1. Get Press
for Your Startup
or Business
D.K. Smith, Brooklyn Innovation Center
Mike Schroder, LaunchSquad
The Brooklyn Innovation Center
Borough-Wide Entrepreneurship Accelerator
© 2013 Brooklyn Innovation Center, All rights reserved.

2. Build Your Story...
The MOST important thing to a reporter is YOUR STORY… not necessarily
your product or service.
* What's remarkable about your company, product, or service?
* Why does it matter?
* Develop audiences and define business objectives
* Define a message for each audience
* Develop “talking points” and core/foundational messaging document
* Have a perspective on larger world issues
© 2013 Brooklyn Innovation Center, All rights reserved.

3. Do research BEFORE you contact press!
* Read everything out there on competition and everything in niche!
* Setup Google alerts – Google.com/alerts
* Twitter – Twitter.com
* Signup for HARO – HelpAReporter.com & MuckRack – MuckRack.com
* Comb thru JustTweetIt’s press category – JustTweetIt.com
* Twitter analysis sites like WhatTheTrend – WhatTheTrend.com
* Technorati to find influential tech media and writers – Technorati.com
* Create a list of reporters to pitch, and rank your list… Who’s hot?
© 2013 Brooklyn Innovation Center, All rights reserved.

4. Are you really ready for press?
NOT if you’re…
* Looking for a lead developer or tech co-founder
* Still working your day job
* Have product or business model issues:
- add-on to another service… new Facebook integration… another
Twitter app
- business model is based on ad revenue
- requires a large community to get rolling
© 2013 Brooklyn Innovation Center, All rights reserved.

5. Learn how the press works…
* Understand reporter’s personal perspective… they’re people first
* Don’t assume they all want the same thing
* Press lives on credibility: fact checking, accuracy, remaining impartial
* Everything you say is on the record!
* NEVER, EVER offer a bribe!
- split check for meals.
- send products for review… NO GIFTS!
* Different media have different standards
© 2013 Brooklyn Innovation Center, All rights reserved.

6. Get your act together BEFORE
contacting the press!
* Models and prototypes working perfectly… NO bad demos!
* Make sure your website is easy to read, navigate and understand
* Get high quality pictures of your product, screenshots, office, founders
* Build a press page on your site.
* Pick a point person and refer all press inquires to her/him!
© 2013 Brooklyn Innovation Center, All rights reserved.

7. Online video production…
* PowToon - Powtoon.com
* Animoto - Animoto.com
* Stupeflix - Studio.stupeflix.com/en
* GoAnimate - Goanimate.com
* FlixPress - Flixpress.com
© 2013 Brooklyn Innovation Center, All rights reserved.

8. How to pitch your story…
Don’t think that sending out a press release is going to
get you stories...
You have to reach out and pitch!
© 2013 Brooklyn Innovation Center, All rights reserved.

9. Pitching stories
Press releases don't get you coverage...
…they help you put your ideas together succinctly.
* Build relationships first!
* Be strategic and understand audiences you’re targeting
* Elevator pitch is VERY important… one sentence, maybe two short ones.
* Remember three Ps: Polite, Passionate, and Persistent!
© 2013 Brooklyn Innovation Center, All rights reserved.

10. Follow-Up
* Create list of everyone you talk to and make sure to keep them updated
* PR isn't something you do “sometimes”
* Requires ongoing commitment and relationship building
* Follow up quickly… thank reporter for writing about you
© 2013 Brooklyn Innovation Center, All rights reserved.

11. Consider hiring a PR firm, writer, or editor…
Get a PR professional, not a friend or neighbor who has done
a few releases!
* Important to get outside perspective from a real professional
* Experts can write professionally and quickly
* PR pros already have credibility with reporters
* Hiring a good PR firm helps ensure your release will get read.
© 2013 Brooklyn Innovation Center, All rights reserved.

12. What’s next?
* Most startup press efforts are boring.
* Think outside the box... let your imagination soar free!
* Questions? Reach out to...
D.K. Smith - @bkinnnovation
dk@brooklyninnnovation.com
www. BrooklynInnovation.com
Mike Schroeder - @LaunchSquad
mike@launchsquad.com
www.LaunchSquad.com
© 2013 Brooklyn Innovation Center, All rights reserved.