Ask HN: When to approach the press for coverage? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: When to approach the press for coverage?

13 pointsSingAlong13 comments

Ask HN: When to approach the press for coverage?

We run an local SMS service and have just around 100 users. It's been just a week since the launch.

Last week during the Yahoo Hackday I met a press reporter for a local newspaper when she was passing by the Hackday hall and I explained to her about the service (then it was barely new just 2 days after launch). She listened to me for about 15 minutes. She then gave me her card and asked me to contact her when I needed help with the media.

Couple other well known SMS services have shut-down in the previous 3-4 months (one shutdown and the other has been blocked by two major cellphone operators). There are now only 2 that exist currently in my geopraphical area, of which we are one and the usage cost of the other competitor is more.

Now my first thought is to approach for media coverage only after a while (with maybe atleast 1000 regular users). But I think word-of-mouth isn't just enough for this to pull off successfully.

Should I approach the local media now or later? If yes, how? What data should I provide them with? (I mean, should I be open about the number of users I have and sms traffic etc)

We have an online webpage incase you want to know about the service. The service is available for the state of Karnataka (includes Bangalore) in India. http://www.shoutjamit.com

Thanks to swombat, spydez and wheels (HN) for helping with refining the idea.

P.S: The reporter whom I spoke to, works for a newspaper who's audience is mostly teens and college goers (my target audience)

I would go to the press as soon as you feel you're ready for public exposure (which you are, since you have around 100 users). That means now. Tell people about your service soon and often. I have a college textbook website that had membership triple from a press release to a local paper when I was just getting started.

Don't be afraid to 'waste' your coverage now. Use it as soon as you get it. If you need more publicity, it's relatively easy to find another reason for the paper to cover you.

My $0.02

Use all the contacts you have. But also think more strategically and plan what your press contacts should be and go out and get them.

Forget about press releases. Establish direct connections with the press now, before you know them. If you say one day "oh, let's get press coverage" and expect it to happen instantly, you don't know how it works.

Also, question the usefulness of getting press coverage. We were on TechCrunch. It sends shockwaves all over the blogosphere for a week, which is nice. But you need to make your users happy. We also were on the front page of smaller, but still national media: got 100 visitors that day (barely measurable and completely insignificant).

I guess my point is that the days where the press would make or break a company are over. Media is too fragmented, too many people get their news from "alternative" media, you can't expect to kill all your birds with one shot.

We were on TechCrunch. It sends shockwaves all over the blogosphere for a week

Don't be afraid to go out and approach normal media too - by far the biggest reaction I received last year from normal media outlets occured after I was interviewed by David Sarno on an LA times blog.

This is especially true if you're a young guy that's trying to build something...the media loves stories about underdogs.

"the media loves stories about underdogs."

Thanks for that. That's given me more ego points to approach the media with a bit more hope.

Thank you for your words.

But if I go for local press coverage now (which is my only target since my service is local too), what data should I provide them with apart from about the service which is already displayed on the website?

Should I tell them about the current SMS traffic with my service and the number of users or any other info?

Also I was thinking if I could also give her a hint that we could collaborate with them for SMS announcements and stuff like that for contests or polls their newspaper conducts. Should I mention such stuff in the first mail itself or should I go slow with the press. I haven't dealt with the media anytime, but have heard some say that the press guys are really in a hurry always since they have a lot of data to wade thru for interesting news.

Call and speak with her again - ask her what stories her readers want to read, and tailor your information and data to that. If that's unclear, think about a good 'angle' on your business - this is a small part of your data which is easy to understand (eg, 0-100 in 7 days; or 'Local group responds to economy by saving teens money').

Re: collaboration, this is a different discussion than getting some coverage. I would wait until after you've discussed the story, then ask her who you need to talk with at her paper about collaboration - unless they're really small, it's likely to be somebody else - and then get her permission to use her name when calling that other person to introduce yourself.

Good luck!

> Call and speak with her again - ask her what stories her readers want to read

Before you do that, read her stories and see what kind of stories she's written in the past. That will help you "pitch" her with "what kind of story do you like to tell?"

The story is a PR thing. The collaboration is a business development thing. Keep them separate. Right now, focus on the story. in 1 month (after the story), go to a decision maker and give him your proposition. Mention that you were covered by them recently. Include the article if appropriate.

The reporter is probably not the person you want to talk to about partnering with the paper. After the article is published, you might want to contact her and let her know how much you liked the article. Use the conversation to get the information on who you should contact about your collaboration idea.

Also, what is the collaboration idea? Do you mean selling your services, or giving them away for free to the paper as a way of increasing your userbase?

The longer you take, the less she'll remember you. Go get press.

Absolutely - I got on Wired last year by doing this.

Also, perhaps sign up to something like Google Alerts for various key phrases that are relevant to your area. When stories/posts pop up that you might be able to add some value/expertise too, don't be afraid to make contact with the authors.

You just have to go out and get noticed.

Go to press now, but one important note: go to press with a "Story".

A Story is something the press will be able to tell. Something that captures the imagination. Prepare that Story in advance of going to that journalist, so that it comes out naturally while you talk to her. It should be inspiring, positive, human, not arrogant, something people can relate to.

What is holding you from the press coverage? I personally think that it wouldn't hurt if you go through it. If you already have 100 users, what is the difference with the 1000 users? So, I say go ^__^ and good luck!

Load test your service first. If you go to press and your service fails, you're doomed.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com