PR: How are you persuading your audience?

PR: How are you persuading your audience?

“If I was down to my last dollar, I’d spend it on public relations.” — Bill Gates

When is a good time to start thinking about public relations for your company?

At last week’s MaRS Best Practices series, Mary Keating and Monta Johnson of Hill+Knowlton Strategies Canada provided an overview of public relations specifically for entrepreneurs. With over 20 years of combined experience supporting the technology industry, Mary and Monta really know what they are talking about. Their presentation aimed to help new entrepreneurs understand:

  • how to tell their companies’ stories;
  • what appeals to the media; and
  • what tools and tactics they can use to do PR themselves.

For an introduction to the world of PR, check out: “PR 101: Opportunities for Entrepreneurs.”

Think your company is ready to leverage PR? Mary and Monta offer the following advice:

  1. Be ready to put a stake in the ground.
  2. Have the right materials.
  3. Know what you want to convey.

To hear the rest of their tips and to determine if you’re ready to enter the world of PR, check out this five-minute “Hot Tips for Startups” video:

No money to spend on a PR firm or press release? Here’s an article from Inc. on cost-effective ways to get covered by the media: “The New Rules of Getting Press for Your Start-up.”

Also check out hackPR, a platform that notifies you immediately when a reporter request matches your startup’s profile.

Want to learn more? Watch the lecture video “PR Fundamentals for Startups” and start making public relations work for your business:

Download the lecture slides here.

Additional resources:

Starting a business? Check out our Entrepreneur’s Toolkit for resources.