How to Get Press for Your Startup (Without Begging Journalists)

But when done right, PR can be a game-changer. A well-placed article can lead to new customers, potential hires, strategic partners, and even investors. The trick? Stop thinking about press as a one-time event and start treating it as a long-term relationship. Here’s how to get journalists to actually care about your startup.

Step 1: Stop Cold Emailing. Start Building Relationships.

Imagine you get an email from a stranger saying, “Hey, I just launched something! Write about me!” Would you drop everything and do it? No? Neither would a journalist.

Journalists are bombarded with pitches every day. If you want to stand out, start by engaging with them before you need something. Follow them on Twitter, comment on their LinkedIn posts, and actually read their articles. Share their work, add thoughtful insights, and be a part of the conversation.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint. When the time comes to pitch your story, they’ll already know your name—and that’s half the battle.

Action item: Identify three journalists who cover your industry. Follow them, engage with their content, and build a rapport over the next few months.

Step 2: Be a Source, Not a Salesperson

Here’s a secret: journalists love experts. If you position yourself as a knowledgeable, helpful resource, they’ll start coming to you for insights.

If you’re in fintech, don’t just pitch your startup—offer commentary on industry trends. If you run a SaaS company, share data-driven insights that could make for an interesting story. The goal is to be useful, not self-promotional.

Need proof? Ever wonder why the same people are always quoted in articles? It’s because they’ve made themselves easy to reach and valuable to journalists.

Action item: Create a short, friendly message offering your expertise in your industry. Send it to journalists you’ve built a relationship with and let them know you’re available as a source.

Step 3: Make Your Story Actually Interesting

Let’s be real—raising a funding round isn’t news. Startups do it every day. Hiring a new CTO? Not exactly front-page material. Launching a product? Unless it’s curing diseases or flying to Mars, you need a better angle.

A great story isn’t about you—it’s about what’s happening in the world and how your company fits into that narrative. Think about:

• Big industry shifts: Is your startup capitalizing on a major trend?

• Surprising data: Have you discovered something that challenges conventional wisdom?

• Unique growth strategies: Did you scale in a way that’s never been done before?

Your news needs to be something their audience will care about, not just your investors.

🚫 Not interesting:

• “We raised $5M.”

• “We launched our new app.”

• “We hired a CMO.”

🤩 Interesting:

• “Our data shows consumer spending habits are shifting in unexpected ways.”

• “This industry was tiny when we launched, but it’s booming now—here’s why.”

• “We grew 10x by doing the opposite of what everyone else said.”

Action item: Take a step back and think: Would I read an article about this if it weren’t my company? If the answer is no, it’s not a story.

Step 4: Pitch Like a Pro

Even with the right relationship and a great story, the way you pitch matters. Journalists don’t have time to wade through a five-paragraph email full of buzzwords. Keep it short, clear, and compelling.

Your pitch should include: 

✅ A subject line that grabs attention.
✅ A quick reminder of who you are (if you’ve engaged with them before).
✅ The core of your story in two sentences.
✅ Why their readers will care.
✅ An offer for an exclusive, if applicable.

Example pitch:

Subject: Exclusive: Data Shows Gen Z is Spending 40% Less on Subscriptions
Hi [Journalist’s Name],
I saw your recent piece on changing consumer spending habits—great insights! We’ve been tracking new data at [Your Startup] and found that Gen Z spending on subscriptions has dropped 40% in the past year.
Happy to share the full dataset if you’re interested—this could make for a great follow-up story. Let me know!
Best,
[Your Name]

See how that’s more compelling than “We launched a product. Please write about us.”?

Action item: Before hitting send, ask yourself: Would this email make me excited if I were a journalist?

PR is a Long Game

The biggest mistake startups make is treating PR like a one-off event. The best coverage happens when you’ve put in the time to build relationships, establish yourself as a credible source, and craft stories that are genuinely interesting.

Think of it this way: The more valuable you are to journalists, the more they’ll want to feature your startup—without you even having to ask.

So start planting those seeds now. By the time you have big news, you won’t just be another pitch in their inbox—you’ll be a trusted voice they actually want to hear from.