How to Pitch Your App to the Press – Matthew Panzarino, Formerly TechCrunch

On the podcast: How to pitch your app to the press, the importance of focusing on differentiation, and why customizing your pitch to an individual writer is so much more effective.

Top Takeaways:

PR for user acquisition (UA) is best suited for acquiring very specific users. If you’re looking for big numbers then there are better channels to use. But PR allows you to pinpoint your UA to reach smaller, higher-intent audiences, such as early adopters or power users, who help you fulfill a particular goal.

When working with PR agencies or consultants, know what kind of outcome you’re after. For apps that just want to reach a wide audience, a firm focused more on outreach at scale might be sufficient. But most apps will benefit more from a strategist who will help craft deep meaningful stories over the long-term.

When pitching, think about the writer, not just the publication. Find the writer who will have the greatest personal interest in your story — not only will your pitch success rate be higher, but the subsequent write-up will be much more meaningful and useful to you down the road. 

Keep your email pitch brief and your press-kit comprehensive. Use the subject line and body copy to highlight uniqueness; feel free to use images but keep it brief. Your press kit, however, should provide enough detail for the journalist to write their story out-of-the-box — but don’t go as far as to write it yourself.

To effectively pitch your app to TechCrunch, specifically, focus on what sets your app apart. A well-executed idea with quality design is just the starting point. Elevate your pitch by highlighting unique features and differentiation. Adding personal stories can further enhance the appeal and depth of your pitch.

About Guest:

👨‍💻 Former Editor-in-Chief of TechCrunch.

✍️ With over 14 years of experience as a tech journalist, Matthew is an expert in the art of the pitch.

💡 “Those stories tend to be the most potent, valuable, and interesting long term, especially for early-stage companies. You convert somebody into a believer, a believer in the thing that you’re doing, the thing that you’re trying to accomplish, the mission that you have. And those writers will become sort of chroniclers of your progress over time. If you’re able to capture one or two of those [writers] ... to get into the minds and hearts of individual writers at a publication, it’s so much more valuable than, ‘Oh, we got covered by Publication X.’”

👋  LinkedIn

Links & Resources:

• Connect with Matthew via LinkedIn
• Check out TechCrunch - https://techcrunch.com/ 

Episode Highlights:

[1:12] Pitch perfect: How to pitch your app to a tech reporter in a cold email (that they’ll actually read).

[14:01] Stand out from the crowd: A competitor’s downtime or failure may be a good opportunity to market your app, but it isn’t enough — you need to highlight your app’s differentiating features, too.

[18:05] Know your audience: Choose not only the right publication but also the right reporter to write about your app.

[26:41] Broad versus targeted UA: Getting your app featured in a publication like TechCrunch can help you acquire a highly interested group of users (early adopters, power users, and people who will send you feedback).

[38:12] The big leagues: What TechCrunch is looking for in a pitch.

[45:15] To PR or not to PR?: Whether or not you should work with a PR firm depends on your app.

[48:18] The whole kit and caboodle: Create a press kit that makes it easy for a journalist to tell your app’s story.