All too often, startups view communications and PR support as a luxury. When creating a brand, founders often focus on building an MVP, hiring on a team, and establishing proof of concept as their initial priorities – all valuable goals. However, establishing brand messaging and tone that differentiates your product or service from others in the market is equally important in the first couple months.
Timing matters. Instead of bringing in communications help six months in, when your sales team is struggling and you’re trying to troubleshoot your business, startups should prioritize communications support for the first few months of building your business.
Here are three reasons startups need to invest in communications support as a building block of their business.
- It isn’t what you sell – it's how you sell it
Whether your brand is disrupting an industry or entering a growing market, communicating its purpose to your intended audience is critical. Communications support can help you properly identify your value proposition and key differentiator, so you can lean into those when introducing your business to your audience. Communications professionals can help you define your brand much more easily when the product is in its infancy, which can actually impact the way you market the business.
- Build credibility with media, investors, and partners
Building credibility with the media starts well before your launch. Communications professionals can start to seed your product or service with key media in your industry, so they are familiar with your brand when you launch. Further, well-placed media coverage can immediately improve credibility in your conversations with potential investors and partners. Strong coverage is also a sales asset, arming your team with third-party validation of your product or service that opens doors and strengthens every pitch.
- Nail the Launch
A well-timed and thoughtfully communicated launch can drive buzz for your brand. You only have one chance to make a great first impression with customers, media, and investors. Proper communications support can help you plan months before the launch, so you can capitalize on this big moment for your brand.
Every dollar matters when you’re building and launching a brand. Those you spend on professional communications and PR will help you establish and foundation you can build on for your brand’s future success. Determining your unique value proposition; building credibility with media, investors and partners; and successfully executing a launch that drives excitement for your brand are all vital for startups. Don’t wait to unlock the advantage PR help will provide.
