EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO

KNOW ABOUT PR FOR

STARTUPS
THE PR GUIDE FOR
STARTUPS
There’s a lot of pressure that comes
along with being a startup founder,
I’m sure you already know this. You
need to find investors. You need to
build a great team. You need to
develop an amazing product. And,
as if all of that weren’t stressful
enough, you also need to find
effective ways to promote that
awesome product you just spent all
of your time and energy building.
No pressure.
But, you? Well, you’re more into making things than promoting
them. Unfortunately 14% of startups fail due to poor marketing. And,
what’s the best way to avoid being part of that 14%? An effective public
relations strategy.
Are those words alone causing you to hyperventilate already?
Don’t panic yet! While successful PR definitely takes some time and
elbow grease, it’s nothing you can’t handle—and, in fact, you’re likely
the best person for the job.
Ready? I’ve pulled together everything you need to know to
spread the news about your brand new product or app. Before you
start, show some love, share the guide with your Twitter followers!
Where PR Comes Into By obtaining press coverage for your product, you’re

Play accomplishing: :

● Initial brand awareness that you need in order to get the ball
When you’re just getting started,
the best way to scale without totally rolling
draining your bank account is by
creating different lasting user ● Early users and valuable feedback you can use to refine and
acquisition sources—think SEO, improve
growth-hacking, and feedback that
will help improve your product. ● Link building that will help your SEO
These will bring in some customers ● Trustworthiness and credibility
without you needing to empty your
pockets.
As you can likely already imagine, these are all important for
But, how can you get started with
these sources? That’s exactly where setting your startup up for success right from the get-go. In fact,
PR comes into the picture. 92% of consumers around the world report that they trust earned
media. [Tweet this] But, earned is the crucial word
there—meaning you actually need to earn it.
Where PR Comes Into
Play
Remember how I said 14% of startups fail due to poor marketing?
Well, this self-centered misconception is likely a large contributing
Far too many founders fall into
the trap of thinking something factor to that failure rate.
along the lines of, “This
product is simply too good not However, that myth isn’t alone—there are plenty other
to be noticed.” But, be assumptions founders make that can have a negative impact on their
forewarned: That’s a fatal
mistake (and, hey, it’s a little success.
arrogant too).
Here are a few other common misconceptions, as well as a few
things you’ll want to keep in mind.
 1. Once they hear about you, they’ll write about you.
Before You Get
Spoiler alert: This isn’t true. The reason journalists and other Started…
influencers aren’t writing about your product isn’t necessarily because
they haven’t heard of it—it’s because they just don’t care about it.
Here are a few PR myths you’ve

It’s up to you (and your kickass PR strategy) to give them a probably repeated to yourself time

reason to care. That’s crucial. Simply setting your product in front and time again—and why exactly

of their noses isn’t going to do the trick. they need to be debunked.

2. Your target audience is whoever wants to buy your

product.

I’m sorry to say, but your target audience doesn’t consist of eight
billion people. If you truly want to see success from your promotional
efforts, you’re going to need to narrow your focus a little bit.
 3. Blanketing the world is the best way to spread your Common PR myths
message.
I know it can seem unnatural to
I get it—firing off a quick press release or a generic email to your isolate anyone who expresses even
a remote amount of interest in what
entire press list might seem like an efficient way to get things done.
you’re doing—you’re just getting
But, let’s not confuse efficiency for effectiveness. started, after all! But, trust me,
zoning in on your ideal audience
(AKA those people who will truly
4. Crossing your fingers is a solid strategy. see value in what you’re offering)
will pay dividends in the long run.
If you think closing your eyes and clicking your heels together is
Truly successful PR efforts are
a solid way to spread the word about your product or business, you personalized to who exactly you’re
speaking to.
need to think again.

There are a lot of elements involved in an effective PR strategy. So, kiss those mass emails
But, sitting idly by and simply hoping for the best isn’t one of them. goodbye—they aren’t doing
you any favors anyway.
Remember: Hustle over hope.
Things to remember ● Journalists are busy: Their inboxes are constantly
cluttered with media alerts and press pitches. You’re

So, now that we have those
common misconceptions out of the
way, it’s time to get started on
tackling your very own PR efforts
and getting the press coverage you
deserve.
Here are three cold, hard facts you’ll
want to keep in mind before moving
forward:
going to need to put a lot of work into standing out in that
sea of competition.
● You’re not special: Forget what your mom told
you—you’re really not that special. Well, alright, maybe
you are. But, you’re going to have to work pretty damn
hard to make journalists and the public realize that.
● Even if you are special, you’re not news: OK, fine,
you’re special. Does that mean you deserve endless
headlines with your name on them? Nope. Not without
some fine-tuning, creativity, and persistence.

Have these rude awakenings hammered into your brain? Awesome.

Let’s move on to the good stuff!
Setting (and That’s not the way you want to get this done. So, you need to get
Achieving!) Your PR your whole strategy started by setting some clear, actionable goals for
Goals yourself.
Tell me this: Would you go on a
long road trip without a map? Well, I When it comes to setting PR goals for yourself, there are tons of
sure hope not. So, then why would
you try to get started on an entire different ways you can go. But, when you’re just getting started, here
PR strategy without any goals or are a few main goals I recommend you focus on.
objectives in place from the start?
Many founders do, this is why I
created this cheat sheet for setting ● Acquiring New Users: Whether your business is B2B or
goals. B2C, focus on achieving growth among consumers and
Your goals are what set the focus businesses. The more customers you can get on board,
and tone for your entire strategy.
the better off you’ll be!
Without knowing exactly what
you’re working toward, you’re just
aimlessly driving your car down
back country roads, just hoping that
you’ll come across a sign that points
you in the right direction.
Setting (and ● SEO: Where’s the first place people turn when they’re

Achieving!) Your PR looking for new products or information? That’s easy: The

Goals internet. That’s why you need to place some emphasis on

your SEO and link building strategy now—so that you’re

● Capturing Attention: popping up in front of the people who are searching for
exactly what you offer.
In order to get your startup
● Establishing Authority: Undoubtedly, you want to earn
off the ground, you’re going
to need to generate some the respect of your audience—which means you need to
buzz—which means
capturing the interest of build some credibility in your particular industry. Your PR
influencers, experts, and initiatives should help to set you apart as an authority and
investors. When setting your
goals, keep in mind that they a thought leader in your space. After all, being the first
should all be helping you get thing people think of when they hear of a certain topic
your product and your
company in front of even only means good things for you!
more eyeballs
 Chances are, you’ve likely already heard of SMART Setting (and
goals—they’re a corporate cliché . But, that doesn’t change the fact that Achieving!) Your PR
they’re definitely helpful. Here’s a quick refresher: Goals
Of course, simply jotting down your
● Specific: Don’t be broad with your objective. What specifically objective isn’t quite enough to push
are you aiming to achieve? you along on the path to success.
Instead, you need to put some
● Measurable: Quantify your goal. What metric will you use to thought into the actual goal that
determine when you’re successful? you’re setting.

● Action-Oriented: What specific action do you need to take to Think about it this way: If you set a
succeed? goal of, “Increased awareness of our
product”, you’re probably going to
● Realistic: Don’t set yourself up for disappointment. Is this goal feel totally lost and overwhelmed.
actually attainable for you? Where do you even start? And, how
will you know when you’ve
● Time-Related: How much time will you give yourself to achieve ultimately been successful?
those results?
This is why you might want to
implement the SMART goal
framework when laying out your PR
objectives.
 Want an example of a SMART goal? Setting (and
Achieving!) Your PR
“Work with journalists to publish at least three articles about our
Goals
product in well-known, reputable publications by the end of the first
quarter.”
Check out the custom
See how clearly focused and helpful that goal is? Now you have Trello board I made to
help you keep track of your
a clear framework to help you set objectives that are motivating PR efforts.
(instead of frustrating) and will put you on the right path when
developing your overall strategy.

Remember, you wouldn’t go on a road trip without a

map—luckily, now you have one in hand.
Tools of the Trade ● Gmail

When it comes to email clients, Gmail is the best one available

We know you’re eager to get your
product in front of as many eyeballs for keeping all of your correspondence organized.
as possible. However, before you
start spreading the word about all
that you’ve been working on, you’re ● Rapportive
going to want a few more tools in
your box. You want to make your pitch emails personal (more on that
Fortunately, there are some later), but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have the brainpower to
awesome tools you’re going to want remember all sorts of details about every single person you come into
to make use of to increase your
productivity, amp up your contact with.
organization, and just generally
That’s where Rapportive comes in—it’ll display those
make your life a whole lot easier.
need-to-know tidbits (pulled right from LinkedIn profiles) directly in
your inbox. Instant personalization, with very little effort.
Tools of the Trade
● Streak
With Streak, you can turn your
Gmail inbox into a full-blown CRM.
With view tracking and send later
capabilities, as well as mail merge
and a thread splitter, emails don’t
need to be such a royal nightmare
anymore.
● Boomerang
We all want to achieve that elusive “Inbox Zero”, and Boomerang
definitely helps you take a step in the right direction. Schedule emails
to send later, set reminders to follow up, and even archive emails and
set a time for them to pop back into your inbox.
● Trello
Want an easy way to keep all of your tasks, deadlines, and
projects organized? With it’s user-friendly, Kanban-style layout, Trello
is your perfect organization companion. Plus, it’s awesome for keeping
track of journalists you’ve already contacted or plan to reach out to.
Trust me—you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. I’ve also made a
custom Trello board to kickstart your efforts. Check it out!
Tools of the Trade ● Know Your News

Launching a successful PR strategy requires you to be in-the-know

Along with these literal tricks of the about the news. Being informed will give you the insight you need to
trade, there are a few other things stay on top of timely news and happenings—which are important when
every single PR professional should
have in her tool belt. pitching your product to journalists.

Perhaps PR isn’t your main

● Be Active on Twitter
focus—but, like I said before, it’s
something you’re going to need to
get comfortable with if you want to Twitter is a hotbed for promoting your new product. It provides the
spread the word about your new
product. perfect platform for connecting with influencers and spreading the
word in a casual, low-pressure environment. Start engaging on Twitter
So, to set yourself up for success,
here are a few other things you’ll now—you want to show that you have an active account.
want to make sure you do:
Tools of the Trade ● Write Every Day

You may not be a writer by trade (that’s why you’re pitching

journalists, after all—more on that later!), but writing is still an essential
skill you need to have. Whether it’s a journal, a personal blog, or some
other outlet, make sure that you give yourself adequate time to write
each and every day. You need to keep your skills sharp!

So, now that you have the foundation laid and all of the
background information you need to knock your startup’s public
relations out of the park, let’s dive into all of those need-to-know, nitty
gritty details you need in order to get things rolling.
It’s up to you to make people care about what you’re doing. Making the News
[Tweet this] When You’re Not News

Here are the five key steps you need to follow in order to see
This is it: You want to make it into
your name in headlines, even if you’re not technically newsworthy. the news. You want to see your
startup’s name splashed across all
● Go Where Your Audience Is sorts of article headlines. You want
to start generating some major buzz
about all of the great work you’re
Think about this: You’ve always dreamed of seeing an article doing. There’s only one problem:
You’re not news.
about your company published in the Wall Street Journal. When that
happens, you’ll feel like you’ve really made it—that’ll be that defining Yes, your startup is big news to
you—you’ve worked endless hours
moment that illustrates you’re truly successful. We all have one. to get it where it is right now. But,
unfortunately, that doesn’t make it
big news to everybody else.
 This is an important golden rule to keep in mind when starting Making the News
your PR strategy: It’s not a “build it and they will come” sort of scenario. When You’re Not News
You want to go right where your audience already is in order to
But, now think about this: Your
be truly effective and see the best results. [Tweet this] audience doesn’t give two craps
about the Wall Street Journal. In
fact, they never even crack it open.
So, do some research to find out where your target audience is They’d much rather read
hanging out online—that’s where you’ll want to focus your efforts. TechCrunch and Mashable and see
the word millennial a lot.

● Find Your Authors So, why then would you want to

blanket the pages of the WSJ with
news about your startup? While it
Now that you’ve found a few of your platforms, it’s time to may be personally satisfying to you,
identify authors that are already working in that space. You’ll have a it won’t make any forward progress
for your business.
much easier time getting a journalist to cover your company if it fits in
with the types of content they currently cover.
 ● Make a Connection Making the News
When You’re Not News
So, you’re armed with a list of journalists that you think would be
glad to cover your new product or startup. Now what? Before jumping Search for authors that have already
right in with your pitch, it’s time to start fostering a relationship. mentioned a problem your startup
solves, covered your competitors or
similar apps and startups, and those
Where do you start? Well, you’ll need a little bit of background who are well-known in your
information. Read their articles, follow them on Twitter, discover what industry. It’s best if you start a folder
or even a spreadsheet to save all of
they like, what their interests are, and how you fit in. Remember, you’re those relevant articles that catch
your fancy—so that you can
trying to establish a relationship—not score a win with a one-off pitch.
reference back to those bylines at a
later date.

Think of this as your golden rule:

Relevancy is crucial. Pitching
relevant topics to journalists who
are already interested in those
subjects will yield much better
results.
 Here are a few other things you can do to show that you’re Making the News
actively engaged with that particular journalist: When You’re Not News
● Listen to what she has to say—don’t just do all the talking.
● Comment on one of his or her articles.
● Share his or her articles with your own audience.
● Engage in a friendly discussion on Twitter to increase the
chances of him or her remembering your name!

● Develop Your Angle

When pitching your product or startup to a journalist, you need to be

the one to put in the majority of the legwork. [Tweet this] You want to
make it as easy as possible for them to write about you—meaning you
should come to them with a story and an angle already established.
 ● Craft Your Pitch! Making the News
When You’re Not News
Here it is—the part you’ve been waiting for. When you get to use
all of that groundwork in order to craft an effective pitch and start to Your angle should be adapted to
see all of your hard work in the news. But, crafting an impactful email both the writer and their audience.
After all, if you’re pitching your new
to journalists is going to take a little more thought and consideration. pet-sitting service to journalists who
write only about social media
Are you ready? Let’s dive into some key tips you’re going to networks, you probably shouldn’t
expect a stellar response.
need when pitching.
Pitching tips ● Make it Personal

I get it—sending one blanket email to your entire press list likely
seems efficient. However, efficiency aside, you probably
You’re ready to send an email to a shouldn’t anticipate any other positives from that approach.
journalist, pitching your startup in
the hopes that you’ll start to
generate some earned media buzz Why? Well, personalizing your emails is key to having an impact
around your product. But, as you with anyone—including journalists. [Tweet this] Email
likely already know, that involves a
lot more than hitting send, crossing personalization increases click-through rates by 14% and
your fingers, and hoping for the conversions by 10%. Plus, each and every reporter can spot a
best.
mass email from about a mile away.
Luckily, there’s a lot of strategy you
can use when crafting your pitch
● Use a Name
emails to not only increase your
chances of getting a response, but
actually getting published as well. Needless to say, you need to make sure to include a name at
the top of your email to make it clear that the journalist is the only one
receiving that specific email.
Pitching tips
However, personalization extends
far beyond just the salutation you
start with. There are a few other
elements you can use within your
email to show that you’re familiar
with this person—and you’re not just
blanketing the world in identical
messages.
● Demonstrate Familiarity With Their Work
Before ever working on your pitch, take some time to get to
know journalist’s work. What has she been working on or writing about
lately? That way, you can start your entire message with some
compliments or conversation starters about that.
Not only will this get things started on the right note, but
demonstrating this familiarity will also drive the point home that you’re
aiming to foster a relationship—and not just clutter her inbox with an
irrelevant, spam-like message.
Pitching tips ● Find Some Common Ground

If you’ve been able to dig up some of those personal facts, it can

also be helpful to share some common ground with that journalist to
● Include a Personal Tid Bit
establish a stronger relationship.
If you’d been keeping up with that
journalist on social media, you’ll
likely know a few things about her Perhaps you’re also training for a marathon or you’re a fellow
life—aside from articles she has dog lover. Finding a shared interest and then using that as an
written in recent weeks. Don’t be
afraid to include a brief mention of opportunity to share some details about yourself will remind the
that to show just how personalized journalist that she isn’t on the receiving end of a canned message from
your contact is!
a robot—you’re a real person, looking to establish a real connection.
Whether it’s her marathon training
or a new dog, showing that you’re
actively engaged in what she is up
to will work wonders.
Pitching tips Well, data from Boomerang reports that the best performing
sales emails are only between 50 and 125 words, with a response rate
of just over 50%.
● Keep it Short
Yes, it can be challenging to drill your message down into as
I know you have a lot of great
information to share. But, keep in short of message as possible. But, it’s worth it in the end—brevity is
mind that the purpose of your email important.
is to see if the journalist would be
interested in writing an article about
your company—not to write the ● Stand Out
entire article for her.
Journalists inboxes are stuffed to the gills with pitches day in and
When it comes to pitch emails, the
more concise you can be, the day out. In fact, some particularly notable writers can receive upwards
better. Think of it like a sales
of 100 each day.
email—because that’s essentially
what you’re doing: Selling the
journalist on your startup. That’s a lot of competition, right? So, what can you do to ensure
that you grab that journalist’s attention?
Pitching tips Remember, writers care about their audience and sharing great
stories —but it’s up to you to make it clear you’re bringing that value to
the table.
You need to find a way to stand out,
and the best way to do that is by ● Nurture the Relationship
providing value. Explicitly state why
she needs to care about your story.
And, above all else, remember to What’s better than getting a journalist to accept your pitch?
focus your pitch on the writer—not Building a relationship with a writer who will continue to be actively
only yourself.
engaged in what your startup is doing—without you needing to put in
It sounds terrible, but we’re all all of this elbow grease each and every time.
pretty self-centered beings. We
approach almost every encounter
with a, “What’s in it for me?” sort of This is why you need to take extra care to nurture a relationship
attitude. So, make it clear what the
with every single writer you contact. Well, that and the fact that
writer will get out of the deal—what
benefit will she receive for writing establishing a relationship is crucial to seeing some success.
about this?
Pitching tips
If you can’t demonstrate that you’re
investing in a relationship, the writer
probably won’t be willing to invest
her time or attention in your product
or startup. It’s a two-way street.
So there you have it—the key elements you need to craft an
effective and impactful email to a journalist. But, let’s face it, pulling
those all together into one clear and concise message can still feel a
little overwhelming.
Well, we’re here to show you just how simple it can be. Take a
look at this sample message, and use it as inspiration for your own. For

So, stay in touch by passing along example, let’s pretend you’re emailing a writer named Tess about a
interesting articles or new forum for freelancers you created.
congratulations for achievements
on LinkedIn and Twitter. The more
you can do to keep that relationship
strong and the communication
open, the better off you’ll be when it
comes time to pitch something
again. It’s truly all about
relationships.
Sample pitch email
Hey Tess,
I hope you’re doing well!
First, I want to tell you how much I
enjoyed your post about how to
take a side hustle full-time. I’m a
side hustler myself, and found a lot
of tips and tactics in there that I’m
sure I’m going to use!
As a freelancer, I’m sure you know just how isolating the freelance
world can be at times. And, that’s exactly why I’ve created Freelance
Friends, an online community for freelancers to talk about all things
related to the freelance life.
We’ve already built an engaged community of 5,000 users who are
helping each other with everything from taxes to productivity. I thought
this might be of interest for your work with either Mashable or
Freelancers Union.
Let me know if I can send anything else along for you, Tess. Hope your
marathon training is going well!
Best,
Simone
 You’re excited about what you’ve just pitched to a journalist—we The Art of the Follow
get it, trust us. But, that doesn’t mean you should plan to pop a follow Up
up message into her inbox every 12 hours until you get a response.
In an ideal world, with every pitch
Following up is important, but you also need to be realistic with you sent off to a journalist, you’d
hear back immediately with a
your timeline. If your pitch is more time-pressing, plan to wait two days resounding, “Yes, I can’t wait to
before checking in on it (in fact, science shows that after 48 hours, your write about this!”. But, spoiler alert:
Things don’t always (alright,
chances of ever receiving a response totally nosedive). honestly, they usually don’t) work
out that way.
But, don’t let that discourage you. If you aren’t under a major
More often than not, you’re going to
time crunch with your pitch, waiting one week to follow up is advisable. need to follow up on your pitch.
It’s an appropriate length of time to show that you’re still interested and Yes, I know that this can make you
feel like a pest. However, it’s a
engaged, without being so persistent it’s obnoxious and annoying. necessary part of the process—and,
there are a few things you can do to
ensure you’re pleasantly persistent,
rather than obnoxiously pushy.
 ● Context The Art of the Follow
Up
Remember how I said that journalists are busy people? That
point still holds some major water. So, even if you’re replying back to
So, consider this your friendly
the previous email you sent, you can’t expect him or her to read reminder: Following up on your
email a mere 24 hours after you
through the entire thing all over again to get a sense of what you’re sent it won’t do you any favors. Stay
talking about. patient.

Now that you know when you

Your follow up email needs to contain some context, so that the should send that follow up email
journalist can immediately glean what exactly you’re looking for. This that’s been haunting your dreams,
well, uhhh… what exactly should you
doesn’t need to be anything lengthy or complex—one simple line say in it?
should suffice.
An effective follow up message will
contain a few key elements:
 ● Gratitude The Art of the Follow
Up
Whether a journalist accepts your pitch or not, she still took time out of
a busy day to give you some consideration. That means you need to be
● An Opt Out
gracious. Listen, I know that you want your
company or your product written
about—desperately. But, what you
This is another one of those messages that sounds simple enough. Yet, don’t want? To be spamming a
when you sit down to actually compose it, you find yourself staring at journalist who’s simply never going
to be interested in what you have to
that menacing blinking text cursor for a half an hour. offer.

Templates can always be helpful in seeing how these key elements This is why it’s so important to offer
an opt-out in your email. Simply
actually play out in a real email. So, I figured I better include one here. giving the journalist the option to
reply and ask you to stop following
Let’s stick with our same example from the previous section—Simone
up will help to ensure you’re not
is pitching Tess her new community for freelancers. becoming a total pest—and will also
help you maintain a positive
relationship, even if she isn’t
interested in your pitch this time
around.
Hey Tess, Follow-up email
template
I hope you’re having a great week!

I’m just circling back on the pitch I sent you last week about our brand
new online community for freelancers. Is this something you’d be
interested in writing about for Mashable or the Freelancers Union blog?

If you don’t think this is a good fit, no problem. Just let me know, and I
won’t pop back into your inbox with any further follow ups.

Thanks so much for your consideration, Tess. Looking forward to

hearing from you!

Best,
Simone
 Persistence is one thing. But, repeatedly contacting a journalist Know When to Call it
who clearly isn’t interested in what you have to offer? Well, it’s not only Quits
a waste of resources, but will likely also only damage the relationship.
Effectively following up is really an
In some cases, it might just be your timing that’s off. However, art form. And, perhaps one of the
most crucial pieces is knowing
just because a writer admits that a story won’t work at the present when you need to throw your hands
moment, that doesn’t mean it’s totally off limits in the future. If your up and call it quits—you’re never
going to hear anything back from
story doesn’t work right now, it might work sometimes later, make sure that journalist.
to keep the relationship strong.
No, it’s not the most encouraging or
inspiring thought. But, if you’ve sent
The important part is to recognize when it’s time to move on. two follow ups and haven’t hear a
Trust us, you’ll find plenty of people who are excited about what your peep out of that journalist so far,
you’re much better off moving on to
company is doing—but, it’s going to be much harder to find them if someone new.
you’re wasting your time and energy on someone who clearly isn’t a
good fit.
Wrapping Up Now, go out there, implement these tips and best practices, and
kick some major ass with your PR. I’m rooting for you over here!

Finally, if you’ve gotten this far - please send me some feedback

You’re a startup founder. You pride
yourself on making things—not - was it useful for you? I’d love to hear it, feel free to reach out.
necessarily promoting them. But,
when you’re just getting started
with a small team, you’re going to Also, how about an appreciation tweet? Sharing is caring!
need to wear a lot of hats. And, the
hat of PR professional is one that Thanks,
you might find yourself strutting
around in from time to time.
@DunjaLazic
Luckily, PR doesn’t need to be this
mystical thing that you feel like you
need a crystal ball to understand.
There are plenty of tactics and
strategies you can put into play to
make your PR efforts a
success—and I hope that this guide
offered you plenty of them.