Nov 21, 2018
10 Reasons Why You Should Hire Outside Comms Experts
At Tiga, we’re routinely asked why, exactly, Web 3.0 projects need an advisory like ours.
“We can just do PR internally,” leaders of these projects often say.
“If we have the right technology/product, then the exposure will eventually come,” they sometimes insist.
These are all understandable sentiments. But there’s a problem with this kind of thinking.
It’s wrong.
Hiring outside experts to devise and then help carry out a communications strategy can be a decisive factor in the success of good Web 3.0 ventures. Here’s why:
1. Your life becomes easier.
You’re a C-Suite executive, and you’re busy as hell. You probably don’t have time to build out your tech while meeting investors and managing a team, and then also devise a strategy for courting journalists, let alone court them with a message that they would find compelling enough to write about. But hiring on external media advisors instantly connects you with their network of journalists. It also brings in fresh, outside eyes to examine and then help you refine your venture’s key messages so that they can resonate with media outlets and with other important audiences, such as investors and customers. Outside experts help to both improve your messaging and deliver it in a way that others find valuable.
2. Brand visibility gets a boost.
Web 3.0 projects all too often get trapped in industry-centric silos. They get talked about at niche crypto conferences and on obscure blogs and media outlets, while exposure to broader audiences of potential users, investors and journalists is lacking. Outside experts can help you devise a strategy for making the raison d’être of your project matter to people beyond the crypto echo chamber, which is what it takes to make Web 3.0 projects go mainstream.
3. Your story can resonate in new, lucrative territory.
If a New York-based venture wants exposure in Asia, for example, knowing how to tap into the region’s hugely lucrative but complex markets can be maddeningly difficult. It pays to have support from well-traveled people who know how to make the connections you need while navigating diverse media, commercial and regulatory environments.
4. Exposure to new media networks creates new opportunities.
Outside media experts, especially those who have worked as journalists, are constantly in touch with a wide variety of reporters in print, television and radio. And they can keep you abreast of all the important trends that journalists are interested in writing about so that you can better position yourself for securing media coverage for your venture.
5. Market intel from wider networks.
Hiring experts who understand and have deep connections in media, government and Web 3.0-specific organizations can go a long way in helping your venture circumvent stumbling blocks. They can tap into these networks to do everything from connecting you with policymakers to picking the right time to pitch your venture’s newest project to journalists. (Tiga pro tip: Journalists probably won’t respond if you pitch them on Friday afternoons. That’s because they’re already at the bar.)
6. Get control over the media story about you.
When your venture suddenly finds itself at the center of media coverage, whether good or bad, it helps to have outside experts who can help you correspond with inquiring journalists in a way that gets across the right message about you. You don’t want to find yourself alone and overwhelmed as the press comes bearing down on you a barrage of questions, especially in time of crisis for your venture.
7. Real-world journalism experience.
Journalists can be a fickle bunch, and knowing how, and when, to approach them can be tricky. That’s why it helps to have outside advisors who have worked reporters. Knowing how reporters think is half the battle when it comes to getting them to actually care enough to write about you. (Tiga pro tip: Unless you’re Donald Trump or Elon Musk, journalists generally don’t want to write about you. They have to be given a compelling reason to do so.)
8. Have someone around who isn’t afraid to tell you you’re wrong.
If you’re a CEO, your employees are probably hesitant to call you out when you’re about to make a big mistake because, well, no one wants to piss off the boss. Outside experts are uniquely positioned not to be yes-men. That’s because they’re paid to be your advisors, people who are incentivized to both give you positive feedback when it’s deserved and sound the alarm bells if you’re about to do something you’ll regret.
9. Nimble arrangements that aren’t draining fixed costs.
A boutique advisory is well-positioned to provide the right mix of strategic support and flexibility to get your organization the positive momentum it needs to succeed. Once enough of that momentum gets going, then — voila! — you can part ways feeling satisfied. You can always resume the partnership when your venture is ready to take on the next stage in your development.
10. Avoid missed opportunities.
Without outside experts to elevate your message during critical moments of your venture’s evolution, you risk missing out on maximizing potential impact. If you’re about to go through a token sale, for example, having someone there to help you hit all the right messages for investors and other key audiences can help avert a fundraise flop.
With the right translators, Web 3.0 technology can inspire wide audiences of people. It can experience mass adoption. And it can create the kind change that it promises the world.
Like we said in another Medium piece, we are ready to turbocharge your venture with a powerful strategy. Let’s talk!
Tiga’s Founders
