If you find yourself stumped about how to frame your story, I always suggest reverse-engineering your ideal article. What is your perfect headline? What are the key takeaways readers should have?  What kind of images and video might help you tell that story? You might also find inspiration in how others in your sector handle their announcements. You can do this easily by searching a company’s name alongside any of the commonly used wire services (Marketwired, PRNewswire, BusinessWire).

Securing coverage:

The goal of your announcement is to generate news coverage. Your media list should include reporters with whom you have a relationship, those who follow the companies in your sector and those who cover new financings as part of their beat. Many of the top business and tech outlets make funding coverage a priority and assign reporters to that task.

These include (but aren’t limited to): The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, Fortune, TechCrunch, Recode, VentureBeat, Business Insider, Buzzfeed, CNN, and CNBC. Additionally, newsletters like StrictlyVC, Fortune’s TermSheet, Mattermark and Pitchbook include roundup coverage of new financings.

It’s smart to reach out individually to reporters with your news and some context about why their readers will care.  (The most successful pitching involves pulling out unique angles that will resonate with specific outlets so that journalists feel that the story is tailor-made for their audience.)

In determining an outreach strategy, you might consider reaching out broadly to offer several reporters the story or promising a single reporter an exclusive.  An “exclusive” implies that they will write a more thoughtful and comprehensive article in exchange for being the only reporter provided with information and access.

Opting for an “exclusive” typically reduces broad coverage but is helpful if your business is complex and requires thoughtful explanation, or if you desire a deeper “signature story” which explains your business in detail and might aid in sales and hiring efforts.