Journalists are extremely busy and receive hundreds of pitches a day. To prevent your email from ending up at the bottom of the heap, spend some time crafting a concise, attention-grabbing subject line. The text of your email needs to be equally as concise and compelling (bullet points are great). Think of your email pitch as a virtual elevator pitch.

 

Your Pre-Pitch To Do List

In order the capture the attention of the media, you’ll need to put together the right tools and information.

  • Research a list of target media contacts that cover your industry
  • Create a press kit and concise email pitch tying your company to a newsworthy event or industry trend
  • Craft a compelling subject line

Target journalists that share your audience

Before reaching out to a journalist or blogger, you should do some research to discover who covers your industry and communicates with your target audience. Make a list of media outlets that you'd like to be in, then find journalists who cover topics and stories similar to yours. Read a few of their pieces and reference them in your email pitch - it'll show you did your homework.

Sometimes it takes 2 emails... or 6

Journalists receive so many emails per day that it's easy to lose some in the shuffle. Follow up your email with another email, a phone call, a tweet - you get the picture. Make sure that your email subject line is compelling without sounding sensational - you don't want to come across as spam. Above all, don't get discouraged if you don't hear back after a first attempt. Keep following up and send updates as your fundraise gains traction.

Make covering your startup valuable

Bloggers and online journalists are often paid by the pageview, so when you’re featured, be sure to share the article on all of your social media platforms and email it to friends and family. Ask them to share the article through their networks as well.

Getting in touch with news outlets can require hours of work, but it's well worth the time. Links to great media coverage and product reviews can be a great way to add credibility to your startup and can be a fantastic launch pad for a successful crowdfund.