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How to Get Press Coverage for Your App Like a Boss
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
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Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
I recently spoke with Greg Hong, the founder of Reserve app which is backed by the co-founders of Uber and
Foursquare, and is the new darling of the press …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… with coverage in Techcrunch, Mashable and a lot of other top media channels. We asked him for the exact
steps which you can use to get similar press coverage …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… for your mobile apps and he was gracious enough to share what he has learned.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
First Things First – Download Expert Email Scripts You Can Use to get Press Coverage
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Although Greg was not able to share his exact email scripts which got the best results, we have obtained these
scripts from other popular …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… sources like Four Hour Work Week, Maneesh Sethi’s blogAll the scripts have comments to tell you exactly why
each section in the email has been added.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Download the Free Expert Email Scripts to Get Press Coverage for Your App
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
How media coverage can help your app
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Puneet: How has all the press coverage helped your app? Greg: It was great for build initial awareness of our
service and brand.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
The app and our product are simple but there are a lot of different angles to our story, so we made sure getting
great press coverage of our launch was a priority.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Press can really help you get in front of potential users, and help you stay top of mind if you get sustained
coverage.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Press can also help you position yourself and gives you a chance to define your company or product if you’re in a
crowded field.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
You can also use media coverage as a microphone or a platform to spread a message, talk about how your
service or …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… product makes a difference and explain what your value proposition is – why should someone download your app,
and why do you deserve a spot on their home screen.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Puneet: If you had to put a number on how the press coverage has helped you, how many downloads would
you say you got as a direct result of this coverage?
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Greg: It’s hard to answer this question, because we got a lot of coverage off of our launch, but there was a lot that
we also did on channels like social media …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… and via our partners that also helped drive downloads. The one thing I would advise other entrepreneurs is not
to put all your eggs in one basket …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… when it comes to getting downloads – you should be looking at a range of different mediums to get your
message out, and leverage the press when you do get coverage.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Note from Puneet: This point is extremely important. A lot of app entrepreneurs just focus on getting media
coverage or just app store optimization.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
It is extremely important that you look at other channels as well. In fact, in addition to hit or miss strategies like
getting press coverage …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… or ranking for keywords in App Store, you need to also look at
strategies like Facebook campaigns which can guarantee app downloads.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Puneet: Any new opportunities or partnerships which opened up for you as a result of getting press
mentions?
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Greg: We’ve definitely had people come to us and say they read about us and that is what got them interested, and it’s also been very helpful with potential partners …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… that we were already in conversation with. We could go to the next meeting and talk about the great reception
Reserve got and how excited …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… people were about the service – it has helped show our value and the excitement in the market
for our service.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Preparation for Getting Coverage – Create Your Story
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Puneet: In the pre-interview you mentioned that the most important thing to become attractive to a
reporter was to get your story right.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
How long did you spend on creating an interesting story around your app? Greg: When you’re starting a business
you always have to think about how to explain it …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… to investors, potential partners, potential users – even to your friends. If you’re having trouble clearly
articulating what you do and why it is important, …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… that might be a signal to step back and look again at what you’re actually doing – it is too complicated, too
niche, too similar to something else out there?
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Understanding Reserve’s story was really key, and we spent a lot of time thinking about how to tell the world
what we were doing, and why they should pay attention.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Right Time to Reach Out to The Press
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Puneet: At what stage of your app development did you start reaching out to the press?
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Greg: We reached out to press when we had been approved by the App Store, and we took about a week or
so before we released the app to give reporters time …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
to download and try the service, and prepare their stories. A good rule of thumb when you are doing
press for an app is to make sure you’re …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… able to share a working version with reporters so they can try it out, take screenshots and write
reviews when the app comes out.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Reaching out to Reporters
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Puneet: Did you have any existing press relationships which you were able to leverage?
Greg: We had a few connections but we also built …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… a lot of new relationships with new reporters after doing proactive outreach to reporters who cover the dining and lifestyle space, since Reserve is a digital
concierge service.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
It is important to know who the target audience for your app is
and then based on that go about picking the reporters who write on topics of interest to your target audience.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Puneet: How should a new app entrepreneur work on building relationships with press folks?
Greg: To build good relationships with the media, …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… look for reporters who have covered your competitors, or whose writing you respect. Remember that reporters get approached constantly to write about new apps …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… and services, so your pitch (and your app) needs to be special to break through the noise and stand out in their
inbox.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Puneet: What would you advise an entrepreneur who does not have any press relationships?
Greg: You should still do outreach when you launch, …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… but remember that press alone won’t make your app successful. There are also a lot of other ways to drum up interest in your app – by developing a community of …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… hardcore fans and users, adding features to encourage people to share and talk about your app on social media, and trying to optimize the SEO of your site and your App
Store submission.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Using a PR Firm – For Those Who Can Afford It
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Puneet: Do you recommend using a PR firm to help with getting press coverage?
Greg: Using a PR firm can definitely help you get …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… coverage, and there are actually lots of integrated firms that will now also help with digital marketing,
branding and competitive analysis – you name it.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
But PR firms are likely to be expensive, so you should try and quantify the impact that additional press might have
to see if it is worth justifying the spend.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Note from Puneet: If you want to be connected to some excellent PR folks with proven success getting press coverage for apps and specialize in mobile apps, …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… just drop me an email at [email protected]: How should one choose a PR firm?
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Greg: Most important are the relationships that the firm has – do they actually know and have worked with the
reporters who you want to write about you?
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
PR firms should be able to point to coverage for other clients that they have landed in a particular outlet that
you would like to get into.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
You also want a firm that understands the space and your competitors, and who will be able to suggest new outlets
or reporters that you should approach.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Finally, you should look for a firm that can get excited about your app and genuinely seems to understand what
you’re doing – they will be much better advocates …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… for you than someone who is just taking on the project for the money.
Puneet: Can you share a sample of the message you sent out to PR folks when reaching out to them
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Greg: We tailored our messages for the outlet and reporter, but a typical message would let them know a
little bit about what we did …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… (no more than a line or two), who our investors were and maybe name a partner or two in their city (we
launched with some of the best restaurants in LA, …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
New York and Boston as our partners). We also asked if they would be interested in hearing more about the news
under embargo, since we wanted the stories to all …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… hit at once when we made the app available for download in the App Store.
Note from Puneet: We dug up some other sample …
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
… email scripts and are available for download at the beginning of this post.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Practice Makes Perfect
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Puneet: Any other tips or tricks?Greg: If you haven’t talked to press before, take some
time to practice with a friend or your business partner or your PR firm.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
Think about the points you want to make and write them out beforehand – it will help you make the most of your
conversations with reporter.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
And if you’re meeting them in person, say over lunch or a dinner – there’s a great app for that.
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association
What do you think of this interview? Was it useful? Do you want more such interviews covering other major
challenges faced by app entrepreneurs?
Let me know in comments below.
For More App Business AdviceApp Entrepreneurs Associationhttp://appentrepreneursassociation.com
Puneet Yamparala, App Entrepreneurs Association