PR for Startups: Insights and strategies

Do you remember the story of Adam Newman, Head of WeWork? When seeking investment, Newman told a bank clerk, “Google me,” after being initially offered far less than he requested. This simple act demonstrates the power of being visible and searchable on Google — essentially, being known.

We were fortunate to have Viachaslau Smirnov, CEO of AROUND PR studio , as our special guest at Imaguru. With 20 years of PR experience, including leadership roles at A1, Coca-Cola, and Prestigio in Belarus, and two stints as a Marketing Director in IT, Viachaslau shared valuable insights on how startups can leverage PR to attract investors.

??Basic PR formula

1. Strategy: Start with clear, consistent goals. Think beyond generic objectives like "attract investors.” Consider other aims, such as acquiring new customers or seeking business partnerships.?

2. Competitor analysis: Understand your market. Telling an investor you have no competitors (and thus no niche) can imply there is no demand. Research your competitors to strategize based on their business models and how you differentiate yourself.

3. Target audience: ?For startups, the primary audience is often investors. Segment this group by the industries they invest in, their behaviors, and where they spend their time. Ensure you're visible and active in these spaces.

??Investors might typically browse through publications like Sifted, Forbes, VentureBit, TechCrunch, Inc., and The Economist. Securing coverage in these can significantly raise your profile. Note that if you are looking for local investors you could look at your local media: usually they are more open for collaboration.

???Securing media coverage

1. Research: Understand the topics covered by your target media. Use Google to identify which journalists have covered similar stories or competitors, and gather their contact details. Avoid reaching out through social media, messaging apps, or phone calls—these channels are considered very private. Instead, reach out via email, preferably their work address.

2. Pitch: You do not need to have a fully prepared article at this stage, Start with a concise message that captures the uniqueness of your story.? Specificity and personalization are key, as journalists receive numerous pitches daily. Tailor your message to the journalist's interests and choose a compelling subject line.

3. Follow-up: Based on my experience, you likely won't receive an immediate response about 80% of the time, and probably not the next day either. Follow up after 3-5 days, enrich your follow-up with additional content, such as images or statistics. Persist until you get a definitive answer.

4. Work on article: If the journalist accepts your idea, your next step is to prepare a draft and send it for review. The journalist might send it back with comments or corrections, possibly requesting additional details like revenue figures or other specific data. You may find yourself exchanging the article several times — two, three, or even four times — as you incorporate their feedback. This iterative process is essential and worthwhile because it leads to the successful publication of your article.

5. Release:? Once your article is ready for publication, be patient—it could take months for it to go live. During this time, maintain contact with the journalist and offer to promote the article across your networks to boost engagement.

Journalists are driven by engagement metrics like site visits and article reads. Help boost these by promoting the article on your social networks and company page, and encourage colleagues to share it. After publication, review for errors and maintain a good relationship with the journalist for smoother future collaborations and stronger media influence.

??Supporting founders’ personal brand

1. Stay informed and engaged. Regularly read the news and stay updated on current agendas. Look for opportunities to comment on media pieces, prepare your own articles, or make posts on your social platforms.

2. Create a blog. Use free platforms like Hacker, Noun or Medium to publish your content. If your blog is well-crafted and becomes searchable in Google, you won't have to communicate with journalists directly, they can just quote your blog.

3. Respond to journalists’ requests. Media outlets sometimes need detailed comments on specific topics when preparing articles. They often use platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and hashtags like #journorequest.?

4. Be active in online communities. Engage in communities where your target audience is present, such as Facebook, Slack, or Telegram.

5. Participate in conferences, meetups and other speaking events. Usually there is a good audience, and a large amount of people will listen to what you have to say.

6. Launch on ProductHunt. You can launch your products multiple times on ProductHunt to reach an engaged audience, including potential investors looking for new and interesting products.

7. Use podcasts and Interviews. Collaborate with well-known bloggers and influencers in your field who have a show on platforms like YouTube. Appearing on their show can help you tap into their audience, gaining followers and increasing attention to your brand.

8. Be creative. Combine traditional PR tactics with innovative campaigns that have the potential to go viral, like the Midjourney campaign created for BasePose, which reached an audience of 700 million across 15 countries.

??? Preparing to go public

1. Ensure your product is polished, your website functions well, and your startup's information is clear. Investors will check these details.

2. Develop a PR Kit. Prepare a set of materials about your company, including press releases, general info, founder photos, and bios. This makes it easy to respond quickly to media or investor inquiries.

3. Expect some negative comments—it's a natural part of gaining exposure.

???Useful Tools

Feedly: You can set up your competitors and get all the information they publish on social media or in the press delivered to your mailbox.

MailTrack: With this tool, you'll know if a journalist has opened your message. If they open it multiple times, the topic is likely of interest, and you can follow up.

Grammarly or other grammar checkers: Any AI tool that helps you proofread texts and correct mistakes or errors.

X (formerly Twitter): Use it to find journalist requests, as mentioned earlier.

Muck Rack, RocketReach: These tools help you find the email addresses of journalists you want to collaborate with.

Google Trends: To stay informed about current trends and rising topics.

Podmatch: This tool matches you with interviewers.

#startups #prforstartups #toolsforstartups