The 7 PR Tips Every Start-up Should Understand
With 25 to 40 start-ups in the United States valued at $1 billion or more, and an estimated 476,000 new businesses hitting the scene in 2013 alone, PR is becoming an even more important piece of the su ess puzzle. Co petitio is heati g up, a d the e’s o signs of it slowing down anytime soon – so understanding how to handle PR from the beginning will start your business off on the right foot. Preparation is Key While it is eas to get e ited a out a e e tu e, do ’t e gage i a PR ta ti s u til the product o se i e is ead fo it. If it’s ot the a solute est it a e, ou’ll u i to issues ith a la k of press coverage, or worse, negative press that can be difficult to impossible for a start-up to overcome. Build and Establish a Brand Identity Who are you? How are you different from the competition? What are your values? Answer those uestio s, a d eate a a d ide tit that e o passes all of that. If ou a ’t figu e it out alo e, enlist the help of others. Creating a consistent message across your brand identity everywhere your brand can be found is critical to building brand recognition and brand loyalty. Craft the Story To capture the attention of the press, investors, and customers, you must tell your story. Everyone will want to know more about you, where you came from, and how the idea for your company was born. Craft the narrative to help people learn more about you – and do it in such a way that it makes you hard to forget. Write as though every word could be a sound byte for a media plug. If you need help, hire a professional writer. Share the story across all platforms – anywhere your brand is active. Keep it consistent with your brand message and identity. Stay Visible at the Top of the Corporate Ladder You CEO a ’t hide. Make su e the CEO is visible everywhere and transparent about his or her involvement in your company. Your CEO needs a presence on social media channels and needs to be
the face of your company with the media. As such, make sure the CEO works to build positive relationships with members of the press, and can share your story impeccably. Embrace Social Media Include a social media plan in your start-up plans from the beginning. Social media will play a large role in your ability to reach, engage, and grow your audien e. You do ’t ha e to e o all so ial media platforms – but you should definitely be where your target audience is. This is the place where you can share your story, make your CEO visible, and establish your credibility. Proofread, Edit, and Research It’s far easier to avoid a meltdown than to do damage control after the fact. Take for instance when Digio o®’s hopped o the hashtag a d ago ith #Wh I“ta ed. The do esti iole e a a e ess hashtag as t e di g, so ithout a se o d thought, Digio o’s t ied to capitalize on it. Quick to rectify the issue – the whole thing could have been avoided with a few minutes of research to find out what the hashtag was about before posting such an offensive tweet. If such a major brand can make that kind of blunder, start-ups can too! P oof ead, edit, a d esea h all ou o te t. Fa t he k a thi g ou’ e sha i g hethe it o igi ates ith ou o ot. Taki g a fe i utes to thi k a d e su e that’s the essage ou a t to se d efo e ou push the post utto a seem like a hassle, but in the end it could save hundreds of man hours of work cleaning up a mess. Get Help If and When You Need It It’s i possi le fo o e pe so , o e e a s all tea of people to do e e thi g it takes to get a sta tup up and running. It’s oka to eed help – and if no one on the team is particularly experienced in PR, it’s a good idea to e list the help of a p ofessio al. “ki pi g o PR a a kfi e a d do a g eat deal of ha to ou usi ess, hile hi i g a p ofessio al e su es ou’ e putting your best foot forward at all times. You do ’t ha e to e a PR p o to get the ight p ess fo ou sta t-up, but you do need to be prepared – and have a plan in place. Behind any great business is a great PR team. See more at: http://clicktecs.com/the-7-pr-tips-every-start-up-should-understand/