PR for startups: How to toot your own horn

You’ve launched (or are about to launch) your business. What’s next? One major to-do is PR. Here’s how to start:

Define your goals

What tasks are PR’s? Media relations, social media, conference prep, guerilla PR and other PR stunts, copy writing, crisis communications. Want more examples? Check out my PR firm’s services list, or our case studies.

Media relations
I’ve written on pitching the media in my Pitching 101 series, so I’ll deal with media relations quickly. Media relations are the cornerstone of PR. Here’s how to do start-up media relations:

1. Understand what’s interesting about your story. What sets your startup apart? What’s your hook? When a journalist asks “Why should I care?” you’ll have an answer.

2. Do research to pitch the right people. The political beat writer at a media outlet won’t care that your startup just launched, and you’ll only annoy journalists for not reading up on who you pitch.

3. When you are ready to pitch, keep your message simple. When you send the pitch, get the journalist’s name right. Other tips? Customize your pitches. Don’t be annoying.

If you do nothing else, sign up for Help-A-Reporter-Out (HARO). HARO connects you to journalists who look for story sources. Your submission won’t always get picked, but the media coverage is great when you do.

Your blog and content creation
Thought leadership promotes your startup and yourself. It’s a round-about way of promoting your startup. Instead of talking to a journalist or writing a blog about your startup, talk to the reporter about a topic related to your company.

An example: You‘re a startup in the IoT space working on your product. Your CEO is an expert on building businesses. Establish credibility by commenting on what is going on in the industry and writing articles for third-party websites. Show your expertise, and people who want to find out more about you will visit your website.

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Fill out your thought-leadership profile by blogging on your site and your social media channels. Create content that interests your customers, then share it on social media to catch their attention.

Agency or DIY?

When we meet with companies who are considering hiring us, we get asked: “Why should we pay you to do this when we can do the work ourselves?”

We answer, “We’re experts; we’ve done this before; we have relationships with journalists you don’t have. The truth is, you can do this yourself. Many startups do their own PR—with mixed results. Sometimes they knock it out of the park; sometimes they fall flat.”

You must decide what your time is worth and what you should spend it on. Should you be writing a blog post and doing social media, or should you be hustling for sales and building your customer base? Whatever answer you choose is correct. But know that at some point, your answer will be “getting the sale and running the business.” That’s where an agency comes in.

These are tactics startups can employ when they attempt to do PR. Start small and scale your campaigns as you expand your business and reputation.

Meghan Somers is a senior account manager at The Agency. A version of this article first appeared on The Agency’s blog.

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