PR for Startups: The 10 Step Process I Use to Get Press (2018 Update)

Subject: [Just launched] Our software tracks serial killers

Hey Journalist,

Really trust you as the go-to source of nuanced explanations of recent STEM breakthroughs. Liked your recent article on the potential of Theranos to revolutionize blood tests without short shifting the skepticism surrounding its proprietary tests.

I’ve got another interesting breakthrough for you to chew on. I recently created an algorithm that helps police narrow down where repeat offenders live by calculating distances between the locations of their crimes. My software Rigel assigns the highest probability percentages to areas where the serial killer is most likely to live or hang out in.

Police have used Rigel to help catch serial killers including:

• the Suffolk strangler
• the M25 rapist
• Pickton

Exciting new applications I’m exploring:

• Tracking illegal immigration patterns

Will this be a good fit for your audience? Let me know if you would be interested in more details.

Signoff

Template 6: The interesting data angle

This approach works if your data on user behavior gives interesting insights. Develop a script that regularly mines your data trove for trends and see if anything fascinating pops up.

Bonus brownie points if you can tease out that a trend runs counter to prevailing wisdom or tackles a hot topic.

Subject: Juicy data about racial bias in dating preferences – interested?

Hey X,

Been following your articles for a while, great insights into social trends.

Your recent article about rising reports of people feeling lonely really resonated with me. I think with the declining popularity of several institutions like the Church that traditionally provided opportunities for people to regular meet; there haven’t been many replacements that have brought people together in the same way.

I also have a few juicy social trends to share with you. Our whizzes at OkCupids have been busy crunching some numbers and our data paints a pretty sobering portrait of racial bias in online dating.

The highlights:

• Black women receive the lowest number of messages
• Asian and black men receive fewer messages than white men
• Most races still prefer to date within their race

Some interesting questions this poses: