Best practices for B2B software startups
Starting with PR and a Content Strategy early-on for Startups
By Matias Rodsevich Founder and CEO of PRLab, and author of the book, The PR Paradox
Website: prlab.co
Startups often tend to think of PR and content marketing as ancillary objectives to be dealt with at a later stage in their business development process, as their primary focus is on pushing or seeking new customers, partners, or vendors. In that process, however, startups face roadblocks, in the form of other companies, who have already developed notable and familiar reputations in their industry. That is why investing in a proper PR and content strategy, and putting it in place early in the game can make a massive difference for a startup’s objectives and ambitions. A coherent PR and content strategy underpinning a company’s vision and goals can help startups reap plenty of benefits. Credibility & Branding A PR and content strategy will help make headway for a startup’s reputation by identifying the company’s unique selling proposition and then developing a brand story around that. It is imperative for a startup to have a compelling story that can be shared to help make them stand out from the rest of the pack.
Reputation, or brand credibility, is a considerable element for growing and scaling as a startup, and that is developed through PR. PR and content designed for thought leadership will raise brand awareness and brand trust by positioning the company amid the larger discussions in their industry - eventually becoming a point of reference for salient and trending industry topics. Generating consistent and strategic content in tandem with a PR strategy that is building awareness through stunts and events will result in consistent coverage from the media, particularly where it matters most and where it can have the most significant impact - with customers and consumers.
A PR and content strategy will help a startup’s reputation. It is imperative for a startup to have a compelling story that can be shared to help make them stand out from the rest of the pack.
How to kickoff your PR and content strategy Initiating a proper PR and content strategy early as a startup can help your business reap plenty of benefits - but where and how do you actually begin your PR and content strategy efforts? The principal element of any PR and content strategy, for startups or any business for that matter, is the undertaking of an extensive phase of research. At PRLab, research is the foundation of all of our PR and content actions, and subsequently dictates all the elements of our PR strategies for our clients. One of our clients, StuDocu, is an ed-tech company providing students with an online platform to share notes and collaborate more. They approached us because they wanted to affirm their status as a growing leader in their industry and build their brand, and our first action was, of course, an intensive phase of research.
The research consisted of a review of the entire ed-tech industry - the trends, new developments, pain points, outlooks for the future as well as an overview of the PR efforts of their direct competitors. With this research in hand, we were able to find the right opportunities for StuDocu to establish themselves as thought leaders and a leading brand in the ed-tech sphere that separated them from their competition. The research divulged what the ed-tech media was focused on, allowing us to craft content around that, and it was picked up and shared in targeted publications - attracting attention from potential users and investors. We were able to create stories for journalists that utilised the expertise of StuDocu’s CEO, putting him into the overarching discussions at the intersection of education and technology.
Not only did the research reveal areas in the media to discuss StuDocu, but it also provided us with ideas for creating industry reports that would reveal fresh data about the state of education. Journalists love novel and valuable data, and the industry reports put StuDocu at the helm of the discussions in ed-tech, shaping the narrative and attracting more attention back to their domain, ultimately helping them grow as a brand. In the end, if you want to build awareness for your startup and establish a foundation to help your business grow, then initiating a PR and content strategy early on is a valuable and critical place to start, just remember to do your research first. Read more to find out how PRLab developed their PR and content strategy for StuDocu here.