This is the second in the series of PR for startups posts by our guest contributor Kashmira Chawak.
In the previous blog post, we looked at some of the best practices to engage with journalists and build long term relationships. After you’ve developed some relationships, it is equally important that you explore the right opportunities to reach out to them and to be able to offer the right content.
First Exposure (Month 1-3 of inception)
Reason: Getting initial traction/beta testers/ investor attention
If you have a good product and a good team it shouldn’t be difficult to get your first few mentions in a startup related publication. Your first target should be journalists from startup publications looking to write about new startups in your eco-system. Pick 3-4 publications which ensure that your pitch to journalists answers the following questions:
– What is the problem you are trying to solve?
– What is unique about your product?
– Interesting titbits about your team or the idea that could make an interesting read.
PR is not just about getting press mentions but also about getting initial traction and marketing. So reach out to the press only if you are ready to tackle the queries coming in.
Remember – the older your startup gets, the more difficult it is to get a publication interested using this angle.
Investment Announcements
Reason: Early Adopters/ Traffic to Website
Raising funds is an easy hook to get press attention. This is your opportunity to get mentions not only in startup focused publications but also general news publications. Work with your investors PR team to ensure you explore every opportunity to get the news out.
Send embargoed press releases to journalists a few days in advance of the actual press announcement. This will give them a chance to do a full-fledged profile on your company and an in-depth story instead of just printing information out of the press release. Investment announcements drive hordes to your website. Be ready with a solid plan on converting this traffic to users.
Getting Press Mentions beyond Investments
Reason: Users/Customers/Branding/ SEO/ Credibility
This brings us to the challenging aspect of PR. Getting good and consistent PR is a great marketing tactic with very little or no investment.
However, most startups can’t afford to hire a PR agency, so here are some ways to ensure your PR mentions:
1) Being aware of your surroundings – Keep a tab on what is happening in your domain. See where you fit into current news happenings around your sector and use that opportunity to pitch your story to the journalist. Eg. If you are an edu- tech keep a look out for education campaigns, government policies that influence education etc.
2) Keep a calendar ready – Look through the yearly calendar and look at events and marked days where your startup can be relevant. Eg: If you are a Healthcare- technology startup working with diabetics, you can work with a journalist on stories around World Diabetics Day, festival season when there is a spike in sugar consumption etc. Though stories likes these don’t directly talk about the ‘tech’ side of the product it shows your affinity with your target audience and your subject matter.
3) Trends – Keep an eye on the trends in your domain. Do you see some changes in your user’s behaviour? Is it being reflected in the broader context of your sector? Trends make great feature stories and being featured in them positions you as an industry expert. Eg. If you are a specialized job portal, unexpected age group bent towards certain jobs could make for a good story if you can position it in the larger employment context.
4) The user mark /Partnerships/ Releases – Your milestones may feel like big achievements to you but not to all the journalists you know. Go back to analysing the type of news and who would be interested in it. If you have just released a new version of your product, a generic news reporter may not be interested but a tech blogger might find it calls for a good review. If you have forged a big partnership on the business side, a tech blogger may not find it relevant but it may be news for the journalist who covers your sector.
Your PR is not just a brand building exercise but also a good marketing channel. Spend time on building on news angle keeping in mind your target audience, market and the purpose of your PR. Referring back to my earlier blog post, build your network slowly and credibly. Review and be sure of what you are sending out to the journalist. It’s not just about sending your story out but keeping in mind what the readers want.
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JFDI.Asia operates the longest-running, most successful seed accelerator program in South East Asia. The next bootcamp (Accelerate 2015B) is targeted to start in 3rd quarter of 2015. Applications are now open.
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This article has been written by Kashmira Chawak. She is a guest contributor to the JFDI blog. She specialises in Marketing and PR is currently heading integrated marketing for JFDI Accelerate alumni Scrollback.io.