Tips for getting press attention?

April 28th, 2014

Long story short, I'm going to be launching a product soon and I want to get some good press for it. Anyone have any tips for going about this? I'm pretty much an amateur when it comes to the media and I imagine it's a more general problem that a lot of you all have faced.

I don't have a great plan of action worked out, but here's my outline:
1) Locate contact information for journalists/reviewers/bloggers/whatever in my space
2) Shoot them an email
3) If they don't reply, call them
4) Try to convince them to write about my product

Can't be more specific about exactly what I'm doing - sorry.

Andra Keay Director at Silicon Valley Robotics

April 28th, 2014

Find the story - your product launch is not a story - the way your product has changed someone's life (real not theoretical) is a story. Mike Butcher (TechCrunch UK) gives a great presentation on "How to deal with the tech media" http://mbites.com/2012/02/02/how-to-deal-with-tech-media/

Bob Snyder Editor-in-Chief, Channel Media Europe

May 15th, 2016

Like any other sales call, it's not about YOU...it's about what's in it for their publication. You look for the angle their specific audience will need. Please do NOT call editors. We are busy and hate most instances where PR & companies call us up-- and then they find out we are not the right vehicle to promote their product launch (because they didn't do any homework). We do scour professional (and free) PR sites for news but email is preferred. Yes, it is OK to email twice about the same article. No we don't respond when the story is not of interest. Always include access to a photo (not a heavy file attachment) and a word doc (not PDF). Sell us the story on WHY OUR READERS are interested.

Dina Moskowitz

May 15th, 2016

One strategy that is very popular these days is something called "influencing the influencer". For example, if you know who the top thought leaders and bloggers are in your space, have you or one of your content creators interview them for a blog about your space, then release an article or blog that features and quotes them - then promote it. By you taking the time to boost and expand their reputation, they are more likely to pay attention to and respond to your future communications.

Lawrence Lerner Digitalization and Transformation Coach

April 28th, 2014

Andrew, you should sign up for HARO (Help a Reporter Out). It's a good source to get access to the media. They post requests and you respond. There is a free version and paid for one. You'll decide what's best for you. I've had over 30 articles/interviews done (www.lawrenceilerner.com/media). There are some others and I think you can find them by doing a search.

Vocus is a great source but expensive. It will give you direct access to email and phone numbers for your target audience. Prices range from 3-$6K a year.

Jessica Alter Entrepreneur & Advisor

April 28th, 2014

FD Blog on this 2 weeks ago: Pitching Practice - A public Relations Launch Checklist for Early Stage Startup Founders by Peter Kazanjy, cofounder of TalentBin (acquired by Monster.com).

Lindsay Ciulla Security PR Professional

May 11th, 2016

The end goal is to tie your pitch and your product back to a larger story. What business issue does your product solve? How does what you're doing tie into the bigger picture? Reporters are inundated with self-serving, poorly written pitches that don't tell a story. The key is to differentiate yourself and show your value.

Equally important is to make sure you're targeting the right reporters. Look at who's covering your space, your partners, and your competitors. Otherwise, you'll end up nowhere. Twitter is a great place for research and getting in touch with your targets, too.

Lisa Langsdorf Senior PR consultant/Media Relations Expert

May 11th, 2016

I think the first question to ask yourself is, what do I want to get out of PR? How you would approach out reach really depends on what your specific goals are. For example, if you want to get in front of investors, and you have an interesting industry story to tell, then you might consider pitching the launch to someone like TechCrunch. Or, you may be interested in customer acquisition or both. Knowing the desired outcome dictates your strategy.

Terry Mackin Remarkable Partners, LLC

May 15th, 2016

Develop a personal brand strategy for social media. It is a deeper strategy, yet it incorporates your voice, vision and style. Social media strategy should begin with "influencer" research and an overall ethnographic picture of your audience. Reaching the right audience is more important than pushing a press release to anyone who will accept it. Get an understanding of Groundswell, Technographics and COBRAS. If you don't spend significant time developing a thesis on your audience, your chance of success is greatly diminished. All of the above are common sense techniques that can be learned. Frankly, you should view PR as an ongoing communications strategy of your brand 24/7, on a street corner, video interview, product presentation. It is a conversation at every level.

Bob Scheier Veteran IT marketing copywriter, IT journalist, community manager

May 15th, 2016

Another important point, as an ex-editor, is to READ what the reporter has written on this subject before and suggest a follow up. Look at the key points they mentioned in previous stories and be prepared to address them. And be ready to describe, very precisely, where your offering fits with others in the market.

Rob G

April 28th, 2014

Search FD for other threads on this topic, there are several as I recall.

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