Katerina Antonova, founder & CEO of Aeris PR, is a global PR consultant with over a decade of experience. She specializes in helping startups from the UAE, CIS, and Europe enter the US market, focusing on public relations and enhancing their international brand recognition.
The startup market is a fast-paced environment where it’s encouraged to make things quickly to get ahead of the competition and grow at the speed of light. However, hasty decisions may result in outcomes that founders (as well as their investors) would rather avoid.
When it comes to media coverage, startup founders often think that it’s best to secure it as soon as possible. This is understandable, because, when done correctly, publicity can bring new customers, investors, partners, and talent. In other words, it can serve as another growth tool.
Media coverage is best when it’s served at the right time and in the right circumstances. Sometimes, a startup is just not ready for media coverage. A breakthrough idea or innovation alone can’t guarantee favorable media attention to your company. Presenting a startup to journalists and bloggers takes preparation.
Here are 5 signs that your company needs to do more work before reaching out to the media.
- Underdeveloped product or service
If journalists and bloggers decide to cover your product or service, they will likely try it first. Oftentimes, they do it thoroughly, and the quality of their experience is going to dictate what they write about it. The more flawless it is, the better.
If your product is not polished, it’s too early to seek media attention. Lack of key features, unresolved issues, and a confusing user experience may result in negative press.
Don’t go public with your product unless you can guarantee a great experience for users and journalists. Before launching a PR campaign for your product or service, test all the key features and make sure that they work smoothly.
- Insufficient market validation
If you haven’t thoroughly tested your product or service in the market, it’s premature to reach out to the media. There are multiple reasons why a lack of market validation can deter potential customers.
When you plan a publicity campaign, you need to know who you want to reach. The choice of the right news outlets, words, and messages depends on it. If you haven’t figured out how your customers are yet, undirected media coverage may backfire.
Remember that, the narrower your target is, the easier to hit it. So, aiming at a wide audience may bring disappointing results. Your intended customers may conclude that your product is not for them if they feel that you are not addressing them in your coverage.
- Weak branding and messaging
Branding is meant to distinguish your product from competitors, give it character, and make it memorable. Ineffective branding and unclear messaging can leave your startup unnoticeable or even unattractive to media outlets.
Strong branding and a compelling message are crucial for media interest. Besides, just like with people, we are drawn to companies with personality. Use this aspect of human psychology to your advantage. Journalists go through dozens and even hundreds of pitches from startups daily, and thoughtful branding can help you stand out.
- Limited resources and team capabilities
If your startup lacks the expertise or financial resources to manage media attention effectively, it’s better to wait until you’re better equipped. The problem with PR is that it looks like an easy job for everyone who has no experience of doing it.
In reality, you need to do a lot of work to attract the attention of the media and manage it. Researching the media landscape and reporters, trying to figure out how to get their interest, writing pitches, and tailoring content to different journalists and editors is just the beginning. After you are done with it, there’s more work to be done to get published.
You also need to be ready to answer inquiries from reporters and deal with PR crises. In short, working on a startup’s publicity cannot be an after-hours job. It has to be a core function.
- Absence of a compelling story
Yet again, your startup is competing with hundreds of other companies when it tries to win the attention of journalists, editors, and bloggers, so you need to stand out. A compelling narrative is essential to capture media interest and your audience’s attention.
Without an engaging and unique story to share, media coverage may fall flat. This is especially true today when people have heard a lot of startup stories and are not impressed by a recitation of facts.
In summary, media coverage can be an efficient tool for a startup because it helps to attract customers, investors, and partners. Nonetheless, it’s not a magic pill, and publicity only works well if you approach it thoughtfully. A startup needs to be prepared to compete for media attention to get the best out of it.
