Why Most Startups Don't 'Get' Press
firstround.com
firstround.com
+ Think "fun" not "functional"
The press, and tech press especially, isn't academia. Editor's aren't trying to be encyclopedic. They're looking for things that are entertaining that will generate page views and respect from peers/advertisers. If you're in a "boring" market, focus on your bio or the amazing things your product allowed a user to do.
+ Optimize your company/product for press
You can do a lot to improve your chances of coverage by the way you develop and position your product.
- Look at how Buzzfeed and Upworthy write their headlines and practice pitching your product and its features that way. e.g. Look at a product like "Zombies, Run!" They're in a hugely crowded segment of the market, but a unique concept and catchy branding have helped them vault to the top of their part of the app store.
- A friend developed a game for cats. It seems silly at first glance, but it's catnip to producers/editors/writers. Go after some crazy market segment, or serve them in some crazy way. Uber pulled a fun stunt over the summer where you could summon an ice cream truck and it got huge pickup. Even if your product is pedestrian, there's probably a way to optimize it for attention.
- Have a compelling design — Visuals are huge. If you're making hardware, hire a pro photographer. If you're developing apps, have some unique UI features. Writers get a lot of pitches and having good art is a great way to grab attention.
+ Press coverage does NOT equal "worthiness"
Don't feel bad if you're not resonating with the tech media. I've pitched stories about startups that have $100MM+ revenue run rates and millions of users that get rejected instantly. And when stories like that make it through, they often end up flopping in terms of page views. Contrast that with Foursquare who as of a year ago has ~$2MM and revenue and no shortage of ink.
+ Focus on your market
Every startup wants the row of impressive logos on its homepage, but you'll often get better qualified leads by focusing on more niche publications in your market. They may not have the heft of the NYT or TC, but are a great way to actually drive your business.
We were a couple months away from launch, and all of the sudden BBC, Yahoo and San Francisco magazine are asking us if they can feature us. Do you really say "no" to BBC?"
Yes. You do. While it was cool to watch signups come in at a rate of 1 per minute (to an empty landing page), now when we actually do launch it will be an uphill battle. Getting press isn't hard if you have a compelling product, but it also should be a part of your overall launch strategy.
Make press happen the way you want it to, and time things right. I found reporters are by no means offended if we said, "We're not ready yet; we're heads-down focusing on product. It will be a much better story in a month when we launch, can we circle back then?" You're the founder; make it happen how you need it to.
Remember popups from the 90's? This is a popup. And it's both annoying and unjustified; offer people to keep updated or fill in a survey once they've visited your site a couple of times, kthx. And don't do popups. Never do popups.
But follow us on Twitter or Google+. Comment on what we write, even (especially) when it isn't about your product category. (You can like a cat video, y'know. Or tell me about one.)
Let me get to know you as a person, and then when you send me a note telling me about your imminent launch, you aren't a stranger asking for something.
Most Start-ups that grow well focus on creating value for a small user base. acquiring a small user base isn't hard. we're only talking 10-50 people. Even your contact list is probably bigger than that. once you've optimised your value proposition, have some social proof and can readily demonstrate your ability to create value for a larger audience, it gets easier.
I saw Buffer go through this firsthand (nr enough)