In a fast-changing startup ecosystem where innovation often outpaces visibility, communications strategist Jonah Solomon delivers a timely and practical guide for founders with his latest book, Scrappy Strategies – Public Relations for Startups: How Founders Can Win Customers and Credibility Without Big Budgets.

Released October 20, 2025, this 199-page volume stands out as an essential field manual for early-stage entrepreneurs who must navigate Africa’s competitive business landscape with limited resources.

Drawing from years of hands-on experience, Solomon distills proven principles that help startups craft compelling stories, connect with the right audiences, and build authentic brands that stand out, not by spending more, but by thinking smarter.

Jonah Solomon, a communications strategist passionate about helping startups tell their stories and scale with impact, brings impressive credibility to this work.

He is the Founder of Yadel Media, a PR consultancy focused on the finance and technology sectors, where he has advised some of the continent’s most innovative companies, including a unicorn.

He also co-founded SquirrelPR, Africa’s first PR management software designed to connect organisations with journalists, streamline communications, and combat misinformation.

An award-winning former journalist, Solomon began his career reporting on Africa’s vibrant startup ecosystem before transitioning into public relations.

His storytelling background gives him a rare advantage, a dual understanding of media dynamics and business realities.

He holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, where he honed his craft in strategic communication, narrative building, and brand positioning.

In the foreword, Adegoke Adeniyi, founder and CEO of TechPR Africa, describes Scrappy Strategies as “a playbook every African founder needs to own.”

He notes that the book bridges the gap between creativity and communication discipline, demystifying public relations and showing that effective storytelling and credibility can be achieved without large budgets or big PR agencies.

Across its chapters, Scrappy Strategies explores vital themes such as identifying and owning your brand voice, mastering media relations, leveraging digital storytelling, and building community-driven visibility, all grounded in the realities of lean startup operations.

The book’s greatest strength lies in its actionable strategies, relatable case studies, and practical frameworks that founders can immediately apply to amplify credibility, attract customers, and grow sustainably.

Ultimately, Scrappy Strategies is more than a book, it’s a mindset shift for founders and startup communicators. Solomon’s message is clear: you don’t need millions to make an impact; you just need clarity, consistency, and creativity.

Already receiving positive reviews from early readers, Scrappy Strategies is fast establishing itself as a must-read guide for African entrepreneurs, PR professionals, and anyone committed to building influential brands that matter in today’s digital economy.

The book is available in bookshops across Nigeria, and on Amazon and Selar.

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One of the key tools at a startup’s disposal is Public Relations (PR). While many may assume that PR is a luxury only big corporations can afford, the reality is that startups can effectively use budget-friendly PR strategies to compete on a bigger stage.

At the recent StartupSouth9 Conference, I shared invaluable insights into how startups can leverage PR to boost their credibility, build brand awareness, and generate leads – all without breaking the bank.

What is Public Relations?

Public Relations, as defined by the British Institute of Public Relations, is “the deliberate, planned, and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its publics.”

PR is a crucial element in building relationships with stakeholders, from customers to regulators and the media. The goal is not just visibility but trust and goodwill.

Why PR Matters for Startups

For startups, PR offers several benefits:

• Credibility: A well-crafted PR strategy positions a startup as a credible player in the industry.
• Affordability: PR is generally more cost-effective than traditional advertising, offering startups the chance to get their message out with minimal investment.
• Lead Generation: Good PR can spark interest in a startup’s products or services, driving inquiries and potential sales.

Budget-Friendly PR Strategies

One of the most appealing aspects of PR is its versatility. Startups don’t need massive budgets to create impactful PR campaigns. Here are a few proven strategies I shared during the event:

• Create Talkability with Mock Campaigns: Generating buzz doesn’t always require a massive ad spend. Take, for instance, the viral Bride Price Calculator launched by Anakle, a digital agency a few years ago. This mock offering became a social sensation, sparking conversations across Nigeria and beyond.

• Launch Industry Reports: Publishing unique industry insights can position a startup as a thought leader. A great example is RANKED by SquirrelPR, which analyzes and provides deep insights on the performance of Nigeria’s digital news platforms, giving it a foothold in media discussions.

• Promote Social Causes: Partnering with social institutions to support relevant causes (such as environmental sustainability or financial inclusion) can build goodwill while aligning the startup’s brand with important societal issues.

• Organize Meetups and Webinars: Community-building initiatives such as webinars, meetups, and charity events help strengthen relationships with key stakeholders while amplifying the startup’s reach.

• Secure Endorsements: Collaborating with notable personalities or regulatory bodies can significantly enhance a startup’s credibility.

The Future of PR for Startups

As the Nigerian startup ecosystem continues to expand, PR will play an even more critical role in helping smaller businesses cut through the clutter and connect with their target audiences.

While PR requires effort, consistency, and creativity, it’s one of the most effective ways for startups to gain visibility and credibility in the marketplace.

Whether it’s through thought leadership, community engagement, or clever social campaigns, PR enables startups to punch above their weight, standing out even against the most established brands.

*Jonah Solomon is the co-founder of SquirrelPR and a PR professional with a proven track record of delivering successful strategies for businesses focused in the finance and technology sectors across Africa.

The post How Startups Can Compete with Big Brands Through PR appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The price of a loaf of bread has gone from N1,000 in November, 2023 to N1,400 by the end of February, 2024. The reason for the astronomical increase is due to the rise in the cost of input materials such as flour, sugar, butter, etc. It was not because more people now eat bread.

The price of bus fare from Ajah to Oshodi has risen from N1,500 to N2,500. It is not because more people now travel to Oshodi from Ajah daily, but because of increase in the price of petrol.

A paint bucket of beans used to go for N3,000, but it is now N5,500. It is not because more people are queuing up to buy beans but because the cost of farming input such as fertilizer and labour, and transportation have risen astronomically, affecting output drastically.

This is the same with other staples such as rice, garri, etc.

The above shows that what we currently have is cost-push inflation. Yet Nigeria’s central bank went ahead to raise interest rate by 400 basis points to 22.75% in order to tackle the inflation. The same approach that the former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele adopted to no avail.

Emefiele bumped interest from 13.5 to 18.75%, but only had higher inflation to show for it.

From what I learned from basic economics, the Central Bank can only effectively use higher interest rate to subdue higher inflation when the inflation is demand-pull.

And demand-pull implies that demands have outstripped supply in an economy, due to a strong economic growth that has resulted in low unemployment and higher consumer spending.

But what we have in Nigeria is far from a demand-pull inflation. In our case, economic growth is marginal, unemployment is at a historical high, and consumer confidence is abysmally low. So, I am not exactly sure what informed of the MPC’s decision to raise the MPR.

Central Banks all over the world are concerned about price stability and jobs. And that is why to maintain price stability, Central Banks would use higher rates to control liquidity in the financial system during strong economic growth, and then lower the rates to stimulate growth by incentivizing borrowing to boost productivity, which usually translates to more jobs and higher spending during periods of economic stagnation.

By raising the interest rate at this time, the Central Bank has inadvertently raised cost of borrowing. For several businesses with ongoing obligations, the cost of servicing those facilities have also gone up. These costs will be transferred to consumers in the form of increase in the unit costs of goods and services, which is more inflation.

Worse, those businesses will likely freeze hiring and in some cases may even have to shed jobs. This is an unlikely outcome that the MPC may have hoped for in reaching their decision.

I am a bit concerned that this CBN is taking on so much at the same time in a bid to see things improve, and that may have started to impact on the quality of its decisions.

Over the past few weeks, we have seen the apex bank deploy every trick in the book, including a raft of measures aimed at stabilizing the FX market, but I have not seen much activity from the fiscal side.

What exactly are the Finance, Agric, Trade Ministries and other members of the Economic team doing? Those in charge of those ministries are not pulling their weights, and they too need to put on their thinking caps.

The writer: Jonah Solomon is an experienced business journalist, author & TV presenter with a demonstrated history of working in the print and online media industry. 

[N.B: This post was first published on Jonah Solomon’s LinkedIn page]

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