No. 10: 4 Things You Must Not Forget from my VC4A PR Workshop
Hey folks,
I have to hand it to Disney movies. They imparted some good life advice like this classic from Aladdin:
This pearl of wisdom came to mind recently.
I’m building a new website. I want it to be cool, colorful, with a tad of vintage funk. Think a mix of 60s Nigerian funk artist William Onyeabor, rock ‘n roll fashion muse Bianca Jagger, and dreamy pastel shots from The Florida Project, a 2017 US indie flick.
I hired a photographer to shoot pics of me and take cool urban landscapes of Lagos.
And because vanity got the best of me, I also decided to hire a makeup artist.
I was going for a natural and polished look à la AOC in Vanity Fair. It turned out otherwise. #epicfail
The makeup artist arrived early, wheeling a large suitcase. She unzipped the bag to reveal bottles of foundation, eyeshadow palettes, and tubes of lipstick.
I sat in the makeup chair for nearly two hours while she painted layer after layer of foundation on my face. I sat patiently, waiting for her to reveal my glam girl self.
She dusted some powder on my face and finally gave me a mirror.
I watched in horror as a Lebanese pop star stared back at me.
In the group chat, my Abidjan girlfriends were just as scathing about my look as my inner critic. “Comically bad,” said my friend Julie.
I felt utterly unlike myself, deeply self-conscious. I went into the bathroom and wiped everything off.
I had a good chuckle at my glam experiment gone awry and was reminded to not try so hard.
On to the newsletter!
4 Takeaways from my PR Masterclass
Last Tuesday, I led my first PR masterclass with VC4A. It was the most in depth presentation I’ve ever given. I was also psyched that I got to test my new streaming setup (microphone, Sony ZV-1 camera and two screens).
It was awesome to see 45 people tune in from across Africa: Nigeria, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, and South Africa.
I wanted to give context to how founders should think about, budget for, and integrate PR with marketing. Because these nuts and bolts are often missing in PR trainings for startups.
Here are the 4 key takeaways that sparked the most conversation:
1. PR is about insights and stories while marketing focuses on product
I’ll never get tired of saying it: PR is not marketing. People hate to be sold to, especially in the social media age. So, don’t be salesy. Remember that PR is editorial, not advertorial.
Since PR is all about getting people to a) know you exist b) get excited about your startup and mission, you need to appeal to what’s interesting. Tell stories and insights related to your industry, the people you’re helping, etc.
2. Don’t gloss over strategy
Founders tend to skip strategy in favor of tactics when it comes to PR. This is a mistake. A publicist needs to research and write a communications strategy so that PR goals support business goals. Otherwise, there’s no point. It’s just vanity metrics.
Always tie your PR/comms goals (right) to your business goals (left).
During research, a publicist will work out the kinks in your messaging, position you from your competitors, and unearth the interesting (that word, again!) tidbits about your business.
You might dream of getting into TechCrunch, the leading tech publication. But it might not give you the reach you’re looking for. A trade publication could be much more effective in connecting with the right audiences. And that’s why strategy development is important.
3. Focus on your WHY
Many founders are product-obsessed former engineers. They love technology and make it the focal point of their messaging. We’re “digitizing xyz”. But, most people - especially non tech journalists - don’t care about the tech. After you pitch them about your revolutionary API that is going to unlock blah blah blah, they’ll look at you with a blank face: “why should I care?”
People care about people, not technology. Tech is the means. People are the end. Your why is the primary message.
Think of how a photo with a person in it attracts your attention more than one without: people are inherently more interesting. This is important in media, especially visual media (photography, broadcast). CNN can’t show up to your office to shoot a bunch of people working at computers.
4. Newsworthiness depends on the outlet
In African tech, three milestones are usually considered newsworthy: a fundraise, a partnership with an international player, and an innovative and unique product in the market. [The bar to coverage for the last one is HIGH. Think Andela for dev training or 54Gene for genetics - startups that are the first in their fields.]
A newsworthy story is different depending on the outlet. What TechCrunch wants (big raises, unique angles that show Africa-wide trends) is different from what TechCabal and Disrupt Africa needs (constant flow of news).
Tweak your pitches accordingly.
That’s it folks. As always, do let me know what you liked, didn’t like, and what you want me to write more on!
Leaving you with this still from Jules and Jim (1964) because it makes me happy.
Until next time,
Victoria
Victoria Crandall | African Startups | Communications & PR Strategist | Lagos 🇳🇬