As a Communications and PR expert with over two decades of experience across the public, private, and third sectors, I’ve learned that great communication isn’t just a business asset – it’s a wellbeing essential.

Startups move fast. There’s product to build, funding to raise, customers to win over. With so much going on, branding often gets pushed down the to-do list. It’s seen as something to worry about later, once the MVP is out, the investors are in, or the team’s a bit bigger. But here’s the thing: if you leave branding until later, you’ll end up playing catch-up.

In an endlessly hyper-digital world of scrolling, where thumbs move faster than minds and attention spans last only as long as a heartbeat, standing out has become both a science and an art.

While you have a million things on your agenda as you begin a startup, there is one thing that can never be an afterthought: guarding your brand with a good trademark strategy. A mistake here can cost you more than money and time – it can cost you your brand identity.

Launching a startup? Congratulations, I’m so excited for you! Now, buckle up because this journey is likely to be fast, unpredictable and like nothing you’ve ever known.

Storyblok announced research that reveals that UK companies are losing an increasingly large sum of money each year due to poor website experience despite spending a substantial amount on marketing technology.

As we are in 2025, one thing is becoming crystal clear: businesses can no longer ignore SEO. The digital space is more crowded than ever and standing out has never been more challenging or more crucial.

Imagine a scene where a working professional spends weeks preparing tasks and projects for a tech leadership community. Hours are focused on designing the valuable information and the result is a wild success.

YouTube has revolutionised video streaming for two decades. Not only has it adapted to the rise of TikTok and Instagram via YouTube Shorts, but recent studies show that Gen Z users are still more likely to use YouTube than TikTok. 

In the world of startups, grabbing media attention is both essential and frustrating. Founders often tell me, "We need PR, but we don’t have any news!" The truth is, that early-stage startups rarely have major announcements like funding rounds or acquisitions. So how do you make headlines when there’s nothing obviously "newsworthy" happening?

Startups can’t afford to waste time and money on events that don’t deliver real business results. In today’s competitive landscape, every event must drive outcomes that fuel growth.

In the lead-up to International Women’s Day, a day dedicated to acknowledging, recognising, reflecting, acting, speaking up, celebrating, and empowering women, I’m reminded of the immense power we each hold through PR and our own publishing platforms – such as our social media profiles, personal blogs, websites, newsletters, podcasts, video channels, online courses/webinars. These all allow us to create and share our stories and messages directly with the world.

PR and visibility expert Amanda FitzGerald shares five ways you can be seen as the go-to expert in your field.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising everything, and the design space is no exception. AI offers startups innovative tools to enhance creativity, streamline processes, and reduce costs. When startups have limited resources at the start, AI is an excellent option to overcome challenges.

Are you making the assumption that high profile press coverage is only for those businesses who have reached a certain audience size?

AI has dominated discussions over the past few years, with concerns about its potential to replace jobs taking centre stage. While some remain fearful, others are clearly excited about embracing an AI-driven future as global web searches for ‘AI workers’ continuously rise an average of 80% each month.

The biggest reason marketing fails for small businesses isn’t that “marketing doesn’t work” – it’s that they haven’t built a system that does.

Marketing and brand visibility are the top priorities for small business owners aiming to grow this year, with new research revealing that 71% want to focus on these areas in 2025.

It’s 2025, and your reliable Google Ads campaigns produce only half the leads they produced three years ago, your organic search rank is in free fall, your target audience spends less and less time on older platforms, and your long-term strategies no longer yield fruit. Sound familiar? Don’t fret, you're not alone. Marketers worldwide are grappling with this seismic shift in marketing trends. But here’s a silver lining: with each challenge comes opportunity.

Forget the fancy logos, the killer website, and the perfect pitch deck. While those are all important, the most crucial element for any startup, particularly in today's cutthroat environment, is something far less tangible: your reputation.