What You Need to Know About PR as a Tech Startup Company

As a tech startup company, there are certain mistakes you cannot afford to make. One of these is underestimating the importance of establishing your brand on the media landscape. A winning public relations strategy can be (and often is) the difference between success and failure.

With only 56% of startups making it through to their fifth year, don’t make the same avoidable mistakes as many companies have before you. How your company is portrayed to the public is incredibly important. As such, you need to adopt a PR strategy for your business that is structured and thought out.

Below, we outline the most important things you need to know about your tech startup’s relationship with the public.

5 Things To Know About PR As A Tech Startup Company

These tips should help you navigate how to choose a PR strategy for your company.

Start Small

Remember: you are a business, not a celebrity. More is not always better when it comes to attention from the press.

Going out guns blazing in the press without a media strategy can be detrimental to your brand. Make sure you have a carefully staged plan for your release in the media. First impressions are important so make sure you control yours.

In the early stages, you want to make sure your social media channels and website are ready to go with the image you want to portray of your business. By the time you increase your media coverage, your website and social media should be developed to the point where you look professional and attractive to customers.

Focus on Your Customers

What do your customers need or want from your business? Focus on that. While a good PR strategy should lead you to investors, it should not be the target of your PR strategy.

Investors are important and they will come. Don’t lose sight of the people who will keep your company relevant. Take the time to engage with your customers or potential customers across every platform.

Interacting with customers is part of creating a brand that people trust. Listen to their criticisms and praise. At the end of the day, you are building your product for them.

Build Friendships Not Connections

The ultimate goal is to have great connections with media outlets. This is a goal that requires a lot of work and effort, but it is very important. Connections with the media are invaluable for your business.

Instead of approaching every outlet asking them for a mention, start by engaging with the media on their various platforms. Reply to their posts or comment on them. Start slowly building relationships with different outlets by getting them to notice you.

If you are in this for the long run, you will need media personnel on your side. The establishment of relationships with journalists is only going to benefit you. You should start founding these relationships as early as you can.

Choose the Right Journalists and Media Outlets

It is easy to identify the biggest names in the media and try to get mentioned by them. But, a better strategy for startups is to identify and narrow down your target market and then choose your media outlet.

If you know your target audience well enough, you will know which channels are best to reach them. It may not sound as glamorous as being mentioned by the big tech media outlets, but it may be the best source of leads for future customers or investors. You will also have a better chance of being mentioned by less mainstream channels.

Keep Your Messages Consistent

Consistency is really important when it comes to public relations. Your PR strategy needs to account for both short-term and long-term strategies. The long-term strategies need to focus on building relationships and establishing a presence in the media.

If the messages put out from your tech startup brand on various platforms are consistent, it is easier for people to understand what you’re all about. It helps consumers and investors see the value in what you are doing.

It may seem tedious and slow, but the more people hear about a brand, the more trustworthy it becomes. This comes from a long, consistent journey in the media. If you keep putting your brand out there, people are going to get curious and see what you’re offering.

Conclusion

Presence in the media for companies today is vital for success. While you may want to hit the ground running in the media, there is great value in sticking to an incremental yet methodical PR strategy.

Focus on your long-term media goals and ensure you really build relationships with various media channels. These small steps will pay off in the long run when you have a well-developed and trustworthy brand.