CC035: Kim Jefferson and Lydia Beechler of BLASTmedia // building a holistic PR strategy for startups

Summary: Interview starts: 6:00 Debriefs starts: 44:11 Kim Jefferson is the Senior Vice President and Lydia Beechler is the Director of Accounts at BLASTmedia. BLASTmedia is a nationally recognized PR agency that concentrates on B2B SaaS media relations. With 15 years in the industry, BLAST works with different staged companies and focuses on more than just news, often including thought leadership content into the media as well. Kim Jefferson and Lydia Beechler, who both have a background in writing, discuss the deliberate process that make successful relations and the different factors that lead to good media. They also give some insight into the BLAST PR startup program specifically designed for seed and series A companies. We discuss: - AD: Improved methods to sourcing talent and finding new colleagues (4:49) - Strategic direction and starting with a company at BLAST (8:08) - Conflict in media expectations (10:30) - PR startup program (11:32) - Gaining and losing clients (14:05) - Media mix strategy (18:17) - When to use PR? (22:34) - Podcasts as PR (25:33) - Timing and relationships in PR success (27:19) - Current trends in PR/media (36:15) - Bad press (38:01) - What makes a great PR client (39:14) BLASTmedia was founded in 2005 and based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Learn more about BLASTmedia: https://www.blastmedia.com/ Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm Advertise with an upside classified: https://upside.fm/classifieds -- This episode is sponsored by Integrity Power Search, the #1 full stack high growth startup recruiting firm between the coasts. They partner with venture capitalists, private equity groups and CEOs to build amazing teams for the world’s most disrupting companies. Learn more about or get in touch with Integrity Power Search: https://upside.fm/integrity