What is the biggest challenge you see with getting press coverage?

kfernandz·May 30, 2023

Posted in:Marketing Advice Startups

Hey Elphas!

Has anyone tried to land media coverage without success?

Asking for market research purposes.

Any input would be massively appreciated!

Iynna·Jun 01, 2023

I have not tried myself but companies I've invested in have tried, succeeded and failed. The big thing with journalists is that they are swamped, get pitched every single day so they need a story that's super catchy and unique (that could be on the product, the founding team, the hype around their traction etc), and of course connections HELP!

kfernandz·Jun 02, 2023

Hey, @iynna, thank you so much for these insights. Very helpful. And you are right. Some journalists receive around 100 emails daily, so catchy, unique stories are the only way to get their attention. When I started working in PR, I mostly pitched stories around the product or founder story, which was quite challenging. The main reason is that there might be multiple similar stories, and you are likely focusing more on 'you' (the product or founder) than on them (what works for the publication and serves their audience). This mindset shift turned things around for me, and it is the key to going from failing to succeeding in PR. I do this by leveraging trends, data, and newsworthy events relevant to my clients' industries as well as their expertise to become a valuable source to writers and publications, which ultimately helps build those strong relationships you are referring to and often makes them come to us when they need insights to support their stories. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts! Appreciate it.

Iynna·Jun 02, 2023

Of course and thank you for giving your perspective you're obviously a lot more immersed/knowledgeable in the space!I'd love to follow up on a few of the points you raised:- Focus on them vs you: I love this so much because it reminds me of when we reach out to people for informational interview, as much as it is for "us" we need to position it so they feel like it's centred on them! It's a nice ego boost but mot importantly it promotes an exchange. A journalist wants to write a good piece, so they need to write something they can speak on from their experiences also. Besides the catchy story, there needs to be an angle where the journalist will also "shine"! How far in the industry did it take you to come to this breakthrough? And do you think founders get it eventually?- What is one thing you wish you could change in this industry (PR, journalism)?