Ways to get your DeFi startup noticed

The Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ecosystem is becoming increasingly crowded, with new companies joining the scene every day. The media is saturated with news of new startups, brands, and tokens. This proliferation makes it difficult to get quality brand recognition. 

To start any kind of DeFi PR outreach, you need to determine what it is your brand does that no other DeFi company can do. What sets you apart from other DeFi organizations? Journalists are always skeptical of anyone claiming to be the “first” to do something; instead take a close look at what makes your offering special and unique. That's the best way to leverage PR as a DeFi startup.

Know your audience and the signals you’re sending

When pitching your news to the media, the strength of your pitch depends on knowing who your audience is and knowing which publications they are reading. If you are unsure and your approach is to target every possible audience and use general messaging, you're not customizing it for the specific person at hand and may lead to a top-tier publication rejecting your pitch, even if the story is right up their alley.

If your target audience comprises corporate investors, consider reaching out to large technology and investment publications. In conducting research, you need to be doing two things: first, find the right publication. Second, find the right contact.

For example, some reporters cover product launches, others cover funding news, and even then, some journalists will only cover funding that is over a certain amount. A good rule of thumb is to follow journalists and DeFi industry leaders on Twitter to learn what kinds of content they cover. This way, you won't waste time pitching to the wrong people. 

If your target audience is the general public or retail investors, you need to think about what kinds of outlets would aid in boosting the public perception of DeFi, such as mainstream business news outlets or general lifestyle outlets. Consider how you want to go about making DeFi more appealing to potential retail investors, as the kinds of outlets you choose to pitch to and the tone of your messaging could make or break how people view not just your brand, but the overall perception of the DeFi industry.

Reaching out to pitch outlets will entail showing how your brand is unique or even how your App might benefit lives. Avoid using a DeFi pitch template that ends up looking and sounding exactly like every other DeFi startup. 

If your aim is to partner with a larger well-known cryptocurrency or technology company, you will need to first boost your credibility and name recognition in the types of outlets you think your potential partners are reading. Think about which potential partners you would want to connect with and the key messaging that would resonate with them, and then focus on getting into the publications they read.

Establish credibility through thought leadership in DeFi

Garnering positive publicity for your brand does not solely come from announcing every development. A quick search online will tell you that there are new tokens and new methods for investing happening all the time, making it easy to get lost in the waves of DeFi information. You can break through the noise by establishing your team as a thought leader in your space.

Thought leadership efforts – such as authoring guest posts – are an effective way of building credibility for the individuals working behind the brand. You can write and pitch guest posts even before your startup has anything to announce. Without name recognition, pitching your news to journalists is akin to cold calling, which is highly ineffective. 

Other great ways of positioning yourself as a thought leader are by joining podcasts within the DeFi industry, or by speaking at DeFi, cryptocurrency, and blockchain events. You could also respond to commentary opportunities that journalists put out. Be an expert resource for a journalist by being sincere, reading up on their previous work, and offering valuable insights about your industry. Becoming part of the conversation and building out your network by being a reliable and knowledgeable resource are vital components for making it easier to pitch your DeFi company to the media.

Pitch to provide value to a reporter or DeFi publication

It is important to keep in mind that not every journalist is going to write about your announcement. Their job is to inform their readers. Your pitches should help the journalist do their job more easily.

Pay attention to what the journalist needs or wants. You have already established what kinds of content a journalist writes by learning about the publication they write for and what kinds of angles they use. You do not want to pitch to someone whose focus is outside the boundaries of the crypto ecosystem, even if they work at a financial outlet. 

Sure-fire ways of turning journalists off your content – perhaps even turning them against you – is by sending a pitch at a bad time (think after hours or on the weekends), not prefacing your pitch with some kind of personalization, not having a clear subject line, and being too lengthy. 

And of course, be sensitive to the news cycle. If there is a major geo-political event happening, the very last thing a journalist would like to see in their inbox is a pitch about how your organization secured funding. Rest assured, they won't be interested.

Effectively Securing Media Coverage

Currently, there is a constant stream of news coming out about how DeFi supports the online and virtual spaces to become more open and democratic, and journalists may be getting tired of hearing the same buzzwords over and over again. Keep in mind that the fact that your startup exists, does not translate into it being newsworthy. 

If you want to grow your DeFi startup, you need to do your research to know what your angle is, who it's for, and how you will ultimately benefit your audience by producing real results. With a compelling pitch, and the right angle, you will be able to secure far-reaching coverage for your DeFi startup.

If you’re struggling to land pitches with leading DeFi publications, it might be time to reach out to a specialized DeFi PR agency. Experienced PR agencies like SlicedBrand have established relationships with leading DeFi media outlets and have the experience to effectively secure coverage for your startup. Contact our team today to learn more.