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How startups can build relationships with reporters: PR for Startups

The tech industry can be hard to understand, so reporters won’t always get it. Focus on what you can achieve with the technology you have, said Brendan Lowry, marketing director at visual analytics startup Curalate. “Simply presenting your product isn’t enough," he said. "You have to provide the solution.”

The tech industry can be hard to understand, so reporters won’t always get it. Focus on what you can achieve with the technology you have, said Brendan Lowry, marketing director at visual analytics startup Curalate.

“Simply presenting your product isn’t enough,” he said. “You have to provide the solution.”

What is the problem that it solves? Successfully conveying this information explicitly validates your importance and demonstrates how your business adds value.

Lowry was one of three panelists during a Philly Tech Week Media Day panel on PR for Startups held at SEER Interactive’s Northern Liberties headquarters “The Search Church” for nearly 100. The panel was moderated by Erica Ogg, an editor for The Wirecutter and The Sweet Home.

Here are other highlights:

  • Do your research to determine what news outlets can provide the most value to your startup. A popular site may get a lot of readership, but, in some cases, a lesser known site that will thoughtfully and accurately describe your product and company’s vision in a smaller, business-oriented piece may be far better than “a fluff piece” published on the highly trafficked site.
  • Josh Cline of The Cline Group warned the audience against “blast[ing] every reporter with everything you have. Give exclusives. Pitch carefully.”
  • Understand the size and stage of your company before choosing an agency. How you want to be perceived and your own expectations will partly dictate which agency is best for you. Moreover, do they get your brand? Are they excited about you? Remember to ask them questions to know if they are the right fit.
  • Don’t lock yourself into long-term relationships. You are a startup. Everything is new and you need to take your time. Six months is a good baseline to get results and analyze how well things work. Have incremental plans for post-launch and know their strategy prior to going on retainer. How are they structured? Is it hourly, per project, a retainer? Not all companies are created equally and you must make sure they are passionate about telling your story.
  • If it’s your first time reaching out to a particular reporter, do your homework, Cline and Michelle Conron of Cashman and Associates said. Look at competitors and know how to best approach them. Are they on Twitter often? Tweet at them. Do they stay visible on instant messengers or Instagram their morning cup of coffee? Meet them where they are most comfortable. Conron said, “Engage them how they like to be engaged.” Test contacting them on Twitter versus Linkedin. Get them to recognize your name by being active on different social networks, so when you email them, they will recognize you.
  • If you come across an article not related to your business but know a reporter who is interested in that particular topic, send it to them, Conron said. Establish rapport that is not limited to the rigidity of direct business, as there is much value and trust in those relationships.

To consistently land coverage that will help your business, you need to be prepared, said Conron. “We’re basically professional stalkers.”

Companies: Curalate
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