Gaining Media Coverage & PR as a Startup - we chat to the experts
by Startacus Admin
Think your startup is ready for mainstream media coverage and PR?
Most probably and quite understandably most of us would answer this question with a resounding YES! However before you take that leap and splash the cash - read on fo
r some handy tips. We chatted with Aylish Jarvie from Startup PR specialists, Tectonic. They’re the fab company who recently provided us with a great £125 special offer in order to help all you startups as you begin your media coverage journeys.
So if a startup believes that they are ready for high level media coverage, what core things should they first consider before going any further in terms of working with a PR consultancy?
They first question any startup needs to ask is; what are my goals? Define what success looks like to you and what you want to achieve with any PR campaign before you embark upon looking 
for a PR consultancy. You might want PR to raise your profile for investment or alternatively to raise mainstream awareness of your product or platform, but whatever the answer make sure you have it clearly defined before you set out.
In your experience, what are the most common mistakes that startups make in terms of marketing and PR?
One of the most common mistakes is hiring an agency or consultancy too early. Perhaps you don’t have your messaging locked down yet or you are busy iterating on your product, either way spending money on PR before you’re ready to tell the world about your product is a waste of cash. Conversely many startups also leave it too late, trying to handle all PR and comms internally until they reach tipping point. There’s a fine balance between getting an agency in too early or too late and it’s all in the timing, but get it right and you can really supercharge your PR efforts.
Pitch to us Tectonic PR - what makes you guys stand out?
A great question. I would say that our unique pricing model, which makes some of the unquantifiable elements of PR measurable, is what makes us stand out from the crowd. With both founders having come from working in startups, we understand what they need from a PR company and what extra fluff they could do without. It is this perspective that brought us to our 
“guaranteed coverage” approach.
Tectonic PR, two years from now - where do you see the business?
We see the business expanding to other startup hubs (Berlin, NYC) where we can work with great clients on a Global level. We would also love to have grown our team further so we can offer more complimentary services such as PPC and general Digital Marketing as well as being able to cater to our ever expanding client roster.
If you had to have dinner with three (dead or alive) entrepreneurs, who would you choose and why!?
First choice would be Guy Kawasaki as he truly understands how to build lasting businesses and how to make people fall in love with a particular product or service.
Next up would be Elon Musk. Now that is a guy with vision who will change the world in incredible ways.
Lastly would be Peter Thiel.While adding a controversial spin to the conversation I think his views on Education and the pursuit for immortality would prove fascinating.
Cheers Aylish and we look forward to hopefully chatting more over the coming weeks.
Interested in finding out more about the £125 credit offer via TECTONIC for their Startup PR services? Click Startup PR!
And if you feel that gaining mainstream TV and national / international media coverage is not currently the right plan - find out about own cost effective and super cool startup publicity programme too :)
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Startacus teamed up with inaugural Innovation Nation 2018 to deliver Ascend, an all-Ireland tech startup pitch competition. The startups that will be pitching at Innovation Nation 2018 are:
Thortful - The startup that's providing a creative card marketplace for designers, illustrators and photographers...
We are liking the sound of Feels FM, an emoji-powered jukebox using music as a positive coping strategy, & to find new ways to talk about mental health.
Innovative startups and businesses designed and focused on empowering and embracing female consumers.
P2P investment aggregator Orca raises £500K on equity crowdfunding platform, Seedrs within two days.
British logistics company Wincanton is looking for tech startups to pitch their solutions for industry specific challenges, as part of their returning W2 Labs innovation programme.
Portugal-based startup Magikbee secures a further $250k round of funding to continue its mission to reimagine kids’ learning and screen time.
Perlego - billed as the 'Spotify for textbooks' - has closed a $4.8m venture round, signalling a new chapter for the growing company on a mission to make textbooks more accessible.
Startup Hubbite has been launched with the aim of putting the trust back into online reviews.
20 aspiring early stage NI technology startups pitched for the chance to win a cash prize for their businesses, closing Ignite NI’s first Propel Pre-Accelerator programme.
Published on: 8th April 2015
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.
- P2P investment aggregator Orca raises £500k in two days 18th Sep 2018 P2P investment aggregator Orca raises £500K on equity crowdfunding platform, Seedrs within two days.
- Wincanton innovation programme W2 Labs looks to tech startups 18th Sep 2018 British logistics company Wincanton is looking for tech startups to pitch their solutions for industry specific challenges, as part of their returning W2 Labs innovation programme.
- Spotify for textbooks Perlego raises $4.8m 16th Sep 2018 Perlego - billed as the 'Spotify for textbooks' - has closed a $4.8m venture round, signalling a new chapter for the growing company on a mission to make textbooks more accessible.
- North East entrepreneurs sought for new Ignite Accelerator in Newcastle 17th Aug 2018 Ignite returns to Newcastle, home to its inaugural accelerator programme, to launch a 3-month funded, pre-accelerator programme for up to 20 early-stage businesses.
