How can you manage media relations for a startup?

The first thing to do is identify your story angle (which is your point of difference vs other existing companies/startups in your sector?) and your media goals (which is your main target? The financial community? Your potential customers? Venture capitalists?). Then it is important to choose if you need a consultant, the right media strategy - which also depends on how newsworthy you are - and your media targets. Last but not least, it is crucial to have catchy and complete media kits.

Be clear about how to talk to media. If your work is too complicated to tell, simplify, if too ambitious, get perspective from PR professionals. Ask yourself, why should media be interested in what I do? Why should people care about my brand or my product?

Today's media landscape has significantly changed. In order to break through, it is critical to have clear, concise messages about your product/service. Begin by defining what it is you want your target audiences to know about you. Are you the category leader? Do you have a new way to solve a common issue? Is your solution more cost effective? Figure out what sets you apart and leverage that for your messaging. Next, craft three primary messages that explain the difference clearly without relying on industry jargon or acronyms. Under each of these, develop your supporting messages to help further underscore your position. For the most cohesive communication, each message (and its supporting points) should be able to stand on its own.

Kick-start your media relations efforts by networking at conferences. Industry events provide valuable opportunities to establish a personal connection with media which can make it easier to pitch stories in the future - but don't leave it to long. You're one of many in a long line of requests, messages and emails trying to sell-in a perspective, knowledge, fact or promotion to elevate your brand or solution. Being realistic with your targeting is also important. Don't expect to get a front cover story in Nature unless you have groundbreaking science to showcase - for example. Do research what related content has been covered to date and have a clear understanding of why your story offers value to readers of the media you're targeting.

Make a list of key journalists and bloggers you want for them to know you and your business. Connect with them online. Begin building the relationship, by genuinely, and I stress genuinely, finding ways to support them, help them and deliver value. In the meantime ensure that when you connect with them online, your profile is clear, and provides clear insight into you and your business which implies that you are in fact clear about your key messages, your brand, what your business stands for. Media is not what it used to be, they don't have time to decipher who you are and what you do, so make sure you do that work for them.

Ensure to create and focus on having high quality video and visual materials such as infographics or other collateral that can tell your story in a simple impactful and relatable way.

Before you venture into the world of media outreach, it's crucial to have a clear objective and a strategy to measure your success. Are you aiming to raise awareness, generate leads, attract investors, or build your reputation? Knowing your key messages, stories, and the most relevant media outlets and journalists for your industry is vital. A well-structured media plan will help you stay focused and align your efforts with your business objectives. Managing media relations effectively requires a set of media assets that highlight your startup's value proposition, achievements, and expertise.

It all starts with your narrative, can you tell in 60 seconds what you do... and why it matters? Rewrite this and make it as succinct as possible - this is your crowbar. Other good assets to have are bio's of the executive team, headshots and a good deck that helps convey the story. Then go out - and revise along the way based on what resonates!

Media asset creation should be tied to your sales enablement program. You want your media content to reinforce the messages and collateral your sales teams are putting out. For example, a good media asset could be a natural-looking, high resolution photo of your product being used by an actual customer. This makes your brand feel approachable and look more human-centered, which is a great market differentiator.

Next you have understand what the media landscape is like for your start-up, what channels are available and useful for your goals and how can you exploit them. Think about what kind of content you can generate to showcase your startup's strengths, what stories you can come up with and how often will you be able to deliver them. Start generating evergreen content you can refer to but also come up with specific topics in which you may be able to gain visibility. Also think about the risks your startup might have and develop narratives and messaging for those potential issues that may arise. By having them prepared before things go wrong you will be ahead of the game and make much better decisions.

Creo que es importante el proporcionar información precisa, como es el caso de cifras de inversión, fondos participantes en las rondas de inversión y porcentajes que tengan sustento en una base comparativa, ya que esa información es muy importante para poder dimensionar el tama?o y avance de las empresas. Además de tener una buena historia que conjunte el lado humano de las startups y los números del negocio.

In my experience, interviewing over 1000 professionals in executive leadership and the functional workforce, individuals often have a tremendous fear of simply starting to speak and discussing topics they know and master. Effective communication is one that takes place, moving from the realm of ideas and materializing in the real world. There is also a concern, particularly in the context of startups, about innovating and constantly seeking more disruptive ways to communicate. Sometimes, however, well-executed basics can yield surprising results.

Startups typically don't have a lot of money so you have to be clever. Who could really amplify your message to a group of people that are crucial for your product? People recognise established media brands, that's true. But if an influencer has an engaged audience that is interested in your field, it could be the wiser bet.

Research, research and more research. I cannot stress this enough. Find out the different beats that the journalists cover by reading their past articles and understanding what is newsworthy about it e.g. how your product impacts or benefits the public, what's it's USP, etc. Pitch to the relevant target audience. What you do not want is pitching an irrelevant topic to an uninterested journalist.

De acuerdo. Si querés establecer una relación duradera con un medio, tenés que conocerlo, dedicarle atención, personalizar el contenido y el mensaje. Cada uno es diferente y merece atención.

It is important to treat relationships as a two-way street. If you only ever reach out to media when you want something covered the relationship can seem transactional. Building meaningful relationships involves: - Sharing useful information even if it may not directly benefit your organization - Offering your network as a resource for media - Checking in to see if you can help with current assignments - Honesty. Relationships are built on trust, always be honest about embargo times, exclusives etc

There was a time when you could get away with stories based on your relationship with a particular media house or journalist. But I feel today, if your story/pitch doesn't have merit - irrespective of your personal equation - it won't get picked. So as much as it is important to have a relationship with the key guys that cover you and your brand - good quality well researched content is much more important.

Seid ehrlich, aufrichtig, selbstbewusst - und demütig. Immer wieder habe überhebliche, selbstgerechte "Founder" erlebt, die glaubte, die Medienwelt warte gerade nur auf sie. Es ist nicht der Fall. Junge Startups müssen mit Inhalten überzeugen, mit echtem Mehrwert, mit L?sungen und Impact, mit Stories und coolen Menschen. Sucht Euch mit einem Blick fürs Wesentliche passende Medientitel aus, recherchiert nach Journalist*innen, die bereits zu ?hnlichen Themen recherchieren - und schreibt sie an. Nett, freundlich und überzeugt, aber niemals von oben herab. Erkl?rt Eure Vorteile, bietet ein Gespr?ch und wartet ab, was kommt. Nach einigen Tagen einmal nachfragen? Auf jeden Fall. Mehrmals anrufen und nerven? Bitte nicht.

The way you should think about media relations is just like any other relationship. If you would only call your friends when you need something from them, would they continue to pick-up the phone? Be well informed and bring value so you can be a great sparring partner, but also be honest when you don't have a clue. It's ok to not have all the answers.

It’s important to work with a seasoned media professional. Someone who has worked as a journalist will have a good handle on how to establish a relevant “story pitch”. You don’t want to burn any bridges with reporters and producers or waste their time. Be familiar with their news cycle and how your business can benefit their viewers and ultimately your end users or customers.

La preparación de la entrevista es fundamental. La planificación disminuye (hasta eliminar), los posibles errores o imprevistos. Esa preparación debe incluir no sólo el contenido, el lenguaje oral y el gestual, también debe existir un intercambio con el productor (o con el entrevistador) a fin prever las consultas. Un plan de comunicación es un apéndice del plan de negocios, pero no menos importante.

Don’t be shy to ask for the journalist’s questions in advance. This is common practice and leads to a much better flow through the interview. Then practice, practice, practice! Keep rehearsing your answers until they come naturally like muscle memory. And don’t forget to bridge with nice openings like ”I’m glad you asked me that…”

Hoje vivemos uma febre de podcasts. Eu mesmo já fui convidado por alguns, mas, você precisa saber dizer n?o. Há pessoas que n?o tem a didática necessária para uma entrevista e se n?o adianta você se preparar ao máximo para uma e o profissional n?o saber conduzir. E uma coisa que eu sempre falo, todos tem história de vida, seja fácil, empolgante ou simples, mas todos temos histórias, mas, o que você é referência. Se você quer se destacar numa entrevista, se especialize, seja dedicado no que faz para que uma pergunta n?o programada te deixe desconfortável.

Preparar-se para entrevistas é essencial para garantir que sua startup transmita as mensagens de forma clara e eficaz. Para isso é necessário que se conhe?a o veículo de mídia e o entrevistador; Identifique suas mensagens-chave que deseja transmitir durante a entrevista e prepare exemplos ou histórias que as ilustrem; Treine respostas concisas; Antecipe perguntas difíceis e se prepare respostas claras e honestas; Cuide da aparência e linguagem corporal; Esteja preparado para o imprevisto; Fa?a um ensaio prévio: Se possível, fa?a um ensaio prévio da entrevista com um colega ou mentor.

Según mi experiencia, el tama?o de la empresa (si es multinacional, pyme o startup) no importa a la hora de preparar una entrevista con un periodista, ya que pocos momentos son tan importantes en comunicación. Y el portavoz debe estar bien preparado, ya que hay muchos riesgos que se pueden producir, como no controlar la información o quedarse callado. Si se encadenan varios silencios durante la entrevista, la credibilidad de la compa?ía queda da?ada. Para estar bien preparados, es fundamental tener un Q&A con las respuestas más adecuadas para cada cuestión. Esto puede ser muy complicado, por lo que mi recomendación es contar con un experto en comunicación para que puedan anticiparse y preparar al portavoz correctamente.

Having a knowledgeable, approachable and media-savvy startup leader is half the battle won. For this to happen, the leader must be trained and equipped with the relevant media skills, and put through a range of simulated scenarios until he/she is comfortable to give interviews. It would help to provide confidence to the leader if the first few media to be granted interviews are friendly ones. After each interview session, post-mortem must be conducted to draw insights and lessons which can be applied to subsequent interviews.

Media have a job to inform the public. Your pitch may not meet the mandate or even be worthy of coverage. Thoughtful and proactive media monitoring can help you better understand what is likely to get media coverage. No organization is entitled to coverage, it comes at the discretion of the media outlet. Follow many outlets and use consistent monitoring to determine which outlets are right for your messages.

Be aware of the following: - The audience you are reaching (either on an interview/talk show or press. You must me sensitive to connect with them. If you have previous information regarding tough/negative audience to your message, review talking points with your Comms Director. Stick to them as possible but try to "feel and read" your interviewer and the audience. This will ease your participation and also will generate empathy with your topic. - Use soundbytes with the key elements you need to communicate but do not abuse of them. - Most important, take media training. Even the most skillful person isn't really prepared without it.

Monitoring and leveraging media coverage can benefit a startup in multiple ways: -Insight Generation: Monitoring media coverage provides insights into how the public perceives your startup. It can help founders understand what aspects of the business are gaining attention and resonate with the public. Employee Morale: Sharing positive media coverage internally with employees boosts morale. It helps them feel proud of their work and the company's accomplishments. Increased Visibility: Sharing media coverage on social media allows you to reach a new audience

Often, the media coverage we receive is utilized for internal reporting and to highlight our presence on social media platforms. Regularly updating the entire team about this coverage can foster a sense of collective effort and ownership. There are various online tools, both free and paid, that enable you to monitor this media coverage effectively.

Build a set of narratives that communicate your key messages and strategic priorities. Have message houses for your core business and purpose

As always I jump to here's what else to consider as all previous points are so generic! Focus on building your company story and what's unique about what you are doing. If you have a strong story and USP media will be interested, even if you are small. Concentrate on finding the reporters who are writing about your space/ sector and start to build relationships by focusing on getting to know each other meetings. If your story and view points are strong, the coverage will come. Media coverage is usually a slow burn, often the big headlines are for the wrong reasons!

Another important factor to keep in mind is that building up your media contacts is a process that takes TIME and EFFORT. As a startup, you typically have to build your press relationships from scratch. Just like you wouldn't expect one date to lead to a committed relationship, having a reporter cover your company once doesn't mean they will cover your company every time your CEO gets a haircut. Relationships are a two-way street. Always lead with the value YOU bring rather than what you hope to gain.

- Your pitches for stories and ideas should always align with the key corporate messages and the brand values. Never pitch for stories just to get a media coverage. - Not all the pitches you make are going to convert to stories and you should be ok with that. Continue to maintain your relationship with the relevant journalists, try and understand their styles better and explore new ideas. - The initial focus should be on building relations with media personnel of your niche. It should be ok if you are not able to get a lot of features. Once you build good relations with them, the stories and features will eventually happen.

Don't try to do it all yourself. Media management is a skill and can be full-time in its own right - if you're working on building your startup, you're going to need help with parts of your business. Look at what resources and support are available to you - if you're a spin out company then the parent organisation (university etc) might have a media department you can tap into and get advice from for free. If you're part of a startup incubator then you might find there are resources available to help with functions like media management. Otherwise, look for a reputable freelancer with experience working with startups in your sector, and relevant qualifications or professional memberships in marketing or public relations.