STARTUP PR
Founder Institute, 8/2/2012, Rome

You're never really
done for, as long as
you've got a good story
and someone to tell it to
Danny Boodman T.D. Lemon Novecento
The Legend of 1900

if you want
to be
interesting...
you need
a story
to tell

your story
is your startup

how to spread
the story?

write
the story

write
the story
start
telling
the story

write
the story
start
telling
the story
pitch
the press

write your story
identifying your audience

photo credit: lumaxart
you have a startup

lots of people have it too

they write about them

yes but who writes
???

• what do they write?

• what do they write?
• who gives better feedbacks?

• what do they write?
• who gives better feedbacks?
• what kind of links do they share?

• what do they write?
• who gives better feedbacks?
• what kind of links do they share?
• which hashtags do they use?

• what do they write?
• who gives better feedbacks?
• what kind of links do they share?
• which hashtags do they use?
• which site do they link to?

• what do they write?
• who gives better feedbacks?
• what kind of links do they share?
• which hashtags do they use?
• which site do they link to?
• who they answer back to? when?

• what do they write?
• who gives better feedbacks?
• what kind of links do they share?
• which hashtags do they use?
• which site do they link to?
• who they answer back to? when?
• who are your favorites?

interact with them
(twitter, linkedin, mail)

direct contact with
selected press

tell the story

write about
your startup
since
the very
beginning

share stories
about your world
using their hashtags

create a community
since day one

go to tumblr

tweet as a CEO
• use a personal
account

tweet as a CEO
• use a personal
account
• use hashtags used
from other CEO and
press

tweet as a CEO
• use a personal
account
• use hashtags used
from other CEO and
press
• istitutional news

tweet as a CEO
• use a personal
account
• use hashtags used
from other CEO and
press
• istitutional news
• lessons you learned

tweet as a CEO
• use a personal
account
• use hashtags used
from other CEO and
press
• istitutional news
• lessons you learned
• events

tweet as a CEO
• use a personal
account
• use hashtags used
from other CEO and
press
• istitutional news
• lessons you learned
• events
• answer to questions
you know the answer

tweet as a CEO
• use a personal • share links and your
account opinion together
• use hashtags used
from other CEO and
press
• istitutional news
• lessons you learned
• events
• answer to questions
you know the answer

tweet as a CEO
• use a personal • share links and your
account opinion together
• use hashtags used • link your blog
from other CEO and
press
• istitutional news
• lessons you learned
• events
• answer to questions
you know the answer

tweet as a CEO
• use a personal • share links and your
account opinion together
• use hashtags used • link your blog
from other CEO and
press • share images of what
you’re doing at job if
• istitutional news you can get funny
pics
• lessons you learned
• events
• answer to questions
you know the answer

tweet as a CEO
• use a personal • share links and your
account opinion together
• use hashtags used • link your blog
from other CEO and
press • share images of what
you’re doing at job if
• istitutional news you can get funny
pics
• lessons you learned
• update on your jobs
• events
• answer to questions
you know the answer

tweet as a CEO
• use a personal • share links and your
account opinion together
• use hashtags used • link your blog
from other CEO and
press • share images of what
you’re doing at job if
• istitutional news you can get funny
pics
• lessons you learned
• update on your jobs
• events
• RT news from your
• answer to questions and friends company
you know the answer account

use social network
as they should be
• share interesting things
• interact with other people
• mix job and hobby

which social?
• tumblr-->blog
• twitter-->news, links
• instagram-->team, milestones
• slideshare-->pitch
• youtube-->how to
• quora-->contacts, info, feedback
• facebook-->fan page, collect all the
others

stay where startups stay
• buy a plush
• write your startup’s name on it
• show it when you go to an event (one
event per month)

be there
angel.co
crunchbase
startupitalia.eu

Siamosoci.com
• even if you’re not looking for money
• lots of investors are here
• you are required to introduce your
company (info, pitch, video...)
• it gives you contacts (maybe money)

facebook groups
• startuppami
• italianstartupscene
• indigenidigitali
• ...

how to
tell the story?

photo credit:Fouquier ॐ
pitch your mum

ogni scarrafone
è bello a mamma so
every mum
likes his son

pitch a blond
(sorry blonds, I love you all)

pitch at
the traffic
light
offer pay coffe for it

video
• YOUTUBE • VIMEO
• tell your story • present your project
• tell how to solve a • share results
problem
• promote team
• be funny
• or be useful

pitch the press

ready to press?

no you’ll never be

press is for
milestones

alpha product
contact bloggers, ask for beta testers

you need testers
pay their time
testers will spread
your product

preview
pick a journalist or a blogger
(better if abroad)

public beta
share announcement and press kit
to journalist and blogger
offer interview, pitch via skype

launch
organize something great
related to your business

funding
announce on social, share in groups like
startuppami, italianstartupscene,
indigenidigitali, then notify press

press kit
saved on dropbox

• elevetor pitch
• CEO and co-founder bio
• video embeddable
• stats and essential info
• market numbers
• picture (horizontal) for the press you
want to be published in

commons mistakes
• not having a clear image of what you
want to communicate
• call yourself the new xxx (but it’s ok
to say your are the x for y)
• multi-ping to the same person

newspapers
• they are not on the Internet
• is that your audience?
• newspapers journalists rarely use
social networks
• do you believe they’ll answer to your
mail?

desperate times call for
desperate measures

how to tell the story
to the press?

this is the story
you guys have a problem
and nobody
has solved it yet

I got the fix
others have it to, but mine is better

here’s how
I can fix
the bug

Keep
It
Simple
Stupid

1.. 2.. 3.. done!

how to engage
journalists?

• ask a question

• ask a question
• quote somebody (old is better)

• ask a question
• quote somebody (old is better)
• remeber a personal experience

• ask a question
• quote somebody (old is better)
• remeber a personal experience
• show facts, give stats

• ask a question
• quote somebody (old is better)
• remeber a personal experience
• show facts, give stats
• describe the context

• ask a question
• quote somebody (old is better)
• remeber a personal experience
• show facts, give stats
• describe the context
• create mental images

• ask a question
• quote somebody (old is better)
• remeber a personal experience
• show facts, give stats
• describe the context
• create mental images
• use analogies

• ask a question
• quote somebody (old is better)
• remeber a personal experience
• show facts, give stats
• describe the context
• create mental images
• use analogies
• go straight to the point

what they want to know
• stats about your
startup: how many
users/client/deal?

what they want to know
• stats about your
startup: how many
users/client/deal?
• when did you start
working on this
project?

what they want to know
• stats about your
startup: how many
users/client/deal?
• when did you start
working on this
project?
• which is your market
and how much is it
valued? (quote
sources)

what they want to know
• stats about your • who are your
startup: how many competitors?
users/client/deal?
• when did you start
working on this
project?
• which is your market
and how much is it
valued? (quote
sources)

what they want to know
• stats about your • who are your
startup: how many competitors?
users/client/deal?
• how have you
• when did you start managed to create a
working on this better product? how
project? did you get the idea
for it?
• which is your market
and how much is it
valued? (quote
sources)

140 characters
per answer
if it can’t be short it is not simple
and nobody will understand

contacts
www.silviogulizia.it
@silviogulizia