Startup PR

Last week we announced 8 of our newest partners at TargetSpot. We make these announcements every few months, and it is a big part of the story we are telling about our company. I am a big believer in an aggressive PR strategy. Of course, simply making annoucements just for the sake of trying to get publicity will not work. If it is not news - and not relevant to the journalist's audience - it will not be covered. So you need to have a message that makes sense, a story that will resonate, and an audience that will care. The good news, is that if you are at a startup - and one that has received venture funding - there is a good chance that what you are doing is interesting enough to make news on a regular basis. And it's up to you as CEO to get the word out.

Is it worth it? I would argue that it is one of the most important uses of a CEO's time. Not just because it gets your name in the paper or on a blog, but because telling the story is how we get better at what we need to do as CEOs. We need to tell the story of our business and execute against it. When we can convince the press/bloggers that we are onto something, we usually are. And the passion, ideas and success we communicate to the press, are also necessary to communicate to your team, your board and most importantly, your clients.

We get great press at TargetSpot and people always ask me which PR firm we use. As an early stage business, working with a large PR firm is probably not a good use of cash. However, the early days are probably the best opportunities for PR. Recognizing this, I teamed up with a former colleague with some extra bandwidth who helps us out a with our PR on a consulting basis. This works out well - we are heavily involved in the PR process, but have a seasoned professional guide us and help us deliver the message. And the cost is significantly lower than what a PR firm would charge. And you work directly with an expert - instead of a jr. account manager at a PR firm.

Leveraging prior relationships a common theme for us. In addition to PR, we work or have worked with several former colleagues as consultants in Sales/Tech/Business Development. In these situations everyone wins. While these are not always long term relationships, they let you quickly bring in highly skilled and experienced individuals - who you probably couldn't afford to pay on a full time basis - and leverage their expertise and connections in a way that can jumpstart your own efforts.

At a start-up, there is no entrenched way to do business. And with limited resources you must try new ways to reach your goals more efficiently. Leveraging relationships to accomplish these goals in an innovative way will help you build your business and conserve your cash. I think we have done that with our PR strategy and I urge other start-ups to leverage their networks where possible.