This is the presentation I used for my class at General Assembly Hong Kong on Tuesday, March 25th at The Hive. The topic was DIY online PR for startups. In the presentation I detailed three ways startups can do their own PR; 1) pitching the media directly, 2) content marketing, and 3) HARO (Help A Reporter Out/www.helpareporter.com).

1. DIY Online PR
Joshua Steimle
josh@mwi.com
@mwihongkong
mwi.hk

2. Intro
Entrepreneur • Founder and CEO, MWI • Founded in 1999 • Offices in Hong Kong & US • Lots ‘o clients, big and small.
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

3. Intro
Speaker • Startup Grind Hong Kong • Self Storage Expo Asia • General Assembly
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

4. Intro
Writer • Forbes, Entrepreneur, TechinAsia,
Fast Company, VentureBeat,
SCMP, etc. • Blog @ donloper.com
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

5. DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

6. Contact Me
• josh@mwi.com
• @donloper
• donloper.com
• Linkedin, Google+, Facebook
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

7. Contest
• Follow @mwihongkong
• Tweet one idea from tonight
• I’ll choose a winner at random
• Winner gets free consultation and
lunch
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

8. What Is Online PR?
Online media placement that is not
purchased, typically obtained by
influencing media producers.
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

9. What Is Online PR?
Three primary forms of placement:
1. Feature stories
2. Expert mentions
3. Helpful content
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

10. What Is Online PR?
Who to influence? • Writers • Bloggers • Social media users
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

11. DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

12. DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

13. DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

14. Why Online PR?
• Creates brand recognition • Establishes credibility • Drives traffic • Improves search engine rankings
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

15. Why Online PR?
Also great for your ego.
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

16. DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

17. DIY Online PR
How do I spread the word?
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

18. 01 Pitching The Media
First, when reaching out to writers,
journalists, bloggers, and other media
producers, DO NOT…
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

19. Do Not…
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

20. Use A Shotgun
Customize your pitch. It’s obvious when you
don’t.
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

21. Tell Me You’re Special
Show me.
In 5 seconds or less.
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

22. Tell Me I Can Help You
I’d love to help you, and I’d love to help the
other 20 people who contacted me this
morning, but I can’t help everyone.
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

23. Ask To Talk On Phone
Offer, don’t ask.
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

24. Think About Yourself
Make it about the writer.
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

25. Do…
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

26. Understand What I Want
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong
As a writer, amongst other
things, I want my article
showing up here.

27. Know What I’ve Written
If I just wrote a story about your competitor,
what are the chances I’m going to write a
similar story about your company?
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

28. Know My Interests
I write about Hong Kong, entrepreneurship, and
online marketing. But preferably all three.
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

29. Offer Something Valuable
“I notice you write about companies like mine,
and that you write for several publications, but
not TechCrunch yet. I have an idea for an article
that could get both of us in TC.”
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

30. Create Stories
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

31. You Are An Expert
• Develop a product • Market a product • Land a customer • Land an investor • Solve a problem • Make money
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

32. Actionable Knowledge
How to lists • Double Your Twitter Followers In One
Month • 5 Ways To Sell More Online • How I Raised $5M • Get Rich With This One Weird Trick
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

33. Once You Have A Story…
• Channels • People
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

34. Channels
• Industry websites • Niche websites • Blogs • Influential social media accounts • Media-sharing websites (YouTube) • Social networks • Forums • Wikis • Top-tier websites
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

35. People
• Channel first in most cases • Create a profile for a handful of writers • Pitch one story to one writer at a time • Learn something from each interaction to
improve your pitch the next time around
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

36. Case Studies
How businesses have successfully pitched me.
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

37. Case Study 01
SEO Gadget, Infographic
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

38. Case Study 02
HWTrek, Advice & Coffee
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

39. Case Study 03
MySugr, Timing
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

40. Getting Started
1. Read Platform by Michael Hyatt
2. Sign up for email newsletters from Michael
Hyatt & Copyblogger
3. Start blogging. It works. This is how I got to
write for Forbes.
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

41. 03 HARO
Help Out A Reporter (HARO)
HelpAReporter.com
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

42. HARO Keys
1. Respond quickly
2. Include “HARO - [story request]” in subject
line
3. Give them what they want, nothing extra
4. Give them what they want in the first
sentence
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong

43. Contact Me
• josh@mwi.com
• @donloper
• donloper.com
• Linkedin, Google+, Facebook
DIY Online PR
mwi.hk
@mwihongkong