Investing in public relations for startups is a lot harder than most entrepreneurs think. Your PR strategy determines whether you’ll be taken seriously, whether anyone will trust your company, and how many people actually know your brand. The formidable press coverage that new companies need is hard to come by, as a business model now goes here. Considering that publications and journalists tend to favor the more established brands, startups need to go above and beyond in order to attract media attention.
The proper PR strategy can help shape early growth for Burbank’s emerging businesses in fiercely competitive markets. Consulting with a PR firm or public relations agency with demonstrable experience will help you develop pitches and establish connections at media companies. The return on investment is huge — earned media coverage can result in 50x more conversions than paid media, a study shows.
This ultimate guide to PR for startups provides the best strategies on how any new business can get powerful visibility and credibility.
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What Is Public Relations?
Public media and paid advertisements only word (public relations) fashion the style with which the public views a brand. That means press releases, media interviews, bylined articles, and crisis comms. Although marketing is responsible for using paid channels to drive sales, PR works on creating trust and credibility by making you look newsworthy and an industry big player.
For startups, PR can be a powerful tool to:
- Generate excitement for new products or services.
- Establish brand reputation and credibility.
- Attract investors, partners, and customers.
- Repair or protect your reputation during challenges.
Indeed, whereas established companies may also experience these issues, startups typically face a set of troubles all their own. They often have no money and no name, so you must be much more strategic on how you get PR.
Why Public Relations Matters For Startups
The retries needed for earned media (like repeating the same tactics with traditional advertising) require a time and money investment, but one that can pay big dividends over a longer period. According to data, 92% of consumers trust earned media more than advertising.
Strong public relations efforts can:
- Increase visibility: Appearing in reputable publications will bring more visitors to your website, and therefore, you will be able to extract more leads.
- Build credibility: An endorsement from a credible reporter or publication is worth than any paid ad.
- Reduce marketing costs: PR is a lot of handshaking to create relationships, and it is cheaper than big marketing campaigns.
Creating public relations for startups as a focus area will enable early-stage businesses in Burbank to get their word out, backup lead generation, assist in fundraising efforts, and ultimately scale.
Developing A PR Strategy For Startups
Step 1: Define Your Audience And Goals
You have to be completely clear about the audience and the aim of your campaigns. This can mean seeking investment, gaining traction in advance of a funding round, or launching a new product — whatever it is, knowing what great looks like will inform the full PR plan.
A tech product launch by a startup, as an example, will aim to secure feature stories in technology press like TechCrunch or Wired, or a real estate company might aim for coverage in local business journals and housing industry magazines.
Step 2: Craft A Concise Pitch
There are hundreds of pitches that go through a journalist’s inbox, so they need to be short and to the point. Formulate a pitch that packages three elements:
- Product – What is the product or service, and why is it valuable?
- Purpose – Why does the story matter now?
- Passion – Why are you enthusiastic about sharing it?
Personalization makes a difference. Referencing a journalist’s past work shows that the pitch is well-researched rather than generic.
Step 3: Understand What Journalists Value
To increase the chances of coverage, think like a reporter. Journalists prioritize:
- Timeliness – Newsworthy stories relevant to current trends.
- Relevance – Content that fits their beat or reader interest.
- Novelty – A fresh angle or unique perspective that stands out.
A startup could link its announcement to macro trends across the industry to create a bigger story. Similarly, if you add a great visual or data points, or expert quotes, it will make it more likely to get coverage.
Step 4: Target The Right Outlets
No more blanket emails to everyone in the media, only outlets that matter to your industry and audience. Find publications that already write about these types of stories using tools like BuzzSumo & Ahrefs.
A healthcare startup will probably want to accomplish this in the form of posts on healthcare innovation blogs and news about local businesses, whereas a legal tech startup would more likely do so through industry publications or newsletters from law firms.
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Step 5: Build Long-Term Relationships
The key to making PR work described here — maintain relationships with journalists and thought leaders. Like their posts on social media, comment on their articles, and become a valuable resource. Once you establish yourself as a confidant, journalists are more likely to score your stories.
By positioning yourself as an expert source as well. You could also provide content for the publication to run: guest articles, panels, and expert commentary on industry trends.
Step 6: Explore Alternative Coverage Options
In addition, as well as pitching to journalists, startups can be active in content creation with guest blogging opportunities or writing thought leadership pieces about what is the news of the day. For startups to contribute expert commentary, platforms like HARO let them respond to journalists’ requests, which in turn provide new opportunities for earned media mentions.
Participating in podcasts/webinars for additional exposure and to establish founders as experts in their field, as well as LinkedIn Live.
Step 7: Amplify Your Coverage
When an article or feature has been published on another site, talk about it on your website, social media, and in email. Repurposing coverage can also allow you to extend the reach of your story and indirectly tell journalists that similar content is still being funded.
Including it in pitch decks, investor presentations, and even doing email signatures mentioning the type of coverage acquired can add credibility with stakeholders.
How Otter PR Supports Startups
Otter PR is a national public relations agency serving startups and provides a comprehensive offering of services designed to meet the needs of growing businesses. Leveraging more than 300 years of collective team experience, Otter PR has a proven track record of placing clients in the media and giving fast-growth technology, healthcare, law, and real estate companies a voice.
Our publicists provide:
- Media Relations: Gaining placements in news and lifestyle publications via existing relationships with journalists.
- Executive Visibility: Delivering founder and executive thought leadership through interviews, op-eds, and speaking engagements.
- Crisis Communication: Protecting startup reputations during sensitive moments.
- SEO and Social Media Strategy: A strong digital footprint to encapsulate earned media in startups.
This unique methodology utilizes an organic approach to traditional PR, when applied with an unconventional twist, brings measurable results for clients.
