You have bold visions for your young organization and can’t wait to see your company’s name in print. You can make this vision a reality by coming up with story ideas and “pitching” those ideas to journalists. The concept is similar to a funding pitch, but instead of proving ROI, you’re proving that your story idea will be of interest to a particular journalist’s readers.
By carving out some time to brainstorm, you can pitch story ideas to the many journalists covering startup culture. Here are some questions and thought-joggers to get you started. If it’s pitching tips you seek, read this.
- Have you reached a fundraising milestone?
- Launching a new initiative/product line?
- Are you doing something shocking or surprising?
- Have you hired someone notable? Acquired a big new contract?
- Is your company the first to do something? Are you the only company doing it in your city?
Some additional things to think about…
Why is what you’re doing important…right now?
Timeliness is something reporters look for when they identify newsworthiness. Is there any timeline associated with your work? A season that’s more active than another? New data that shows a concerning trend you’re trying to remedy?
Try going in on a story with similar-but-different organizations.
Are you making a product for the education sector? Gather some others in your space and pitch a roundup featuring the five of you.
Want to be quoted?
You can find journalists who cover your space and send them a quick rundown (think bullets, use your business pitch skills) of why you’d be a credible source and include some topics you can comment on. Just make sure when you do respond to questions, that you provide short, quotable quotes. Another tack is to ask those same journalists what they’re working on and how you can help.
We suggest you get familiar with the journalists who cover the startup space by reading their work. This will most likely inspire additional ways to approach getting your name, or your organization’s in print and online.
Got questions? Email our Lead Publicist, April Enriquez who has spent the past several years reading articles about startups and pitching stories surrounding startup culture.