.

Here’s what we unpack:

• Why “visibility” alone won’t cut it. (Spoiler: Showing up, PJs and all, isn’t enough if you’re not showing up right– for YOU, for your audience and for your sanity.)
• What happens when you build a PR strategy that actually fits your life (Shetland ferries, farm WhatsApps and all), rather than trying to squeeze into a one-size-fits-all influencer template.
• How ‘showing up as yourself’ can be the most radical PR tactic of all.
• The true value of niche, hyper-local and regional coverage and how that can drive more impact (and actual clients stopping you at Tesco!) than the big national splash.
• The fallout (and bounce-back) from negative press and choosing vulnerability even when criticism stings.

LET’S BREAK IT DOWN
Karin’s approach is a masterclass in not just being visible, but being visible with purpose:

👉 She attends online events in her pyjamas (because hello, 12-hour ferry rides just to get to the mainland aren’t an option).
👉 She gets vulnerable at virtual summits, realises everyone there is just as human and messy as she is (anonymity = honesty), and uses it as rocket fuel to pitch herself to 14 publications in two hours flat the minute the event ended.
👉 She’s launching her own podcast – not because “everyone does,” but because it works for her clients AND creates a powerful ripple of content (without endless social media slog).
👉 She recycles her content (pro tip: a pitch is not a one-and-done asset), batches her efforts and works with the platforms her audience actually uses, not just the shiny new things.
👉 She leverages local, word-of-mouth reputation strategically and never underestimates the power of a local newspaper that lands in the right hands.

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
Still convinced you can only make it if you’re chasing every trend on TikTok? Karen’s story is proof that:

• Being visible is just the surface. It’s what you’re actually saying and to whom.
• Hyper-local or industry-specific PR can punch way above its perceived weight—especially when it positions you as the expert among people who are already primed to buy.
• The more ‘you’ you bring to the table (F-bombs, lived experience, bold opinions and all), the deeper your impact—and the more authentic your industry legend grows.

RAISE YOUR PROFILE TO BUILD YOUR REPUTATION

You don’t need to be everywhere. You DO need to be relentlessly, uncompromisingly, loudly yourself, wherever your clients will actually see and remember you.

Have questions? Want to know how this could work in your niche?
DM @‌withperkes on Instagram, or book a free consult. Whether it’s praise or constructive criticism, Laura is here for it all.