Before a tech startup can start planning or even executing a public relations campaign, there are a few essential things that businesses need to do and be aware of. Elements like setting up the company’s branding, establishing its messaging, and building relationships are all important to prepare beforehand.
Branding
The first thing that a tech company needs to do is establish its owned media channels where it will be able to directly communicate with its target audience. Those owned media channels include the company’s business website, its social media channels, as well as any local directories for companies that are location specific, and a style guide that’s going to inform the use and intention behind each one of those communication channels. More specifically, in terms of the business website, companies need to ensure that they’re fully functional and have a user-friendly design, have all the necessary information on them, and utilize the best SEO strategies. Next, for the company’s social media accounts, businesses need to make sure they have established and complete profiles that are continuously updated both for the company, as well as everyone on the senior team. In terms of the branding, companies need to make sure all of their branding elements clearly state what the company is about and what it does, and that both of those things are clearly reflected across every communication channel the company is using.
Messaging
The other essential part that companies need to perfect before investing in public relations is the company’s mission statement. A company’s mission statement should tell the target audience, industry influencers, suppliers, media outlets, as well as the general public, what the company is all about. That means companies have to create a succinct message that will demonstrate what they do, what they stand for, and how consumers can benefit from that company. The mission statement is also important for informing the direction that the company will be taking in the future as it starts growing, and can be used to attract top talent as it can showcase the company’s culture. Without a mission statement, all the aforementioned branding elements and the PR activities that the company wants to invest in are going to lack coherence in the eyes of the public.
Relationships
One of the main goals of any public relations effort is for companies to generate positive media coverage, however, before getting to that point, companies need to have previously established relationships with the right media outlets. These days, it’s quite difficult for businesses to grab the attention of media outlets, and that’s especially true for tech startups that operate in a very crowded market. That’s why, to have an easier time grabbing the attention of the right journalists and securing media coverage, companies need to develop relationships with those journalists ahead of time. To do that, companies have to think about the target audience they want to reach and figure out which outlets are going to be relevant for those efforts. After that, businesses need to start approaching the relevant reporters and editors, and develop a mutually beneficial relationship with them, so that when the time comes, the company’s media pitch won’t be ignored because no one is familiar with that company or what it does.