These are hooks that can get you covered:
1. Funding
A funding event is a hook, it’s a headline. When you are funded, you can use that to get a reporter to cover you.
We suggest you put something like this is in the Subj Line: "[Reporter First Name], Alchemist-backed [Your Company Name] raises [Funding Round] -- interested in the exclusive / story?"
2. A case study with a customer testimonial
If you have a customer that is willing to talk to the press, and there is a case study around a trend that is provocative to get covered, you can get covered.
3. Launch
A launch can also be a story. Your Demo Day at the Accelerator can be used as a platform to announce a launch, as the Accelerator selection can help distinguish the caliber of the company.
4. Op Ed Piece
If you are in stealth – or want to drive awareness to you / your company as a market thought leader without one of the above – you can post a guest op ed piece. Many reporters will take and re-publish op ed pieces.
Email the idea to a reporter and see if they are interested, or better yet, draft the op ed piece and email them. Especially powerful if you have a professional background relevant to the theme being discussed. 600 words is a good length to start with.
You will have difficulty getting the press to cover you on things outside of the above. For ex, “traction” is not a hook for a story. Make sure you have a clear sense of what your press hooks are, and use them strategically – once they are used, it’s difficult to use them again.