At its core, thought leadership revolves around having things to say. Here are a few tips a to skip on using a startup PR firm and to get started on becoming a successful thought leader within your own industry.
Marketing managers and business leaders are in most cases laser-focused on a single goal, which involves pushing a specific product. Even though product marketing is useful at times and in some cases a necessary method to drive sales, it is not the only answer from the perspective of public relations.
If your brand is unknown and you are still in the beginning stages of the business, or you are currently in a market that is highly saturated, a great way to stand apart from the crowd as well as drive visibility involves peeling back layers of the company and getting real with prospective customers. Whether this involves offering advice, educating or inspiring others, or sharing expert view points, at its core, thought leadership involves having things to say.
Thought leadership methods have the abilities to not only encourage more visibility when it comes to your brand but will also foster a more connected and engaged audience.
Who can become a Thought Leader? These types of professionals represent the following:
– Are passionate about what they are doing.
– Care about people that their company impacts.
– Have a wealth-of-experience or are experts in their field.
– Play significant roles or have an important title in their company.
– Have something unique or bold to say.
– Are able to speak or write authentically of they have accessibility to a person that is able to guide them in these processes.
If you have said yes to 3 or more of these boxes, you should seriously think about building your own thought-leadership platform.
2 of the more common excuses that businesses have is that they do not have enough money or time to properly invest into thought leadership. Think about these tricks and tips to become a professional thought leader, regardless of your challenges.
If You Do Not Have Enough Time- Hire A Consultant
Startup PR can become expensive, yet it does not need to be this way. If you are able to form a partnership with 1 high-quality startup PR firm, you are able to set the boundaries on what you cannot and what you can afford as well as what goals you have. You could even arrange something that is project-based as a starting point.
If you need to cut down on costs, the consultant that you choose can assist you in getting clear on your thought-leadership pillars and your messaging. These consultants can also assist you in setting up the initial content, your pitch materials along with opportunities that you can pursue.
Low On Funds- Get Scrappy via HARO
There are a few free DIY tactics that you can look into. One of the resources that I highly recommend is Help A Reporter Out, which is more commonly known as HARO. It’s one of the best forms of PR for startups as it’s cheap and potentially can create huge ops.
The HARO Ops are the stories that reporters have that just need supporting quotes or sources for. In some cases, it could be as easy as writing up short answers through email on topics that are applicable to your own expertise, where phone interviews that are often intimidating might not be necessary.
For a few of the PR Pros, the HARO Ops is their lifelong devotion, where we spend at least 15 minutes daily reading over opportunities in order to elevate the voices of our clients. Convenience and time is what HARO is all about, so you need to ensure you have made it as easy as you can on a reporter in the way of following their requests as closely as you can. The faster you are able to bat, the more you increase the chances of getting pr for your startup and being included.
Do You Feel Bolder?
Invite one of the reporters which covers the industry you are in to coffee. Be real and honest with this professional. Avoid being overly salesy. No one enjoys that. Let them know you are in no way a PR guru, yet you have something you would like to say, and that you resonate with their beat (ensure you have read it), and you would love to chat when they are available. The reporters are also human, and they will be appreciate being treated in this way.
Put A Bit Of Thought Into It
In the way of focusing on the factors like what brought about creating this solution or product, what market issue you would like to give an answer to, or your thoughts on a specific industry topic, you start engaging instead of marketing. Your product could be close to something as good a “sliced bread”, and that’s great. Yet, if you are looking for a good way in which to really drive visibility for your brand and improve your online reputation, you need to be open to talking on things which extend beyond the actual product.
Paid PR for Startups
One of the better ways to showcase your expert expertise and to win small business PR is to publish content that is thoughtful. Here are 12 tips that will assist you in making the very most from your overall content strategy:
1. Creating Brand Publications With A High Editorial Standard
Writing just because you can is not enough in the competitive digital markets of today. To ensure your message stands out, you need to create the brand publications that is worthwhile to your readers. Putting together an editorial team that is talented and making sure all your content is at the very highest standards is key. The time you are dedicating to the publication always shows.
2. Write About Think Pieces
Even though it may be tempting to use generic blog posts just for the sake of releasing regular content, these approaches does not provide value to a targeted audience. People are interested in reading about things which they haven’t seen already many times over. The think pieces will show your readers that the brand holds value and is knowledgeable, as well as that you are interested in putting together content that is thoughtful that your readers will actually enjoy.
3. Invite Influencers And Experts To Write For Your Publications
Influencers are usually adored and trusted already by fans, which means getting an experienced influencer on board to write about your publications will usually help you to boost the reputation of your brand. Conduct a bit of research and locate the industry experts that are open to endorsing your ideas, followed by inviting her or him to contribute and add to your publications.
4. Quote Influencers And Experts On Your Publications
Quote influencers and experts in your content in order to reinforce advice that you shell out. This will show readers other industry insiders that are knowledgeable are agreeing with the opinions that you have. As an added bonus, you will begin building connections with industry players that are valuable, who in turn may ask you into the future to contribute on their publications.
5. Guest Posts On Other Publications
Guest blogging will build up awareness amongst the consumers who already have an interest in similar brands or related industries. Make sure you are sticking to topics that are associated with unique advantages that your brand offers.
6. Get Quoted And Interviewed By Other Influencers
Making sure your content is shown to the relevant audiences will assist you in extending your reach as well as establishing an authority. When reputable industry experts is featuring your-and in the way of extension the advice and thoughts of your brand on their publications, you will be regarded as an expert in the way of association. We can help startup companies get interviews.
7. Post Social Media Content That Is Insightful
Get into a habit of ensuring you post content that is insightful on the relevant social platforms every day. The social posts happen to be incredibly simple to share, which offers more exposure for you brand, and will increase the chances that your brand will be remembered in the form of a “thought leader” in your industry.
8. Make Use Of Content Syndication
Find syndication partners that are relevant that are prepared to host the content you have produced on their websites. In the way of reusing the best content that you already have opposed to having to start from scratch, these approaches are able to extend your overall reach and provide a way for you to make the very most from your efforts.
Videos are more popular than ever as they are easy and quick to consume. Think about creative ways in which to transform product launches or blog posts into fun and short clips that is shareable through Instagram or Facebook.
10. Write Service Or Product Reviews
When new industry-related, non-competitive services or products become available, try them out and the share your own experiences on publications. Consumers are reliant on reviews when it comes to making a purchase decision, so making sure your brand is established by trusted reviewers is typically a tool that is valuable to build up the authority of your brand.
11. Create Helpful Guides
While the short how-to articles and blog posts are usually very useful and helpful to the readers, attempt to dig deeper when you put together actionable guides. These can rank online and make great PR for startups. Content that is long-form can really help establishing authority when it comes to your brand.
Slide-sharing provides a way to compile your slides from your presentations and to then share then on your site or through social media. This will present a fantastic opportunity to publicize and reuse conference material or any other presentations which will showcase your knowledge in your industry.
All of these things will help you get the small business PR you need online and lower costs when doing so.
