Early-stage startups often shy away from PR, thinking that it’s a costly investment with little return. But, it might be high time to reconsider this widespread myth. Contrary to what many believe, PR can be far more effective than traditional advertising. What’s more is that positive press is often one of the biggest drivers for customer acquisition. When you do it properly, you can book some great first results, even if you have a limited budget or lack a communications professional on your team.
Here are a few handy guidelines that every up-and-coming entrepreneur can use to garner some press attention:
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Compile A Media Influencer List
An easy way to start is by looking at which journalists have written about your competitors. Before Googling away, it might pay off to check if your competitors have an online news section where recent pieces of coverage are gathered. From there, start dreaming about the (relevant!) publications where you’d like to see your company featured.
Beware, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed in the world of publications. But, as long as you keep thinking about which ones would best fit with what you can offer, and the kind of audience you’re looking to bring in, you’re on the right track.
As soon as you know which publications you want to reach, figure out which journalists cover your industry and would be likely to write about your startup. Now that you have a list of the top journalists on hand, you can hone in on them every time you have a story to tell.
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Tweet It Up
Once you know who you want to target, make it your goal to build relationships with these key reporters. This is where Twitter comes in handy. More than other social media platforms, writers use Twitter to quickly share the news that they are interested in, which gives you the opportunity to obtain a more in-depth understanding of each journalist.
Journalists often tweet when they are looking for sources, making it easier to pitch to them, knowing already what story they are working on. Over time, you can start profiling yourself as a thought leader by regularly commenting on newsworthy industry news.
Finally, do not hesitate to interact with journalists by commenting on their tweets, sharing their articles and even tweeting to them interesting stories that they might enjoy.
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Leverage Your Content More Than Once
It takes a lot of time and effort to create quality content. Whether it is a blog, LinkedIn Pulse post or press release, consider leveraging it in as many ways as possible. Don’t forget to share your content through social media to expand your audience reach. Sharing press releases across social media can increase the total audience reach by nearly 70 percent and each share generates on average two new views! That said, do not limit yourself to Twitter and share the content on all channels relevant to your business and influencers.
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Send Tailored Emails
Before you start blasting out pitches, take a step back and think about what is newsworthy for the journalists you’re targeting. Only if you’re convinced that reporters and their audience will be interested in your startup’s launch or new product offering, is it worth crafting a powerful pitch.
Make sure to start by giving a clear explanation of your company’s message, similar to that elevator pitch that swept so many of your investors off their feet in the first place. Continue to explain your story pitch in just a few sentences and avoid using any industry jargon. Keep in mind that journalists receive tons of pitches and press releases on a daily basis, so it’s vital to make the value of your pitch crystal clear and use a subject line that makes the email stand out immediately.
Last but not least, tailor your pitch to the key reporters that you really want to cover your news. Showcase that you are familiar with their work and explain why your startup is relevant to their coverage area and readers: “I’ve noticed that you’ve covered topic X quite a lot at publication Y, and I think you might be interested in learning about how my startup influences topic X.” You’d be surprised how far you can get with a customized email.
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Be Prepared for the Next Steps
With a bit of luck, you might have captured a journalist’s attention. In most cases, the reporter will want to set up an interview to talk about your story. Keep in mind that journalists are often working on multiple tight deadlines, so try to be as flexible as possible to accommodate their wishes. Don’t forget that you might be in different time zones. If conflicting agendas don’t allow for scheduling a call, you can offer to do an email Q&A instead.
Now, prepare for the interview as if you were preparing for a job interview. Make sure that you know the background of the reporter and have read some of their recent stories. Think about what the journalist will want to know and make note of your key discussion points.
After the interview, it’s good practice to follow up with the journalist to see if he needs any additional information for his story. It’s wise to have key materials, such as a company profile, product description, relevant high-resolution pictures or a biography, readily available.
If all goes well, the journalist will cover your story – congratulations! Take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen your relationship with the reporter by sharing the article via social media.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg; there is much more to know about public relations. But by trying out these best practices first, even public relations rookies can net some amazing PR results.
In The Evolution of PR, Content Marketing and Blogging, we cover:
- The ongoing changes in the world of PR
- The principles of content marketing for tech companies
- Important blogging strategies
- How to use press releases for more than just brand-building
