Five reasons why PR is critical for the success of your startup- Contributed article by Sharon Williams

5 REASONS WHY PR IS CRITICAL FOR THE SUCCESS OF YOUR STARTUP

When I came to Australia from the UK, via Hong Kong, and started my ‘’start-up’’ business, I didn’t know anyone and almost no one knew me. My previous experience, reputation network and endorsements carried little weight down under.

5 REASONS AND MORE!

I guess my background in PR helped, but it is Public Relations (PR) and media relations that got my business up and running and PR that will boost your own start-up.  Building a profile for you and your service/product via PR will work to get the phones ringing, build reputation, provide content for SEO searches andget heads nodding when you are in sales meetings.  It provides you with content for blogs, website uploads and newsletters, greases the wheels in your sales process, puts you on the shopping list of those looking for your offering and encourages staff to join you.

Reputation counts. Brand counts. PR is the best way to get both of these out there in the marketplace, over and above, word of mouth which these days of course is also conducted via social media.

Every start-up I work with gets a head start from PR. It helps establish the CEO as an authority and puts them firmly on the speaking gig radar.  The golden egg moment of course is a front cover, a TV appearance, a radio interview or a keynote opportunity as a speaker. One of the best PR returns on investment (ROI) I have ever experienced is when one of my B2B clients had a call from his largest prospect from a PR piece in a mainline daily and the prospect placed that $250k order! His Chairman had seen the piece and conceded the deal should be done!

If you haven’t given PR a go, it’s worth starting it now. You can do it yourself or use a specialist to help. Either way, you will learn through experience what works and what doesn’t for you and your brand. Professionals can extract the wood from the trees and show you ‘’the story that is waiting to be told’’ while you are busy getting on making tracks in your new start-up.

Today, the cost of packaging your PR approach is also LESS than it has ever been. Costs for graphics, video, copy, photos are all so much more obtainable than ever.

To kick-start you into the world of PR, here’s a number of documents you can create yourself and maybe get a professional to check over:

1. A comprehensive biography showcasing your expertise and your experience.
2. A professional set of photographs
3. Write your company’s story – how did you get started, what is your vision, your mission, etc.
4. Narrow down your Key Messages – what are the 3 to 5 things should people know about you and your company
5. Your elevator or BBQ pitch – the 30-second explanation on what you do and how you do it
6. Target media list – where do you want to be seen because your audiences are there reading or viewing or listening

If you are sure you are good at what you do and you believe in what you – there is no reason why you can’t use PR to grow your business.

This morning, my financial advisor sent me a whole page of coverage on he and his company from this weekends AFR. It made me feel happy for him because he’s a good guy, it endorsed the fact I had a reputable firm advising me and I felt reassured he is out there driving commentary while advising me. His tips also reminded me of why I use his services AND it gave him another excuse to communicate with me directly.

With PR, you have the option of hiring a professional or doing it yourself, but rest assure you will see the returns the moment that golden egg coverage lands.

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