June 23, 2012

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Did you just launch your startup? Did your company land a round of VC funding? Did you release new products? If, so congratulations! It’s exciting to experience milestones in business.

And now that you’ve just finished giving your team high-five’s, it’s time to share your brilliance with the world. This simply means, “It’s time to make headlines!” Which translates into gaining media interest in your story.

The first stride towards media coverage of any kind is a pitch – the brief introduction that sells your story angle to editors, journalists, reporters, bloggers, segment producers and so on.

But before you hit that send button or pick up your phone …

We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a very important message.

“So what?”

I know. It was tough for me to hear early on too. But before you send a pitch about your company to your treasure trove of media contacts ask yourself … “So what?”

1. Why should the public at large care?

2. Why should a news outlet run my story?

3. What larger issue or group does my news impact?

Of course, as entrepreneurs we often think that much of what we do is better than sliced bread. And though that may be the case, you’ll need a better story angle than “We’re great, so run this story!” to make the morning news.

And as many folks in the media will tell you – there is a ‘right’ and a ‘wrong’ way to pitch your news. While I’m sure this is merely the tip of the iceberg, here are five unruly behaviors that could get your company blacklisted or blatantly ignored by a member of the news media … forever.

1. Don’t subscribe a member of the media to your company newsletter.

Imagine if someone signed you up for a newsletter you didn’t want? How would that come across to you?

Unless you’ve asked and your media contact has consented it’s a bad idea to share unsolicited email newsletters with members of the press. Don’t forget most media outlets receive hundreds to thousands of inquiries per day or week. Your gesture will be received as borderline annoying, identified as spam and future emails will hit the junk folder.

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