Online PR for Startups by @prdotco

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How to handle PR for your startup. Start here. What questions you may start from. How to set up your goals. How to add Public Relations to your online marketing strategy. Dos and Don'ts for your online PR campaigns. How to engage journalists. Tips & Tricks. And more. This presentation was set up for a private event, so some ideas may not be very clear without clarification. Follow up at any time tweeting @prdotco - any feedback is welcome!

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Online PR for Startups

Online PR toolkit

1. What is PR?2. What are your goals?3. Myths to debunk4. Some Don’ts5. Some Dos6. Tips + Examples

“PR is a waste of time.”

UBER GM, Chris Nakutis

PR is doing household chores

1. What is PR?

2. What are your goals?3. Myths to debunk4. Some Don’ts5. Some Dos6. Tips + Examples

“You should start marketing the day you start building your product.”

Hubspot co-founder, Darmesh Shah

“Journalists are not salespeople.”

Hubspot director of PR, Katie Burke

“Companies dive into driving awareness for their product before they figure out who they areor what they stand for.”

Eventbrite co-founder, Julia Hartz

Your Goals• Brand awareness• Authority / Credibility• Reach your audience• Traffic • ...$$$

1. What is PR?2. What are your goals?

3. Myths to debunk4. Some Don’ts5. Some Dos6. Tips + Examples

Myth #1PR is dead

Myth #2The press release is dead

Myth #3Email is dead

Myth #4You don’t need help

1. What is PR?2. What are your goals?3. Myths to debunk

4. Some Don’ts5. Some Dos6. Tips + Examples

Don’t #1Don’t show you don’t care

“Copy and pasting my name in a different font... Ok, so you can’t even type my name into your email template.” Former TNW editor, Harrison Weber

Don’t #2Don’t email people in CC/BCC

“My email and many others in CC... :(“TNW Editor, Anna Heim

Don’t #3Don’t email attachments

“Do you open attachments from people you don’t know?”Outreach specialist, Adrienne Erin

Don’t #4Don’t spam your contacts

“Friending me on Facebook right after they pitch me.” Former TNW editor, Drew Olanoff

Don’t #5Don’t mix social and business

“Referencing my tweets in email pitches. ‘I hope your back is better’.”Former TNW editor, Drew Olanoff

Don’t #6Don’t pitch too early.Or too late.Don’t ask to pitch.

Don’t #7Don’t push non-news

“Pitches that want to put me in touch with their CEO before I know what they even do. As if I’d be like ‘OMG A CEO WANTS TO TALK TO ME?’”Former TNW editor, Brad McCarty

Don’t #8Don’t use jargon / buzzwords

“Littering a pitch with superlatives such as market-leading and award-winning. Grates on me.”TNW editor, Paul Sawers

Don’t #9Don’t say you’re special.Show it.

Don’t #10Don’t be SUPER EXCITED!!!

Don’t #11Don’t write for SEO only

Don’t #12Don’t invest in PR only whenyou need it“PR is a marathon, not a sprint.”PR pro, Frank Strong

1. What is PR?2. What are your goals?3. Myths to debunk4. Some Don’ts

5. Some Dos6. Tips + Examples

Do #1B shrt

Do #2Work on your headline

“Your subject line should contain the hook, so the reporter immediately knows why it merits attention. It’s kind of like composing a tweet.”Former VentureBeat editor, Bekah Grant

Do #3Suggest an angle

Why should their readers care about this?

Do #4Choose wording wisely

“Don’t rule out the lazy journalists, if it’s written properly they’ll copy your paragraphs.”TNW co-founder, Patrick de Laive

Do #5Make it easy to follow up

Provide links to your pressroom / presskit / company info.Don’t ask but offer to jump in a call.

Do #6Show social proof

“Bring up anything that backs up your story and makes you stand out.”Tech journalist, Robert Scoble

Do #7Handle embargoes with care

It could make sense, but some may break it. Some just hate it.

Do #8Gather ideas

Start from what you have: look at your data, pick colleagues’ brain, interview someone, take a stand... criticize someone?!

Do #9Add value (you’re an expert)

Do #10Alwayys proofreed, k? Geee

1. What is PR?2. What are your goals?3. Myths to debunk4. Some Don’ts5. Some Dos

6. Tips + Examples

Find journalists

Find any email addressbit.ly/name2email + Rapportive

Or just mention them in a tweet

Send fewer emails

Find your tone of voice

Make media available

Make your story newsworthy• Timing• Significance• Proximity• Prominence• Human interest

...and for startups?• Launch• Funding• Acquisition• Huge release• Insights from your data• Your response to a current event• Other milestone

“Great products do 1 of 3 things: get you laid (Sex), get you paid (Money), get you made (Power).

How does your solution tap into the emotional, powerful, evolutionary needs that we as humans have?”

500 Startups co-founder, Dave McClure

“Build companies that solve serious problems. If nothing else, you’ll have a much easier time getting coverage.”Former VentureBeat editor, Bekah Grant

Questions?PS. Try out pr.co!