What Startups and Crowdfunders Can Do To Connect With Media
Burgeoning entrepreneurs in every industry all have one thing in common; they need funding. Whether you’re raising money to start a new business or you’ve started one and could use some capital, connecting with the media can help.
The media, including journalists, industry bloggers, and relevant news sites, can help you get the attention you need to attract funds. And of course, media attention can help you reach your sales goals faster so that profitability doesn’t seem so far away. Let’s take a look at some tips, ideas, and strategies to help startups and crowdfunders connect with the media.
#1 Build a Following on Social Media
Make some noise on social media. Before you launch anything, leverage social media to build interest for your organization and your products or services. Get them excited and involved. You can share relevant industry news, progress reports on your business, and insight into the industry. Let your audience know what problem you’re going to solve for them, how you’ll make their lives better, and why they’re important to you. The vast majority of media representatives get their story ideas from social media. By building a presence you’ll attract their attention, and the attention of potential investors or funding resources.
#2 Content
Create content and publish it on a variety of channels. Leverage video, print, images and photos. Publish on your blog, on relevant industry blogs, and on social sites like Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Content helps begin to establish you as an authority in your niche. It also begins to build your brand long before you have a product or service to sell. It’s also important to keep in mind that the media often looks to video content for story ideas and to help them with their research.
#3 Hit Them with a Press Release
Startups have unique opportunities to gain media attention. You’re likely offering a new and/or improved way to solve a problem. That is news. You may partner with industry leaders or have a team of notable industry names behind your company. That is news too. And when you release your product or service you also have an opportunity to issue a press release. Keep in mind that the fact that you’re seeking funding isn’t news. However, your business idea is probably news, and when you do achieve funding milestones that can often be positioned as newsworthy as well.
By building a solid foundation before you launch, through social media and content marketing, you can grab the attention of the media. Reach out to your audience and share with them the value that your organization can uniquely provide. Build excitement and leverage that to gain the attention that your new business needs to thrive.
