PR for StartupsApril 2016
#DIYPR
Paul WilkeCEO, Upright Position CommunicationsMare Island, California, USA
About me & Upright Position Communications
2© Upright Position Communications, LLC All rights reserved.
20+ years of experience (former journalist, in-house PR, agency)
Financial/Tech, Biz PR & crisis comms specialist
Pres. Obama's Travel & Tourism Advisory Board
Created travel/tourism public affairs division for Visa Inc.
Silicon Valley-based PR firm that works closely with late-stage startups
CES, Davos, Mobile World Congress, the Olympics, SXSW & TechCrunch Disrupt
#DIYPR
Today’s Objectives
• Know how to get coverage
• Learn the best ways to get your
key messages across
• Understand how to control your story
#DIYPR© Upright Position Communications, LLC All rights reserved.
© Upright Position Communications, LLC All rights reserved.
What is PR?
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#DIYPR
• Utilizing the news or business media to carry positive stories about your company or your products
• A form of managing your messaging to a broad audience that has staying power & third party credibility
• Telling your story to the right audience in a way that resonates with them
• A mixture of quality, customized content, audience cultivation & an emphasis on substance over style
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#DIYPR
What isn’t PR?
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What isn’t PR?
❌ Your personal publicity pipeline
❌ A press release
❌ Guaranteed coverage
❌ 100% controlled messaging
❌ Instant credibility
❌ A quick fix
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Finding the right approach
A good strategy meansthe difference between
good PR & great PR.
1
Ensure you’re telling a compelling story about
your business.
2
Know that public relations is far more than
issuing a press release.
3
It’s the opportunities between the launches & the
announcements that build momentum.
4
PR is not a switch you turn on: Results aren’t
immediate.
5
Build a foundation around key milestones so your
story is constantly being told.
6
Measure media coverage by quality, not quantity.
7
Effective communications provide
solutions to business issues.
8
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Finding the right PR fuel mix
Messaging Leadership PR Media 101 Economic Potential Storyline
Product PR Interjection PR Social Media Results
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Slow PR, but quickly: The basics
Proceed with caution
(and patience)
Compelling Storytelling
• News / novelty /change• Controversy• Drama / narrative• “Man Bites Dog”• Trends• Timeliness• Human element• Competition• How to• Relevance - “Why should I care?”
What makes a story What brings a story to life
• Strong quotes• Clear concise statement of facts
• Illustrative anecdotes• Specific examples• Clients• Third-party opinions (e.g., analysts)
• “Wow” number/statistic
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“If we amplify everything, we hear nothing”
#DIYPR
Getting your story straight
• Find your internal PR champion• Spend time on messaging• Contributed content: Pay to play, genuine & DIY• Influencers
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A word about press releases
“The best time to make friends is
before you need them.”
- Ethel Barrymore
#DIYPR
#DIYPR
THE PITCH
What reporters want
• What’s the story?
• What is the problem you’re solving?
• What does it do?
• Why is it relevant?
• Funding?
• Unique founder/owner/team/location?
• Dog bites man vs. Man bites dog
#DIYPR
A reporter’s interested. Now what?
• Be selective
• Know your messages
• Be well briefed
• Understand the journalist
• Reporters are as diverse as any other group of people
• They are neither your friend nor your enemy
• All journalists are not created equal
• Set limits & rehearse
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Be quotable
• Strong quotes are insightful, intelligent and short
• Use good analogies and sound bites
• Paint a visual picture
• Avoid corporate speak and jargon
• Avoid clichés
• Avoid the negative
• Prepare in advance and practice delivery
#DIYPR
Questions you can ask
• Who are you?
• What can you tell me about the story you’re working on?
• What’s your angle?
• Who else are you talking to?
• What’s the format?
• What do you need from me?
• Who will be doing the interview?
• When are you running the story?
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The Interview
• Don’t dumb it down...just make it simpler
• Three questions reporters always ask
• Questions you don’t know the answer to
• Questions that call for speculation
• Questions that ask for your personal opinion
• Find your comfort zone (location, clothes, props, etc.)
• Be concise, jargon-free
• No comment? NO!
#DIYPR
The 4 Cs to Mastering Interviews
• Confidence (in the material)
• Credibility (you’re the subject expert)
• Comfort (in how you look & feel)
• Control (knowing you have more of it than you realize)
23#DIYPR
The Rules• Off the record?
• Be prepared
• Take control
• Remain focused
• Show enthusiasm
• Learn to bridge
• No, you can’t see the story before they run it
• Misrepresentation does occur
• Corrections? Retractions? Don’t count on it
#DIYPR
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More Steps to Getting Coverage
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Be social
• What’s available to you:
– Medium
– Your blog
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Final thoughts
• It’s seldom about you
• Plan ahead
• Leave certain things to the professionals
– Design
– Video
– Crisis comms
– Media training
– Heavy writing
– Large campaigns
All rights reserved.© Upright Position Communications, LLC
#DIYPR
Source:AirPR
29
“It’s such a fine line between stupid and clever”
For a free guide
“5 ways to take charge of your own PR”
please visit:
www.uprightcomms.com/galvanize
Web: www.uprightcomms.comTwitter: @UprightCommsEmail: [email protected]: +1-415-215-8750
Upright Position Communications LLC438 E. Poplar Ave.Mare Island, CA 94592USA
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