The Power of PR for Startups
If you’re a startup founder, you’ve likely faced the challenges of navigating the world of startup brand awareness in the early stages of bootstrapping.
Perhaps you’re looking to grow your team and are likely responsible for all facets of your company: sales, marketing, role of CEO. The list goes on, and needless to say, it can be exhausting.
As a founder myself, I understand the challenges that come with startup brand awareness. The good news is you don’t have to do it alone.
Your business is not “too small” to be recognized. Media coverage for startups is attainable. In fact, now, more than ever, PR is accessible to companies everywhere, no matter how big or small.
Everyone has a story to tell, and a tech-savvy, forward-thinking PR agency is the key to getting your story out there.
Recently, I had the pleasure of appearing on the “ForthRight People” podcast to chat with hosts April Martini and Anne Candido on how PR has the power to drive awareness, reputation, and credibility for your startup.
No matter what stage you're at in bootstrapping your business, we’re here to help.
Assessing Your Company’s Need for Startup Media Relations
There are some common reasons why you may be struggling with brand awareness for your business: cutting costs, time constraints, and lack of expertise may be a few reasons why.
The good news is the right PR team has the knowledge, time, and resources to help you achieve your brand awareness goals.
If you’re a startup founder thinking about investing in a PR agency for your brand and you’re unsure whether or not it’s worth the return on investment (ROI), it’s time to engage in a little exercise!
Grab a notepad and answer the following questions:
Do I have compelling stories or unique perspectives that resonate with my target audience?
Are my customers, investors, or partners reading publications, listening to podcasts, or attending events that PR can help me access?
Do I have exciting developments (e.g., product launches, funding announcements, partnerships) or upcoming milestones that would benefit from media attention?
Depending on your answers to the questions above, you may find that you’re ready to invest in a PR team to help put your company in front of the right audience and potential investors and customers.
The Benefits of a PR Agency for Startups
If you’re ready to work with a PR agency, there are many benefits that come from it. Let’s explore some of them.
Gaining Coverage From Trade Publications
When some people think of PR, the first thing that comes to mind is “press release.” Understandably so, because press releases can bring many media opportunities for startups.
Let’s take trade publications, for example. Journalists that work within a particular trade or industry value press releases because they have smaller editorial teams and will run the news as is. Whereas a major outlet may only feature a quote from you as part of a larger story.
At TaleSplash, we’ve worked with a client who has generated a dozen enterprise customer leads from just one press release.
Building a Long-term Strategic PR Plan
PR is a long game that builds over time. Our clients rely on us to do the strategic “ground work.”
We take the time to research publications in your niche and align our pitches with their focus and news cycles.
Journalists care about the quality of content coming to them - they’re looking for knowledge and expertise to feature in their stories.
By leveraging our PR tech-stack, we’re constantly on the lookout for the journalists that are asking for experts to be dependable sources.
We focus on understanding trends and what journalists, podcast producers, and conference organizers are looking for. This attention to detail has resulted in excellent opportunities for our clients.
Plus, PR success builds upon itself — receiving an award leads to media coverage, and that coverage, in turn, paves the way for even more recognition.
For example, we helped a client earn an award from SELF. This achievement opened the door to an incredible opportunity to be featured on Good Morning America on Small Business Saturday.
Media coverage for startups has SEO benefits, too. Each time you're featured in a trusted publication, it’s likely to rank highly in search results. The impact of that coverage is further amplified when media outlets share it across their social media channels, further increasing its reach.
Book some time with us, and let us help you make a splash!
