PR Tips For Start-ups

One of the biggest challenges for an unknown start-up is generating press attention. You might not have the budget for a large PR campaign, you don’t have any established connections with the media and explaining your brand new business can be difficult.

Early stage start-ups usually don’t have enough resources to hire someone to manage PR full time, as they usually only have a few members of staff. Most of the time, the task of public relations and marketing is seen as a side project tackled by whoever has the extra time.
However, it is important to realise how important good press can be for a business start-up. With the right PR strategies, the publicity generated can give the company the ultimate boost on the path to success.

So what should start-up companies keep in mind when managing their public relations? Here are some tips:

Identify Your Target Audience
This is an absolutely essential step when promoting your product, but surprisingly it is one which is often forgotten. Sometimes start-ups can get so excited about the idea of their product that they can forget to think about who might actually be interested in it. It is important to know who your customers are so that you can think about where they go for information. When you know this, you can identify which blogs and media outlets will be the most likely to reach your target audience.

Make Your Pitches Personal
Part of a PR campaign is sending out emails to journalists, bloggers and other members of the media who might be interested in covering your story. When you do this, be sure to take the time to customize each email rather than sending out a copy-and-paste message to everyone on your list.

People can tell when they have simply been sent a generic email and they will be less likely to respond, especially if it doesn’t have anything to offer that is unique or particular to them. It will be worth it to take the time to craft customized emails for a small list of journalists who you think is the most important. They will be much more likely to respond once they have seen that you have written to them specifically.

Bring on High Quality PR Freelancers
A team of PR freelancers, which you can find at Media Recruitment, can be the perfect solution for the PR needs of a start-up. There are many advantages to hiring a freelance team rather than doing it yourself, as the professional PR freelancers will have the experience and connections to be able to build relationships with the influencers that really make a difference in your field. The PR team has experience writing press releases, building rapport and establishing a brand, so your promotions will be in good hands.

Take your time when choosing your PR team and check for references with their previous clients. They should be able to show successful previous results and should be able to demonstrate that they understand the market and the challenges of your specific type of business. Plan a face to face meeting with everyone on the team so that you can get an impression of their competency.

Public relations can be challenging for a start-up, as it can be difficult to generate a buzz when you have few connections and little experience in the industry. However, with the right strategies and a talented team of PR freelancers on board, you will be off to a good start. If your first launch is successful, this can create a snowball effect which will lead to an increase in publicity as your company grows.

Author Bio:

Jack LeRoy is a journalism graduate at The University of London and blogs about public relations, start-up and human resources.