{"id":42671,"date":"2023-10-20T15:22:55","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:22:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/five-pr-rules-to-help-your-startup-get-noticed-startupsmart\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:22:55","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:22:55","slug":"five-pr-rules-to-help-your-startup-get-noticed-startupsmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/five-pr-rules-to-help-your-startup-get-noticed-startupsmart\/","title":{"rendered":"Five PR rules to help your startup get noticed – StartupSmart"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Former journalist Jessica Evans started her own PR service six months ago after seeing several businesses with interesting stories fail to capture the attention of the media because of their approach.<\/p>\n

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Evans tells StartupSmart<\/i> she now works to empower startups and help them effectively promote themselves and the value they offer.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYour business is your life and is something that you\u2019ve worked tirelessly to build,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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Evans says this in itself is a unique story but learning the skills to convey this to the media is critical.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI would see a lot of media releases coming from businesses trying to promote themselves but a lot of content wasn\u2019t getting published,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIf people don\u2019t know about your startup and the value you add, chances are they are not going to buy from you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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With the media playing an important role in generating customers for startups, Evans says it is critical to approach it strategically.<\/p>\n

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She says crafting a story that is unique to your startup, leverages current news trends and provides value to a publication\u2019s readership will determine whether you get a phone call or sent to trash.<\/p>\n

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\u201cEveryday is a good day to approach the media because the news cycle never stops,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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But she stresses the importance of developing a meticulously planned public relations strategy before making this step.<\/p>\n

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As a start, Evans outlines five PR rules all startups should live by.<\/p>\n

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1. Find your angle and make sure it\u2019s newsworthy<\/b><\/p>\n

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\u201cBefore you even send out a media release, be very clear on your news angle,\u201d says Evans.<\/p>\n

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Evans says your story needs to provide value to the publication and its readership.<\/p>\n

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She has found one of the most common mistakes startups and small businesses make is sending in content that has no news value or relevance to the publication or its readership.<\/p>\n

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2. Produce a well-crafted media release<\/b><\/p>\n

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\u201cA pitch should be about three sentences to spark the attention of a journalist,\u201d Evans says.<\/p>\n

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Media releases should also be no longer than one page she says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn the first three sentences it should capture who you are, what you do, where you do it and how,\u201d Evans says.<\/p>\n

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3. Write your media release for the target market<\/b><\/p>\n

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\u201cJournalists have a very small time to assess whether your story will be of interest to their readership,\u201d Evans says.<\/p>\n

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Highlighting why your story is unique and would be of great interest to a publication\u2019s readership will increase your chances of getting published.<\/p>\n

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She advises startups to gain an understanding of the publications they are approaching by reading their content and figuring out what interests the specific readership.<\/p>\n

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\u201cDefine what\u2019s unique about your story and make it timely,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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Generic advertising copy delivered in bulk, whether through email or cold call, will have journalists binning your story, she says.<\/p>\n

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4. Approach journalists directly, plan your approach and follow up<\/b><\/p>\n

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Evans encourages startups to approach journalists directly.<\/p>\n

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\u201cA lot of businesses don\u2019t realise they can approach journalists to share their story,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen pitching to journalists, know how to pitch and follow up.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Evans recommends a succinct and engaging pitch, which summarises in about three lines why your startup story is newsworthy and relevant for the publication, so journalists see the value in your story and want to write about it.<\/p>\n

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5. Don\u2019t limit yourself to major news networks and publications<\/b><\/p>\n

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Evans says another mistake startups make when they want news coverage is they only reach out to the media top dogs.<\/p>\n

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\u201cStart with smaller publications like online blog sites or your community newspaper,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThey are more hungry for your story.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Getting your story heard through these outlets is a better way to start getting coverage than trying for bigger networks where getting out a story is highly competitive, she says.<\/p>\n

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And a final tip from Evans: now is a great time to get your story out.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAround this time of year, a lot of businesses aren\u2019t back yet so it is the perfect time to approach the media as the opportunity to get published is higher,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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Evans runs a series of workshops and individual classes with entrepreneurs, businesses and startups to help them develop personalised media strategies aimed at keeping ventures known and talked about for the entirety of their lifespans.<\/p>\n

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Follow<\/i> StartupSmart on<\/i> Facebook<\/i>,<\/i> Twitter<\/i>, and<\/i> LinkedIn<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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