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Strategic Communication for Startups
Rating: 4.9 out of 5(15 ratings)
1,008 students

Strategic Communication for Startups

Get practical overview how to create and execute communication strategy for your startup
Created byGvantsa Kikalishvili
Last updated 2/2024
English
English [Auto],

What you'll learn

  • Understanding the link between business goals and communication goals
  • Step by step guidance how to create communication strategy document
  • How to form a team, who to include and why
  • Complete practical homeworks to bring knowledge into practice
  • Get practical knowledge how to measure success

Course content

1 section • 11 lectures • 1h 12m total length

  • What is strategic communication and why is it so crucial for starups6:25

    Strategic communication guides startups to build brand awareness, credibility, and investor relations by delivering the right message through the right channels to the right audiences.

  • Business goals and communication goals - what is the connection between them?7:02

    Homework:

    1. Make a simple table.

    2. In the first column, write your startup goals: short-term and long-term

    3. In the next column, write communication goals based on your business goals.

    4. After you do this, write three actions under each goal. How are you going to achieve them?

      Be as specific as possible.



    Use this framework:

    "Do (what) through (which channels) by (how much%) in (how much time) by taking (what actions/by doing what)."

    Example: Increase brand awareness in the French investor community by 20% in the next year by pitching at all startup events using the message "We are the next Uber."



  • How to develop communication strategy document - mandatory sections.9:21

    Identify your communication goals, target audiences, channels, and the message; integrate market research and competitors analysis; test, measure, and adjust with a concrete action plan, budget, and resources.

  • How to define the target audiences.4:17
  • How to choose relevant and effective communication channels.6:05

    Homework:

    1. Make a list of communication channels that will best target your audience. Don't limit yourself; list as many as possible

    2. Now, try to find the most relevant 10 communication channels.

    3. When you are done, shorten the list and choose the five most valuable channels.

    4. Put these five as the main communication channels in your communication strategy document.


  • Creating a communication message, difference between a message and a slogan.8:48

    Differentiate a communication message from a slogan and craft an audience-centered message guided by goals, a one-sentence key message, highlighting unique selling points, and tested brand identity and tone.

  • 5 W - create a communication matrix6:21

    Homework:

    1. Create a simple table. Use a template from the lesson (the sections should be:

      (Business goal - Comm goal - Target audience - Comm channels - Message - Action)

    2. Fill the table with all your business and communication goals. Don't rush; this strategic chart needs time.

    3. Put the chart in the strategic communication document.

    4. Put this chart on a big wallpaper and put it on a wall so everyone can see it.

    5. Make sure all your team members not only see it but also understand it.

  • Events as a communication tool - why events are crucial for startups?4:20

    Homework:

    1. Do your research: find out the events relevant to your startup using the criteria I mentioned above (topic and relevance, audience, including investors and media, location/countries, budget)

    2. Create an event calendar for the year.

    3. Put the calendar in your strategic communication document.


      Remember, choose events that will help you reach your communication goals.


  • Communication team composition - what expertise do you need and why.5:32

    Homework:

    1. Choose your top three competitors and go to their website and social media channels.

    2. Map the activities they are doing regarding visibility and reputation.

    3. Analyze what kind of professionals they could have on a team.

    4. Based on the research and your needs, create an ideal team for your startup and make a projection of who will join the team and when. Put this projection into your strategic communication document.

  • Measurement tools in PR and communication.8:54

    Homework:

    1. Create a separate table; name it: the "Measurement tool Table."

    2. In the first column, write your communication goals.

    3. In the second column, put the measurement tool(s) that you will use to measure the success.

      Make sure that for all activities you will implement, you know the tools and how you will measure success.

    4. Put the table in your strategic communication document.


  • Course summary5:19

    Strategically plan startup communication by setting clear goals, identifying audiences, crafting a compelling brand story, and aligning messaging across channels, online presence, content, media relations, events, and data-driven adaptation.

Requirements

  • No special knowledge is needed. However, you should be somehow related to the startup life to make this information relevant for you.

Description

If you are a startup founder and have a need to build visibility, trust, and credibility for your startup, this course is for you. I am sharing practical information and knowledge from my experience.

The content covers the basics of PR and communications:

- what strategic communication means for startups;

- how to write a communication strategy;

- how to set goals for PR and communications and measure them;


With my 11+ experience in PR and communications, often decision-makers don't have the proper information and understanding of how businesses benefit from cohesive and effective strategic communication. Very often, founders have unrealistic expectations. The challenge is to understand the resources that are needed for implementing an effective communication strategy. 


In this course, I try to show how communications work in a startup environment and will try to answer following questions:

  • why do business and communication lines have different target audiences?

  • what communication channels are the most effective for startups and why?

  • how to create a winning communication team

  • what are the measurement tools startups' communications team should use?

I am eager to support founders' teams in learning more about the importance of strategic communication and having relevant expectations.

I believe that with a proper foundation in strategic communication and taking small but important steps, your startup will be worldwide famous and will have credibility and trust.

Who this course is for:

  • Startup founders
  • Communications and PR managers working in startups
  • Startup marketing and PR team members
  • Everyone interested in PR and communications

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