3 fails startup founders do when pitching news

One of the best ways to get your startup noticed by investors and your audience is by getting your product or service featured in media coverage, but doing that is often easier said than done. We’ve covered previously what could be a news hook. But let’s be honest, what is newsworthy for you not really newsworthy for a media outlet readers, thus, to a journalist you are pitching.

Clearly, the lack of first page-worthy news makes us think outside the box.

There is a difference though between finding new angles or data and press releasing just for the sake of it.

Let’s save everyone the time and say that random polls saying predictable things, as well as silly things we do on Twitter and TikTok don’t get much traction when journalists from Bloomberg and WSJ have Elon’s new rocket, Bitcoin’s roller coaster price and billion dollar NFTs to write about. For example, big political stories have much more merit than soft news and corporate announcements, so a journalist will be more interested in your press release if you can somehow connect it with a political story.

Linking your story to a bigger issue, like COVID-19, is a good move. But a tricky one. Don’t overuse it.

Think about reporters who have real deadlines for covering something important and need “meat” for a story to make it be useful and interesting to read — help them!

Also, journalists often receive emails with commentary feedback. And this is where you can pitch your startup or your story showing that you’ve been reading the coverage of this journalist. This is harder than sending a blurb with a title including a trendy topic, but boosts your chances to get rewarded with a mention.

Exclusives and embargoes are two strong tools all PRs use to secure coverage from top tier media when the story is strong enough — like a new big funding round.

We will look into this later. But now, if you have something really groundbreaking you are eager to announce, be patient. Approach your contact a few days ahead, explain the benefits of the story for their media without giving away the key details and give them a day or two to decide, clearly setting a deadline.

Promote your startup to journalists and share news without hassle. Spend time on your product, not on press-release writing. Contact us and we’ll help you https://www.prguy.io/hire-pr-guy