You’ve made the big plunge! Congrats on your incredible startup adventure. You’re probably thinking, “Now where do I go next?”
It’s no secret that starting a new business, no matter how much professional experience you have under your belt, is a challenging endeavor. And when it comes to showcasing a new company, it can be intimidating (especially when you’re trying to stay on a budget). By partnering with a PR agency, some of that weight is lifted off your shoulders, allowing you to focus more intently on running your business.
Investing in PR
Public relations is about making news happen and ultimately allowing any new business to truly shine. Not only does PR help tell your story, but it’s also all about increasing visibility and building relationships. This is key when you’re just starting off!
Although the value of adding PR to a business is huge, there are a few things that you’ll need to be able to do before hiring an agency:
- Define your target audience
- Determine the spokespeople you’ll offer to the media
- Determine your budget for PR
- It’s crucial that you budget enough to see results, and this means creating a relationship with an agency that lasts beyond a couple of months.
- Define your competitors
- Outline your business objectives and initiatives
New owners are often attracted to a marketing regimen that immediately results in sales. How on earth does one measure success with public relations? Public relations actually CAN (and does) drive measurable results. Website traffic directed from secured media hits, media impressions and social media engagements are just a few examples of key performance indicators (KPIs) used to measure ROI in PR. And, in sharing your story with the right outlets and the right audience, you’ll discover solid success.
Sharing Your Story
Media relations is the bread and butter of what we do at Dittoe PR. Our ability to develop and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with the media enables us to consistently secure media coverage that builds awareness, drives engagement and influences behavior among our clients’ key audiences – all action items that are of utmost importance to any startup!
Interacting with journalists is a good reason to get all content, including your website, social channels and more, in a presentable format. It’s easy to focus internally on what your coworkers and professional connections think about your business. But interacting with journalists, and therefore getting your company’s story absorbed by your target audience, is when you’ll start to see your business thrive.
Forbes provides a helpful reminder to only create and document content that will bring value to your audience and build a lasting relationship with them. View starting a new business as a chance to do things right from the beginning.
Building a Positive Reputation
Your company is new. So you likely don’t have a plethora of reviews or testimonials to tout your amazing service or product. And no new brand can survive on self-promotion and advertising alone, making credible sources telling your story a key component of marketing for your business.
PR is an effective tool that can amp up one’s credibility with media coverage. Third-party articles, videos, reviews and more in reputable publications are items that can be listed on a website and included in other marketing materials. Honestly, this process can take some time, but in the end – you’ll have earned testimonial gold. Media coverage isn’t necessarily about gaining direct sales, but it’s about direct brand messaging and building awareness. And believe it or not, marketing and public relations are at their best when used together.
In short, marketing aims to achieve direct revenue while public relations is about sharing your company’s story through communication channels. So here’s our advice: start out strong and hit the ground running with a custom-made and results-focused PR campaign!
We’re here to help businesses succeed. If you’re interested in seeking public relations for your startup, contact us to schedule a meeting and learn more about what Dittoe PR could do for your business.
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