For Startups, the Right Comms Strategy can be Make or Brake|Break
The need to develop the right communication
strategy has often been overlooked as the fundamental rule for startups’
strategic planning. Following the mushrooming of startups in Asia, it will come
as no surprise if we know the fact that Public Relations is not in the priority
line-up, due to the scarce budget they have in hand. Nonetheless, from the PR
point of view, in order to be distinctive in today’s competitive market, every
startup ought to tailor to the needs of the customers by delivering a relevant
key messaging using the right strategic communications.
As we increasingly realise that communication must
be part of the strategies on business plan, Nicola Oldfield, GHC Asia, Group
Managing Director, and contributor for Advertising+Marketing.com shares her
take on how communication strategies help thrive the startup ecosystem in Asia.
Good PR can be one of
the biggest drivers for startups looking to grow their user bases, and as a
result, a pretty important component for success. Early-stage startups all have
one thing in common: a need to garner awareness. But this can be a challenge
for unknown startups as budgets are tight, the product might not be ready to
launch and explaining a new concept is difficult. Not to mention in the
beginning, startups usually employ a handful of people with the primary focus
on product development, meaning marketing and public relations are often
tackled ad-hoc by whomever has time or not at all.
So what’s the solution? Don’t hold off on your
communications planning just because you don’t have all your ducks in a row.
Developing a detailed roadmap is essential to walk your brand through its first
year, alongside a thorough analysis of the market, your specific sector as well
as your competitors, to help develop your strategy.
PR firms are no longer centered only around message
development, competitive positioning, media relations, influencer relations,
event support and crisis management.
Nowadays, a 360 approach is commonplace with
integrated marketing communications (IMC) providing strategies to
help optimise the communication of a company’s brand across all channels and
provide tools with a focus on quantifiable analytics. Consumer touch points and
key opinion leaders are a good example of this.
Whether you’re startup is in fintech or not,
digitally-led strategies are important as most startup communications begin
online in the form of a website and/or e-commerce and this is an area that most
agencies can drive with a larger pool of resources that cover SEO/paid
media/social media.
Establishing a reputation is key to putting a new
venture on the map and this pays off immensely in all sorts of ways, including
attracting great talent, raising employee and investor morale, supporting
fundraising efforts and multiplying efforts in other marketing channels.
There are many forums you can join to network with your peers, potential
investors and media to start building you brand. Co-working spaces also play
host to many topical events so make sure you’re on the mailing list to keep you
up-to-date. Once you’ve identified events and partners that you think are
relevant then build this into your communications plan so you have a framework
that allows for a more targeted approach.
No matter how busy you are as a new startup, or how
wary you may be of PR, you need to do your homework as at some point growth and
increased competition will necessitate adding a PR function. So be ahead of the
game and choose the right PR partner from the start to help you tell your story
before someone tells it for you.
Orchan’s One
Page Comms Plan WORKSHOP may
just be the answer for those who want to do it themselves. This half day
workshop shows you how to develop a simply yet effective communications plan, a
roadmap for your communications needs as your startup develops, and you still
take the reins.
If you’re interested, drop us a line, and we’ll send you details of the next workshop.
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Inspiration: For Startups, the Right Comms Strategy can be Make or Break
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