The document offers guidelines for startups on public relations (PR), detailing offline, online, social, and event-related PR strategies. Key points include the importance of direct interaction with journalists, crafting honest online content, leveraging social media for networking, and maximizing visibility through events. Overall, the emphasis is on the need for startups to proactively manage their PR efforts over an extended period to achieve meaningful results.

1. PR for Startups!
Guidelines, ideas, and case studies.
Alok Rodinhood Kejriwal – Sept 12

2. Introduction
• These are my personal views and ideas.
• I am a digital, startup entrepreneur who has
been involved with several companies since
the past 12 years.
• To find my PR score, google “Alok Kejriwal”
• This PPT is intended to help fresh startup
entrepreneurs understand and succeed in the
confusing world of PR.

3. Sections in this PPT
1. Offline PR
2. Online PR
3. Social PR
4. Event related PR

4. 1. Offline PR

5. Why does Offline PR matter?
1. There is a market of decision makers (CEOs of
Companies, Heads of Departments, Senior Govt.
Officials, etc) who only read print.
2. The online websites of large publications have
large audiences and once you are written up in
print, you automatically get featured online too.
3. Think of it as ‘proof of concept’ test. The day
you can make it in the Fortune or Time or The
Economist, you have done something
worthwhile.

6. Tips for Offline PR
1. Don’t hire a PR firm immediately. Hire them 2
years later.
2. Start by learning the basics yourself.
3. Read all the papers and magazines that you
would like to be covered in
4. READ the way people are quoted in your
industry – what do they say, how do they
contribute to stories, what do they stand for?
5. Pretend that you were approached for the same
story – what really would you say?? What would
be YOUR quote?

7. Indulge in Interviews!
• The one reward that Offline PR offers is the
excitement of a ‘real interview’.
• After 10 years of active PR, I have realized that
a real interview with an experienced journalist
helps in massive introspection and a release of
bottled energy! It’s an amazing catharsis!
(Case study at the end of ppt)
• Interviews also allow you to share your
‘personal’ side – something that readers vibe
with instantly.

8. Contact Journalists directly- it’s easy!

9. Communicate with Journalists.
Don’t SPAM them!
1. Journalists get thousands of mails, press releases,
phone calls and e-mails all day long.
2. Write to them with your idea and concept and keep
it short, sweet and interesting.
3. DON’T spam them and bombard them with
messages and reminders. They will detest you for it.
4. Become someone they get interesting ideas from
regularly. They will contact you.
5. Journalists love their work. Once a friend, always a
friend. They will stay in touch with you, even as
they change jobs.

10. Hygiene
1. Invest in a nice professional portfolio. Please have
photos that look better than the ones you shot
when were hung over in the loo!
2. DON’T try and bribe or gift journalists. That SUCKS.
3. If you do get a mail or call, revert with lightning
speed. Journos love dependable people who
respond in time.
4. Understand that journos follow ‘beats’ or themes –
hence a tech journo will write about tech – not
about gardening! Don’t send the wrong message to
the wrong journalist.

11. 2. Online PR

12. Why does Online PR matter?
1. Simple! It’s what appears when people search
for you or your company on the web.
2. Most influencers, opinion makers and decision
makers (with less grey hair) read stuff online.
3. Online links from very popular sites massively
help in SEO (google rankings) of your Company’s
site/blog.
4. The online platform is interactive and allows you
and the reader to have a conversation. That’s a
BIG DEAL.

13. Tips for Online PR
1. MOST definitely DO IT YOURSELF.
2. Identify friends (positive people and sites),
neutrals and the negatives (people and sites
who only try and deride). Avoid the negatives.
3. Directly become friends with the editor (owners)
of the smaller sites, and begin communicating
with relevant journos of the bigger sites.
4. BE HONEST in whatever you write and retort.
Online PR is about honesty and saying what you
mean. Yeah, things get ‘checked out’ very
quickly online!

14. Identify journalists who write about
your business and trade. Example:

15. Interact with the journalist directly!

16. 3. Social PR

17. Why does Social PR matter?
1. For startups, the line between the business and the
founder/s are blurred. Sometimes it’s the same.
2. Individually, you can easily ‘connect’ with people.
3. As a business, few will ‘like’ your startup’s facebook
page, but they will become friends with you on FB.
4. Being socially active allows you to ask for help,
market your business, hire great talent and just get
noticed!
5. Having your own friends and ‘social circle’ allows
you to counter opinions and views that others may
throw at you.

18. Tips for Social PR
1. Get AS MANY friends as you can on facebook,
twitter, linkedin, google+ and other social networks.
2. Own a blog. Write as often as you can (see example)
3. Post something interesting (NOT marketing crap) on
your networks. It should be stuff that make your
friends laugh, cry, intrigued, educated – but never
BORING (“why am I great” stuff).
4. Actively comment on large websites that matter –
you will get noticed.
5. Play cool, defensive or aggressive roles as your
personality allows. Decide on your approach and
stick to it!

19. Do’s and Don’ts
1. DON’T create random facebook groups. They
are obnoxious.
2. DON’T invite people to ‘like’ your facebook
page. They don’t care.
3. Share what you know and share NAKEDLY.
Don’t hold back.
4. Be very open to criticism and negative
feedback. If you are aggressive socially, then
be willing to face venomous online wrath!

20. Case study:
A recent article on Techcrunch on
the iPhone 5 launch attracted 234 comments

21. My comment ranked #1
comment on that day
because of my social
media strength (= nos of
likes & follow-on
comments)
That got me noticed
globally.

22. Case study:
A recent question on Quora was
mildly critical of games2win – the business I manage

23. I replied to the post as objectively as
I could and won supporters and
suggestions for improving my business

24. 4. Events as PR

25. Why do PR Events matter?
1. You meet people! That’s the most important
reason why events matter.
2. People notice you and what you stand for.
3. Television reaches the maximum number of
people possible (not necessarily the right target
group); if nothing else, your stuck up aunt in a
small town will notice you on TV and call you!
4. Events (panels, key notes) project you and your
business as market leaders and opinion creators.

26. Tips for Events
1. Find out who is presenting with you at the
event. You should at least be amidst peers, if not
leaders.
2. Seize any sensible opportunity you get. Once
you get on the TV circuit with channels, they will
keep calling you back.
3. Even if you are just attending an event, sit in the
last row. When the Q&A starts, grab the mike
and ask a clever question AFTER announcing
your name + your Company’s name. You will get
noticed and remembered.

27. Do’s and Don’ts
1. Make snappy, short bullet-like statements. No one
likes to listen to sermons.
2. Kick up a fight! Panel disagreements are well
received and wake up the audience.
3. Say something outrageous (I called “Kolaveri Di” a
‘one trick monkey’). You will be remembered!
4. Network before and after the event like mad.
Collect all the cards you can.
5. Eat lunch with the audience. Mingle. Get feedback
on what they thought about your speech.

28. Sign of success
• On TV, I believe that the greatest sign of
success is if one of your panel members (or
the anchor) begins to repeatedly mention
your name!
• Television is all about being in the spotlight. If
you crack a joke, make people laugh or make
an impactful point, the camera will follow you.

29. Some final points
1. The best advice I got was from Gita Piramal
who told me, “Alok, first do something
remarkable. Then the media will run after
you.”
2. Amitabh Saxena of Actimedia told me, “Alok,
on TV people remember how you looked. In
print they remember what you said.”
3. PR takes 10 years to yield results. Yes TEN
years. If you don’t have that stamina, don’t
run the PR marathon.

30. Some more final points
4. NEVER LIE to the media. It will kill you.
5. Be the single spokesperson. You can share PR
responsibility with someone later after your firm
grows. If you have more than one person speaking
(INITIALLY), the message gets confused.
6. REHEARSE if you are not used to public speaking.
For TV appearances, actually do a mock TV
interview in the office and observe how you look
and the expressions you make on camera. (For a
‘Shakers and Movers’ episode in 2001, my mock
shoot revealed that I was gulping too much!)

31. Some final, final points
7. Contribute sound bites, quotes, views and
anything that the media asks you for. DON’T
RATION time for PR. The more you give, the
more you will get.
8. Be honest and genuine with journalists. If you
don’t want to say something, DON’T SAY IT –
never say “It’s off the record” (it never is).
9. Contribute as a columnist, as a blogger, as a
writer to media. There won’t always be stories
to be quoted in – so INVENT the stories!

32. Most importantly
• Have FUN when you are indulging in PR!
• Please sport a sense of humor. Do not go on
camera or for an interview just around the
time you realize you have lost your iPhone.
• Don’t ARGUE with people for the sake of it.
• Don’t stall a discussion. Let people have their
say and make way for more discussion.
• THANK ALL the people who gave you a PR
moment after release.

33. References & Homework
Homework:
An interview in CNBC – Can you figure the mistake I am making?
(appears early on)
References:
The Techcrunch article (of slide 20)
The Quora article (of slide 22)
An interview in ‘Entrepreneur’ magazine that was cathartic for
me and is one my best interviews to date.

34. I hope this was helpful!

35. Connect with me & give me feedback!
e-mail - alok@rodinhood.com
Facebook -
facebook.com/rodinhood
Twitter - @rodinhood
My social network for anyone
enterprising!
therodinhoods.com
Blogs and articles written by me
Presentations –
http:slideshare.net/rodinhood