Public relations (PR) is not just a way to communicate your brand message to the media and the public. It can also be a powerful tool to gain a competitive edge in the crowded startup market. In this article, you will learn how to use PR to differentiate your startup, attract customers, investors, and talent, and build credibility and trust.
Before you launch any PR campaign, you need to define your PR goals and align them with your business objectives. What do you want to achieve with PR? Do you want to raise awareness, generate leads, secure funding, or establish thought leadership? Your PR goals will guide your strategy, tactics, and metrics. For example, if your goal is to raise awareness, you might focus on getting featured in relevant publications, podcasts, and blogs. If your goal is to generate leads, you might create a compelling offer, such as a free trial, a webinar, or a white paper, and use PR to drive traffic to it.
From my personal experience I can add the following to this conversation- PR for any Start-up business needs to be results focused. The audience at large wants to hear your success stories, what marketplace problems your business has actually solved, your potential audience also wants to hear statistics, what your company has already brought to the sector, rather then what your company hopes to bring. Your already achieved success stories help your start-up business to be noticed and remembered by potential clients and customers.
When CEOs, founders and owners ask me about PR ideas, I first ask them what the current limitations are in their business: Do they need investors, customers, employees, cooperation partners? If they need all of it, what do they need most? Press work supports the business objectives if it is aligned with this bottleneck.
A strategic PR team will be able to do so much more than just media relations. Start-ups can benefit from PR expertise right from the get-go - to strategically draw out your vision, mission and values, and to support your brand development with broad stakeholder insight that will help you communicate your value to investors convincingly.
First things first, I always define exactly what we want to accomplish. What do we actually need? Is it awareness, leads, thought leadership? Those goals become my North Star. If awareness is the goal, media coverage in target outlets is my focus. For lead gen, I'll create offers like free trials or webinars to drive traffic there. My strategy, tactics and metrics flow from those initial goals. They keep the campaign on track so we get real business impact, not just publicity. Well-defined goals have steered my most effective strategies over the years. They form the backbone of every smart PR plan, there's just no substitute in my opinion!
In addition to traditional public relations, often we create content demonstrating how community-minded our clients are. To do that we often develop a recognition program that recognizes individuals or organizations (or schools) that share a similar mission as our client. We find partners who want to be associated with a worthwhile campaign, we provide content on social media that is unique and makes our clients stand out as a thoughtful, community-minded organization that has skills of kindness in addition to their craft. Be creative -- always. Plan the unexpected so your story is more interesting to tell.
Knowing your target audience is essential for any PR campaign. You need to understand who they are, what they need, what they value, and where they consume information. This will help you craft your key messages, tailor your pitch, and choose the right channels and outlets. For example, if your target audience is young professionals, you might use social media, influencer marketing, and online magazines to reach them. If your target audience is corporate executives, you might use industry publications, trade shows, and podcasts to reach them.
Some questions to ask yourself and to answer via research. Who is your target audience? What are the outlets — news, podcast, social media — they they tune into. Once you know the answers, tune into those outlets. Get to know the stories and content they produce and figure out where you and your start-up can come in. Are there stories or series in which you or someone on your team could serve as a subject matter expert? If so, you or (ideally) your PR team should reach out and let the reporter, editor or producer know about the expertise you can offer. (This is called a pitch, by the way.) Or, maybe you have a story idea to offer or an event you think the outlet will want to cover. You (or our PR team) can pitch that, too.
Identifying your target audience is the cornerstone of a startup's PR strategy. It's not just about reaching masses but connecting with those who resonate most with your brand! Delve deep into understanding their preferences, challenges, and aspirations. Precision really matters. Pinpoint the demographics, behaviors, and interests of your ideal audience. Whether it's tech enthusiasts, eco-conscious consumers, or trendsetters – knowing your audience allows tailoring your PR efforts for maximum impact. PR success lies in resonating with the right crowd. By identifying and comprehending your target audience, your startup can craft narratives that speak directly to their needs, fostering a more profound and lasting connection.
Identify the target audience and where they consume information is an important step for successful PR strategy. Sometimes, your best audience is where you don't think they are. For instance, might a group of key-audience prefer speciliazed media than the mainstream one.
Your PR story is the core of your PR campaign. It is what makes your startup stand out from the competition and resonate with your target audience. Your PR story should answer these questions: What is your startup's mission, vision, and values? What problem are you solving and how? What is unique or innovative about your solution? How do you benefit your customers and society? Your PR story should be clear, concise, and compelling. It should also be consistent across all your PR channels and materials.
You may be offering the most incredible new product or service but that won’t matter if you can’t gain the necessary momentum and break through, in the right way, to the right audience. PR provides that necessary sledgehammer—or, as appropriate, a more subtle chisel. PR can announce your arrival, compellingly tell your story, and even vouch for and defend you. Utilized skillfully, PR can serve as the ultimate “wing man/woman” for startups.
Defining realistic PR goals and target groups is key but relatively easy to do. The challenge lies - and this comes from my very long experience in working with start-ups and scale-ups - in trying to understand what your target groups are interested in, what are their painpoints and how do your reach them? I have witnessed that very often there is so much enthusiasm (which is great and needed) in young companies that they believe any of their stories will resonate and that there is a lot of frustration, if not. Make sure you try to see the world through the lense of your potential customers an multipliers and where do you find them..
A key component of telling your brand story is to tell the stories of the people who benefit from the products or services that you offer. Doing this in language that your target audience understands and in a way that resonates will build brand equity over time and encourage more new users to come on board.
I believe that the most effective storytelling always has to bring consistent cases and sources too. The construiction of a brillant narrative also depends on strong examples and data to confirm its positive results. For instance, for a product launch, do we have tested it before? How the results were? What the benefits people have gotten? Like this, the storytelling wont be just a promisse but a successful story case. : )
Crafting your PR story is pivotal for a successful strategy. Beyond narration, it's about curating a compelling narrative that captivates. Start by defining core values, infuse with real-world impact, and highlight key milestones. Ensure emotional resonance, share anecdotes, and showcase the human side. Leverage multimedia for engagement. Make it a story that not only defines but also sparks curiosity, builds credibility, and establishes a memorable presence in your industry's competitive landscape.
Your PR network is the key to getting your PR story heard and amplified. Your PR network consists of the media contacts, influencers, partners, customers, and advocates who can help you spread the word about your startup. To build your PR network, you need to research and identify the relevant journalists, bloggers, podcasters, and influencers who cover your industry, niche, or topic. You also need to establish and maintain relationships with them by providing value, such as insights, tips, quotes, or testimonials. You also need to leverage your existing network of partners, customers, and advocates by encouraging them to share your PR story with their own audiences.
I'm a local journalist. My advice: befriend us! Just introduce yourself at a press conference. Meet up for coffee with no specific story pitch in mind. No, we're not going to be your "media partner," and we'll kinda resent it if you refer to us that way. But I'm much more likely to cover something based on a text or phone call from someone with whom I'm on a first name basis. Then when you change gigs, you'll already have reporters you can introduce to your new employer. Or when I change gigs, you'll already have an in at another media outlet.
Start building a relationship long before you have something to pitch. Follow the Journalist or Creator's work and social accounts, engage with their work, and don't be afraid to introduce yourself before you make requests. Also, stay ready so you don't have to get ready! Make sure your branding is clear and that it's easy to understand what you offer without much research.
Building your PR network is more than connections; it's about fostering relationships that amplify your startup's story. Engage with journalists, influencers, and industry leaders authentically. Attend events, share insights, and be a valuable resource. Personalize pitches, offering exclusive angles. Collaborate with your network to create mutually beneficial narratives. Leverage social media for visibility. In the dynamic realm of PR, a robust network amplifies your message, establishes credibility, and propels your startup into the spotlight.
Executing your PR campaign involves planning, creating, and distributing your PR content and materials. Your PR content and materials include press releases, media kits, blog posts, social media posts, newsletters, case studies, testimonials, videos, podcasts, webinars, and more. You need to create high-quality, relevant, and engaging content and materials that showcase your PR story and support your PR goals. You also need to distribute them through the appropriate channels and outlets, such as email, social media, websites, blogs, podcasts, and magazines. You also need to follow up with your PR network and monitor their responses and feedback.
Your best bet is to executve the media relations portion of your PR campaign through email and on the phone. Don't be discouraged if a specific press release doesn't get much traction; the "drumbeat" of seeing your company's name in my inbox regularly creates a helpful level of awareness. When you email, put the entire body of the press release in the email -- do NOT attach a PDF! Make it as easy as possible for me to open, read, and copy & paste from your release. And after a few "drumbeat" releases, when you drop the big story that you really want covered, follow it up with a phone call. If I'm too busy I'll let you go to voice mail but I won't be upset that you're bothering me.
Executing your PR campaign is a strategic dance. Start with a clear plan aligned with your goals. Craft compelling pitches tailored to your target audience and outlets. Leverage various channels, from traditional media to social platforms. Monitor media landscape changes and adapt. Engage your network for wider reach. Measure campaign impact using KPIs, adjusting as needed. PR is a dynamic process; flexibility and creativity fuel success. In the intricate choreography of a PR campaign, precision, adaptability, and resonant storytelling take center stage.
Measuring your PR results is crucial for evaluating your PR campaign's effectiveness and impact. You need to track and analyze the metrics that reflect your PR goals and objectives. For example, if your goal is to raise awareness, you might measure the number of impressions, reach, mentions, and shares. If your goal is to generate leads, you might measure the number of clicks, conversions, and sign-ups. You also need to collect and review the qualitative feedback from your PR network and your target audience, such as comments, reviews, ratings, and testimonials. You also need to use the data and feedback to optimize and improve your PR campaign and strategy.
One simple way that start ups can win the advantage is to showcase and display their early PR results, such as media coverage, mentions, and social media engagement. It's a simple way to gain the high ground over competition and can lay the foundation of a positive and successful reputation. Another early use of measurement can help startups better understand their target audience by analyzing the demographics and behaviors of the audience that engages with these PR efforts above. This qualitative insight can help startups refine their messaging and outreach to reach the RIGHT people.
The measurement of PR results only makes sense, if you have realistically set your KPIs in the initial phase of your campaign - otherwise what would you measure? Besides setting the KPIs wisely, it is also clever to measure your share of voice against competitors or with regard to a topic or a market segment. However, do not make this too complicated. Reporting and measurement are important but they have to be easy-to-understand and to deliver the right learnings.
I agree completely that start-ups should look to hire professionals - either internal or external or at a certain growth stage - both. Get it right from the beginning. Times are over were communication done by the founders based on what they believe is relevant is working long term. Think holistic, focussed and pay attention to the quality of your program.
First, any startup that is interested in proactive PR and media relations, should consider a small investment in hiring a professional to handle these matters either part-time or on a contract basis. If the startup is looking for volunteer assistance, I suggest recruiting brand ambassadors and interns with educational backgrounds in public relations, strategic communications, social media and digital journalism. Start ups can consider providing volunteers with contracts allowing for a percentage of stock options for any future initial public offering (IPO). They can also consider compensating volunteers via cryptocurrency. I hope this is helpful, per my experience working as a US brand ambassador for a social media startup based in Spain.
It’s all about the long term game, know your start up milestones, look after your relationships, own your story. I’m biased (work in PR) but get yourself a brilliant comms team around you and listen to all the advice and know your industry. PR isn’t all about the big double pagers and maverick broadcast moments (although they are nice) - it’s about profile, reputation, visibility and accountability just as much as it is about the results. Go get em tigers!
Start-ups need to build awareness, and PR does that. PR creates visibility and credibility. If you want your endeavor to gain traction, build a following and create a loyal customer base, consider investing in public relations — either via an in-house team or an agency for hire.