After successfully developing an innovative start-up on home soil, the next step for many American companies is setting a course for the great leap across the pond. Germany and especially the start-up capital, Berlin, offers an attractive environment for expansion - the economic mood is positive and the start-up scene is booming. While German market mechanisms are not fundamentally different from American ones, the media landscape is quite a different story. Companies who employ the usual PR strategy 1 to 1 in a new market, will be sent packing by German editors. Here are 10 points that must be adhered to in order to make it with German media:

1. The differences between German and American public relations begin with the basic tool of any PR strategy: the traditional press release. While American journalists are used to an advertising style of speech in press releases and know how to take them, singing songs of praise and filling your texts with exclamation marks have rather the opposite effect on German journalists - they ruin the credibility of the message. Instead of translating the press material 1 to 1, companies need to seek out the expertise of local PRers who know the requirements and not only translate the language for German journalists but also the message.

2. Silence is silver, speaking is golden. While in the US only big announcements are made via press release, in Germany it is not only a standard instrument for major corporate news. It's also used to consistently disseminate relevant information about the company.

3. It is equally important to know that in contrast to England or France, the media landscape in Germany is very decentralized. In addition to the major media cities such as Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, cities like Cologne, Dusseldorf and Frankfurt are also home to important media corporations and journalists. It is particularly important to take this into account when addressing journalists personally, so that your planned press tour doesn't become a chaotic road trip. Tip: In order to meet many editors in one place, visiting industry-relevant trade fairs is frequently more worthwhile than organizing time-consuming and costly press conferences. While only very few editors will take a long trip to visit a conference held by a single company, the presence of media representatives at trade fairs is a matter of course, and provides plenty of opportunities to get in touch with journalists.

4. Beware: German is not the same as German PR! Although German is the official language in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the PR for these three countries should not be lumped together. Small differences, such as job titles (editors in Switzerland are called Redaktor, instead of Redakteure), but also significant differences in dealing with journalists (in Austria PR specialists maintain more personal relationships with editors) make a nuanced approach to German-speaking countries essential. This expertise should be taken into account when choosing an agency.

5. Dear Americans, your origins offer you a distinct advantage in Germany. Since German editors are generally reluctant to take up new issues and usually have a more open attitude to foreign companies, American corporates are often one step ahead in the battle for editorial space. Sorry, German entrepreneurs, but most editors would give precedence to news of an expanding US company, however small, rather than publish reports on German start-ups. This is particularly evident when there are both American and German versions of a business model on the market. Editors will first report on the US version, even if the German model is not an exact copycat equivalent of this model.

6. Not only German journalists, but also German bloggers require different treatment than their international counterparts. Unfortunately, the American ease of dealing with blogs is usually not present in Germany. On the contrary, many bloggers place a lot of importance on their autonomy and are very critical of PR. Certainly, we can see significant differences depending on the specific sector. For example, while blogs on lifestyle and fashion are always grateful for input from relevant companies, bloggers in the technology sector are much harder to win over.

7. In Germany it can take years of cooperation to get on friendly terms with editors. It is therefore important to maintain a reasonable distance when approaching the German media (surnames are a must) and always give journalists their freedom so as not to scare them off future publications. The motto is clear: don't push!

8. The issue of data protection should be treated with particular caution in German PR. While privacy and data security are given little attention in the US media, these issues have the potential to become full-scale scandals in Germany! A good briefing before interviews and a precise definition of what should be communicated, and in what way, is therefore a must in order to avoid public relations disasters.

9. In the US it is common practice to place articles directly in the form of guest or author contributions, while in Germany this is rather unusual. German authors want to keep their autonomy and must be persuaded to independently include reports about a particular subject through a constant flow of relevant information. But, of course, exceptions confirm the rule, especially in the B2B sector.

10. The best comes last: When it comes to the issue of approval, German editors in most cases decide in favour of the companies. Unlike in the US, in Germany there are no rude awakenings after interviews as editors generally get approval for all direct quotes from the company. In this way, the only content published is what should and may be communicated on behalf of the company.

Sounds complicated? It's not! In Germany, if you have a good product, then positive coverage is only a matter of time and, of course, skillful PR work. If, as a foreign company, you have reservations about doing it alone, you can also find good partners in Germany offering support in developing and implementing PR strategies, locating relevant cooperation partners and successfully introducing the American idea to Germany. Incidentally, if Germany is to be the first port of call and act as a springboard for European expansion, it is a good idea to find an agency with an international network of contacts and partner agencies on entering the market.

About Tilo Bonow

Tilo Bonow is the founder and CEO of piâbo communications (www.piabo.net), the lead agency of the digital industry in Europe. He is an enthusiastic driver of success for entrepreneurs with a global network. At his Berlin based agency, Tilo, along with his result driven team, have successfully supported international tech companies within Europe, for names such as Groupon, facebook, Withings, Evernote and LinkedIn. Furthermore, Tilo and his company have furthered the development of European startups. With his passion for supporting the community, he is an active part of the digital ecosystem. Tilo is also an engaged jury member, PR partner and panelist at numerous conferences and events including the European Venture Summit, Pioneers Festival and hy! Berlin.

Before founding piâbo, Tilo worked as Global Head of Communications alongside Europe's accomplished digital entrepreneurs - the Samwer brothers. He established piâbo to help tech entrepreneurs promote their ideas. In helping companies grow and develop, Tilo enjoys continuously connecting people as well as coaching CEOs of fast growing companies on a personal level.