Dump the press release: Use these 3 slam dunk content strategies instead

Last week, I wrote about how the African tech ecosystem is drowning in bad press releases.

Well, the tweets came in, and the people have spoken.

Trying to garner media coverage for your company by blasting out a battalion of boring, tired, old press releases is a waste of time and money. You might as well stuff a wheelbarrow full of cash and flush it down the men’s room toilet.

Luckily, there is a great alternative to the press release; one that is powerful and full of endless possibilities.

So, drum roll, please.

Here it is: Create your own content.

I’m sure you’ve heard the new mantra: every company is now a media company. A bit simplistic for my tastes (it sure doesn't give hard-working journalists the credit they deserve) but it does hold a grain of truth.

The Internet has obliterated the barriers between you and your key audiences: customers, investors, etc. You now have the power to communicate directly with them through your own proper channels: company blog, newsletters, and social media.

Yes, I know what you’re doing right now: You’re 🙄.

“Victoria, everyone knows what an ‘owned content strategy’ is. Why don’t you tell me something that I don’t know. Something that I can use.”

Fair enough. I hear you.

Here’s what you have to understand. The typical startup aces distribution. They have no problem with that. That's the easy part.

Where startups usually stumble is on the quality of their content.

This is critical, so listen carefully.

You MUST have big, exciting ideas that capture people’s imaginations.

In the digital age, we’re bombarded with information, push notifications, and beeping alerts. It’s non-stop marketing 24/7, and everyone screams for our attention.

We live in an attention economy; interesting ideas are its new currency.

In the African tech startup space, what grabs people's attention is content that engages, educates, and inspires. Content that makes you stand up and murmur – Wow. I didn't know that. Interesting.

Because, let's face it - the African tech ecosystem is still in its infancy. There's a lot we don't know, and we’re making the rules up as we go along. Few people share or even understand the roller coaster ride that is the daily life of an African tech entrepreneur, and data (um, hello fundraising?) doesn't always square up.

Founders who can consistently produce creative content that contributes to the collective knowledge pool will automatically stand out from the crowd and craft solid reputations as go-to industry resources.

People will find you by your ideas. Trust me, journalists will also take note.

So, let me present 3 slam dunk content strategies and the companies that executed them brilliantly.

1. Survey: Contribute new information & be an ecosystem builder (Timon Capital)

Surveys are a mega powerful original content strategy. They take the periodic pulse of the startup scene, capturing ideas, sentiment or information.

And, the media goes wild over them. They absolutely adore them for their new insights.

Last year, Timon Capital produced a founder compensation survey and report in collaboration with Briter Bridges. It was a smashing success because:

• It was a smart brand building exercise. They come across as a collaborative VC — they care just as much about developing the ecosystem as their investing.

• They scored major media coverage.

• They created an effective lead gen magnet which helps to build their email list.

Having your research cited in Forbes (twice!) Quartz, TechCabal. Not bad

Let’s dive deeper. 🧐

As investors in early-stage startups, the Timon Capital partners struggled to find data on founder salaries -- a huge gap in the ecosystem. If founder pay is too high, or too low, it can pose a catastrophic risk to a startup's health. It weighs on the company’s balance sheet OR it demotivates the founder and creates damaging incentives. Cue side hustle.

Not to mention that this data is extremely valuable to the ecosystem at large.

The folks at Timon mocked up a questionnaire, distributed it among contacts, and analyzed the findings in a report. They queried nearly 50 companies in 4 major African markets: Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa.

The report also doubled as a lead magnet. They put it behind a wall. If you wanted to receive it, you had to subscribe to their mailing list. Because it's highly valuable evergreen content, the report will continue to build their list, behind the scenes.

And it was a smash hit for generating earned content. They scored coverage in Quartz, Forbes, TechCabal, Techpoint, etc.

2. White Paper: Transform into an authoritative source (Truecaller)

Do you want to position yourself as the definitive source on a subject?

Look no further than a white paper.

Unlike a survey, white papers require more time and resources. They’re long-form content that acts like an exhaustive source. They can be well over 100+ pages! That's why companies only publish them every six months to a year. Think of them as the crown jewel of your content strategy. Yes, they're expensive and timely to produce, but if done well, they’ll succeed in:

• Positioning you as an authority in your niche

• Earning media coverage

• Building your email list

Many B2B companies excel at producing white papers.

Take a look at TrueCaller, the Swedish caller ID app. Every year, they crunch their logs of caller data to produce an insights report. Last year, they shined a spotlight on spam calls in Africa. It's impressive content. Check out the charts and level of detail by region.

In December, Quartz wrote about how Africa leads the world in the highest number of spam calls, using TrueCaller data.

Sweet when Quartz cites you as a source.

The TrueCaller white paper knocked it out of the park: it generated amazing media coverage and cemented its reputation as a thoughtful, data-driven leader.

3. Medium: Inspire with a searingly honest essay (Beyonic)

Candid accounts on the topsy turvy life of being an African entrepreneur never go out of fashion.

African tech founders who write honestly about their struggles, triumphs and frustrations create a halo effect that rubs off on their startup. Any attention that you attract as a founder extends to your company. You're its face and #1 brand advocate.

There are many African founders who are talented writers. This goes back to Jason Njoku and Mark Essien who wrote about their struggles to survive in the startup jungle.

For recent pieces, I loved this essay from Beyonic co-founder, Dan Kleinbaum. Beyonic had just been acquired by MFS. To celebrate the exit, a major accomplishment, he wrote a searingly honest essay about his journey founding and growing the company before his eventual departure.

It was raw, funny, and authentic. And, it genuinely piqued my interest in Beyonic as a company. (Since I’m more familiar with West Africa, I had never heard of them before.)

The detailed vignettes and personal touches - photos and GIFs - made this a stand-out piece.

So there you have it - the survey, white paper, and personal essay on Medium. These are 3 stellar content strategies that will help you reach your audience, boost your authority, and earn media coverage.

You'll never need to fire off another boring, zombified press release again.

Until Next Time,
Victoria

Originally published on https://nofilter.substack.com/p/dump-the-press-release-use-these