Written by Marie Barnes
You may be in the middle of launching a startup or have been dreaming about your startup behind the scenes. Anyway, starting a business is invigorating. This path can be passionate, troublesome, unnerving, energizing, hazardous, and fulfilling. You get everything at the same time.
When you hear the word startup, what’s the main association that rings a bell? An extravagant tech venture situated in Silicon Valley? Or an entrepreneurial legend like Steve Jobs? Perhaps you think about some TV series like Planet of the apps or Billions.
Everyone approaches the prospects of running a startup from a different angle. That is the brilliance of the thought — it’s absolutely up to you how you have to detail, describe, and build up your startup.
Why Do You Need PR In The First Place?
Whatever business you may be launching, the “develop it, and clients will find you” theory doesn’t work. Do not be fooled by overnight success legends that emerge every now and then. In reality, there is a lot of effort and time behind each success story. Launching a startup and watching it become a huge success is the exception rather than the rule. Also, you hear most of the stories only because the PR department knows its stuff.
In the business universe, small companies emerge every single day. That is why getting press inclusion is critical for new businesses that are attempting to get off the ground. Getting columnists, bloggers, and, especially, influencers to promote you can give you an extraordinary upper hand; yet it is easier said than done.
If you wonder how to get the word about your startup out there, it is the ideal opportunity for you to consider developing a PR strategy for this reason.
How To Hit A PR Home Run
To become successful, your startup requires effective promotion. Also, let’s address the elephant in the room: PR converts. And there’s nothing more boostable for your business than media coverage.
Exposure doesn’t come to you out of the blue. The trendiest startups come into the spotlight, mainly thanks to the power of PR.
If you are only starting your PR journey, here’s your PR for startups starter pack:
1. Nail your one-sentence value prop
Before you dive into PR, there is one thing that should be done first. And this boils down to answering the key question, ‘Why should your client buy from you and not your competitors?’ A value prop is a cornerstone of your marketing copy. Without it, you are basically in a car without a steering wheel to guide your PR efforts.
2. Get your website in order
There was a time when having a website for business seemed somewhat extra. However, today we live in the digital era. The basic rule is simple: If you are not online, you don’t exist.
Having a site is significant for small businesses for various reasons. From marketing your business online to catching leads and web guests, your site should present the best version of your business. On top of that, never underestimate a nice website, it can be an amazing money-making tool that brings you leads and new clients.
3. Focus on content marketing
If you combine content and marketing, it’s a ticket straight to a flourishing business. Clients nowadays are searching for organizations and brands that offer more than what they’re known for. Clients should be pleasantly surprised by something they read or viewed. So make sure that your product or service looks attractive. You can enhance your photos by yourself in Photoshop or for a couple of dollars using one of the services like PhotoRetouchingServices.NET or any other.
At the point when they do, they’ll share it with their friends and family. The higher the number of individuals that share it, the more it’s seen by others. In any case, content marketing doesn’t simply emerge out of nowhere: it must be thoroughly considered and arranged ahead of time.
Moreover, you need to make the best of it. Not only should your content be unique and engaging, but it should also include some SEO techniques like PR backlinks. Here, PR stands for Page Rank. It evaluates the importance and relevance of the web page. The higher PR your website has, the higher you will rank. And this is one of the cases when it’s better to get professional help, otherwise, you may end up buying low-quality links. Such services as Adsy, for example, help you with quality backlinks and save you some money.
4. Optimize your content with SEO strategies
Today, the ways in which you can get media exposure have changed. As there’s no longer a wide readership, social outlets and mobile technologies have changed the game.
Thus, social media and social bookmarking can be used as a mutually reinforcing tool for your PR efforts. That is why implementing SEO techniques will help you get more exposure and social media coverage. Again, crafting a perfect SEO strategy is not that simple. From defining your target audience to collecting the right keywords, SEO consists of a wide range of aspects. Hence, it is better to get professionals to do their job.
5. Create a contact list of the right journalists
This step is self-explanatory. Do not wait until someone wants to cover your story in their article. You have to find reporters whose main beats include what your product does. All you have to do is type in the niche your company is in into Google News tab. It will show you articles covering your field.
6. Establish yourselves as experts
Those who are considered industry experts can skyrocket their business in no time. They are also often called upon for quotes and feature stories. Here is how you can prove yourself a leader in the niche:
● Get deeply involved in the field
● Author articles about your niche
● Pitch content to editors
● Write a book
● Start blogging
The Final Words
The art of PR is often oversimplified and underrated. The main aim of PR is not to merely share a story on some popular platform. At the end of the day, there are so many reasons why you should invest in PR. From crisis management to raising brand awareness, there are lots of ways in which PR can be beneficial for your startup.
Marie Barnes is a writer for gearyoda. She is an enthusiastic blogger interested in writing about technology, social media, work, travel, lifestyle, and current affairs.
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