How to shape a PR strategy for startup? A brief guide for startup founders
- Karolina Kroliczek
- Apr 8
- 4 min read
For any startup founder, breaking into a new market can seem intimidating. Yet, with the proper strategy, you can successfully present your brand and build a decent PR plan. In this blog post, we’ll suggest practical steps to guide you through the process of launching your product or service on a new, unknown market. Let's get started!
Understanding market research & target the market like no one else
Before diving into a new market, it is crucial to conduct thorough market research. This step provides you with essential insights about your target audience, competitors and market trends.
Identify your target audience: start by defining who your ideal customers are. Understand their demographics, preferences and pain points.
Analyse competitors: study local competitors to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Identify gaps in the market that your product can fill. Tools like SEMrush and SimilarWeb can provide insights into competitor traffic and marketing strategies.
Assess market demand: you can use online resources, official government statistics, and industry reports to assess the demand for your product. Look into usage statistics or consumer studies, which can lend credibility to your research.
Building a local presence - keep cultural differences in mind
Once your market research is complete, the next step is establishing a local presence. This is vital for building brand recognition and connecting with your new audience:
Leverage local partnerships: collaborate with local businesses and organisations that align with your brand values. Partnerships can enhance your credibility and visibility in the community. For example, hosting joint events can bring in potential customers.
Localised marketing strategies: tailor your marketing efforts to resonate with local culture and consumer behaviour. Use local languages, references and practices in your messaging to make it more relatable. Consider creating content that highlights local issues your startup can solve.
CSR & engagement in community events: participate in local events to foster relationships with potential customers and other businesses. A booth at a local fair or sponsoring a community event can effectively showcase your product and company mission.
Shaping your PR strategy
With a solid understanding of the market and an established local presence, the next step is to shape your PR strategy. Step by step, you can:
Develop a compelling narrative: forge a unique story around your brand that resonates with the audience. Highlight what makes your startup different. Perhaps your startup has a socially responsible angle or a personal founder story, you can leverage these narratives in your PR materials.
Media relations: build relationships with local journalists and influencers in your industry. Establishing these connections can result in valuable media coverage. Offer exclusive access to your product or insights into your brand to gain their interest.
Create press materials: develop a media kit that includes essential information about your startup, such as press releases, fact sheets and high-res mages. This will make it easy for journos to cover your story.
Host a launch event: organise an official launch event for your startup. This will not only introduce your product to potential customers but can also draw the attention of local media.
Measuring success - how to measure your PR efforts PRoperly?
After implementing your marketing and PR strategies, it’s essential to measure their effectiveness. Here are some metrics you can track:
Media coverage: keep an eye on the amount and quality of media coverage you receive. To do so, you can use Google Alerts & media tracking tools to monitor mentions of your startup and gather press hits.
Social media & engagement: analyse engagement metrics on your social media platforms. Track likes, shares, comments and overall traffic generated from similar campaigns.
Customer feedback: gather feedback from customers through surveys and reviews, all to enhance customer satisfaction.
Sales metrics: monitor sales data to evaluate the impact of your market entry strategy.
Sustain your presence and keep your (PR) on board
Transitioning into a new market is not a one-off strategy; it requires ongoing effort to maintain momentum. In terms of PR and strategy building, startups will often learn along the way, and the learning curve will be massive unless they invest in agency support like ours to get through these PR turbulences. Which factors should be kept in mind then?
Keep momentum & get continual engagement: even after your initial launch, continue engaging with your audience. Regular updates, newsletters and social media interactions can keep your brand top of mind.
Don't be afraid to divert your PR strategies: as you gather more data and feedback, be prepared to adapt your strategies.
Stay community-oriented and maintain and grow your CSR and involvement in the local community. Sponsor local initiatives or continue partnerships to reinforce your commitment to the local market.
Monitoring & adjusting is needed: regularly review your PR strategy - you need to honestly analyze what has worked and what needs adjustment, ensuring you still stay competitive in the new market. The PR strategy change doesn't need to be painful, as long as you do it step by step - it's better to change it and see the results than not see them at all!
In essence, entering a new market and perfecting your PR strategy requires careful planning and execution. Dedicate time to market research, establish a local presence and develop a strong PR strategy to ensure your startup's long-term success. Keep your narrative prominent, engage with your community, and continuously refine your PR strategies. Finally, do not be afraid to divert if the initial strategy doesn't work! Here you can also read more about the PR strategies for the UK companies in Poland.
