From spreading the word about your business to distributing an outline of your business’ purpose, here are 12 answers to the question, “How can I attract publicity to my startup?”
- Generate Buzz
- Make a Quiz that Relates to Your Product
- Reach Out to Specific Communities
- Attend Trade Shows
- Ask for Testimonials
- Share Your Relatable Story
- Take an Online Course
- Rank for a High Volume Keyword in Google
- Use Organic Reach Through Search Engines
- Pitch Yourself as An Expert Source to Journalists
- Build Partnerships
- Send Out a Press Release
Generate Buzz
One tip for attracting publicity to your startup is to use social media to generate buzz. You can use platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to spread the word about your business, as well as create engaging content that will get people talking about your company.
You can use influencer marketing to reach out to influencers and encourage them to share your business with their followers. Finally, you can use press releases and other traditional forms of media to reach out to local, regional, and national press outlets to get your story out there.
Brenton Thomas, CEO, Twibi
Make a Quiz that Relates to Your Product
To attract publicity for a startup, one tip to consider is to leverage social media. An uncommon example of this would create an interesting and interactive quiz like Quizlet or Kahoot! By crafting engaging content, potential customers can become more familiar with the product or service being provided by the business.
The challenge within the quiz should relate back to how the startup provides value in a real-life setting. It’s important to take advantage of networking opportunities and existing partnerships in order to make the most out of any exposure gained through these methods.
Carly Hill, Operations Manager, Virtual Holiday Party
Reach Out to Specific Communities
If you want to build an audience quickly, you must first clearly understand your ideal customer. You can then create content catered to specific communities populated by such users.
For example, you can create an explanation video that introduces your startup, explains its purpose, and includes references and inside jokes that only the community would understand. If you become well-received in a large community or two, this can be an excellent way to advertise your startup and launch it into a stratosphere of success.
Andrew Chen, Chief Product Officer, Videeo
Attend Trade Shows
You can build a significant following by connecting with influencers at trade shows. By leveraging previously established relationships, you can promote your startup at these events to build awareness.
You can use this as a valuable opportunity to get some of your merchandise in the hands of ideal customers or build a contingent of users for your service. This sort of offline promotion can be a fantastic way to attract meaningful publicity for your startup.
Dakota McDaniels, Chief Product Officer, Pluto
Ask for Testimonials
Leverage your current customer base. Reach out and ask for reviews, which you can then use on your website, in your email campaigns, and on social media. Positive testimonials are a significant form of publicity; they build credibility and trust. Potential customers are more likely to try your product or service if they know others have already had a positive experience.
Harry DiFrancesco, CEO, Carda Health
Share Your Relatable Story
My favorite tip for attracting publicity to your startup is to tell a story. People love stories, so you need to find creative ways to showcase your journey and highlight how far you have come since starting your business.
Tailor the story to your target audience and don’t just focus on yourself. You want to inspire the audience by having them connect with you and the narrative.
I know firsthand how powerful storytelling can be for marketing a small business since I’ve seen my wedding photography business skyrocket in popularity after writing blog posts about my journey as an entrepreneur. Sharing personal stories of successes, failures, lessons learned, etc., can help your potential clients relate to you and create a lasting impression. It also encourages them to take action and get in touch if they’re interested in working with you.
Stephanie Jenkins, Founder, Stephanie Jenkins Photo
Take an Online Course
One great way to get publicity for your startup is to create online courses that show your expertise and offer value to your intended audience. By sharing your insights and knowledge on a relevant topic, you can position your business as a thought leader in your industry and attract potential customers.
To create effective online courses, do thorough research and select topics that resonate with your target audience. Use a range of multimedia elements like videos, images, and interactive quizzes to keep learners interested and engaged. And, promote your courses on social media, industry forums, and other relevant platforms to reach a wider audience and increase your startup’s visibility.
Jeremy Reis, Founder, Million Tips
Rank for a High Volume Keyword in Google
To really drive the spotlight to your startup, focus on SEO and optimizing your website for high-volume keywords related to your business. This way, you can attract organic traffic from potential customers who are actively searching for your services online. By improving your SEO presence, you will gain visibility in search engine rankings and can even attract media attention.
Nick Varga, Chief Riding Officer, Eride Journal
Use Organic Reach Through Search Engines
One effective way to attract publicity to your startup is by leveraging organic reach through search. Getting organic reach is much more cost-effective than going for advertisements. With so much noise in the digital space, it’s difficult to get your brand in front of the right people. But by optimizing your online presence for search engines, you can improve your chances of being discovered by potential customers, investors, and media outlets.
To do this, properly optimize your website and social media profiles for search engines. Publish content that people search for and publish at the highest quality possible. Also, keep regularly updating your content to keep it fresh and engaging.
By following these things, your startup’s website would start grabbing eyeballs, and your startup would soon be popular.
Basana Saha, Founder and Editor, KidsCareIdeas
Pitch Yourself as an Expert Source to Journalists
I have no budget for publicity, but I recently had success getting publicity by pitching myself as an expert source for journalists who cover topics that overlap with my business.
I approach media in two ways:
1) Proactively writing and submitting guest post articles that approach a timely topic with a unique point of view.
2) Reactively responding to journalist queries on free platforms like HARO, Qwoted, and Help a B2B Writer.
This tip is for founders who, if you’re like me, don’t have the budget to hire someone to handle PR for you.
Dedicating one to two hours per day to do media pitches is worthwhile because it’ll eventually result in scoring free media coverage for your startup.
Yulie Yoshimura, Founder, Ikaga Co.
Build Partnerships
Partnering up with an individual or organization opens an entirely new audience. Ask yourself the following question: Are there other businesses doing what you are? What is the one thing you could offer them for a win-win? Sponsoring an event together, perhaps, getting your product in their lineup, or collaborating on a new project. The collaborative potential is endless, which ensures publicity.
Marco Genaro Palma, Co-Founder, TechNews180
Send Out a Press Release
One tip to attract publicity to your startup is to create a press release. A press release is a document that outlines the purpose of your startup, the key people involved, and what makes it unique. You can distribute this to media outlets and journalists to draw attention to your business. There are several resources available online to help you create a press release.
Ranee Zhang, VP of Growth, Airgram
