How to deal with tech media by @mikebutcher

Mike Butcher
Editor, TechCrunch Europe
http://eu.techcrunch.com/about
mikebutcher@techcrunch.com
@mikebutcher
Linkedin.com/in/mikebutcher
Facebook.com/mikebutcher

News is about my title, my
traffic and my readers - not
your company

The fact that you exist is
NOT news!

Want to make news? Join
the news agenda!

Conversations usually beat
press releases

NOTE ABOUT EMBARGOS
Writers don‟t like them.
They‟d rather have
exclusives
Can you trust the writer to
hold?
Better to negotiate.

PRs often say
LAUNCH BIG & WIDE!

But often better to focus on
one trusted / influential
writer, or a few (but use
different story angles for
each)

A day in the life of a
stressed tech writer.

INCOMING!!
Email
SMS
Voice calls
Skype / IM
Facebook IM / Messages
Twitter @replies
Twitter DMs
Face-to-Face

What I have on my plate on
most days:
3-5 News stories by 9am
4-5 Feature ideas
Write-ups from trips
Arranging travel
Arranging meetings
Incoming crap

“@mikebutcher
HeyMike, we just

launched!”

So, for me to drop
everything and write
about you, your story
needs to be BETTER than
everything else.

Answer: Unlikely.

So – You increase you
chancesby pre-briefing

E.g. One/two line email:

“Mike, we‟re doing X
tomorrow/next week.
Interested?”

How DO you negotiate?
• We want to offer you this as an exclusive
• We’re either: Ready when you are, post
whenever you like in the next few days
• OR
• “Exclusivity lasts for the next 2 hours/2 days”
etc
• We are NOT going out to other media until
after the story is live withon your site

But put substance into the
first pitch

And don‟t ask permission.
Just do it
“HeyMike, Would
you mind if I sent you a
press release?”
#FAIL

And: Get to the damn point!
Mike, given your background, I thought you could be interested in talking to the
founder of Flat-Club NitzanYudan. With on-going debates on whether we are
entering a second Internet bubble and predictions that this year would yield the
most IPOs of technology stock since 2000, Nitzan strongly believes that the new
wave of tech start-ups would only be successful if they can add value by
creating new markets, rather than focus only on streamlining efficiencies. A case
in point is his business – 80% of the properties Flat-Club offers have not been
previously available in the market. Nitzan can also talk to you about what it
means and what it takes to be a successful Internet start-up today. If you are
interested in talking to him please let me know and I can arrange an interview.
Below I’ve provided further information on Flat-Club and Nitzan’s bio.
OR

Interview with the founder of Flat-Club NitzanYudan?

He’s experienced because…

He can talk about… the tech bubble… donkey sex… whatever

Here’s some more info below.

Thanks

Don‟t be a leech.
Network. Get noticed.

Even better:

Great products
make news.

A product that goes viral is
much better „news‟ than a
PR release.
So build a great product.

Be a cool
blogger, Twitterer, Gpluser!
(?)

In other words:

MAKE some damn news
yourself!

• Start a fight:
e.g. Apple Vs Everyone

Understand who you are
talking to

Target the right title & the right
writer:

• Target influencers
• National papers often follow
big blogs like TC

Try to pitch to a writer in
person

If not, then add personality
to email pitch. Include
pictures/video

Be quirky, pitch with a
secret wooden box!

The media likes talking to
the people in charge

Should you hire a PR firm?
Maybe.

PR firms = Relationships
Introductions do the same

One company in a space is
not (generally) a story

Don‟t be annoyed if you
don‟t get coverage

400 emails a day, other news stories, just
busy, whatever. Shit happens.

So What IS a Story?
• Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z”

So What IS a Story?
• Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…”

So What IS a Story?
• Insight: “Trend X will change the world”

So What IS a Story?
• Evolution: “Startup Y is like the X for Z”

So What IS a Story?
• Success: “Awesome Y created!”

So What IS a Story?
• Failure: “Company X dying/screwed up”

So What IS a Story?
• Failure: “Company X dying/screwed up”
• You are The Story: “Kid creates FB”
• Celebrity: Ashton Kutcher invests!
• Krakow company hacks Facebook!

What should you send
the media?
It‟s all about saving the media time
• LIST OF KEY BULLET POINTS FIRST
e.g.
• WireWAXhas received investment from Passion Capital
• wireWAXhave over 1,500 paying subscribers ETC ETC

• Video embed codes and setup for the dimensions of TC

•Crunchbaseentry

• Direct hyperlink to web-ready logo
(NOT a hi-res image. This is not a fucking print title)

What should you send us?
It‟s all about saving the media time
• Press Release IN PLAIN TEXT IN THE EMAIL
(Do NOT send press releases as attachments)

• Screen shots are ok as attached

• Link to preview of site/app

• Extra quotes

• Links to previous articles about Startup

• Mobile phone number/Skype address for key contacts etc

To Summarize
• Know Who To Contact
• Create Relationships Before The Pitch
• Networking and creating buzz will
help, before you pitch
• Have a unique story
• Personalize the pitch
• Lay out the benefit for MY readers

DON‟T!
• Be insulting
• Give me your whole life story
• Send 100 bloggers the same email
• Don’t send me the same pitch multiple
times – come up with new angles

DON‟T!
• Don’t try to PR your company because
you want your dick to look bigger

• Don’t be vague: Identify what you want
covered

And now a quick word
about how to connect with
London

TechHub beats expensive European
conferences:

Conferences: €500+ a day

TechHub: €428 a *year*

There is ALWAYS something going on

Yes, but how do I get on
TechCrunch.com?

How to deal with tech media by @mikebutcher

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