What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about growing your company? If you’re like most business owners, you’re already working on various digital marketing campaigns.
From search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising to social media marketing – there are a ton of effective ways to promote your business.
But if you want to earn the trust of potential customers and reinforce your brand identity, it’s important to look beyond traditional advertising and digital marketing.
That’s where PR services step into the picture.
Why your startup needs a PR strategy
The right PR strategy goes a long way to establishing your brand as an industry authority. It amplifies brand awareness and even drives referral traffic to your website. It helps you craft a desirable brand image and reputation as well.
The best part is that working with an experienced PR company can also help you grab the attention of the right investors. Similarly, a robust PR strategy will help attract top talent and build a rock-solid team for your startup.
It isn’t surprising that earned media yields 10 to 50 times more conversions than traditional advertising. Also, it works better than branded content at every step of the conversion funnel.
But it’s worth remembering that PR isn’t simply about organizing a press conference or getting featured in a few popular publications. Instead, you need to invest time and effort to connect with the right journalists and build a long-standing relationship with them.
Things become even trickier when you’re running a startup, and don’t have clout in your industry.
In the following sections, we’ll outline a few useful ways to build your company’s PR strategy. Let’s jump right in.
1. Craft a compelling brand story
Let’s say you’re building an online store for makeup and beauty products. You could always create hype about how your products are cruelty-free and organic. Or you could highlight how you quit a high-paying corporate job to start your own venture.
Which narrative, do you think, will better appeal to your target audiences?
Human beings have a thing for storytelling and narratives. Most journalists and their audiences aren’t interested in learning how great your product or service is. Instead, they want to know the people behind your business.
They want to understand what drove you to zero in on your business idea. And they want a glimpse into your vision for the company’s future.
That’s why it is important to create an emotionally charged story about your brand. If you’re already working with a PR agency, they’ll walk you through the steps of developing a brand story.
Start by building a product or service that offers unparalleled value to your customers. That requires a deep understanding of your target demographic. Identify your purpose behind creating the product/service. Highlight the consumer pain points that your company wants to resolve.
Next, it’s time to identify your passion and articulate your motivation behind launching the company.
Once you’ve got a clear idea of your product, purpose, and passion, the final step is to make your brand story newsworthy. Work with your PR agency to identify a unique and interesting angle to your narrative. The key is to showcase the human side of your brand. It’ll go a long way to helping your press releases cut through the noise.
2. Identify your target journalists
When it comes to earned media, one of the most common mistakes that business owners make is to focus their efforts on the most popular publications. While that might help you reach a larger audience, it might not be the best way to connect with your target demographic.
If you’re running a startup, you’d be better off finding niche publications that are relevant to your industry. It’ll ensure that your brand story reaches the right consumers at the right time.
Research your target audiences to identify their preferred online news portals, industry blogs, and established publications. Also, find out whether they follow any journalists, bloggers, or influencers on social media.
Select three to five journalists who will strike a chord with your target consumers. Make sure they’re an overlap between their existing readers and your potential customers.
3. Build long-standing relationships
Successful PR isn’t about executing a standalone campaign. Nor is it as simple as reaching out to a journalist with your pitch.
Instead, you need to focus on developing lasting relationships with journalists and influencers you’d like to collaborate with. Follow their social media profiles and engage with their content to grab their attention. You could engage with them on discussion forums and other platforms too.
Also, instead of using cookie-cutter email templates, make your pitch irresistible by tailoring it to each journalist’s preferences. Don’t forget to highlight the value that you’re going to provide to their audience.
In conclusion
PR services will play a key role in helping your startup attract new customers, employees, and investors. Create an engrossing narrative about your brand and the people behind it. And focus on establishing long-term relationships with the right journalists.
Story by Soumita Moitra
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