How to deal with tech media by @mikebutcher
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Mike Butcher provides advice on how to effectively pitch stories to journalists and increase the chances of media coverage. Some key tips include having a unique story with drama, gossip, or insight; personalizing the pitch to the specific journalist; and providing all relevant details upfront in a clear and concise manner to save the journalist's time. PR firms can help due to relationships, but the best way to get coverage is to create buzz and be newsworthy through great products, success, or other means rather than just sending out press releases. Journalists receive many pitches daily so the story needs to stand out and be obviously beneficial for their readers.
How to deal with tech media by @mikebutcher
- 1. Mike Butcher Editor, TechCrunch Europe http://eu.techcrunch.com/about mikebutcher@techcrunch.com @mikebutcher Linkedin.com/in/mikebutcher Facebook.com/mikebutcher
- 2. News is a Purple Cow
- 3. News is about my title, my traffic and my readers - not your company
- 4. The fact that you exist is NOT news!
- 5. The fact that you exist is NOT news!
- 6. Want to make news? Join the news agenda!
- 7. Conversations usually beat press releases
- 8. NOTE ABOUT EMBARGOS Writers dont like them. Theyd rather have exclusives Can you trust the writer to hold? Better to negotiate.
- 9. PRs often say LAUNCH BIG & WIDE! But often better to focus on one trusted / influential writer, or a few (but use different story angles for each)
- 10. Negotiate before you shoot
- 11. Why negotiate? Heres why:
- 12. A day in the life of a stressed tech writer.
- 13. INCOMING!! Email SMS Voice calls Skype / IM Facebook IM / Messages Twitter @replies Twitter DMs Face-to-Face
- 14. What I have on my plate on most days: 3-5 News stories by 9am 4-5 Feature ideas Write-ups from trips Arranging travel Arranging meetings Incoming crap
- 15. Then I get this:
- 16. @mikebutcher HeyMike, we just 鉛温顎稼界鞄艶糸!
- 17. So, for me to drop everything and write about you, your story needs to be BETTER than everything else.
- 19. Answer: Unlikely. So You increase you chancesby pre-briefing E.g. One/two line email: Mike, were doing X tomorrow/next week. Interested?
- 20. How DO you negotiate? We want to offer you this as an exclusive Were either: Ready when you are, post whenever you like in the next few days OR Exclusivity lasts for the next 2 hours/2 days etc We are NOT going out to other media until after the story is live withon your site
- 21. But put substance into the first pitch And dont ask permission. Just do it HeyMike, Would you mind if I sent you a press release? #FAIL
- 22. And: Get to the damn point! Mike, given your background, I thought you could be interested in talking to the founder of Flat-Club NitzanYudan. With on-going debates on whether we are entering a second Internet bubble and predictions that this year would yield the most IPOs of technology stock since 2000, Nitzan strongly believes that the new wave of tech start-ups would only be successful if they can add value by creating new markets, rather than focus only on streamlining efficiencies. A case in point is his business 80% of the properties Flat-Club offers have not been previously available in the market. Nitzan can also talk to you about what it means and what it takes to be a successful Internet start-up today. If you are interested in talking to him please let me know and I can arrange an interview. Below Ive provided further information on Flat-Club and Nitzans bio. OR Interview with the founder of Flat-Club NitzanYudan? Hes experienced because He can talk about the tech bubble donkey sex whatever Heres some more info below. Thanks
- 23. Dont be a leech. Network. Get noticed.
- 24. Your launch party is not news
- 25. Even better: Great products make news. A product that goes viral is much better news than a PR release. So build a great product.
- 26. Be a great contact
- 27. Be a cool blogger, Twitterer, Gpluser! (?)
- 28. In other words: MAKE some damn news yourself! Start a fight: e.g. Apple Vs Everyone
- 29. Understand who you are talking to
- 30. Target the right title & the right writer: Target influencers National papers often follow big blogs like TC
- 31. Try to pitch to a writer in person If not, then add personality to email pitch. Include pictures/video
- 32. Be quirky, pitch with a secret wooden box!
- 33. The media likes talking to the people in charge
- 34. Should you hire a PR firm? Maybe.
- 35. PR firms = Relationships Introductions do the same
- 36. One company in a space is not (generally) a story
- 37. Dont be annoyed if you dont get coverage 400 emails a day, other news stories, just busy, whatever. Shit happens.
- 38. Please pitch like a human
- 39. So What IS a Story? Competition/Drama: X will Kill Z
- 40. So What IS a Story? Competition/Drama: X will Kill Z Gossip: CEO/Company rumour
- 41. So What IS a Story? Competition/Drama: X will Kill Z Gossip: CEO/Company rumour Insight: Trend X will change the world
- 42. So What IS a Story? Competition/Drama: X will Kill Z Gossip: CEO/Company rumour Insight: Trend X will change the world Evolution: Startup Y is like the X for Z
- 43. So What IS a Story? Competition/Drama: X will Kill Z Gossip: CEO/Company rumour Insight: Trend X will change the world Evolution: Startup Y is like the X for Z Success: Awesome Y created!
- 44. So What IS a Story? Competition/Drama: X will Kill Z Gossip: CEO/Company rumour Insight: Trend X will change the world Evolution: Startup Y is like the X for Z Success: Awesome Y created! Failure: Company X dying/screwed up
- 45. So What IS a Story? Competition/Drama: X will Kill Z Gossip: CEO/Company rumour Insight: Trend X will change the world Evolution: Startup Y is like the X for Z Success: Awesome Y created! Failure: Company X dying/screwed up You are The Story: Kid creates FB Celebrity: Ashton Kutcher invests! Krakow company hacks Facebook!
- 46. What should you send the media? Its all about saving the media time LIST OF KEY BULLET POINTS FIRST e.g. WireWAXhas received investment from Passion Capital wireWAXhave over 1,500 paying subscribers ETC ETC Video embed codes and setup for the dimensions of TC Crunchbaseentry Direct hyperlink to web-ready logo (NOT a hi-res image. This is not a fucking print title)
- 47. What should you send us? Its all about saving the media time Press Release IN PLAIN TEXT IN THE EMAIL (Do NOT send press releases as attachments) Screen shots are ok as attached Link to preview of site/app Extra quotes Links to previous articles about Startup Mobile phone number/Skype address for key contacts etc
- 48. To Summarize Know Who To Contact Create Relationships Before The Pitch Networking and creating buzz will help, before you pitch Have a unique story Personalize the pitch Lay out the benefit for MY readers
- 49. DONT! Be insulting Give me your whole life story Send 100 bloggers the same email Dont send me the same pitch multiple times come up with new angles
- 50. DONT! Dont try to PR your company because you want your dick to look bigger Dont be vague: Identify what you want covered
- 51. And now a quick word about how to connect with London
- 53. TechHub beats expensive European conferences: Conferences: 500+ a day TechHub: 428 a *year* There is ALWAYS something going on
- 56. Yes, but how do I get on TechCrunch.com?
- 57. Mike Butcher Editor, TechCrunch Europe http://eu.techcrunch.com/about mikebutcher@techcrunch.com @mikebutcher Linkedin.com/in/mikebutcher Facebook.com/mikebutcher