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

a) The limited scope of their coverage means they are always on the hunt for more news, and

b) The addition of your product/service can be relevant and impactful to the community.

When you’re doing PR for startups, local publications should be high on your priority list. They are the favorite targets of PR people too.

Frame your pitch from this angle when you’re first starting out to get your feet wet and test reactions to your pitch and one sentence hook.

Hey Journalist,

Really interesting coverage about the lax security at VIP lounges. It’s that old truism – money talks.

Thought you might be interested in something my team and I just launched. Ever been stuck at work and you’ve just dying to eat your favorite chipotle taco? But snag, they don’t deliver? Well, imagine a world where every restaurant, even your favorite hole in the wall that can barely keep up with the crush, does deliver. We’re making it happen! With our team of meal heroes on scooters.

Basically, you call the restaurant to order and then call us to arrange the pickup and delivery: [link]

Let me know if this is a good fit for your audience? We can throw in an exclusive coupon for them – first delivery free. And suddenly a few more people just became the employee of the month at their workplace. ?

Signoff

Relationship building emails

These emails are primarily for building a connection with a journalist. Once you have a connection, you’ll find that they are more likely to at least open your email and consider it.

Template 1: Giving the journalist a scoop

Subject: Re: Article title they recently wrote

Hey name #1-

Respect your writing a bunch, I’m an old acquaintance of [insert name #2] of [publication for which name #1 writes for], love your blog and tend to check it every other day. Saw something you’d dig, wanted to pass it on… in relation to your post on webcams from Feb:

http://gizmodo.com/5888244/a-gumby+like-webcam-that-can-be-any-shape-you-need^[37]

I saw this little hacking guide/video on how to “actually look good on webcam” which was just published, figured you’d dig, wanted to shoot this over: