The ultimate guide to PR | Emilie Gerber (founder of Six Eastern)

1. Understand Press Second-Order Effects

For B2B companies, press offers third-party validation, credibility for buyers, and aids recruiting by signaling legitimacy, rather than directly driving sign-ups. For B2C, press can directly drive significant growth, especially for products with low barriers to entry like Perplexity.

2. Reference Incumbents in Pitches

Instead of positioning your company as a ‘category creator,’ frame your product as doing what a well-known incumbent does, but better, to instantly provide reporters with a frame of reference and make your pitch more successful.

3. Pitch Funding Stories Concisely

When pitching funding news, be straightforward and concise: state the amount raised, the company’s space, and the investors. Offer the story as an exclusive to the most relevant beat reporter to increase your chances of coverage.

4. Prioritize Newsletters & Podcasts

Integrate newsletters and podcasts into your core PR strategy, as they are now a crucial part of media and can be highly effective for awareness and engagement, often more so than traditional media for certain goals.

5. Keep Pitches Short & Direct

Aim for three-sentence pitches that clearly state your intentions and what you’re offering, as concise communication is more effective given reporters’ short attention spans and busy inboxes.

6. Offer Contrarian/Bold Perspectives

Provide a unique or controversial viewpoint on a relevant industry topic to stand out to reporters. This helps them write balanced articles and offers an interesting angle beyond common stances.

7. Craft Pitches for Specific Audiences

Tailor your pitch to the specific audience of the publication or podcast you’re targeting, focusing on what they care about and the tactical lessons relevant to their readership or listenership.

8. Avoid Generic Marketing Jargon

Strip out vague marketing phrases and jargon (e.g., ‘robust multiplayer experience,’ ‘human in the loop collaboration’) from your pitches and press materials. Instead, use clear, human language that articulates exactly what your product does.

9. Use Blog Posts Over Press Releases

For early to mid-stage startups, opt for blog posts over traditional press releases. Blog posts offer more flexibility in style, are more shareable on social media, and live on your website, providing better value than paid wire services.

10. Qualitatively Analyze Podcasts

When targeting podcasts, conduct qualitative analysis: check if they feature vendor executives, are actively producing, have high-quality content, and if past guests align with your desired peers. Also, understand your customers’ media diet to find relevant shows.

11. Start Podcast Outreach Lightly

Begin outreach to podcast hosts with a casual note on LinkedIn or email, simply asking if they’re open to guest ideas. This approach is more approachable and saves time compared to sending a full pitch upfront.

12. Build Executive Social Presence

Focus on building an executive’s social media presence rather than solely corporate channels, as people follow personalities. Executives offer more flexibility in tone, can push boundaries, and their posts can influence traditional media coverage.

13. Test Social Media Strategy

Experiment with social media posting for a month or two to see if it generates value, such as client or candidate inbounds. Adjust your strategy based on these results, even if posting doesn’t come naturally.

14. Seek Out Panel Opportunities

Propose panel ideas for conferences by collaborating with colleagues from non-competing but similar companies. Pitching a group is often more successful than pitching yourself alone, and can lead to multiple companies being featured.

15. Leverage Morning Brew Co-Working Series

Utilize Morning Brew’s co-working series forms (available for various verticals like Emerging Tech Brew or HR Brew) to get executives featured. Keep answers interesting, fun, and not overly self-promotional for a good success rate.

16. Choose PR Agency Carefully

Don’t assume bigger, well-known agencies are always better; look for those with a scrappy, fast approach suited for startups. Understand their month-one activities to avoid long ramp-up cycles and ensure immediate action.

17. Review Agency Writing Samples

Request recent writing samples (blogs, releases) from potential PR agencies to assess their writing style. Ensure their communication is clear, human-centric, and avoids the marketing jargon often found in traditional press releases.

18. Plan PR Six Weeks in Advance

Aim to kick off PR efforts at least six weeks before a major announcement. This allows sufficient time for blog creation, media training, outreach, coordinating with all parties, and image creation.

19. Prioritize Reporter Over Firm Date

Be flexible with announcement dates and prioritize securing coverage from your first-choice reporter over sticking to a rigid timeline. Getting the right reporter will drive a much better outcome for your business than announcing a few days sooner.

20. Avoid Misleading Growth Stats

Instead of vague percentage growth claims (e.g., ‘700% increase since stealth’), provide more specific and realistic metrics like revenue figures or adoption rates from specific sectors. This gives more credible color to your growth without being disingenuous.

21. Find Personal/Founder Angles

If your product isn’t inherently exciting or easily understood, lean into compelling personal or founder stories, or unique use cases. This can create an interesting narrative that reporters are more likely to cover.