Like many industries, the media industry is set to cut a record number of jobs in 2023, including: Six-fold increase from 2022 Layoffs are expected to increase in 2024.
The unfortunately diminishing role of journalists places a greater need on tech startups and their leadership teams to break through the noise and differentiate themselves from the competition, as fewer journalists cover tech startups, meaning fewer opportunities to gain impactful media coverage.
All is not lost for those who want to stand out in a competitive marketplace: Public relations goes beyond simply securing media coverage for product launches and permeates every area of business, including customer stories, executive branding, corporate social responsibility and more.
Here’s how to effectively stand out in the noisy tech startup world.
3 PR tips for tech startups
- Clearly define your value proposition from the start.
- Research the reporter you’re talking to and provide them with material they can easily use.
- Build a thought leadership platform.
How to define yourself quickly
It’s crucial that founders are able to clearly and concisely articulate the value proposition of their product – that is, contextualize a problem or market need and solve a customer challenge in a way that no one else can.
Think about positioning yourself as a painkiller rather than a vitamin. Having clear metrics and early customer use cases will act as a powerful third-party validation tool and help you stand out.
By running messaging workshops early in your company’s development and building a solid story foundation, you can develop a story that resonates and begin to spread authenticity that will support all areas, including recruiting, fundraising, sales, and partnership development.
PR is a critical tool in your marketing toolbox, and of the thousands of startup founders I’ve worked with over the years, the vast majority believe PR is the most effective and cost-effective means of generating awareness and leadership.
How to make your story newsworthy
Let’s talk more about messaging. Ask yourself these key questions:
- What fundamental problems are they addressing for a viable market?
- What unique features, benefits, and approaches does it offer?
- What reliable internal and external sources can you use to verify your claims?
If you have the opportunity to contact media directly, it’s important to clearly state your unique selling point and highlight your competitors in short, easy-to-understand sentences.
As long as you have the metrics and use cases to back it up, don’t be afraid to name your competitors and explain how you differentiate yourself and why your solution is better.
Before speaking with a reporter, do your homework and find out about the recent news they are reporting. Know what kind of news different journalists are reporting. For example, do they always include multiple sources in their articles? Do they only want to talk to their customers? Do they rely heavily on expert quotes?
Whatever you say, you need to make sure it’s unique and that your expert insights and commentary don’t duplicate what’s already been said in the field. Either focus on a unique problem or approach, or take the opposite approach to an existing problem.
Unless you’re specifically speaking to a reporter about a new product or company launch, don’t use this as a promotional opportunity. Sell yourself and your vision, weaving in the world’s need for your product or solution.
Relate it to the broader business or industry context to provide context for why what you’re doing is relevant and important now. If you have a timely hook — a timely reason why this story needs to be told now — reporters are more likely to incorporate your comments into their piece.
Reporters aren’t necessarily familiar with your tech market, so explain what you do to them as if you were speaking to a general audience. Don’t assume they know the ins and outs of your market. Especially given recent changes in the media landscape, roles are becoming condensed and it’s not uncommon for reporters to cover a broader range of areas.
That being said, try to avoid using technical terms or, if you must use them, define them in context. Simplify what you do and use colorful analogies to talk about it. Be memorable.
Finally, you need to make it easy for reporters to finish their stories by connecting them to sources, providing compelling data, etc. This not only helps them, but also adds credibility and context to the story.
Sources and third-party verifiers are more important than ever before, and by providing unique and exclusive information in this regard, you can also increase the newsworthiness of your story.
How to become a thought leader
It’s commonplace for big brands to prioritize thought leadership these days, but it’s just as important for tech startups to do the same from the get-go.
They are not afraid to express bold, visionary, and contrarian views about their industry or market. Thought leaders are confident in their opinions and do not hesitate to communicate what they think will or should happen in the market.
Successful thought leadership can take many forms, from contributed articles and original social media content to acting as a resource to reporters writing articles about industry topics and breaking news.
There are many ways to build a personal thought leadership platform. The main goal is consistency. Building a strategic, consistent thought leadership platform raises an executive’s profile, establishes credibility, and positions them as an authority in their field while simultaneously increasing consumer awareness.
The train doesn’t stop just because your thought leadership content has been published. It’s important to be proactive with your content and cross-promote it on your company and personal social channels. The goal is to gain more attention while also building trust with reporters and publishing platforms.
Be creative and strategic
Public relations is a proven way to increase awareness and gain market leadership, and when used strategically, creatively and consistently, it can be a winning strategy that will contribute greatly to your success.
