Brand awareness: You know you need it, you know your startup has an awesome, unique backstory – and now you want the world to know, too. But how do you get there? A great way to introduce your brand to potential customers and investors while building influence in your space: a company profile piece.
Reach your target audience and get your company story featured in the right publications with these three tips:
1. Make sure your spokesperson has completed media training. This is an important first step in introducing your company to the world. If you secure an awesome Forbes interview, but the CEO goes on a political rant, there’s a good chance it will not result in positive coverage (or coverage at all). Media interviews are the icing on any successful public relations campaign. However, when not handled correctly, they can lead to misunderstandings, like terrible pull away quotes, and leave you feeling unsatisfied in the way you positioned your company. Your spokesperson should be thoroughly trained on how to speak to the media to ensure interview success.
2. Highlight a unique factor about your company’s story. Startups are called startups for good reason: Most of these companies have started small, overcome hardships and persevered to make their dreams a reality. Unfortunately, this background does not differentiate your company quite enough to warrant a riveting profile piece. Think about the interesting, unique traits of your company story and go from there. Is your CEO an immigrant now living the American Dream? Does your company offer unusual perks, like paying for employees’ child care? You want the reporter to do a double take when they see your subject line hit their inbox.
3. Target the right publications. Evaluate what type of media coverage your company wants to gain and reach out accordingly. Start with the big media players in your arena. If they don’t bite, don’t fret; you’re getting your name out there and you may still be on their radar for the future. Next, move onto industry publications. These outlets may not have an enormous circulation, but their readers are most likely your perfect target audience.
Your story is unique and you should be proud to share what makes your company shine. Having a company profile piece run is the perfect way to boost brand awareness and industry influence, and to show the personality behind your brand. Use these three tips to help you nail an awesome company profile piece.