Get press coverage

Why this step matters

Coverage in a trade publication, a respected newsletter or a podcast does three things a startup struggles to do alone. It borrows trust, because an independent writer chose to mention you. It sends a concentrated burst of the right readers. And it usually leaves a strong link from an established domain, which helps your search rankings. Press also makes later sales and fundraising easier: "as featured in" is a shortcut through a sceptical buyer's first question.

Big general outlets are hard to reach for an early startup. The practical route is niche press, newsletters, podcasts and local business media, where editors need stories and your product may genuinely be news to their readers.

How to do it

1. Find a story, not an announcement. Journalists cover trends, conflicts, numbers and people. Good angles include a surprising finding from your own data, a founder story tied to a wider trend, a problem your users face that nobody is writing about, a funding or milestone with context, or a strong opinion on industry news.
2. Build a short, specific media list. Find 30 writers, newsletters and podcasts that covered your space or a competitor in the last few months. Note what they wrote and how they prefer to be contacted.
3. Prepare a press kit page. Include a one-paragraph description, founder bios and photos, logo files, product screenshots, key facts and numbers, and a contact email that is answered quickly.
4. Write personal pitches. Keep it under 150 words: why you are writing to this person, the story in two sentences, one fact or number that proves it, and what you can offer (an interview, data, an early demo). Use a plain subject line that states the story.
5. Offer an exclusive or embargo when it fits. For a launch or funding announcement, offering one writer the story first, under an agreed embargo time, can secure a better article. Respect the agreement exactly.
6. Answer journalist requests. Source-request services and newsletters connect reporters with experts. Reply fast with a short, quotable answer and your credentials.
7. Follow up once, then move on. A polite follow-up after three to five days is normal. Silence usually means no; do not chase repeatedly.
8. Amplify what you get. Share coverage on your site, social channels and sales emails, thank the writer, and add the outlet to your "as featured in" section.

What it costs and how long it takes

Doing your own PR costs time: expect a week to prepare the story, list and press kit, and two to eight weeks to see the first coverage. Paid press release distribution and media database tools exist; they help with reach and contacts but rarely replace personal pitches. Agencies and freelance PR consultants typically charge monthly retainers; for most early startups, a short project for a specific launch is a better use of money than an ongoing retainer.

Free credits, perks and services that help

Accelerators often have press relationships and run demo days that journalists attend; see /accelerators. Perk bundles in /perks sometimes include PR or media tools at a discount. Your launch on Product Hunt and startup directories also gives writers a page to check you out.

A sample pitch

Subject: Data: small online shops lose a day a week to refund admin

"Hi Sam, you wrote last month about rising return rates for independent retailers. We analysed anonymised support data from our first 400 shop owners and found refunds take far longer than they estimate, with most of the time spent copying data between tools. Happy to share the full numbers and a founder interview, and to connect you with two shop owners who can speak on the record. Our press kit is linked below."

It is short, tied to the writer's own beat, offers something they cannot easily get elsewhere and makes the next step easy. Use real numbers only; never make up data for a pitch.

Common mistakes

• Sending a generic press release to hundreds of addresses. It reads as spam and rarely gets opened.
• Pitching features. "We launched dark mode" is not news; "small shops lose X hours a week to Y, here is our data" might be.
• Paying for guaranteed placement. Sponsored or pay-to-play articles are advertising and often carry no editorial trust or followed links.
• Being slow. Reporters work to deadlines; a reply tomorrow is often too late.
• Overclaiming. Inflated numbers get checked and can follow you for years.

Go deeper

PRList lists PR methods, press release services, journalist request platforms and PR agencies, with pricing from their own pages: prlist.net.