Often, only a fraction of the target customer groups learn about the numerous promising business ideas of young Munich startups because many founders neglect press and public relations work, especially in their initial phase. But if you want to be noticed in the jungle of competition and potential customers, investors and users If you want to be understood, you must start communicating with the public right from the start and keep a few key points in mind.
Last week, in a guest article, we showed you five principles on the way to professional public relations for startups. Now read on to find out what PR professional Frank Brodmerkel has to say!
- Brand strategy
Every company is a brand that needs to be built and nurtured to suit its target audience. But you can't build a brand by remaining silent. Professional corporate and product communication is therefore essential for startups to quickly and sustainably overcome the attention threshold of their relevant target groups and thus generate business. The ultimate goal is positive business development – Communication accelerated this.
- Content of communication
Communication is based on content and themes that convey the company and its product offerings. A key mistake: it's not the product itself that matters, but the context in which it's presented. The worm has to appeal to the fish, not the angler! Journalists are constantly searching for content and stories that might interest their readers as potential buyers or users – Buzzword StorytellingSo don't deliver one-size-fits-all content, but rather provide content that's as unique as possible: this could be your founding story, case studies, expert contributions, figures, or graphics. It's important to make offers in conversation with the journalist. Those who regularly deliver good stories, take a stand on current topics, and thus position themselves as an expert will become a source of added value for journalists. This is where the success of your communication depends.
- Your chance through Storytelling
Storytelling is the current communications trend, and it's actually just old wine in new bottles! A good story has always been much more exciting for journalists and, of course, for readers than a bland press release in which the sender praises themselves as the "leading solution provider." Images that arise in the mind evoke emotions and stick in the memory.
Surprisingly, storytelling has hardly made any inroads into the communication of German B2B companies. Only a meager 8 percent of German B2B companies use current study by GfK this method in their corporate communication, ie they tell exciting and emotional stories from your company with added value for your audience. As a young startup in the B2B sector, you can differentiate yourself from your competitors through storytelling.
- Address to journalists
If you can't express what you want in a few words, it's better to say nothing. This also applies, and especially, to addressing journalists: It's better to send no press release than to send a meaningless one. Only when you're clear about your own message is it worth communicating. And be careful: Journalists won't let anyone tell them what or who to write about. The only currency in contact with journalists is added value. It's important to first raise awareness of the problem before presenting your solutions. Independent viewpoints are always more welcome to journalists than platitudes. Those who shape terms and categories in their field become opinion leaders. Therefore, thorough research and preparation, the right formats, and a strategy for communication are always the foundation of successful PR work.
- Target group-appropriate language
When creating your texts, always keep the reader in mind and formulate them – especially for business titles or daily news media – for the general public, not for a few experts. This applies to press releases as well as interviews. Avoid empty phrases, marketing clichés, exaggerated anglicisms, and fashionable buzzwords from your industry – then you'll stand out from the crowd, not just for journalists. Expert language is not a sign of competence. Translating your own messages and content into the language of the average consumer will quickly show you whether your concept is also plausible to outsiders.
Conclusion
As a startup, you can easily make a lot of mistakes in your communications: too little, too much, too general, too late, using the wrong language, etc. As a start-up entrepreneur with enough other issues to deal with, you shouldn't also be burdened with corporate communications. When clarifying legal issues or reviewing contracts, you don't read up on the legal details yourself; you go to a lawyer. When it comes to communications, external PR professionals can help you transform your startup's topics and core messages into suitable messages and content, and then use their networks to convey them to the media. This is ultimately more cost-effective than failed attempts at communication on your own that don't generate the desired attention from your target audience.
Guest author Frank Brodmerkel
Frank Brodmerkel is the owner of the Munich-based agency GRÜNE WELLE KOMMUNIKATION and supports young technology startups in their initial phase with tailored communication measures to quickly gain recognition and build a network of media contacts. With specially configured "starter kits" for press work and visual communication, he helps technology startups get off to a great start with professional PR and graphics at fair, fixed prices. Interested parties can find information and a flyer for download at http://gruenewellepr.de/expertise/startup-starter-kit/.
