Question: How do I pitch the press to get my business featured?

– Samantha Baker, Mississippi

The following answers have been provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council^[1]. Founded by Scott Gerber^[2], the Young Entrepreneur Council is an advocacy group comprised of many of the world’s most successful young entrepreneurs and thought leaders. The mission of the Council is to help young people overcome the epidemics of youth unemployment and underemployment by teaching them how to become entrepreneurs.

Sell your uniqueness.

“To get the press you have to completely rethink how you present your business. Ask yourself: ‘How is my service different from others?’ If it’s not, then figure out a way to differentiate yourself from your competition. If you are still drawing blanks think of creative ways to pull off PR stunts, research what’s made waves in the press in the past, and mimic what they’ve done.”

– Matt Wilson (@mattwilsontv), co-founder of Under30CEO.com^[3]

Make it about you, not your company.

“In our experience, getting press is more about creating a story about the people than it is coverage of a product or service (unless it is inherently a story unto itself, which we have generally not had the luxury of). The human element, the entrepreneurial element, the story of how you got there — that is interesting reading and attractive to reporters.”

– Michael Mothner (@wpromote), founder of Wpromote^[4]

Go to where the reporters are.

“Find news sources specific to your industry/space and establish a relationship. Comment on blogs, write to editors saying how you liked their piece in the newspaper, and show that you actually took the time to review the content they cover before you send over your press release. As a general rule, people don’t like to do work so make sure you write your press release in the third person and make it interesting! The reporter should have all the information they need in the email/mailer without having to click links or read up on other sources online. Give it to them all at one time.”

– Lucas Sommer (@audimated), founder of Audimated.com^[5]

Build relationships.