Why Most Startups Don’t ‘Get’ Press
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No matter how many
No matter how many PR agencies or freelance consultants say otherwise, a small startup can pull off a solid media relations strategy without shelling out for help.
In fact, there are only three reasons an early-stage company should consider retaining the services of a firm:
- It’s entering a crowded market.
- It’s a very disruptive company.
- There’s a legacy CEO involved who has history with the press.
Once You Have Their
Once You Have Their Attention
If you’ve put in the time cultivating your media network, it’s time to invest even more in learning how to talk to them. And if there’s one person you should pay, it’s a media trainer.
Talking to reporters is a whole different beast, a whole different art entirely. And you can work with a trainer without retaining an agency.
Some founders may need this boost more than others, and it’s important to recognize which type you are.
You Are Your Message
You Are Your Message & Your Message Is Everything
Make your leadership team answer these questions:
“What are you? Why are you? Who are you? What problem are you solving and how are you solving it? Why should people care right now?”
The idea is to hear what all of them say — where are the differences? Where are the overlaps? What do the people who care most about the company’s success think it is?
This is how a narrative is born.
Getting on the Media’s
Getting on the Media’s Radar
Once you have your plan, it’s all about placement. How do you get attention in the deafening echo chamber of today’s technology news cycle?
Figure out who’s covering your industry — whether it’s the broader tech industry, internet of things, consumer internet, mobile, whatever. Then there will be those few reporters who cover that specific area you’re in. Make sure you read everything they write. And don’t just look forward, go back in time. Get a sense of their writing style and personality, what topics interest them.” Following reporters on Twitter can also give you a better sense of their life outside of work and what they’re really passionate about. All of this can be used to craft personalized communications.
The next step is
The next step is to build a messaging document, starting with your most succinct, resonant messaging at the top — maybe it’s just one sentence.
“It’s what you want to say at cocktail parties”.
Below that, you can dive a little deeper with the three key messages you’d want to share with reporters about the specific problem your company is solving.
Don’t be afraid to
Don’t be afraid to reach out.
The reporters covering tech want to hear your story. They’re actively looking to build relationships with entrepreneurs.
If you live in the same city, try to set up some time to talk. If you don’t, then drop them a note a few weeks before you pass through their area and say you’d love to grab coffee.
Not everyone will say yes, but a lot will.
The Irreplaceable Voice of
The Irreplaceable Voice of the Founder
When a founder decides to take a backseat, and put a marketing person out there, it negatively impacts the team, the organization, and the trust reporters have in them.
The press really wants that connection with the founder and their story. This should never change, no matter what stage you’re at, even if you have an agency or a big in-house comms team.
PR isn’t about hits,
PR isn’t about hits, it isn’t about placement — it isn’t ‘You pay us and we’ll get you a clip here or a mention on that blog.’
And it isn’t about a first-day bump that gets no traction.
It’s about focusing your voice. It’s about finding your place in the market.
Like creating messaging, preparing
Like creating messaging, preparing for an effective launch starts with a list of questions — all designed to suss out your real motivations for doing PR:
- Do you just want a lot of attention early on?
- Is the goal to attract a ton of users? Customers?
- Is the announcement more about recruiting top talent?
- Do you want to raise more capital or VC interest?
The answers to these questions will shape your approach and your story. For the most part, different goals mean you go after different outlets.
If you’re trying to hire great engineers, you want to get on Reddit, Hacker News, or the blogs engineers you want are reading. If you’re trying to get in front of investors, figure out what they read, and pitch those publications.
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