PR Expert Andy Marken Has Some Advice for Startups and FOSS Projects (Video)

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This is a 15 minute video conversation with Andy Marken of Marken Communications, who has been working in technology public relations long enough to know what's what -- and then some. We had a pleasant conversation via Skype, and afterwords he sent along some excellent additional advice about how to handle do-it-yourself tech industry PR.

Andy Marken writes:

We talked about the designer/developer being the best spokesperson for the organization whether you have money or not (to hire someone).

One of the things we have seen, even when working with our own clients, is that we end up interrupting and "guiding" the conversation. The person being interviewed gets so involved in his/her product and they talk on and on about how fantastic it is, how it will change the world, how it has the neatest bells/whistles/ techie crap there is.

Problem is, the interviewer and the audience could give a rats *** about your technology, your expertise, your brilliance in developing the widgit. Tell me what in the heck it will do for ME, why it's good for ME, how it will make MY job easier and more fulfilling.

Clients often look at us as we go down this path saying to themselves we don't really get it and how darned neat, how elegant, how out-n-out beautiful this hummer really is. It is revolutionary and obviously you just don't get it.

We spend a lot of time with folks saying, "Folks don't really give a crap!" People don't buy an iPad because it has 10 gazillion pixels, it has a floating processor that moves ions around and does self-healing magic. Nope (and forget the Apple fanfolks) it is because it lets me watch my movies, play my games, sexily chat with my friends and underlings. It labels me as one of the cool people in the universe and will even stop bullets for me and drive more women into my bed!

Helping technical people step out of their own skin and get people sitting across the table to want, really want, the product -- hardware/software/solution -- is what PR is really all about.

It's not lying. It's interpreting what you're going to do for them... and listening to them so you can shape what the product really does in terms that meet their wants, needs...

And anyone can do that if they think in terms of the person they are talking with and not in their own terms.