Public relations can provide substantial benefits to startups, even early-stage startups. Good PR can help emerging businesses attract talent, increase visibility, improve employee morale, impress investors and boost fundraising.
Startups often delay PR until their product is ready for launch or at least out of beta testing. But PR does more than support product launches. It’s a valuable tool for gaining investor support, a critical resource for startups. Even before product launches, PR can seek media coverage on the company’s research, patents, and new board members.
Brooke Hammerling of Brew Media Relations cites three reasons why early-stage startups may need PR.
- They’re entering a crowded market and must show why they stand out.
- They will force a major industry to substantial change.
- They have a well-known CEO who received previous publicity. The company will attract media attention even if it’s not ready to launch.
In addition, PR can help startups attract talented employees and to start building corporate reputation and community relations.
Startup PR Skills
The nature of startup PR has evolved, prompting PR pros to acquire new skills. Traditionally, startups took the “best of breed” approach and hired separate firms specializing in PR, SEO, advertising and social media. In a newer hybrid approach, startups often seek a single agency that can combine those functions under one roof. Alternatively, some start-ups hire a professional with PR/marketing/SEO savvy to build in-house capabilities.
“Startups are used to having people around them that can do everything,” Elizabeth Craig Conway, director of communications at Greycroft Partners, told Entrepreneur. “So being told, ‘No, we only do this, not that,” isn’t what an entrepreneur is going to want to hear from a PR firm.”
Hiring an in-house PR professional is usually more affordable than outsourcing to an agency with its higher overhead, she says. An in-house professional who understands the company’s brand can work with an agency once the startup needs additional strategic expertise or brute manpower.
The upshot is that PR pros must become a jack-of-all-trades and master social media and SEO to win startup clients.
Tips for Promoting Startups
Tech journalist Erica Swallow, Hammerling and other PR experts offer these tips for successfully promoting startups.
Create a concise summary. A one-sentence explanation of what the company does, without industry jargon, will help readers understand and remember the company. That’s challenging yet extremely important for hard-to-understand technology companies.
Divide to combine. Interview key team members, including investors, separately. They’ll give similar answers but their delivery will differ. You can then combine their answers to create the best summaries and in-depth explanations about the company.
Avoid analogies. Describing a company as “like Twitter, only for dog-sitters” can help people understand the company but it diminishes the brand.
Start early. Public relations activities require at least three to six months of planning. Developing relationships with media contacts and analysts before product launches can win more favorable attention than first contacting them when product launches are announced.
Get analytical. Learn about PR measurement and tie the PR investment to measurable business objectives. Number-orientated technology experts at startups appreciate standardization and predictability. For that reason, they may be uncomfortable with PR, which can be challenging to standardize and quantify. “Startups should approach marketing and PR with a focus on quantifiable analytics, and they should look for those PR agencies and in-house hires who think likewise,” Joanna Jana Laznicka, publisher of VC-List.com, told Entrepreneur.
Know what’s news. Pitching only what’s newsworthy will develop better media relations. Besides the launch of a company or product, ideas include new research, the company’s response to a current event, and news of a high-profile partnership.
Involve the founder. The founder and his vision attracts media attention and is crucial for successful PR. Realizing that, many PR pros now favor releasing news announcements through the founder’s blog post rather than a traditional press release.
Bottom Line: PR offers important value to startups, even early-stage startups. Success in PR for startups requires an agency or in-house personnel knowledgeable about digital marketing including development of the corporate website, social media and PR measurement in addition to traditional skills in media relations.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
