Nadja (Hope) Çelebi’s Post

Yesterday I met with a CEO and VP Marketing of a sustainability startup. Whilst we were discussing goals and targets, they mentioned that they wanted to gain top-tier coverage by the end of the year. I asked them why, and their response surprised me. They said, "because it will give us the widest possible reach". I let them know that I don’t recommend pursuing broad visibility, especially at first. Their audience is niche, so their publicity strategy should be niche, too. They were curious to learn more about the strategy I recommended because it was such a sharp pivot from how they were thinking about PR. I want to hear from you. Do you think startups should pursue broad or niche PR coverage?

Building a strong content marketing foundation can be a game changer for biotech accelerators and incubators—especially when it involves reaching startups, investors, and mentors with the right messages. In our recent work with UMassM2D2, we’ve seen how a targeted content strategy can bring in applicants and foster engagement in the greater Boston medtech ecosystem. This blog dives into strategies for university-affiliated programs, from storytelling within your content, to promoting impactful events and community building. ➡️ See how you can strengthen your marketing foundation! https://bit.ly/410rpbt

Pre-seed/seed startup PR tips: Two years ago, I joined Techstars Sustainability Paris, and I’ve been mentoring closely with early-stage tech startups on their PR and communications. Some of the most common questions I get are: 1. Do we really need PR this early? 2. What can we start doing right now? I always say: 1. Any goal is achievable. It's all about putting in the time and effort. With the right focus and persistence, you can reach any target. 2. Everyone has a story worth telling. Whether it's a person or a company, their journey is already a newsworthy topic. It’s just about how you share it. 3. Start small, but stay consistent. Forget about setting huge goals right away. Focus on smaller, systematic wins. When you're ready for a big leap, you'll already have a strong foundation. Thank to the team Lucia Gambuzzi Raphaele Leyendecker Fabbri Costantino Lisi Rebecca Ravenni Imène Maharzi 😍

“Commit to contributing.” This is one of the key lessons in strategic PR that we learned last week. Joseph Moses from Campaign PR provided the startups in our portfolio with invaluable insights on managing PR effectively in today's fast-paced media landscape. One way to do this is by sharing your knowledge and demonstrating thought leadership. Write well-crafted op-eds and pitch them to the editor of a relevant publication. Thanks, Joseph, for your insightful presentation, and thanks to our startups for joining! #StrategicPR #ThoughtLeadership #MediaStrategy #StartupSuccess #PRInsights #BlueEconomy🚀📝👏

I have to say, The Sifted conference was FANTASTIC! The “How to Take a Startup to New Markets” panel really stood out for me, moderated by Daphné Leprince-Ringuet, with insights from Duncan Clark, Sahar Meghani and Eshita Kabra the discussion hit home for what we do at Propel! Here are some key takeaways from yesterday, which also links in to my 2 week New York City trip... It’s clear why New York is a startup hub. The time zone works for US-Europe/UK collaboration, and the talent pool is unmatched. The energy and access to investors make it an ideal place for scaling globally. A common theme that I’m seeing across companies expanding internationally, the commercial teams are being put in place, but Marketing is often forgotten - DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE POWER OF BUILDING YOUR BRAND AWARENESS LOCALLY! In short, Founders need to think critically about their runway and costs, as strong leadership and company culture are essential for tackling the challenges of new markets! Big shout out to Amy Lewin and Mimi Billing making it a huge success.

📈 Presenting some of our results as we strategically shift towards scaling companies driven by impactful technology and established market presence, boasting a minimum turnover of £1m. Today, we showcase a recent case study highlighting the effectiveness of our tailored programs for growth-stage ventures like yours. 📈Considering launching your product in a new market or expanding operations? We're here to support you. Get in touch today! #Scalingsuccess #bespokeprograms #scalingventures #impact #casestudy

🚀 What a week for Birdie! 🚀 We dove into sessions with some incredible mentors, and let me tell you, the takeaways were 🔥! From storytelling magic to building AI agents that are smarter than your average chatbot, the insights were endless. 🌟 Key Takeaways: * Don’t just sell features, create a CATEGORY! (Thanks, Milena Regos) * AI isn’t just a tool—it's the next game-changer for us. Time to get specific on what we want it to do and start training it with customs data. * Launch TODAY (seriously, why wait until tomorrow? 😎) * Listen to those not buying, they’ve got more to teach you than the ones who already love you. Word of mouth? Still the OG of marketing. Let’s create that FIRE. 🔥 Top moments: * Storytelling is EVERYTHING. It’s all about connecting with our ICP (Ideal Customer Persona)—what resonates, what moves them, and what makes them go “aha!” * Founders = magic. People love talking to people, so we’re bringing that founder fire to every meeting. * Big goals: Getting the AHA moment faster in the sales funnel. Make it exclusive, make it impactful. And on top of that, we’re crafting a killer demo process that’s tailored, fast, and speaks to the needs of our users. 👷♂️ Actionable insights (AND TIPS) for us and many of our followers: * Prioritizing product development (VCs, we see you 👀) * Explore Robotic Process Automation (because efficiency is our middle name) * Mapping out your Go-to-Market strategy, refining your user persona, and building referral programs that’ll make people WANT to talk about you! Onwards and upwards, team Birdie is soaring! 🦅💥 Abraham López Hector Nícola Laborín Luis Dario Davila Cesar Omar Cisneros M. Misti Cain Kerty Levy Carly Murphy-Forcade Techstars Techstars Anywhere Remote Accelerator 500 LatAm Sente Ventures #StartupLife #AIInnovation #MentorshipMatters #FoundersJourney #SalesStrategy #GoToMarket #TechTransformation #ImportExport #BusinessGrowth #Automation #StorytellingInSales #BirdieSoars #ScalingUp #FoundersFire #InnovationJourney #BuildingTheFuture #ReferralMarketing

🍂 Yesterday was a whirlwind! Quick mentoring for 8 new teams back-to-back. I did my homework and previewed them to assess the main messaging and online presence via websites & LinkedIn profiles. Thanks to Techstars Berlin fall cohort, Brian Daly & Rita de Almeida Russo for inviting me to share my experience in communications, PR, and marketing. Abstractions on best practices many early-stage companies can benefit from: 🤝 Customers: Deeply consider who your ICP is and aim to understand them. Be rather obsessed with their needs. 💡Topics: Have 4-5 hashtags of core topics. This is NOT social media frivolity. It's connection to other people interested in your themes, tags on Medium, on Techmeme, and beats journalists cover. It matters to know what you stand for. 🎤 Messaging: Develop 3 central messages you want viewers or site visitors to remember. That’s about all they have the mental bandwidth to recall...Be sure to zoom out and tell the main story of what you are building. 🎨 Visuals: Use them! For your team, your header images on your profiles, etc. Use the space in a branded way; populate your posts with a meaningful image. 🧠 Mentality: Keep open-minded about where input comes from, and how to diversify your team culture. Follow journalists covering your topics, and for competitors who have paved the way. Let your discussions flow, brainstorm with strangers, get input from many angles, and then, re-focus yourself. ☕️ Great to spend a morning feeling energized by your solutions and camaraderie! Thanks for challenging me, too. Carry on, startups. 🫡 📚 P.S. Study offerings/writings of: Stephane Nasser, Oliver Aust, Haje Kamps, Akash Bajwa, Robbie Crabtree, Jung von Matt START(Simon Knittel) #Communications #Storytelling #PR #Earlystage #Startups

🚀 Exciting prediction time! 🚀 I predict that innovative startups who implement Kris Hughes' six steps for acing their content strategy will see a significant boost in their online presence and brand visibility. Here's why: 1. **Strategic Framework:** Hughes' method provides a clear roadmap for startups to craft compelling content that resonates with their target audience, leading to increased engagement and customer loyalty. 2. **Storytelling Mastery:** By leveraging storytelling techniques highlighted by Hughes, startups can create narratives that captivate and build meaningful connections with their audience, fostering brand advocacy and word-of-mouth promotion. In conclusion, startups that embrace Hughes' content strategy blueprint are poised to elevate their digital marketing game and stand out in a crowded online landscape. Let's watch out for these rising stars in the industry! 🌟 #ContentStrategy #StartupSuccess #InnovationAhead

They say lightning never strikes the same place twice, but both of Stijn's workshops at Wednesday's Innovation Roundtable® were electrifying for sure! ⚡ Let's 'round up' our key insights on: 🌱 Organizing for mid-term impact in a short-term environment 1. Venture strategists are like professional portfolio investors, you have to speak their language and measure your efforts to go beyond ROI 2. Innovation programs thrive with multi-generational accountability. Think of it as a way to avoid the inconsistent decision-making that can come from short-term leaders—much like politics! 3. Agree on what to measure and survey them structurally to see if the needle is moving. Don't forget about cultural elements! 4. If output or impact is hard to measure, use activity-based metrics, like decision-making speed, as personal targets to improve step-by-step. 🚀 Instrumenting breakthrough innovation ventures 1. No shortcut to hard work and no party without resources. Breakthrough innovation requires dedicated teams! 2. Actively organize for multidisciplinarity: Set up a complementary core team and bring in even more diversity at critical points. 3. Supercharge (venture) teams with critical tools like ecosystems, prototyping capabilities, and method coaches. If not available in-house, partner up externally! Focused on agile transformation and decarbonization, Innovation Roundtable dazzled us once again with inspiring insights. A fantastic way to reconnect with clients and make some new friends along the way! ✨ #InnovationRoundtable #InnovationVentures #AgileTransformation #Decarbonization