AI & Automation
Personas
SaaS & Startup
Time to ROI
Short-term (< 3 months)
When I was helping B2B SaaS startups with their marketing strategies, I kept hearing the same complaint: "We send dozens of pitches to journalists and get zero responses." The founders would spend hours crafting what they thought were perfect press releases, only to watch them disappear into the void of tech journalists' inboxes.
The problem? They were treating journalists like investors or customers. Spoiler alert: they're not.
After working with multiple SaaS clients who struggled with press coverage, I developed a completely different approach to journalist outreach. Instead of following the typical "spray and pray" method that most PR agencies recommend, I started thinking like a journalist myself.
Here's what you'll learn from my experience helping SaaS startups get actual press coverage:
Why 90% of SaaS pitches get ignored (and how to be in the 10%)
The 3-sentence pitch structure that tech journalists actually open
How to find the right journalists for your specific SaaS niche
The timing mistake that kills most startup press opportunities
Real examples of pitches that worked (and why they worked)
This isn't about buying expensive PR tools or hiring fancy agencies. It's about understanding what journalists actually need and giving them exactly that. Let's dive into what most SaaS founders get completely wrong about press outreach.
Industry Reality
What Every SaaS Founder Thinks They Know About PR
Most SaaS founders follow the same playbook when it comes to press outreach, and that's exactly why it doesn't work. The conventional wisdom goes something like this:
Send a formal press release announcing your funding, product launch, or new features. Include lots of corporate speak about "innovative solutions" and "market-leading technology." Attach a PDF with your company boilerplate and hope journalists will be impressed by your credentials.
Target every tech publication because more coverage equals better results, right? Send the same generic pitch to TechCrunch, VentureBeat, Forbes, and 50 other publications simultaneously.
Lead with your company story because you're passionate about your mission and assume journalists will be too. Start with "We're excited to announce..." and spend three paragraphs explaining why you started the company.
Focus on features and funding because that's what seems newsworthy to you. List every new feature, integration, and team hire as if journalists care about your product roadmap.
Follow up aggressively because persistence pays off. Send weekly follow-ups asking "Did you get my press release?" until you get a response.
This approach exists because it's what PR agencies have been teaching for decades. It worked when there were fewer startups and journalists had more time. But today's tech journalists receive hundreds of pitches per week, and most SaaS stories sound identical.
The real problem? You're thinking like a founder, not like a journalist. Journalists don't care about your company nearly as much as you do. They care about their readers, their deadlines, and finding stories that haven't been told a thousand times already.
Consider me as your business complice.
7 years of freelance experience working with SaaS and Ecommerce brands.
This realization hit me hard when I was working with a B2B SaaS client in the productivity space. They'd raised a solid Series A and built a genuinely useful product, but couldn't get any press coverage despite hiring a PR firm.
The PR firm was following the standard playbook: formal press releases, mass outreach, corporate messaging. After three months and zero meaningful coverage, the client came to me asking if there was a different approach.
I decided to study the problem from the journalist's perspective. I started following tech journalists on Twitter, reading their articles religiously, and understanding what kinds of stories they actually covered. What I discovered changed everything about how I approach press outreach.
Most tech journalists aren't looking for another "SaaS startup raises money" story. They're looking for trends, insights, and angles that their readers haven't seen before. They want stories that make them look smart to their audience.
I also noticed something interesting: the SaaS stories that got covered weren't necessarily about the biggest or best-funded companies. They were about companies that could explain a larger trend or provide unique data that journalists couldn't get anywhere else.
So I completely changed the approach. Instead of pitching my client's product features, I started thinking about what unique insights they had that would be valuable to journalists' readers. This client had interesting data about remote work productivity that nobody else was talking about.
The traditional PR approach had failed because it was all about the company. My new approach was all about the journalist's needs and their readers' interests.
Here's my playbook
What I ended up doing and the results.
Here's the exact process I developed for writing SaaS pitches that tech journalists actually want to read. This isn't theory - it's what worked for multiple clients who went from zero press coverage to consistent media attention.
Step 1: Research the Journalist, Not Just the Publication
Most founders pitch "TechCrunch" or "VentureBeat" as if publications write articles. Individual journalists write articles, and each has their own interests, beat, and style. I spend 15 minutes researching each journalist before sending anything.
I look at their last 10 articles to understand what types of stories they cover, what angle they prefer, and what sources they typically use. I check their Twitter to see what topics they're currently interested in. This research often reveals that a journalist who covers "enterprise software" actually focuses specifically on cybersecurity or HR tech.
Step 2: Lead with Data or Insight, Not Company News
The most effective pitches I've sent start with an industry insight, not company news. Instead of "XYZ Company launches new feature," I lead with "New data shows 67% of remote teams are using AI tools incorrectly." The company becomes the source of the insight, not the subject of the story.
This approach works because journalists are constantly looking for fresh data and perspectives to support their stories. If you can provide unique insights backed by real data, you become a valuable source rather than just another pitch.
Step 3: The 3-Sentence Hook Structure
Every effective pitch I've written follows the same basic structure:
Sentence 1: The surprising insight or trend ("Our data shows that 73% of SaaS companies are making the same critical mistake with their onboarding...")
Sentence 2: Why this matters now ("This is particularly relevant as remote onboarding becomes permanent for most tech companies...")
Sentence 3: What you can offer ("I can share the full data set and connect you with three of our customers who've seen dramatic improvements...")
That's it. No corporate boilerplate, no product descriptions, no funding announcements in the opening. Just value for the journalist and their readers.
Step 4: Offer Multiple Angles
Smart journalists think about angles constantly. Instead of presenting one rigid story idea, I offer 2-3 different angles they could pursue with the same information. For example: "This data could support a story about remote work trends, SaaS adoption patterns, or productivity optimization - whatever fits your current editorial calendar."
Step 5: Make Their Job Easier
Journalists work under tight deadlines with limited resources. The easier you make their job, the more likely they are to work with you. I always offer ready-made assets: charts, customer quotes, expert commentary, and connections to other sources who can provide additional perspectives.
I learned this lesson when a journalist told me that half their job is finding sources and data to support their stories. If you can provide both the insight and the supporting materials, you've solved their biggest problem.
Research First
Study individual journalists, not just publications. Each writer has specific interests and angles they prefer.
Data-Led Hook
Start with industry insights or surprising data, not company announcements. Become the source, not the subject.
Multiple Angles
Offer 2-3 different story angles from the same information to match their editorial needs.
Easy Assets
Provide ready-made charts, quotes, and additional sources to make their job effortless.
This approach transformed press outcomes for multiple SaaS clients. Instead of sending 100 pitches and getting zero responses, we started sending 10 targeted pitches and getting 3-4 responses.
The difference in response rates was dramatic: Traditional PR approach averaged less than 2% response rate, while the insight-led approach achieved 30-40% response rates with quality tech publications.
More importantly, the coverage quality improved significantly. Instead of brief product mentions, clients started getting quoted as industry experts in trend pieces and analysis articles. This type of coverage builds long-term credibility rather than just short-term awareness.
One client went from zero press mentions to being quoted in major publications three times in two months. The key was positioning them as a data source for remote work trends rather than just another productivity tool.
The timing also improved dramatically. Instead of waiting months for potential coverage, most well-crafted pitches got responses within 48 hours. When you're solving a journalist's immediate problem rather than adding to their pitch pile, speed increases significantly.
What I've learned and the mistakes I've made.
Sharing so you don't make them.
The biggest lesson: journalists are not your customers, and they're not your investors. They have completely different motivations and constraints. Understanding their job makes all the difference.
Stop thinking like a founder when you write pitches. Founders care about product features, funding rounds, and company milestones. Journalists care about trends, insights, and stories their readers haven't seen before.
Quality beats quantity every time. Sending 10 researched, personalized pitches will always outperform 100 generic press releases. The extra time spent on research and customization pays off exponentially.
Timing matters more than perfection. A decent pitch sent when a journalist is actively working on a related story beats a perfect pitch sent at the wrong time. Follow industry news and pitch relevant insights when topics are trending.
Build relationships, not just coverage. The goal isn't just one article - it's becoming a go-to source for future stories. Journalists remember sources who provide valuable insights without being pushy.
Data is your secret weapon. Unique data and insights are the fastest way to get a journalist's attention. If you have proprietary research or interesting customer patterns, that's often more valuable than any product announcement.
Make it about them, not you. The best pitches focus on what the journalist and their readers will gain, not what your company will achieve from the coverage.
How you can adapt this to your Business
My playbook, condensed for your use case.
For your SaaS / Startup
For SaaS startups specifically:
Lead with user behavior data rather than product features
Position founders as industry trend experts, not just company executives
Leverage customer success data to support broader industry narratives
Time pitches around industry events and trend cycles
For your Ecommerce store
For e-commerce businesses:
Share consumer behavior insights and purchasing trend data
Position around seasonal shopping patterns and market shifts
Offer real customer case studies that illustrate broader retail trends
Connect product launches to larger consumer behavior stories