How to get press for your product

Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur Magazine and former senior editor at Fast Company, explains how founders can get press for their products. The conversation covers why press should serve a clear goal, how to research publications and the right writers (including freelancers), how to craft a human, targeted pitch, and how to think about outcomes and PR agencies.

01Key learnings

• Before pursuing press, define what you need it for, such as awareness, investor credibility, or a new customer segment, the same way you would know what money is for before raising it.
• Choose outlets whose readers can actually buy or use your product; a local business gains little from a national outlet, so target local food or lifestyle coverage instead.
• Study how a publication covers your category and competitors, then identify the specific writer or editor, since the editor-in-chief is rarely the right person to pitch.
• Freelance writers are often hungrier for story leads and more receptive to pitches than staff writers, and their contact details are easy to find through portfolio sites.
• Pitch a story about the audience's problem and your insight, not a company announcement; success stories are less interesting than honest problem-solving stories.
• Keep cold pitches short, make them clearly targeted to the writer, and avoid faking familiarity with their work; press releases rarely work and wire distribution rarely reaches real readers.
• Treat press as an add-on with unpredictable results; its real value often comes from 'as seen in' validation in sales emails and social posts rather than readership.
• Be human and open about challenges, and expect loss of control: reporters respond poorly to heavy message control and reward candid, approachable founders.

02Frameworks mentioned

Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.