Top 5 tips for startups to hire a PR

One word can sum up a brand- it’s called IMAGE!

There is a prominent statement, “Jo dikhta hai who bikta hai”, which means “which is seen, is sold”. That’s why word marketing is coined, which introduces products to the target market and audience simultaneously.

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Whether it is an established organization or a startup or an individual everyone needs to build their image in the audience. In an era of a digital space, we have various tools and mediums to build the brand's image. The digitalization helps in building a community, using social media to reach the masses, and advertising all help in leveraging the brand image.

Marketing plays an integral role in elevating the brand image and create a brand value in the minds of the target audience. The various categorize like ATL, BTL, PR, Social Media, Influencer Marketing are the pool of choices the company can take into consideration.

The major concern is whether the companies are ready to spend a hefty amount for branding? Does their marketing budget allow them to have a paid activity for a long run?

Well, the answer depends whether the brand is an established brand or a startup. For an established brand, the budget allows them to involve in a 360-degree marketing process. When it comes to a startup their budget is limited therefore they scoop in a PR as a marketing tool.

Over the years, we have seen startups rising and creating a social community for startup itself. It can be said, startups are new age businesses in India who are on the cusp of creating their image.

This has further flourished the PR industry in India.

It is important for startups to promote their brand well in order to beat the competition in the growing space of startups.

But with a limited budget, it is difficult in indulging in the core marketing process. There PR plays the role and bridges the gap between the consumers and the brand itself.

For startups, it is important to understand, how PR is going to help them and also what to look out for in a PR before taking the call to be on board. The brand might be stuck in the “spray and pray” PR initiatives, which is not going to be beneficial for long term.

Let us give you the five tips to look into before engaging with a PR:

The Key Message

To build a relationship with consumer it is important to give them a right message about the product, brand or an individual. It is the foundation for any company which helps build your brand.

We have often seen brands deviating from their core message. You cannot afford to play with the messaging; a wrong messaging will change the mission and the vision of the brand, which startup cannot afford to play with.

Therefore, key message to the media, and audience is the king.

Know Your Market

In an era of social media, it is difficult for the brands to understand their target audience, and market. To generate leads and do the sale it is important for startups to know who is their target audience, which segment are they targeting to.

The sales and leads will happen through that source of medium and among the target group only.

Monitor the web

We know a saying; “keep an eye on your enemies”. That goes for startups and entrepreneurs’ to keep an eye on their competitor. To be updated on what competitor is doing and what industry is talking about it is crucial to track.

Monitoring is not only restricted to the industry and competitors but also to track our own performance and the digital news. How engaging our social media is and where we have been placed.

For startup who is busy with the evolving business, PR does all and give them leads.

Online & Offline Both

With the evolution of technology, we forget our roots lie in being traditional. Yes, we need to have an amalgamation of traditional and digitalization but we cannot forget the traditional medium.

Initially, brand building medium used to be pamphlets, advertising, and newspapers. With the onset of digitalizing mediums like Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, Instagrams, Snapchat are also considered as an impactful tool.

We have witness brands are glued to digital or online PR and social media PR and ignore the traditional medium. It’s paramount for startups to have the combination of both. As digital PR provides the reach and self-life whereas, traditional medium provides the brand recall value among the peer group and news sense.

There is a myth, regional publications don’t add value to the startups or brand. The regional publication has more reach as compared to the English publication