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!
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