Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin

9 Points to Assess the Startup Readiness for PR

So, you are planning a big launch for your startup and are excited to share the news with the world! Well, a big launch does ensure a widespread coverage, but the impact may not always be positive, i.e. if your startup is not ready for the PR, the campaigns may backfire. That’s the reason, you must first ensure that the startup is ready for the PR.

Please note that, PR is an investment; and to make most out of it, you must check the readiness before pushing the news in the media! If you are working with a reputable PR firm, they may help, but in case if it’s being done in-house, you must audit the process prior to launch.

This article will discuss the points to consider before pitching to senior reporters as well as your social media networks.

how to check the startup readiness

1- A Narrative with Key Messaging:  

A strong narrative is the foundation stone of a strong PR strategy. It’s the narrative that lets a brand position itself among industry trends. Having a narrative that makes you stand out from competitors is a must. And to build that narrative, you need concrete, established messaging. Going public without particular narrative and supportive messaging is a simple brand suicide. Know how to create a newsworthy story for your startup.

Join Our Small Business Community

Get the latest news, resources and tips to help you and your small business succeed.

how to boost confidence as an entrepreneur 2

2- Proofs of Your Story:

For your narrative to penetrate in the market, it’s must that you prove things you claim. Have solid examples to show how you’re different, let it be a customer experience, giving back to the society or problem solving!

3- Being Exclusive:

Well, your business may not be unique, but you do have many options to pitch it uniquely. This is important because all the mainstream media reporters look for something special. Think of exclusivity to ensure that you’re giving them something worth their time and be respectful by starting conversations early in the game.

4- Money Matters:

Believe it or not, but it’s important to have sufficient funds to get proper PR. You may plan to outsource the complete PR activities of just a few of them according to the availability of funds, but having a certain amount for PR is a must. You may want to know how to rightly fund your PR and marketing campaigns.

Calculating startup marketing budget

5- Control over Your Expectations:

Just because, you plan to spend $10,000 on PR, doesn’t mean you will get a huge PR tomorrow. It may take a month or two to start to see media hits. That’s what you can manage with a proper product launch plan.

6- A Dedicated Contact Person:

It’s a must to have a designated person to manage outsourced PR or responsible enough to take the ownership of in-house PR to ensure timeliness and transparency.

spokesperson

7- Trained Spokesperson:

For your spokesperson to be ready to rock, it’s a must that he receives the necessary training. Let it be the founder, CEO, CTO or whoever else, he should be confident in the delivery of key message, prepped for interviews and ready to shine in the limelight and should also be able to handle the reputation crises when needed.

8- Get the Team Ready:

You must consider the fact that PR is a team effort, so every employee is a brand advocate! Most of them will not be speaking to the media, but you can ensure that they use their personal channels at fullest!

internal communication

9- The Internal Communication:

It’s good that all of your employees are enthusiastic to use their personal channels for the PR, but it’s important that all of them are on same page and everyone knows what to make public and what not to! It’s good to add PR 101 to on-boarding orientations or hold an all-hands meeting on the topic.

Consider the points above and make sure that your startup is ready for the PR before starting the actual PR camp

Join Our Small Business Community

Get the latest news, resources and tips to help you and your small business succeed.

RECENT POST