How Startups Can Use Publicity to Gain Early Traction
Most startup businesses experience growth challenges when they launch. Many things need to be done right away, from attracting investors and securing new revenue sources to hiring a great team of employees.
Unfortunately, when operating on a limited budget, it can be difficult to get together all the essentials while still being able to fund advertising campaigns. But until you get the word out about the business, it’s hard to move forward. This is why getting publicity is important for a startup business.
The great news is there are many cost-effective alternatives to advertising when helping your brand naturally through various channels.
Craft a Compelling Story
Every business has some type of story to tell. But for startups, it’s important to get the narrative right.
It doesn’t matter whether the founder of the company has a compelling journey to showcase or if the business is mission-driven to support various local causes - whatever the story is for your brand, you want to make it clear and easy to understand for your audience.
Think about the short- and long-term goals of the business as well as what types of problems you’re trying to solve in the market. Weave these details into all areas of your marketing and on your website to help your target audience quickly connect with your brand’s purpose.
Build Relationships with Journalists and Influencers
As a developing brand, the quicker you’re able to gain certain forms of media coverage, the better. However, it can be difficult to achieve this if you don’t have the right industry connections.
Building new relationships with journalists and influencers can be a great way to help spread news about your business to a wider audience.
A good way to get started with this approach is to research various media outlets or professionals that cover the industry you’re targeting. Look for opportunities to engage with the content journalists or influencers create and show them that you appreciate their opinions and trust their viewpoints. Then, try to get connected and have discussions about creating a potential working relationship.
Leverage Press Releases
Another impactful tool for any business when generating more awareness is to launch a press release. Press releases are the perfect way to create concise but informative announcements for important milestones, such as launching a property management business, establishing new strategic partnerships, releasing new products or services, or expanding into new markets.
There are many press releases or business news sites that you can leverage to create and distribute your press releases. The important thing to remember is that the format of a press release is different than a standard blog post or article. You’ll want to keep the information short and to the point while using a descriptive headline and lead with the most important information you want to share.
Make Use of Social Media
Social media has become one of the most powerful publicity generators for brands. Regardless of the type of brand you have, there are social media platforms designed to help you bring messaging to a large audience.
However, like with any digital platform, social media sites require that you create the right level of engagement with your content to achieve any real benefit. Some options you can explore are to create a wider range of content format types, including blog posts, videos, or interactive pools.
Gaining a significant following on social media requires that you stay consistent and stay actively engaged with your audience. This will help you to quickly increase your follower count and help to paint your brand as one that likes to stay involved with its customers.
Participate in Industry Events
Publicity will rarely be generated for your startup without putting in a certain amount of effort. Rather than waiting for buzz about your brand to happen naturally, getting out there and making new connections can expedite the process.
Attending and participating in industry events is the perfect way to help you connect with potential investors, new customers, and media personnel. It can be a great investment in time and resources if you’re able to secure a spot as a thought leadership participant, host various industry segments or give a keynote address.
Offer Free Resources and Content
Content in the form of digital assets like white papers or statistics reports is highly valuable to content marketing teams. By offering these assets free to subscribers, you’re able to quickly grow your brand visibility online.
Some other free resources you could consider providing include ebooks, webinars, or podcasts. When other brands are researching various industry topics and come across some of this branded content, they’ll likely link back to it as a reference. This can help you to quickly build more trust and credibility in search engines and improve your organic traffic volumes.
Run Contests and Giveaways
There is a reason why tradeshows are often filled with vendors handing out free merchandise (SWAG). Everyone loves getting something for nothing.
However, giveaways are a great way to get the message out about your brand and quickly start associating your logos with the products or services you offer. Running contests online or during industry events is another great way to bring in more buzz about your brand and get people excited about talking about your business.
Tap into Local Community Engagement
Connecting with your local community is a rewarding way to generate publicity for your brand, especially if your business operates within the residential or commercial real estate sector or you own a brick-and-mortar store. However, it’s a much more rewarding experience when you’re genuinely invested in building meaningful connections with others around you.
Some ways you can get more involved within the community is to offer workshops where you can share your company experiences, create new collaborations with local businesses, or simply take part in different community events to support great causes.
Start Gaining Traction in Your Startup
Startups need to be creative and resourceful when it comes to gaining early traction. Publicity is a highly effective and cost-effective way to achieve this goal. By building a compelling brand story, building relationships with media professionals, and leveraging various digital media channels, your startup can quickly increase its visibility and set the stage for long-term success.
