Marketing and communications is one of those roles that everyone thinks they can do, and most people also think that if you’ve done it for one company, it’s probably the same at any other company, right?
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple, and especially not for deeptechs. I have looked at literally thousands of deeptech decks, and believe me, not many get it right. And even if you have experience and talent in communications, it varies drastically depending on the industry: B2C is very different from B2B, and B2B SaaS is usually very different from B2B deeptech.
But when communications in the broadest sense of messaging and PR is done right for a deeptech startup – when everything works together and supports each other – the results can be huge, and the earlier you get on the right track, the more dividends you’ll reap from it.
Here are my top tips for communications strategies for any deeptech:
Have a clear, consistent overarching message
I call this an “umbrella message.” It should cover: 1) what you do? and 2) what’s your vision/the bigger picture?
The “what you do” part is often the trickiest for deeptechs. It can’t be too technical as you’ll alienate people outside of your field, but equally it can’t be too general or you’ll potentially lose people inside your field, or worse, no one will have a clue what you do. A good rule of thumb is to use words that people who read Wired or MIT Tech Review could understand.
The vision should cover what the future will look like with your technology in use. Will it lower carbon emissions for concrete by 10%? Will it create a new way of diagnosing patients with 25X more accuracy? Will it allow us to achieve interplanetary space travel? Whatever it is, share what your vision is as that is what journalists, investors, and customers will come on the ride for.
Once you have your one-liner, repeat it for everything, and I mean everything. Make sure everyone in the company is also using it as well. Pin it to your #general Slack channel. Consistency is key for all of your audiences.
Then tailor your message by audience
Once you have nailed your overall message, you can then tailor what you say next based on your audience.
As a founder, you can either be speaking to a world-leading expert in your field or a generalist investor who has a passing awareness of the space. Once you have set out your one-liner, you can then branch your conversation into more technical conversations or you can go back to basics and explain it like you would to your grandparents. If it is a customer, you can explain probably on the more technical side, but also focus on how it would change his or her work. This also goes for your website and or journalist interviews – there is a place for research and technical discussions in deeptech, but just know which direction you need to go and be able to switch easily between the two.
Build your communications strategy around your business strategy
Founders sometimes think the more press the better, that quantity and anything and everything is better. But for deeptechs, if your message and online presence is inconsistent and scattered, it can actually do more harm than good. Your target audience won’t know what you do or have a clear sense of your aims or brand, and confusion is never a good association for a company.
Instead, think of your company roadmap over the next two to three years. What are the major tech and funding milestones? What macro trends are you interested in as a company? What kind of investors and customers do you want to attract?
From there, you can think about the major media moments to really put time and effort into, and the rest into relationship-building with the right journalists and influencers in your space, so that when you do have relevant news or views, they know and trust you already.
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Ultimately, remember that deeptechs are playing the long game, and strategy, consistency and clarity are core to success with your communications. It is well worth putting in serious thought into your communications and messaging approach so that you build up legitimacy and trust with your key audiences.