Bootstrap is a new online accounting product and it has a problem. It’s invisible. It’s in a crowded space, it’s a brand new product with no installed user base, it has a boring logo and a name that is both common and not descriptive of the product. I dare you to find this product on your own. I dare you to find it even after hearing a friend mention that they use Bootstrap for their accounting needs. Search Google for “bootstrap” or “accounting software”? Nope. Type in bootstrap.com? Nope. Give up? It’s at gobootstrap.com.

Don’t make this same mistake. You need a unique product name. A tactic the folks at Bootstrap Technologies are using to try to overcome their cloak of invisibility is seeking out positive press and blog mentions (hopefully mentions that include a direct link to their not so obvious URL). Let’s take a perennial favorite example of mine… me. I’m a perfect potential customer for Bootstrap. I’m a small business owner with some contractors, no employees, complicated taxes including quarterly payments, and I file returns for two businesses with my taxes. I desperately need a product like Bootstrap and Bootstrap needs to find me and connect with a potential customer like me. So how did I hear about Bootstrap? They were written about on the Web Worker Daily blog.

It sounds like I’m saying, “Seek out press so people will know you exist.” I am, but that’s some trite and obvious advice. I do trust that you’d have come up with that nugget on your own. What is not so obvious is a detail that Bootstrap has executed on better than most. Make it incredibly easy for the press to write about you. Bootstrap has a “Press” tab in the site’s main navigation that leads to a useful page for the press. The last ten significant press mentions are listed on the page. This allows writers to do some quick research on you (especially when a Google search on your product name is not going to find many hits on the first page, as is the case here). Many sites already get this right, they list their positive press mentions. What follows next on Bootstrap’s Press page is more enlightening. Bootstrap provides resources that are important to the press: screenshots of all the main pages in their application, a high resolution logo with a transparent background, links to biographies of the founders, an answer to the most common question press have about them (how much does it cost?) and their phone and email contact information. You may think that there is nothing especially unique here. Writers can take screen shots of whatever they want (assuming they can easily get access to your product… they can… right?), contact information is already on your Contact page, bios are on your About page, you’ll send a high resolution logo to anyone that emails you… and so on. Yes, all of this is true but none of it matters. Everyone is lazy, so make it incredibly easy.



Boostrap has made a very good start with their Press page but it should be even better. You do remember the central theme here… laziness. Let’s put on our lazy blogger looking for a story hat and see what is missing.

A compelling article or blog post requires a compelling story. Where is the story in Bootstrap? Maybe it can be deduced by reading between the lines of all the copy on the Boostrap site and by reading their blog. Having done that, I’ve come up with this: “Traditional accounting software, like Intuit’s QuickBooks, is too expensive and complicated for the small business owner. Bootstrap is an alternative that is incredibly easy to use. They have a very strict policy against using any accounting jargon and Bootstrap is free right now.” Trust me, coming up with that was some work, and it shouldn’t be necessary. Put the story you want told on the Press page. You can see Bootstrap made an attempt at story telling which is good, but it’s in the wrong place, the “How it got started” box of their About page. It’s a good story and it includes some elements I missed that they would prefer be included, such as “…get their taxes done accurately”. If this is the story Bootstrap wants the press to tell potential customers then they need to tell the story to the press on their Press page.

Very few press mentions are composed of just words. High resolution images are absolutely critical so make them available. Bootstrap has already done a good job in making screen shots and the logo available. However, photos of the founders are just tiny thumbnails. The press needs better than that. And how about some high quality images of their office (if they have one), users using their product, or the founder’s crazy, home-made electric car? (That was just an example, I’m pretty sure neither Mr. Reeth nor Mr. Curren have an electric car). Another thing to consider is providing legally cleared and paid for stock photos. For Bootstrap this might be of business owners buried in receipts or exasperated by their stiff accountant. The main stream press won’t use stock photos you provide, but you bet your lazy butt a casual blogger will.

Consider other media types as well. Traditional writers are looking to include more audio and visual content and the person wanting to cover your product may be working exclusively in audio or video. Provide high quality video of your product in action that is suitable for the background of a voice over. Provide the audio and video of a discussion with a customer about how they are using the product or with your founder about the original idea for the product. Use your imagination. The more ready to use media you can provide the greater the chance some of it will end up in front of the eyeballs of your potential customers.

So now our lazy press person has a story and some media. But what else does every story need? Characters. Notice I didn’t say people. Characters are different than people. Characters are caricatures. You need to provide the press with caricatures that exaggerate certain features to better tell the story. The most important characters you can provide the press are your customers. A lot of press will just not write a story unless you can connect them with an customer. Not just any customer,  your zaniest and most interesting. Your customers that are worth reading about. Did one of your customers hand deliver his box of QuickBooks back to Intuit HQ in ill temper after finding Bootstrap? That’s a story. Is one of your customers using Bootstrap to better run his Tarantula breeding business? That’s cool! You have a high quality picture of a tarantula walking across his face? Even better!



Another important character to provide is your founders and your product team. The feature to exaggerate here is your knowledge about and your passion for your customers. Be interesting, be controversial, be quotable. Provide your best quotes right there on your Press page. Not your vetted, watered down and spun quotes from the committee of all things boring, but some real snappy gems that have some bite.

“Accounting software created by accountants and for accountants is dead.”

or

“You don’t pay someone to develop your photos anymore, why are you paying someone to develop your business’ books?”

These particular quotes are complete nonsense since I made them up in 30 seconds, but they are an example of the kind of quote that can and will be used by the press. These quotes also show that you are an interesting character with interesting and controversial things to say, and so a writer is more likely to take the time to contact you. And you do want them to contact you. You’re a character in your story, so be available. Email is obvious. Adding a phone number is also required. Best is a statement of who you are and what you are prepared to do for them. Bootstrap provides the name, email and phone number of a Kevin Reeth. Who is Kevin? The CEO? The VP of Sales? The PR contractor? It’s more work to figure that out, and remember, I’m lazy. What can I expect if I call Kevin? No indication is given. Will he do an interview on the spot or do I need to ask to schedule a time? Is he willing to be on a roundtable for my accounting podcast? The more information you can give up front the more likely the person will take the next step and contact you. I may not bother to write the email or make the phone call if I think it’s unlikely to pan out. So spell it out right on your Press page, “If you call Kevin he will provide a phone interview on the spot or within the next 24 hours. Kevin is available to participate in industry events with relatively short notice. Kevin is available for television, radio and email interviews and for bloggers and podcasters.” You let the busy, lazy and deadline obsessed know that they aren’t going to waste any of their time or effort and that Kevin is the man that they want and not a PR drone.

Remember, like the rest of us, the press are lazy, lazy people. Make sure you follow the lead of Bootstrap and do some work for them so they won’t have to. Better yet, don’t follow, take the lead by using some of the ideas here and having the absolute best press page. Your product deserves no less.

Lazy cat photo by tanakawho

Tarantula photo by blmurch