You hire a strategic communications advisor for judgment about what to say and when. Output follows from that. The qualities below help tell an advisor from a vendor, and you can check most of them in the first meeting.
They start with the story, and they take the time
Ask what the advisor would do first. The answer should begin with the narrative and the strategic foundation underneath it, meaning positioning, messaging and a real understanding of the company's ethos and what makes it tick. At least the first two weeks should go to that work, and longer if the company's timeline allows. Be wary of anyone who wants to jump straight into tactics before a narrative, messaging and strategy are in place. Getting the story right first is as much a risk decision as a marketing one, because fixing it later means correcting what people have already heard.
They know the order of operations
There's a sequence to building communications that suit a company's size, stage and objectives. A good advisor can walk you through that sequence and tell you where your company sits in it today.
They are honest about coverage
Top-tier coverage can be a near-term outcome, around a funding round for example. It isn't always achievable, and it can never be guaranteed, since coverage depends on editorial priorities, timing and news value. Podcasts, newsletters and trade publications often make good early venues, because that's where a company's story tends to start circulating.
They fit around the team you have
Many startups already have a marketing team, an agency, or both. A good advisor will tell you plainly which parts of the work they'll take on and which stay with your team.
They act as a CEO whisperer
A fractional communications advisor should be a CEO whisperer, someone who advises the founder on brand awareness and on communications strategy and tactics in the context of the company's larger business priorities, rather than operating as a tactical executor. In Kyle's announcement plans, the founder is the primary voice, and the preparation is built around that.
They have seen the work from more than one side
Ask where the advisor has worked. Kyle has been a journalist, worked on the agency side and worked in-house at venture-backed companies, which is a rare combination, and it means his perspective comes from every side of the work. It's worth asking any advisor which of those they've done.
If you're sorting out whether you need a PR agency, a fractional lead or a full-time hire, see How to Choose a PR Firm for a Venture-Backed Startup. For what the fractional option involves, see What a Fractional Head of Communications Does. Or start a conversation.
