How to tell stories about your startup beyond funding, and during Covid-19

1. *
How to tell stories about your
startup post-Series A, beyond,
and during Covid-19
mike@techcrunch.com
(This will be the
only graphic in
this presentation.
Enjoy).

2. *
The good news:
You raised a Series A (or more)
The bad news:
What stories can you tell now?
mike@techcrunch.com

3. *
Simple answers:
Stay relevant to the news
Maintain your ‘newsworthiness’:
- Be relevant
- Be timely
- Be novel
mike@techcrunch.com

4. *
What makes a news story?
@mikebutcher

5. *
• Typical startup stories:
Worthy but easy / a bit dull:
- Client wins
- C-suite new hires
- Product milestones
- Funding events
• More interesting & requires creativity:
Growth stories!
@mikebutcher

6. *
First, you need to think about the
long-term cadence of your
company’s ‘story’:
- The founding
- First big customers / Big hires
- Evidence of growth
- Its relevance to wider issues
@mikebutcher

7. *
After funding it’s now about
growth & momentum stories
- This boosts your recruiting
efforts
- Gives ‘social’ validation to your
company
- Keeps investors interested
@mikebutcher

8. *
Job one:
Create working (and mutually
useful) relationships with media
@mikebutcher

9. *
To do this you’ve got to keep
your media contacts ‘warm’
You want to build helpful
relationships which are
non-transactional — give and
help, don't just take or expect.
@mikebutcher

10. *
Journalists ultimately want to
build a relationship with CEOs /
co/founders
So what are some of the best
approaches?
@mikebutcher

11. *
One way: stay close to the
SUBJECTS that interest the
journalists & news outlets you
want to stay close to.
@mikebutcher

12. *
Ways to do that:
Follow them on Twitter!
Techmeme
Read the damn news!
RSS! (e.g. Feedly)
Journorequests.com
Helpareporter.com
Muckrack.com
@mikebutcher

13. *
A note on Twitter:
- It rarely hurts to Retweet or
Comment on a journo’s tweets
- It’s a real-time feed into a
reporter’s brain
@mikebutcher

14. *
Keeping ‘warm’:
- You do not need to always
send press releases!
- A SHORT, semi-regular note on
activity (BUT, don’t over-do it)
- And don’t expect a reply
@mikebutcher

15. *
E.g. Here’s a what a startup once regularly sent me:
Hi folks,
Here's the latest snippets of what's happening at XXXXXX. Oh, and join us for a beer!
If anything looks interesting and you'd like to find out more, I'm always available on the
phone - 075XXXXX - and we like sharing both beer and coffee!
This email is going out to a select group of people who've written about us before (there are
about 30 on here) - it isn't intended to be spam. If you want to be taken off the list, just say.
Happened recently:
- <Two sentences>
- <Three sentences>
Coming up soon:
- Fun event to see London's Christmas lights! Next Thursday evening we're etc
Thanks!
<CEO name>
@mikebutcher

16. *
Know your journo:
- Be aware: Journos are
swamped by incoming
- Typical day starts on messages
- *Email is read by subject line*
- There are 6+ PRs to every journo
- COVID = the average day x10
@mikebutcher

17. *
Get your CEO & execs ‘match fit’
for the media
@mikebutcher

18. *
Staying ‘warm’:
- Keep tabs on the news cycle!
- Ensure the CEO is never too
busy to comment on stories
- Don’t be a bottleneck!
- Offer quick email comment on
major events *if substantive*
@mikebutcher

19. *
- Display your expertise
- Back this up with FACTS
- Make use of CEO’s personality
- CEO personal stories can be
compelling e.g. World Remit
@mikebutcher

20. *
Other tactics and ideas to use
@mikebutcher

21. *
- Be associated with a hot story
- If possible, it doesn’t (usually)
hurt to be associated with a
celebrity
@mikebutcher

22. *
- Be creative. Brainstorm ideas
for stories in meetings
- Anticipate upcoming news
- Get AHEAD of events
@mikebutcher

23. *
- Be surprising: Attack your
competition e.g.
Uber/Postmates
- Be UNUSUAL: “This startup
uproots its entire team and
operation for one month, and
relocates to a new city.”
@mikebutcher

24. *
Get broader with coverage:
- Campaigns current in the news
e.g. Accessibility / Disability
- Politics / Brexit /
disinformation
- Immigration and talent
@mikebutcher

25. *
- Environment / Climate change
- WorkFH / Remote office
- Education / Skills
- Huawei / Move to 5G
- EC regulation / GDPR
- e-Bikes / city mobility
@mikebutcher

26. *
But, caution: If your stance on a
controversial issue comes
across as inauthentic, it can
come off very poorly. E.g.
BLM / MeToo / LGBTQ Rights
*You MUST offer real substance*
@mikebutcher

27. *
Become known for being a key
commentator on a key issue or
megatrend. e.g.
- GreenTech founders should be
experts on the environment
- Fintech founders expert on the
economy
@mikebutcher

28. *
‘Giving back’ stories:
- What are YOU doing for your
industry that isn’t about you?
- What are YOU doing that isn’t
just about your own
self-interest?
@mikebutcher

29. *
CURATE your own stories:
E.g. Run an event to discuss a
major topic and invite
journalists. It might well
generate a story?!
@mikebutcher

30. *
Stick your neck out:
E.g. “Fintech founder says better
rules around e-money
institutions may have prevented
today’s financial crisis”
@mikebutcher

31. *
A short note about exclusives /
embargoes:
- All journos want exclusives!
- Your ‘exclusive’ about
something minor is dumb
- Embargoes are best for major
events not tiny ones
@mikebutcher

32. *
What media won’t respond to:
● Branch office openings
● So-so appointments
● Minor customer wins
● Overly frequent pitches
● Generic pitches
@mikebutcher

33. *
Media will take in interest if:
- You have weird, over-the-top
spending post-Series A...
- You company has a scandal
- Executives behave badly
- Many other obvious reasons!
@mikebutcher

34. *
News in the age of the pandemic
@mikebutcher

35. *
COVID-19, the biggest story in
100 years, has almost taken over
the media.
@mikebutcher

36. *
And there are ALWAYS new
angles:
Wired: Tech to open theatres
BBC: Future of virtual meetings
FT: E-scooters are booming
TC: VC/Tech hubs post-Covid
@mikebutcher

37. *
New outlets have majored on
COVID-19 because it’s big, but
its also an endless source of
news
@mikebutcher

38. *
And finally...
mike@techcrunch.com

39. *
Dealing with rejection:
- Ask why the story didn’t work
- Don’t burn bridges / be polite
- LISTEN to the feedback you
get from journalists
- Avoid mixing ‘average’ stories
with major ones
mike@techcrunch.com

40. *
The End.
Questions?
mike@techcrunch.com