4 Misconceptions about media coverage that are holding you back 😳

Hey, founder fam!

My birthday was a few weeks ago. 🎂🎉 It’s so wild to think that of my 27 years on this planet, I’ve already spent 7 of them working in the media industry. I’ve learned a lot and have had some experiences that were dream-worthy for any twenty-something (a story for another time). I feel like I’m always surprising my non-media friends!

Speaking of surprises, I have a few in store for you in today’s newsletter…My goal for this week’s newsletter is to take what you thought you knew about gaining media coverage as a founder and totally turn it on its head.

STAY PLUGGED IN

• Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket ship exploded within 4 minutes of launch (but Elon isn’t backing down)

• Vesey Ventures closed a $78M debut fund—that’s more than the combined total raised by all the U.S. female-led VC firms this year so far

• Here we go again (unfortunately): Meta lays off another 4,000 employees

4 Misconceptions about media coverage that are costing you press opportunities

1. Standalone features are the only stories that matter. Most founders dream about seeing their name and photo splashed across a landing page for a Forbes or Fortune magazine article—their expertise occupying an article all to themselves. And that’s awesome! I hope you get to experience that one day! But the reality is that not every founder will make it into a spotlight feature (for MANY reasons). Luckily, though, spotlights aren’t the only type of stories that matter for getting featured. You can also pitch yourself as an expert source where you provide quotes and comments about a specific topic and get your name and startup credited in the article. Or, you can be a contributor, which is where you pitch and write your own story about a topic you can give a ton of insight on. They’re all great ways to start positioning yourself into the spotlight at your dream publications.

2. ANY reporter will do. I receive pitches to cover startups and topics that I have literally NEVER written about before on a daily basis. I cover fintech so why am I receiving pitches about clothing companies and climate tech? While it can be interesting to read, those are not my usual coverage areas so those pitches will not result in me interviewing the founders and featuring them. That being said, it’s important to be discerning about who you pitch to so you don’t waste YOUR extremely valuable time pitching to someone who doesn’t even write about the space you occupy.

3. Journalists are just waiting for a juicy story. Uhhh, no. I guarantee you reporters are not just sitting around waiting to be asked to write a gushing feature about someone they’ve never met before. As amazing as I’m sure you are, we’re reporters, not your personal marketing team. Avoid approaching your reach-outs as a transactional relationship. Many reporters are actually extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the spaces they cover so they’re excited to genuinely get to know the people who reach out to them and learn about how they’re creating impact. They’re not afraid to say no to pitches that aren’t authentic and just aren’t the right fit for their current projects. I actually encourage founders to make sure that the person they’re reaching out to is the right fit to feature them.

4. Media coverage happens overnight. Going off of my previous point, you’ll start to gain the most consistent press opportunities when you take the time to cultivate genuine connections with some of the reporters you pitch. That one reporter you spoke to a month ago might reach back out to pick your brain on another topic because they enjoyed your first conversation so much. This could result in yet another feature. Oftentimes, you have to play the long game when it comes to gaining press coverage. Yes, I realize that it takes work, but it can be fun, too. The best place to start is by thinking about your current favorite reporters whose coverage in your niche you admire.

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I created a community that’s meant to help you learn, grow your skills, get advice from other fellow founders, and get connected to the right resources. Come join me at The F-Word (the F stands for Founder!)

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Some people are mirrors, some are windows, and some are doors. Mirrors are our friends, family, co-workers, colleagues, and bosses who show us our strengths and weaknesses; they reveal the talents we might not have known we had and the areas of opportunity for us to do better.

Windows are like the work bestie you can dream with together. You can fantasize about opportunities—like getting featured in a magazine or being the founder of the next big tech unicorn—but that’s about it. This person is great for bouncing your wildest ideas off of.

Then there’s the door. The door helps you find opportunities and sometimes even serves them to you on a silver platter. The door is about helping you take action so you’d better be ready to get your hands dirty if you have this person in your life!

All of these people are valuable in your founder and career journey.

KEEP UP WITH ME

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That’s all for right now. If you’re loving this newsletter, don’t forget to forward it to a friend who can also use some of these tips.

Catch you in the next one!

—Jasmin, Founder & EIC of Capital J