DIY PR Tips for Start-ups

The early stage of a start-up typically comprises two sides - business (products and services) and marketing (branding and sales). Cash-strapped entrepreneurs often find themselves making a financial compromise, so the marketing side has to operate within a limited budget. Here's how you can effectively market your business without overspending on a marketing agency.

Hire a professional.

Yes, this is the complete opposite of what this article is about. But the thing is, not all entrepreneurs are marketers. A good business leader knows when and what to delegate. Today, you can outsource tasks and projects, from press release writing to social media campaigns.

Here are the things you can do:

Create Value.

This is common sense, but most often businesses hunt for an affordable PR and marketing agency without first looking at their business in detail. What value can you bring to your customers and how is it different from your competitors? Even if you're able to get the best marketing agency in town, it wouldn't matter if you really have nothing to boast about.

Build a Loyal Following.

Build relationships with your customers through social media. Create and maintain a blog - WordPress and Blogger have free accounts. As the owner, you know more about the business and its story more than anybody else. See from a customer's perspective and create conversations.  Entertain your followers or provide a solution to a problem.

Create a Life Purpose.

Mission and vision statements are a dime a dozen.  A simple and more impactful way of creating a value statement for your business is using a life purpose. At TedxMalibu, Adam Leipzig provides a simple 5-step question that will enable you to find your life purpose in five minutes. Simply apply it to your business:

1. Who are you?
          The business name.
2. What do you do?
          Product or service.
3. Who do you do it for?
         Your target audience.
4. What do those people want or need?
        What your customers need.
5. What did those people get and how did they change as a result?
       What product or service they received and how it changed their lives as a result.

If you combine all five, you get something like this - We are X, a start-up that builds mobile app games for kids who are struggling with Math so they can have a fun and enjoyable learning experience.

This is more effective because it concentrates on who your business serves and how they benefited from your product or service as a result. It's a simpler and easier way of conveying what your business is about and what it stands for. You can place this value statement on your website, social media profiles and marketing collateral.