How to start a PR campaign for a startup

I knew that exactly what I was dealing with in my own office—growth, ROI, hiring, firing, tight budgets, crazy requests from our first clients, lots of coffee, and long, long hours—was what my own startup clients were dealing with, too. How could I not relate?

Startup PR may seem daunting, but if you’re passionate about your product or service and you have a great support team, the stories will come. Whether you are working with a company on a shoestring budget, maximizing the value of venture capital funds, or running your own startup solo, you can be successful.

Here are tips for maximizing your PR efforts that are sure to help you get attention:

Quit being boring; start getting juicy.

This is tough for some people, especially in highly technical startups. Being personable and being able to tell a story (even a “boring” one) in an exciting and passionate way tends to get others excited, too. Reporters love quirky, fun, sometimes even weird stories that other people can relate to, enjoy, and share. If you can make people relate to you and your product or service, you will have a much easier time getting on the reporter’s radar.

Pick your media contacts wisely.