Editor’s Note: This post represents the professional advice of Brian Solis who is not affiliated with TechCrunch50. If you are a participating TC50 company, resident TechCrunch PR expert Sarah Ross is available to share and review the public relations guidelines with you. It is important to work directly with Sarah to ensure you are in compliance with these guidelines to maximize your PR opportunity while also avoiding disqualification.
How do you launch a startup at a big tech conference without getting lost in the crowd? With TechCrunch50, Demo and several other major tech conferences around the corner, this question is on the minds of more than one entrepreneur. How do you create visibility for your startup, and do you need PR to do it, or just a great demo?
The coming days and weeks will be filled by some of the industry’s most anticipated, attended and watched conferences. They’re all competing for mind share and they are attracting influential attendees and spectators who will report their experiences and observations far and wide. In the next two to three weeks, over 150-200 companies will vie for attention and precious blog and media real estate.
Your story, as wonderful as it is, will need help rising above the flurry of news that will jockey to reach the ears and eyes of bloggers, press, customers, investors, and partners.
Even though some A-list bloggers and high profile entrepreneurs (Jason Calacanis, cough) have publicly implied that any good product or eloquent and outspoken CEO will easily traverse the roads cluttered with inferior startups to quickly rise to stardom simply by existing, the reality is, you really do need a strategic launch plan and some level of PR. Most importantly, you need a polished, professional, and creative demonstration that will resonate with attendees and compel them to want to learn more.
Public Relations
This advice may seem 101, and in some cases it is. Nonetheless, it’s an important refresher for those companies who are using TechCrunch50 and other conferences to debut their company or new products.
For those 52 companies presenting at TC50, there is a clear and prevailing rule to participate in the event and it will make the difference whether or not you launch to accolades or you’re disinvited before you hit the stage:
You have to introduce your new company or product, for the first time, on stage at TC50.
Some people are debating the merits of this requirement. But given this rule, let’s explore a few ways to ensure a successful launch.
What’s Your Story?
Let’s start by determining who your customers and users are and where they go for information and insight. Identifying these groups will humanize the process of crafting your story. It forces you to adapt what you’re introducing specifically to the people you’re hoping to reach.
The next step is to summarize not only what you’re introducing, but distill the value, benefits and extraordinary features that differentiate you from your competition and also highlight how you’re solving real world problems and challenges. This process will impact your press materials, your stage demo, your pitch, and ultimately the perception that conference attendees form.
Demonstration
You have an obligation to attendees and also to your development team to present your company in a way that makes people remember who you are and why you were invited to participate in the first place.
This isn’t a local meetup for startups. This isn’t just another opportunity to practice your everyday company pitch. This is a major production that requires an entirely new level of presentation, probably of the caliber that you may not have experienced previously. The world will literally be watching. (TC50, for instance, will be streamed live on Ustream, photos will appearon a special Flickr page, and stories will be organized by the audience at large on a dedicated Mixx community site). And the live audience will be sitting through dozens of demos. So what are you going to do that will make everyone in the room stop checking email or updating Twitter, pay attention to your time on stage, and more importantly, remember you after the event? This is your first and best chance to create enthusiasm and support in order to ignite referrals and potential word of mouth for being one of the hottest companies to debut this year.
Ditch the Powerpoint presentation. No one wants to see bulleted lists that say what you do or endure a series of slides that detail your professional credentials and career experience. They want to see what you do and how it was selected over the hundreds of other companies that were hoping to make the cut. Quickly explain the pain that your solving, make us empathize with it. But, get to that demo as quickly as possible. Show, don’t tell.
You may need help and coaching to become an incredible presenter to maximize your time on stage and that’s OK. It’s how we become more incredible public speakers.
As TC50 co-founder and co-host Jason Calacanis (yes, the same one who does not think much of formal PR) has recently emphasized in his email newsletter, companies need to attach their brand to a movement, a trend, something bigger than just the next shiny new object, search engine, widget, or next new social network. He also suggest the following rules for startup demos: Show your product within the first 60 seconds; Talk about what you’ve done, not what you’re going to do; One driver, one navigator; Short answers are best; Leave people wanting more. It is good advice. (Read his full list of demo tips here and here).
Have charisma. Express how much you care about your product. Speak clearly with authority and confidence. Move around the stage as you demo your product. Get someone to run the notebook computer and don’t lock yourself in that comfort zone behind the podium. Please don’t subject us to a dry demo of you staring at you notebook screen, clicking buttons and talking monotonously.
Breeze through the frontlines of your demo and and get into crux of what it is you’re launching. We don’t need to see the registration process. We don’t need to endure the discomfort of watching you fumble through typos as you enter unnecessary data to support your presentation.
Have everything ready to go and have it rehearsed and polished. You don’t need slides. You don’t need 3×5 cards. Connect with the audience. Grab and hold their attention. This is your baby and you know it better than anyone. Passion and enthusiasm are contagious and the audience is there because they want to be amazed.
They are there for you, so help them remember why you’ve been singled out from hundreds of applicants to tell your story.
Lobbycon
At any major industry event, there are always scores of people who don’t have passes who want to participate in the can’t-miss excitement and action and also promote their agenda. This adds a new layer of dynamics to an already incredible environment. When combined with the onsite PR and marketing activity of all the presenting companies (both onstage and off), it also creates an additional possibility to promote your company among those networking in the event lobby.
Last year, PowerSet served delicious “branded” shots in test tubes to attendees as well as the huge contingent that formed the unofficial lobbycon. Other promotional items and clever memorabilia were also freely distributed all in the hopes of striking a chord with attendees and rising above the fray.
Make no doubt that there will be an influx of companies competing for attention, whether or not they’re part of the official event. You do need to offer something that helps you stand out. So think of this as your chance to create and distribute something memorable that also correlates with your brand so that attendees not only remember you after the conference is all said and done, but are also reminded to test, and hopefully use, your product.
Put It in Writing
After you’ve run through your messaging exercises and presentation development, document the story in a convincing press release, product/company overview, and unpublished blog post that officially announce the product or service.
Make sure that the solution and the value is upfront.
Assume that the people who will ultimately read your story are short on attention span, whether they’re a blogger, reporter, customer, partner, investor, or potential acquirer. Just because you’re selected to launch out of the hundreds of companies that applied, doesn’t mean your story is a guaranteed success.
In PR, writing usually follows an inverted pyramid format, which recommends that you pack all of the pertinent information at the beginning and conclude with the supporting details. In today’s highly competitive Web economy, solely relying on traditional press releases to tell your story greatly restricts its potential. Time and attention are precious commodities.
Find a way to tell your story as quickly and as compelling as possible. If it’s one thing that Twitter has taught us, it is how to say something significant in 140 characters or less. Twitter and the onslaught of emerging micromedia communities are reinforcing this process of sharing updates and insight through brevity and clarity. In PR and marketing, the study and practice of saying more with less online, is referred to as MicroPR
With every sentence, description, or statement we verbalize or write effectively, we can earn the chance to open the next door. The goal is to continue to tell the story progressively, gaining momentum and increasing resonance along the way, and continue to open enough doors to tell our story completely. This helps you tell the story quicker and more persuasively. Just in case someone stopped listening at any point, the important information and market opportunity should have already been communicated.
While paper press kits are long gone, or , digital press kits are still alive and well. Pull everything together in one place, such as a USB key, a downloadable zip file, an online press room, and consider experimenting with a social media press kit or a >social media release.
For instance, a Social Media Press Kit, a.k.a. online press kit/press room, is a dedicated, one-stop destination for your specific news event. This landing page contains embedded objects that help reporters and bloggers assemble the news their way. It can feature an embedded version of the press release and all other related social objects, for at-a-glance viewing and also for quickly grabbing the necessary embed codes.
There are other ways, beyond press releases, summaries and blog posts to break news. With Web video production and screencasting tools readily available, affordable, and easy to use, producing a visual demonstration will only help convey your story and fortify the integrity of your message when you’re not present to personally explain it. Also, short videos and demos are shareable and embeddable to expand the story across the social Web.
The Launch Is Only The Beginning
Many of the industry’s most influential bloggers, analysts, and reporters will attend these conferences, with many more observing and reporting on the highlights from all over the world. Remember what your mother said: you only get one chance to make a first impression. But if you do your job right, you will be repeating your demo many times over in the weeks and months ahead. What you want to do is stand out so that people will ask you to see it again and again and again.
Good luck to all the startups everywhere who will be stepping onto a stage for the first time next week. We’ll all be watching.
My tip? Build a decent Web site. It’s amazing how bad most of the startups I’ve looked at today’s sites are. See my blog for more details.
added a link to your post above Robert. good stuff.
Giddyup. Let hope all 50 of them take Brian’s advice and really stand out from the other 49. Wait. It that possible? What the heck. I just do rodeo.
Great suggestions Brian—so often I’ve seen companies that miss just a few—and don’t realize it reflects so greatly.
Great post, and glad you included links to Jason C.’s two posts. Everyone needs to have their story ready, concise, compelling… whether you are introducing your new company, product, or yourself.
My site has been up for over two years and I’m still doing stuff mentioned here and in Jason’s posts, and don’t think I’ll ever get away from “the story.”
Jason Alba
CEO – JibberJobber.com
Scoble, that was a great post and very sound advice. It’s absolutely critical to create a complete launch package, from messaging, to the presentation, to the overall site – and everything in between!
i would also ad some SEO to the mix to make sure the companies can actually get found in search engines, both for their branded and product terms.
J
Robert Scoble has problems with startup companies that are not using videos (video marketing).
What is wrong about not using videos? Can anybody tells me?
because some ppl like Robert has problem reading. or if you want Bush to understand your company, you need video as well.
Because it is another opportunity to communicate your value with a potential customer. Some people learn visually. Why pay $18,000 to give a demo on stage if that doesn’t work? Of course by the end of the week all these companies will have a video.
video is more efficient, when done right. {seesmic_video:{”url_thumbnail”:{”value”:”http://t.seesmic.com/thumbnail/epoEpjkiZh_th1.jpg”}”title”:{”value”:”video is more efficient, when done right. ”}”videoUri”:{”value”:”http://www.seesmic.com/video/OwJkcU4WOm”}}}
you’ve got a great voice, it’s clear and tact – you should teach wayne sutton something…that guy is one, boring, sleepy, mutha…
Create a context that people understand. Brian talks about it a little bit when he says, “What’s your story” but so many companies talk about their technology as if it exists in a bubble. NOBODY will remember your “new paradigm shifting synergy mobile social platform.” They will remember a real story about how someone used it in real life. Find me at TC50 and I’ll give you more examples.
Francisco Dao
The Killer Pitch / Fast Company Buzz
There’s a science to “standing out” backed by 100 years of research. Here’s a film that explains the potent principle of “distinctiveness”
http://quo-vadi...ill_your_brand/
best,
rick julian
As one of the TC50 *losers* for our retirement project it’ll be fun to see the folks that beat us out and those who opted into demo pit. Did we miss the opportunity of a lifetime? Did we miss hanging with Ashton K and the Zivities?
That image summarizes how to stand out – wear neon-color clothing, as opposed to the standard gray suit – or whatever is the norm at the event.
but once you capture attention, you better have something genuine and real to show for…or you’re just a plain clown
Brian – excellent advice. Was just talking about this on podcast with the guys from Minnov8 Gang today. I’m just gonna point people to this…
Don’t overplan. Have a good/unique story. Watch your mannerisms. You’d be surprised to learn how many of the little things can matter in such an atmosphere.
Quick note: there is no lobby at the Design Center for crashing.
Clearly, your presentation is a huge factor: http://www.myph...most-everything
Think outside the box (as they say) to get noticed!
We were going to strap laptops to our backs (LoL), but thankfully ended up carrying around tablet PCs with EVDO!
Be different and get people talking
Will surely miss this year’s event. Last year was an amazing time!
Nice tips Brian…especially about “practice of saying more with less online”
David,
Twitzu.com – Twitter RSVP!
Sounds good . There is a great new start-up that just came out . It is all self serve and it is also fully automated . It supports all types text ads, banners and video ads.For publishers , it offers the highest split of earnings you can find out there and much more. It caters to web and mobile Publishers and Advertisers . Web and Mobile Publishers can earn money easier than ever and registering is FREE. Please check it out : http://www.webmob-ad.com
Giddyup. Let hope all 50 of them take your advice and really stand out from the other 49. Wait. It that possible? What the heck. I just do rodeo.
Okay – so I stand corrected on the services offered to the TC50 contestants. Heck – both organizations have the services – all the better for the companies to succeed.
http://scobleiz...comment-1995158
No one cares about all these conferences, they’re just a way for a tiny group of people to chronically engage in intellectual masturbation. I’m pretty sure google, microsoft, youtube, facebook, myspace, and the rest all did fine without a demo at TC50.
Who cares about these conferences? If you have a crappy product then all the demos in the world won’t get you anywhere (unless you’re plaxo of course)
Oh, and don’t hire a PR firm (but by all means, please feel free to take advice from our guest blogger who owns one).
Free MP3 songs
Great sharing of world culture
yoyo
http://www.lagu...oi.blogspot.com
As they say, failing to plan is planning to fail. If you are reading this post and you are launching the company tomorrow and anything Brian says here takes you by surprise, you are about to have a very rough day…
Nice post – great advice. Sadly, it may come too late for many, as might Scoble’s advice – I can imagine some really crappy videos getting thrown together in the next few days – and when they should be thinking widescreen TV, they’re thinking iPhone.
If you don’t give proper focus to how you are going to be perceived in such situations, you are setting yourself up for a big FAIL. If it’s costing $18,000 to get that slot, spend at least $36,000 to get in shape for it. If you look better, sound better, and state your benefits with more clarity than the next guy, ideas that suck will eclipse those of genius.
Finally, my tip: For the presenter, investing in improving your message’s clarity, your physical appearance, your voice, and your body language, and your confidence becomes almost tangible. Back that up with covering the bases as Brian outlines here, and you’ll be in good shape.
Yes the launch is only the beginning.
The road to success is long.
After the star dust has settled of the launch, companeis need to get leads and convert them into customers of registered users.
Starz in their eyes http://www.yout...h?v=K72tfYdYROo from Just Jack
They’ll be making sure you stay amused
They’ll fill you up with drugs and booze
Maybe you’ll make the evening news
And when you’re tripping over your dreams
They’ll keep you down by any means
and by the end of the night you’ll be stifling your screams
Since you became a VIPerson
It’s like your problems have all worsened
Your paranoia casts aspersions
On the truths you know
And they’ll just put you in the spotlight
And hope that you’ll do alright
Or maybe not
Now why do you wanna go and put starz in their eyes?
Great post and some good ideas, gone are the days that anything with a dot con (i mean com) could get you funding and a nice IPO – financials and a way to actually make money are the key!!
If anyone wants to give me some funding feel free
At Altos Research, we recently launched a new product called AltosXplorer that is a real-time application enabling users to chart their local real estate market trends. We set up our booth in a way to allow users to use the application. When someone walked by, we’d just asked them – “Where do you live? How’s the market in your area? You can check it out right here…”
Got them into the application, and EVERYBODY can relate to their local real estate market – it’s like talking about the weather….
A quick engagement tool got people talking and playing, and we were off!
Brian, no offense but how many startups have you launched? Your bio shows a lot of blogging / writing, speaking, and community expertise but let’s hear first hand about a successful, sustained product launch.
(I’ve launched four myself: two still-born, one venture funded, and the last this summer that drew 100K+ unique visitors in the first two weeks and growing)
Hey Brian, excellent post and sound advice.
@Craig Mack, you obviously didn’t read Brian’s bio well enough. As one who has worked side by side with him for many years I can tell you that he has helped launch so many startups that at this point I have lost count. That’s how many! He knows what he’s talking about.
Great post, we have been focused on power point presentation for our first few pitches, but we quickly discovered that been passionate about your product is the number one factor in standing out among the crowd.
This is Mark Johnson from Powerset, co-inventor of the Powershot. Great article on getting the most out of TC50, though I think your principles transfer to most conferences.
We’re trying something new, but similar, for this year’s conference. Powerset is co-hosting a party with The Rubicon Project focused on Rehab. We’re serving Bloody Marys at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, before the last day of TC50. We’ll try to make it as memorable as the Powershots!