Let’s say you’re a tech start-up or an entrepreneur starting out with a business. You’ve spent months, maybe even years, bringing your product or business idea to life. You’ve probably sacrificed full time employment, family holidays and your own income just to bring it over the line. Maybe you’ve just secured your first significant round of funding. Money’s tight thought right? With a limited budget, you want to focus on the essentials. But is PR an essential? What exactly are you paying for and what are the benefits? Should an SME or start-up invest in PR?
An effective PR strategy could be the best purchase you ever make.
I know, I know – I’m bound to say that right? I run a PR agency, but please hear me out….
Launching a business does not come easily, nor is it an overnight process. Startups and SMEs working with a great PR firm from the outset literally set themselves up for success. Why? They plan the success narrative before it’s even happened. Future truths if you like. It sets the direction and strategy and provides focus. It also gets your story to stick and storytelling is well-known to be the success behind all great brands.
A good PR firm helps you with your messaging, using language and a tone that not only gets journalists attention, but the attention of your end customers but could even attract potential partners and investors.
Why? Good PR creates noise. Not in the way that advertising does, in an authentic way that is more believable. We call this third party endorsement. Editorial is regarded as independent and therefore more believable than advertising.
Good, positive PR will set you apart from your competitors. It’s a hundred times easier to sell to someone who has read something positive about your business or product.
You may worry that your start-up or SME isn’t big enough to attract headlines. In my experience, size is irrelevant; it’s the strength of the story and how it’s told that makes the crucial difference.
PR agencies help your story to stand out. With knowledge of your business and decent press contacts, an email from a good agency contact to journalists or stakeholders can open doors and lead to press coverage, speaking gigs and even the opportunity to become a thought leader in your sector.
Not convinced? There’s a reason why venture capital firms tend to use a dedicated PR firm: they know it’s a worthwhile investment.
The event ‘What tech companies and start-ups need to know about the media’ will be held at Grindsmith on Thursday 8th March and will bring together entrepreneurs, journalists and PR professionals. Jon Card will bring his 15-years’ worth of experience interviewing entrepreneurs and will provide attendees with insight on why some companies gain more publicity than others, why a PR campaign might not be working and what can be done to gain more publicity and awareness.
There will also be a chance for businesses to pitch themselves to Jon directly at the event so in terms of value, it’s a great morning for any business looking for more press exposure and skills”.
The event will be held at Grindsmith on Deansgate on Thursday 8th March at 8.30am. Tickets range between £45- £60 and can be purchased through the Eventbrite website.