5 PR Strategies Start-ups Must Leverage
Over the years the role of public relations as changed. No longer do we have to know each and every journalist, (there is 150,000 journalists, editors and freelance writers in the US alone), crank out press releases on IBM Selectric typewriters and drink scotch with hard-boiled newspaper men.
Today the role of Public Relations is that of a storyteller. In our digital age, it is imperative that companies act like publishing houses, producing purpose-driven stories (content) designed to create and own its narrative. Too often, especially in the Silicon Valley, we see young tech entrepreneurs so solely focused on developing and shipping a great product they forget their brand story is just as crucial to their success.
So how does a start-up begin to leverage a winning Public Relations strategy? Here are five things that are an absolute must:
- Start early. Waiting a week before your product ships and then trying to find a PR pro on Upwork, or a similar platform, to write a press release is not going to work out the way you want. When Ad Tech entrepreneur Chris Gonzales founded Gnack, he and his team built a foundation for their public relations programs in a deliberate step-by-step approach. First, they got their messaging together, then created media lists of the targets they needed to work with and pre-pitched them. They then developed a case study based on the results from a beta user to build credibility with the media and then they drafted a press release. The process took over a month and paid off handsomely.
- Develop a story the media want to tell their audience. As Nigel Hawthorne, EMEA marketing manager for Sky Networks says, “Just because it's interesting to you doesn’t mean it's interesting to anyone else.” Focus on creating stories that position your product or service as the hero as this construct follows the natural laws of 'story' which is more engaging.
- Stop talking about how your product works. The audience for how your product works is small compared to the audience who wants to know how your product benefits them in some unique way.
- Employ consistency of message across media channels. Imagine if you went to a movie and the first 30-40 minutes of the film was about zebras on the African plains, the second part of the movie was about veterinarians, while the end of the movie was about flying animals into space? Despite the fact the movie was all about animals, you would be pretty confused. The same thing happens when you tell your story with inconsistent messaging. Your audience becomes confused.
- Think in PowerPoint, not in Excel. Polaris venture capitalist Gary Swart thinks too many Silicon Valley start-ups want to be very tactical and data-driven and think like an Excel spreadsheet when it comes to Public Relations, and not about how they can tell their story or think like a PowerPoint presentation. He also reminds us that the GAP does not put everything in the storefront window, just enough to get the customer to come inside.
Successful Public Relations is like investing in the stock market, it requires patience, a plan and a consistent approach that allows for flexibility to change course when the markets do.
#Technology, #Entrepreneurs, #Start-ups, #Marketing, #Public Relations
