PR for Bootstrapped Startups

PR agencies charge $5,000 to $15,000 a month. You do not have that. The good news is that most early-stage press coverage comes from founders doing their own outreach. Here is the playbook.

Forget TechCrunch (For Now)

Big publications want big stories. Raising a Series A, launching something groundbreaking, or having a famous founder. If that is not you, target smaller outlets instead. Niche blogs, industry newsletters, podcasts with 500-5000 listeners, and local business publications. These audiences are smaller but more relevant, and they are much easier to get into.

Find Journalists Who Cover Your Space

Search Google News for articles about your competitors or your niche. Note the journalists who wrote them. Check their Twitter profiles -- most journalists share what they are working on and what pitches they want. Build a list of 20-30 relevant writers. Quality beats quantity here.

The Pitch Formula

Keep your pitch email under 150 words. Here is the structure:

• Subject line -- Specific and interesting. "Solo founder hits $10K MRR with a tool for [niche]" beats "Exciting new SaaS launch."
• First sentence -- Why this is relevant to their audience right now.
• The hook -- What makes your story interesting? A unique angle, surprising data, or a contrarian take.
• The ask -- "Would this make a good story for [publication]?" Not "please write about my product."

Personalize every pitch. Reference a recent article they wrote. Journalists can smell a mass email instantly.

Free Tactics That Actually Work

• HARO / Connectively -- Journalists post queries looking for sources. Respond quickly with concise, quotable answers.
• Podcast guesting -- Search for podcasts in your niche on Listen Notes. Pitch yourself as a guest with a specific topic, not just "I want to talk about my startup."
• Data-driven content -- Share original data or insights from your product. "We analyzed 1,000 [things] and found [insight]" gets covered.
• Newsjacking -- When something big happens in your industry, write a quick take and share it with relevant journalists. Speed matters here.

Quick Takeaway

You do not need a PR agency. Target niche publications, personalize every pitch, and use free channels like HARO and podcast guesting. One well-placed article in a niche publication your customers actually read is worth more than a mention in TechCrunch.