The document discusses how startups can use narrative and storytelling to build their brand and increase the chances of media coverage. It recommends startups listen to relevant journalists, build a body of work through blogging and helpful online content over time, and pitch to media with realistic expectations. Developing an authentic narrative and story around the startup through various online channels can help the startup engage audiences and get discovered by media.

1. STORYSTACK
The Role of Narrative and Story Telling in Your Startup
& How it Can Lead to Your Getting Media Coverage
September 10, 2014

2. Sponsored By…..

3. WHO’S HERE?
• Need 3 volunteers / 2 minutes each
•What’s your story?
•What makes you interesting?
•Who’s had media coverage?
•Where do you think you need to be covered?

4. PRESENTATION
• Live on www.alanweinkrantz.com blog & Slideshare
• Ask questions….I’m not here to “lecture…”
• Based on belief sets, principles, and experimentation
• Real world examples
• Premise based on your doing much of this yourself - and as a
team…

5. ABOUT
• Tech PR / Branded Journalism
• 30+ years…. been through major shifts & cycles
• 20 years back and forth to Israel
• U.S. and Israel

7. TODAY
• Learn about the role of narrative and story telling for your startup
• Take-away five steps you can apply through the end of 2014
• Build a body of work that will contribute to your being discovered
• How it can help lead to media coverage
• Add a layer of value to your brand

8. A huge, global volume of startups….
all vying for attention in the media

9. Just get us some press…

10. Do you have the right contacts in the
media to get us a huge story in….. ?

11. We have a huge (and
important) announcement
next week and we need to
be covered everywhere….

12. _____ is on our Advisory
Board….our team came from
the IDF….we have the most
disruptive technology in the
history of man-mind….we are
going to be the Google of
______, etc….

13. I heard that if you _________
with journalists, it’s a sure way
to get__________. At least
that’s what a friend of mine at
another start-up did….and got
covered in ______…

14. Our space is very unique, and
unless you have relationships
with media in the ____ sector,
how can you help us?

15. There’s always a story behind the
story, and what it took to get there….

25. ALAN’S PRINCIPLES OF
“GETTING PRESS”
• Listen
• Build a sustainable body of work
• Pitch - with expectations
• Keep listening and contribute to your ecosystem

26. LISTEN…
• Identify the writers, bloggers, analysts who you think matter
• Come up with 15 - 20 as your target and assign the founders the
responsibility to tune in, read, and just listen…
• Share your insights with the team on what they write about, say,
issues they cover, what they could be missing, and most of all,
where you can help them.

27. A BODY OF WORK
• Depends on what you are doing… use common sense
• Social, of course,
• Blog is best.
• Helpful content. Not self-promotional.
•Write to help the media discover you and be an authoritative
source…”thought leader…”

28. PITCH - EXPECTATIONS
• Introductory email
• Various ways to “pitch”
• Meeting and following up at conference is a good way
• Commenting on articles can help you be discovered
• Not every pitch sticks

29. As story tellers you have the
opportunity to add a massive
layer of value to your startup

30. What’s Branded Journalism?
The art of applying story telling and
building narratives to support and
reflect a brand’s values…

31. Having a body of work separates your
startup… all vying for attention

32. The new tools of building your startup

33. Technology Stack LAMP
Java
Python
OpenStack
Ruby
AWS
Rackspace
Microsoft
IBM / Softlayer

34. StoryStack
Blog
YouTube
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
SoundCloud
FaceBook

35. WHY
• Builds a new type of defensible position
• Your body of work helps you define who you are
• Media can discover and cover you
• Can lead to new types of unexpected deal flow

36. StoryStack
Discovery
Engagement
Narrative
Voice
Story

37. STORY
• Sets the stage for the heart
and soul of your company
• Builds and expresses culture
• Attracts customers, partners,
media, etc

38. NARRATIVE
• Connected events
• Gluing your story together
• Ties your channels together
• Helps you express, connect
and engage with your
ecosystem

39. ENGAGEMENT
• Lets you listen
• Give your customers /
partners a voice
• Enables amplification of
your story
•Which can lead to….

40. WHAT’S YOUR VOICE ?
• Techie
• Fashion
• Sports
• Music
• Culture

41. DISCOVERY
• An act of faith
• People are searching for you
• Let them discover you
• Find others
• Get discovered, covered by media

42. content
(curated,
contributed,
posts)
writing
Your Startup’s Voice
Branding your startup
with content adds a
unique layer of value
commenting social

43. BRANDED JOURNALISM
EXAMPLES….
• News
• Content
• Story Telling
• Media

44. EXECUTION…
• Agree to some basic milestones
• Don’t be afraid to write
• Don’t publish until you feel comfortable doing so
• Build out an editorial calendar
• Share the responsibility with your co-founders

45. EXECUTION
• Decide on the outposts (channels)
• Allow 90 days to get the process going
• Use stock tools
• Your SmartPhone is a very powerful story telling platform

46. SUGGESTED READING
!
• www.adweek.com/topic/branded-content
• www.digiday.com
• www.battellemedia.com
• www.ragan.com
• all photos (except for The Beatles, BB King, etc) by me.

47. LET’S CONNECT…
• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• SoundCloud
• YouTube

48. alan@weinkrantz.com
www.alanweinkrantz.com
Thank You.
all photos by me…