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Emilie Gerber is the founder and principal of SixEastern, a PR firm specializing in startups and tech companies. With a background in corporate communications at Uber and product communications at Box, Emilie offers invaluable guidance on leveraging PR for early-stage startups, navigating the changing media landscape, and securing impactful coverage. Learn how startups can effectively utilize PR to build credibility and gain recognition.
What you’ll learn
Understand the key differences between PR and marketing, focusing on earned media and its unique value for startups aiming to build credibility without paid advertising.
Determine the ideal stage for a startup to engage in PR activities, weighing the pros and cons of hiring an agency versus leveraging consultants at different funding stages.
Learn how to set realistic expectations with startups regarding media coverage, focusing on the importance of understanding reporter bandwidth and the nuances of storytelling.
Discover effective strategies for pitching podcasts, emphasizing the need for direct, conversational approaches tailored to specific hosts and their audience preferences.
Recognize the value of traditional media for startups, highlighting the trust and brand cachet associated with coverage in established publications like *TechCrunch* and *The Wall Street Journal*.
Explore how to leverage new media platforms and adapt pitching strategies to suit the evolving landscape, including personalized outreach on platforms like X and LinkedIn.
Takeaways
Seed-stage companies usually don't need a PR agency on retainer, unless there’s a wildly unique story, and should instead focus on one-off announcements with realistic expectations for coverage.
Founders often overestimate the likelihood of securing top-tier coverage in publications like *TechCrunch* or *The Wall Street Journal* immediately after launching, requiring careful expectation management.
The most effective PR strategy involves understanding the nuances of each media outlet and tailoring pitches to align with their specific interests and audience demographics.
Building a founder's social media presence can be valuable, but it is not always realistic or scalable; prioritize authentic engagement on relevant platforms over emulating others.
Traditional media still holds significant value, providing trust and credibility that positively influences algorithms and builds brand recognition for startups, despite its smaller reach.
Consistently prepare stories, anecdotes, and key stats when prepping for podcasts to enhance storytelling, ensuring impactful and memorable points are effectively conveyed.
In this episode, we cover
(00:03) Introduction to Emilie Gerber and SixEastern
(00:47) Defining PR and its role for startups
(03:13) When to engage in PR: internal vs. external
(06:19) The landscape of PR firms for startups
(08:39) Setting expectations for media coverage
(09:18) Strategies for pitching podcasts and media
(16:42) The gap in storytelling for Series A-C startups
(17:44) Crafting the founder's message
(21:08) The trend of founders going direct
(25:26) Examples of successful PR strategies
(29:21) The value of traditional media
(31:12) Pitching to new media
(32:00) Organic vs. strategic PR
(37:18) The role of marketing in PR firms
(38:47) Influences and trends in media consumption
(42:39) Mentors and career influences
(44:38) Lessons learned in PR
(45:40) Crisis PR at Uber
(48:16) Ignored startup sectors in PR
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