Startup Guide
An Upstart Guide to Marketing
Contents
With 15 years experience working with companies Page 3: How to Talk About
Your Tech
ranging from upstarts to large enterprises, we
understand the fast speed and challenges inherent Page 5: How to Write Vision
and Mission Statements
in marketing a new brand. Whether you’re building a
business or just growing your brand, inside this guide, Page 7: How to Create a
you’ll find our five pillars of startup communications. Customer PR Program
Page 9: How to Crush Your
Ready to get started? Read on. First Media Interview
Page 11: How to Create
Quick, Killer Content
2
How to Talk
About Your Tech
After months of iteration, you’ve finally Who is Your Audience? Industry analysts report on specific
built a new technology, and you’re vertical markets. Identify the right
ready to debut it to the world. Great. If we were writing for an audience in analyst for you and review their
Now, how do you talk about it? Berlin, würden wir diesen Guide auf policy for confidential information.
Deutsch schreiben (we would write Then, focus on the technical details
Describing the mission and vision of this guide in German). The same goes of your product or service, and how
a new venture is challenging for any for tech: it compares to competitors.
company — especially in the tech
industry, where complex systems and Industry trade press covers specific
industry jargon can make an “About vertical markets, with an emphasis
Us” page look like a series of ones on case studies. Identify the right
and zeros. trade editor for your brand and
Define your audience, review their editorial guidelines,
Who is your audience? How do you then translate your often posted on the website.
translate your tech so you can present Then, focus on the applications of
it in an impactful, relatable way? Here’s tech accordingly. your product or service, and how
your crash course. partners and customers use it in the
real world.
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National press cover the intersection How Do You Present workings of your artificial intelligence
of business, technology and society. engine. Then, consider turning it into
Identify the right writer for your brand Your Tech? a video, social media images and
and review their column carefully. other shareable content.
Then, focus on how your product or “Show, don’t tell” is the mark of expert
service speaks to a larger trend, and storyteller — and the secret sauce Video. Would you rather read about
use data to show political, economic for talking deep tech. While many a technology or watch a video?
or sociocultural impact. entrepreneurs immediately think, Research by Cisco says the latter
“slide deck,” there are several other is preferable.
No matter the audience, ditch the formats to consider.
jargon. When in doubt, send the copy
to someone outside your industry. Case Study. Often the best people to
talk about your tech are the ones who
use it. Enlist a customer or partner for
a testimonial or media interview.
Survey or Report. Matter Account
Manager Vanessa Boynton recently
“We sell platform- shared on LinkedIn, “Your ideas,
predictions & aspirations mean
agnostic retail CRM nothing without real experiences,
software” is not as clear facts and figures backing them up.”
as you think. Infographic. You’ve heard a picture is
worth a thousand words, and
it’s true for complex tech. Use an
infographic to show the inner
4
How to Write Vision
+ Mission Statements
To quote HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” should stem from your company’s
startups aim to “make the world a elevator pitch, strategic plan and
better place,” whether “through Paxos company values. Write these
algorithms for consensus protocols” first, then use vision and mission
or “through canonical data models to statements to recap these materials
communicate between end points.” in plain English for your organization. Mission and vision
statements keep
But what does any of this mean? What are the differences between
“Making the world a better place” is a a vision statement and mission
every level of the
signature gag on the show, but jokes statement? What should each organization on
aside, it hits on an important part of the accomplish, and how long should track and should
founding process: writing a vision and they be? Here’s your crash course.
mission statement.
act as a “gut check”
for new initiatives
Vision and mission statements guide and products.
everything from strategy, to procedural
execution, to recruiting and hiring, to
company culture as you scale. Both
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Writing a Writing a Putting Pen to Paper
Vision Statement Mission Statement
In working with clients, some of the
most common questions we get are
A vision statement is a high-level A mission statement explains how around length, rigidity of messaging
explanation as to why a company a company plans to accomplish its and good examples:
exists. It is aspirational, inspirational, vision. It is operational, procedural,
motivational and coincides with the actionable, realistic, and coincides On length – While many companies
founder’s vision, and how they see the with the steps and hierarchy for favor the one-liner approach, vision and
company evolving and its impact on success—and it indicates how the mission statements can be as long as a
the world. company will make the world a couple paragraphs.
better place.
There’s plenty of research On rigidity of messaging – A company’s
underscoring why your company Mission and vision statements keep vision and mission can and should
needs a “why.” In Simon Sinek’s “Start every level of the organization on evolve over time, as technologies and
trends shape customer needs and
with Why” TED Talk, he explains that: track and should act as a “gut check”
preferences. The key is securing buy-in
successful companies like Apple for new initiatives and products. across the organization for any changes
communicate why they do what made, as vision and mission statements
they do, before ever describing how Silicon Valley fans remember CEO provide important templates for
or what. Jack Barker’s “box”: A new product decision making.
that pivoted the company from a
Those familiar with Jim Stengel’s service model to a slot in a data On good examples – Google your
book, Grow, also know that companies center, departing from the founder favorite companies, both inside and
that communicate from a position of Richard’s vision and mission for the outside of your space. Be inspired, but
purpose are four times more effective. company — causing a headache for don’t copy. Your vision and mission
the team. should be “blue ocean”: uniquely yours
to claim and conquer.
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How to Create a
Customer PR Program
Joint PR projects are a great way What Makes a Good • A technical problem with your
to get press as a startup, because product or service (like an open
they demonstrate market demand PR Candidate? support ticket)
for your product or service. Joint PR • A signed non-disclosure
projects educate consumers and In a perfect world, a startup could agreement (NDA)
benefit startups by helping them involve all of its customers in PR.
win recognition for their tech and But in reality, corporate policy and Then, look for the signs of a great
initiatives, promote their vision for competitive issues often determine PR candidate:
the industry, improve the visibility of which customers are a fit. First, look for • A happy customer
their executives and increase their these warning signs: • A champion who will help you
brand awareness. • A corporate policy that prohibits secure internal approvals
mention of technology partners • Tangible, quantitative results
What are the options for joint PR? • Required review of copy before from using your product
And how do you “make the ask” to publication, which journalists or service
get customers involved? Here’s your typically cannot guarantee • Permission to speak publicly
crash course. • Competitive issues that limit the about your partnership
topics of discussion
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What are the Options? PR to their customers, there is no customers or even submitting
customer program. customers for external awards,
Once you have a list of candidates, it’s recognizing their
time to consider their options. The key To start, ask yourself, “what’s in it for progressive thinking.
is presenting choices for every comfort the customer?” Free publicity is an
level. Here are some of the options we easy sell for smaller customers and Once you’ve identified the benefit,
present to clients when designing a emerging brands, but not so much for you can “make the ask” in
customer program: Fortune 500 customers. several ways:
For your larger customers, joint PR
• Logo on the website can be an opportunity to establish • Welcome letter
• Testimonial or case study on themselves as thought leaders in a • Email template
the website specific industry. • Case study library
• Joint press release • Email intro to your PR team
• Joint interview with the press
• Joint speaking engagement
or award
To start, ask yourself,
How Do You “Make what’s in it for
the Ask”? the customer?
This is the number one question
we get from clients implementing
a customer program, and rightfully Incentives are also helpful in securing
so. Sales and customer success customer participation in PR. Consider
teams are the gatekeepers. If they offering a product or service discount,
don’t feel supported in introducing setting up an awards program for
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How to Crush Your
First Media Interview
As a startup founder, you’ve poured But getting visibility for your work isn’t How Should You Prepare?
blood, sweat, tears and capital into easy. The number of U.S. startups
your company. You’ve invested in has grown for the third year in a row, When preparing for a media
the right talent, built a differentiated with 310 out of every 100,000 adults interview, always start with your
product or service, acquired becoming new entrepreneurs in a messaging. Know your mission
customers and maybe raised some given month, according to the 2017 and vision statements, and be able
funding, and it’s time to launch your Kauffman Index of Startup Activity. to articulate what you do in brief,
startup into the public eye. plain language.
It’s a crowded market. So, when you do
Media coverage is one of the most land a coveted media interview, you Working with the media for a living,
cost-effective ways to generate want to crush it. we can’t emphasize enough how
brand awareness for your startup at important it is to avoid jargon. And if
launch. The right journalists can help How should you prepare? What you can’t explain what you do in 10
validate your idea, build authority for questions should you anticipate, and to 30 seconds, go back to the press
you and your company, and attract how do you maintain the relationship? when you can.
the attention of new customers Here’s your crash course.
and investors. Once you have your elevator pitch
down, turn to key messages. Every
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media interview is a chance to What Questions Should better — including total revenue or
drive core messaging about your revenue growth, funding, headcount
company, industry and view for You Anticipate? and number of customers.
the future. Identify two or three
key points, and relevant stories to Media want to know about the Add to the list tough questions
support them. Remember, plan a problem you solve, your company and about your brand. Are you in an
media interview. Never wing it. team, the market, and evidence of exceptionally crowded space
your traction: where a journalist will question your
Dos differentiation? Are there security
• Turn off your cell phone • What does your company do? (did and privacy issues surrounding your
• Speak slowly and clearly we mention brief, plain language?) product or service? Anticipate and
• Be concise and repeat • Who are your competitors, and address these questions head on,
key messages how are you different? and you’ll fare well with media.
• Encourage a two- • When was the company founded?
way conversation • Where is your office(s), and how
many employees do you have? How Do You Maintain
Don’ts • Can you name specific customers the Relationship?
• Don’t be late (five minutes or partners?
early is best) • How do you price your product When all goes well, your first media
• Don’t say “no comment” or or service? interview is only the beginning. Send
go “off the record” • Have you raised any funding, the journalist a thank you with links to
• Don’t lie or mislead and can you disclose the amount relevant resources, and keep him or
• Don’t talk negatively or investors? her apprised of future news.
about competitors • What are next steps for
• As a final step, create an your company?
internal FAQ to prepare for
questions a journalist may ask. Inherent in all of of this are statistics.
The more numbers you can reveal, the
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How to Create
Quick, Killer Content
Shrinking newsrooms and the rise Instead, ask yourself, “What
of Medium, LinkedIn Pulse, and questions do my customers have?”
contributor networks are making
content an essential part of a To create quick, killer Customer feedback guides the
company’s visibility in the media. content, look to the products you build, the services you
Backed by an SEO strategy, company offer and the brand you present to
blogs, op-eds, landing page content resources you have the market. Let customers guide
and downloadable assets are now and use them in your content, too.
powerful drivers of lead-gen and smart ways.
brand awareness. Next, brainstorm a list of headline
ideas. Not 5 or 10, but 100 if you can.
But where does content come from? Consider the questions customers
This is an existential question for all What Should You might have about your product or
organizations — especially newer service, the underlying technology,
startups with leaner teams. What Write About? your company culture, the market
should you write about? Who should you serve and how you stack up
write it? And how do you speed up the Ask yourself this, and you’ll be staring against competitors.
process? Here’s your crash course. at a blinking cursor for six hours.
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There are two rules of thumb. Rule Who Should Write It? Speed Up the Process
number one, think ‘blue ocean.’ Make
your mission and vision statements The answer is everyone. No one Here’s how to turn your small, seed stage
uniquely yours to claim and conquer. person in a startup has the bandwidth team into a content generation machine:
to handle content.
A great resource on blue ocean Create top 10 lists. Frequent customer
questions, most inspiring CEOs and
strategy is a blog by CoSchedule’s But your founder(s) could write a favorite lunch places all work great here.
CEO, Garrett Moon. In his words, state-of-the-industry piece. Your
your customers ask questions, and engineering team could explore what Expand on or react to recent
you should be the best answer on makes a great developer in the retail news. Keep reactions positive, use
the Internet. tech space. And your sales team could proper attribution and don’t be afraid to
identify frequent phrases or questions share your post with the original author.
Second, follow the 80/20 rule: 80% from prospects and address them in
objective, thought-leadership content Leverage User Generated Content
a Q&A. (UGC). Also lovingly referred to as ‘OPC’:
that answers key audience questions,
other people’s content. Share content
and 20% focused on product offerings. Creating quick, killer content as from your executives, employees,
Yes, your company is awesome. But a startup is about assembling a board members, investors and other
resist the urge to write only about how strikeforce. Members have the stakeholders. Again, use
awesome you are. opportunity to build not only the proper attribution.
company brand, but to leverage
Finally, structure your favorite Repurpose content. Think of each piece
content on channels like Medium and
headlines into a content calendar. Plan of content as a campaign. Your long-form
Linkedin to build their own personal exploration of artificial intelligence could
at least 2-4 weeks ahead, and assign brands as well. easily become a three-part blog series.
topics to various authors. Audio from a keynote presentation could
find new life as a blog Q&A, social posts,
an email newsletter or an e-book.
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Our Upstart Experience
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About Matter
Matter is a Brand Elevation Agency unifying public relations, social media, creative services and digital
marketing into strategic, content-rich communications campaigns that inspire action and build value.
Newburyport, MA (HQ) Providence, RI Portland, OR
978-499-9258 401-654-4976 971-246-7896
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Boston, MA Boulder, CO
617-391-9898 720-577-5401
[email protected] [email protected] Learn more at matternow.com
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