PR for Startups: The 10 Step Process I Use to Get Press (2018 Update)
Here’s what Rebecca Grant, a former writer at Venture Beat, has to say about building relationships first[29]:
Unfortunately, the relationship usually feels one-sided. You – a PR person, employee, or entrepreneur -reach out to the press when you need coverage. You are asking for a service, for us to pick your story over the dozens of others we could be writing about.
Rarely is that reciprocated. If you have a tip or an idea for an article that *gasp* doesn’t involve you, share it with a journalist. We are always on the prowl for good stories.
I love her writing; she has another article that gives PR tips for startups called Tips from a former VentureBeat writer[30] which has some really juicy details in it.
Ideally, you should be laying the groundwork for outreach to influencers and journalists while you’re building your company. This way when launch day comes, you have all your ducks lined in a row.
Yes, you’re busy. Yes, you have another line of code to fix. And yes you have to move that div by another 1px. But guess what, there will be nobody even to notice the div is off by 1px if you don’t have any publicity.
So start compiling a spreadsheet of people you want to pitch as soon as possible so you can start building a relationship with the highest value contacts before your Big Day.
What journalists like receiving without any strings attached:
- Substantive answers to questions they pose on social media/their blog
- Inside scoops about something related to their beat that is going to happen
- Valuable help (example: if they are traveling somewhere, throw together a brief guide for them about the best places to eat/see)
Remember what Rebecca said about building a relationship with the press: If you have a tip or an idea for an article that *gasp* doesn’t involve you, share it with a journalist.
Pro tip: This is how some PR professionals create brand awareness for their clients.
Why and how to do PR for startups over email? Why not Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook?
Growthhackers.com shared a kick-ass study Fractl conducted[31] of 500+ journalists from top sites like BuzzFeed, TIME, Lifehacker, Scientific American, TechCrunch and more about what they want in a pitch.