You’ve spent months or even years quietly building your startup, and now you’re ready to launch and get some buzz. But where do you start when it comes to getting press? Here’s a guide to help startup founders develop an effective PR strategy.
Define Your Goals
Before reaching out to reporters, think carefully about what you’re trying to achieve. Are you hoping to attract investors, find new users, or establish credibility? Common startup PR goals include:
- Increasing brand awareness and credibility
- Driving traffic and users to your site/app
- Attracting potential investors or partners
- Establishing founders as industry experts
- Recruiting talent by highlighting your startup’s culture
With clear goals, you can craft targeted pitches and measure the success of your PR efforts.
Find Newsworthy Angles
The launch of a new product or feature is an obvious news hook. But you may need to get creative to generate interest. Other potential story angles include:
- New funding or investment round
- Notable partnership or integration
- Interesting origin story or founder background
- User growth or engagement milestones
- Awards, accolades, or “best of” recognition
- Research findings or data related to your market
- Current events or trends tied to your product
A unique angle makes your story stand out from other startup launches.
Identify the Right Reporters
Mass email blasts to press lists will likely be ignored. Do your research to find reporters who have covered similar startups and topics. Check their previous articles for the types of stories and angles they gravitate toward.
Target reporters at:
- Technology blogs and news sites (TechCrunch, VentureBeat)
- Business and entrepreneurship outlets (Inc., Entrepreneur)
- Industry-specific publications related to your market
- Local news sites if you have a geographic angle
Personalized pitches will get better results than spray-and-pray PR.
Craft Your Pitch
Keep your initial pitch short, specific, and compelling. Include details on what makes your startup unique, why it matters, impressive stats, and any timely news hooks. Offer an exclusive on your launch or funding round. Make it easy for reporters to envision the story.
Follow up personally after sending your pitch. Don’t badger reporters, but don’t disappear either. Persistence and relationship-building are key.
Prepare for Interviews
If a reporter expresses interest, prepare founders and spokespeople through media training. Develop key messages and practice answering tough questions. Reporters may ask about future plans, competitors, challenges faced, or other sensitive topics. Brainstorm potential angles the reporter might take.
Have facts, statistics, customer stories, visuals, and other assets ready to make their job easier.
Maximize Press Coverage
Look for ways to extend your launch coverage. Repurpose quotes and content for your blog and social media. Prominently display press logos on your website. Link to articles from your email newsletter, investor updates, and other communications.
Amplify press hits by sharing across social media, email, and with your network. Landing press is just the first step – you need to leverage the coverage.
Evaluate Your Results
Track metrics like website traffic, signups, inquiries, social media engagement, and investor interest generated by press articles. Review the tone of coverage and identify areas for improvement.
Use insights from your launch PR campaign to inform future media outreach efforts. With persistence and compelling storytelling, press will follow.
