Considering media coverage too early for your start-up may not be a wise move

82
Photo by Elijah O'Donnell on Unsplash
Photo by Elijah O'Donnell on Unsplash

Is it possible that most aspiring or young start-up founders may have unreasonable expectations? Expectations about media coverage. Normally these are based on misconceptions. And I believe dealing with such can spare many the headaches. Headaches that’ll result from crushed hopes, especially hopes of being rich in no time.

But first of all, it takes a lot more than mere desire to be rich to succeed in business. Media coverage is just one way of catalyzing the already established success. In and of itself media coverage doesn’t guarantee success.

There’re such things as establishing the product features and quality; establishing start-up services; setting prices; determining the distribution channels; deciding on how much to spend on marketing and many more.

By mere look of things, emerging start-ups haven’t had enough time to work around these. It is for these reasons; young founders need to fully wrap their heads around these business dynamics before impulsively rushing into issues of media coverage.

To have the business systems up and running, should be foundational for success. Many start-up founders often view their ideas as best in business. They believe that all they need is exposure to the public, then bingo there’s their success. But these romantic notions have led many down a perilous road of disappointments.

To their utter disbelieve, the opposite happened. Some have had to face failure on an epic scale. After having spent so much in securing media coverage, their services or products received very little or no liking by the targeted consumers.

This brings to mind something. I remember while watching cartoons. Yah there I said it cartoons. And the two little fellows had what they thought was a million-dollar business idea. They short-circuited the business processes. From having the idea, they considered the marketing approach. You can just imagine the atmosphere. And one such marketing strategy was making a video commercial. Well of course with the help of some guy who was himself a success in business.

After all was said and done, guess what happened. So you think they were on the roll. Their business succeeded I guess. Tragic as this is, they’d after all that failed. Nobody liked their commercial. And by way of consoling the rich rooster said, “You guys you need not to worry you’re still rich.” By which he meant metaphorically not financially rich.

Like these two characters most start-up founders buy into a lie that media coverage translates into success. So many factors interplay in the business world. For starters competitions is already tied. And some business with established customer- relations already have their share of the market. So it is likely that start-up will have to put up with them. So considering media coverage at an infancy of a start-up may not be a smart consideration.

The result of all the economic developments and technological advancements and the dramatic shift of economic power from sellers to buyers has brought an incredible change in economic factors of the society. Here it comes when companies need marketing vision and marketing know-how in order to successfully respond to the above changes. – Akula SC in The Influence of Social Media Platforms for Startups

To bring this to a close, founders of start-ups need to realize the significance of business networks. Business networks that’ll help with smooth integration of their start-ups into the world of business.

There’s also what is known as improper social media utilization. Which has crippled many start-ups at their inception. Start-up founders not knowing what to post, when to post and how often to post. There’s always a learning for everyone. Start-ups need not to neglect this fact. They need to establish good customer relations before jumping into media coverage for publicity.

Nature testifies to this fact. Much growth, even for plants, happens under the soil. Which says, much growth for start-ups should be private. Media coverage should only be seen as a catalyst. To propel an established progress.

Comments

Teboho Polanka
Teboho is a Social Worker, Writer and Inspirational Speaker. He is in pursuit of MSc. in Managerial Psychology. Graduates are able to apply psychological principles and methods to tackle challenges in the work environment and provide effective practical solutions. Acting as industrial-organizational psychologists.