3 PR hurdles for your tech startup to overcome

Even when facing industry-wide layoffs and other challenges, the market is still full of new and innovative startups wanting to make a difference in the tech world. This makes navigating PR all the more difficult, however. The tech industry can feel a bit like a never-ending 100-yard dash; there’s always a new hurdle to jump over. Land wrong, and that tumble can set you back several paces. Developing a PR strategy is less of a sprint and more of a marathon. Implementing the right tools early on will set your business up for success. But this marathon is still an obstacle course, full of giant swimming pools and muddy fields to army-crawl across. You can’t just run and hope for the best - you need to prepare ahead of time. Here are some of the common PR hurdles tech startups face, as well as how to overcome them so you can get back on track.

Hurdle 1: Finding the right tech reporters to target

Tech startups, in their eagerness to get coverage, may throw a wide net and pitch every tech reporter they can. However, not every reporter at TechCrunch covers the same thing, and pitches sent with little thought about the reporter in question are likely to be ignored. There are dozens of tech publications and dozens more tech reporters. If you want to get through this swimming pool obstacle, you’ll need to find the right buoy. 

Take some time to figure out who is covering startups similar to yours or who specializes in your company’s tech. What publications are covering your niche industry? What articles do you enjoy reading as an industry pro? Can you reach out to that journalist or publication for your next announcement? You may even want to strike up a professional relationship with a journalist in your respective field, without the pressure of a story, to endear them to your cause beforehand. Being on hand to help a reporter write a story about your industry and provide expert insight through commentary opportunities will get your startup's name out there. It may be the first step to building an important relationship. These organic opportunities are invaluable in your early startup days. 

It takes time and research, but reporters and publications are far more likely to respond to something clearly crafted for them. Bonus points if you make genuine connections that can assist you in getting coverage further down the line.

Hurdle 2: Staying relevant when you have no news

No matter how new or exciting your startup is, there will always be times when you just don’t have much news to announce. But this isn’t the time to slack off. 

Why not take this opportunity to show off your industry knowledge? Thought leadership is a great way to demonstrate your expertise and show others that you’re engaged in the industry conversation. Many publications accept guest posts from business leaders that offer advice, how-to’s, or a particularly hot take the industry hasn’t heard yet. Casually drop a smart morsel of knowledge readers can chew on while they wait for your next product launch, partnership announcement, funding news, and more.

You can also accomplish this with podcasts, events, and commentary opportunities. Podcast interviews are a great chance to share your knowledge since hosts are often looking for experts on specific topics. Sometimes, you can even slip into what makes your company so unique. Commentary opportunities can be great ways to wiggle your foot into the door of your target publications without a press release or major update. Events are useful for this reason as well - a strong presentation or guest panel aligns your startup with other leading companies at the event and inserts you into conversation with other industry professionals. 

Hurdle 3: Simplifying complex tech jargon for the media

Even the most tech-savvy journalist might let their eyes glaze over if you immediately launch into your highly detailed pitch deck. Just because there are other tech pros at the party doesn’t mean they’re familiar with your niche. Simplifying your message doesn’t just help you pitch to the bigwig investors, it helps the audience reading the news understand it too. 

While many reporters cover the industry broadly, they aren’t specialists in every niche. You’ll need to take the time to streamline your pitch to the most important essentials and craft clean, digestible messages that get your startup’s goal across quickly, much like trying to have a conversation while on a treadmill, it's important to keep it brief so you can keep moving forward. 

Prepare for the hurdles you may face

Every startup has its PR hurdles, and the tech industry is no exception. The market is saturated, and dozens of startups are all vying for the same attention you are. Preparing for those hurdles now makes it all the easier to leap over them when the time comes. Runners don’t hit the track without warming up. The same applies to your startup. Identify your upcoming challenges and prepare accordingly. It may feel like you’ll never catch up, but take it slow, keep an eye out for the next challenge, and you’ll be crossing that finish line in no time, or in this case – securing top coverage.

Ready to take your tech startup’s PR to the next level? Don’t let common hurdles hold you back! Contact us today for expert PR strategies tailored to your industry. Let’s work together to secure the media coverage your startup deserves and build strong, lasting media relationships.