

ASK HN: How to announce a new startup/website? - maxhacker

Just curious as to how folks get the word out about their start-ups/websites once they're finished.  I'm extremely new to all of this, and as such I really don't know anything about this topic!  What works?  Press releases?  Emails to bloggers?<p>Thanks guys!
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kkt262
Sending e-mails to bloggers was a great way for us to get our startup off the
ground and get some initial traction. We also did some advertising - Reddit
ads did really well for us.

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russtrpkovski
Submit a "Show HN" post on the site...

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pkenjora
The broad answer is depends on your product. However, there is a general
formula that answers your question. But first...

With first time founders, there's a temptation to rush ahead and capture the
low hanging fruit. They read articles and watch interviews about tactics and
strategy that works for others. So they rush ahead to imitate those actions.
More often than not, underlying principles that are key to a strategy's
success are skipped, leading to less than satisfactory results.

For example, take "press releases" or "email bloggers". On the surface it
seems like one should pay for PR Web or simply email the Scobalizer ( a
blogger ). Have a good pitch is the most common advice. Easy enough right?
Nope.

In reality, having a good pitch means prep work. What happens after the
blogger or reporter Googles your name or product? Will they find a good back
story? Are bios, head shots, and screen shots easily available? Do you look
like you have traction, a fan base, twitter followers, any kind of momentum?
Do those things improve your odds of being picked up in a story... absolutely.
Reporters and bloggers want to see momentum and hop on board.

It's not all gloom and doom. The point is not to rush ahead and accept the
fact that there is a formula and steps should be taken in the right order.
Especially if its a founders first rodeo. One must set a pace and grind
through the necessary tasks. Its not glamorous, thats why the magazine
interviews leave it out.

So what's the formula...

Knowing the formula is the trick. It saves time and keeps one focused to
execute to a steady cohesive strategy. First time founders, when learning from
mistakes, are actually discovering the formula and burning the idea. Seasoned
founders know the formula, thats why they launch and sell startups like PEZ
dispensers. A track record and connections help too, but thats a different
article.

In a nutshell the formula for getting the word out is the process of building
an echo chamber from your website outwards. Setting up a larger and larger
online footprint that reinforces and multiplies marketing efforts as they get
more advanced. For example, before pitching TechCrunch, have a CrunchBase
profile, before that have a social media following, before that have a
shareable site, before that have the right message, before that have the right
branding, etc... There are many paths and variants on the theme but the idea
is to build up, not jump ahead.

Waaaaaaaayyyyyyyy oversimplified formula:

    
    
      Phase I - Button Up Your Website
      Phase II - Positioning And Branding
      Phase III - Messaging 
      Phase IV - Create Credibility
      Phase V - Serious Online Presence
      Phase VI - A Few General Press Releases
      Phase VII - Get Listed As An Expert
      Phase VIII - Hit The Press Directly
      Phase IX - Paid Advertising
      Phase X - Pitch For Funding
    

Keep in mind that the list above is meant to occur in tandem with the
development of a product and is iterative. Founders are meant to learn from
the process ( not learn the process ). As founders complete phases, they will
go back and tweak prior phases. Those adjustments are a product of learning
from the customer base and achieving minimal viable product. If on the right
path, the founding team will make fewer and fewer adjustments further back.
The trick is to complete each phase as fully as possible and learn as much as
possible before beginning the next. This is second nature to seasoned
founders.

No doubt there will be debate about the order or necessity of some of the
phases. Every product and founder is slightly different. This approach has
helped get me from zero users to 16K signups and sustainability in a few
months. Of course partnerships and connections were a huge part of my success,
but the phases above helped me get those. If you are a first time founder go
through all the phases and learn.

I have written an essay on this topic because I am the founder of AwareLabs
and a subject matter expert on this. All of the phases above are broken down
into individual tasks within the AwareLabs Marketing Task Guide:

<http://www.awarelabs.com>

AwareLabs started as an excel spreadsheet, I'm glad to share it as a product.
For the first time founders out there I hope the guide is as helpful to you as
it has been to me.

