Getting featured in top media outlets has myriad benefits for startups and entrepreneurs alike.

Some of these highly-coveted privileges include an immediate boost to their brand awareness and credibility, a better ranking in Google Search results, and a solidified sense of trustworthiness in the eyes of prospective partners. This, in turn, can translate to more opportunities.

At Mindset Consulting, we have extensive expertise in securing coverage for our clients in tier-1 media outlets. We have accomplished this in a variety of formats, including news, op-eds, and expert commentary, to name a few.

Here is a list of 10 media outlets that we frequently work with, together with some information that, if you’re looking to expand your coverage, can help you succeed in your pitching journey. We will also share some of our exemplary case studies.

#1: TechCrunch

For most tech founders, TechCrunch is seen as the Holy Grail. Hence, it is no surprise that most of our clients come to us with a strong desire to be featured there.

As a result, many of them have been spotlighted by this publication — one of the most recent being XPANCEO, a Dubai-based deep tech startup developing the world’s first ultra thin smart contact lenses.

TechCrunch has an audience of more than 10 million people, mostly in the United States and the United Kingdom, but also in other countries like India, Canada, and Australia. Its news coverage, however, is global, and its editorial bureau is segmented by sectors — such as hardware, venture, cybersecurity, and transportation — and geographical areas.

If you are considering pitching the outlet, it is primarily interested in news — especially those related to recent rounds of funding — as well as interviews, features, and pitch deck reviews for the Pitch Deck Teardown series.

And, in case you have more questions, you can check out our guide, where we explain, in detail, how to get coverage in TechCrunch.

#2: Fast Company

With an audience of more than 8 million readers, this is one of the go-to media outlets for everything related to innovation in tech, purpose-based leadership, and design.

The publication frequently features new gadgets, apps, services, and cutting-edge startups, actively seeking to propel ventures that have the potential to disrupt the way we live.

At the same time, editors place a high value on personal stories and advice. Hence, if you are considering pitching them, you can do it either by sharing relevant news — for example, here’s a story featuring our client, We Do Solar, and its innovative solar kits — or articles intended for the Work Life section.

This area of Fast Company focuses on topics like creativity, career development, productivity, and work-life balance, a topic which our founder, Dina Mostovaya, addressed in one of the publication’s columns.

#3: Business Insider

Business Insider covers the people, companies, and ideas that are, as Steve Jobs said, “making a dent in the universe.” Through engaging and compelling stories, the publication has earned more than 100 million readers.

Even though the core of its audience is in the United States and the United Kingdom, Business Insider also has regional sites in several countries like Spain, Germany, Mexico, and the Netherlands. Stories featured on the English site are often translated into other languages and distributed worldwide.

The publication features news, first-person or as-told-to columns, and interviews, however, make sure that whatever you pitch has thoughtful analysis and authoritative advice that is well-supported with data. Personal essays that provide actionable tips based on first-hand experiences can also work.

For instance, a Business Insider piece that garnered traction was written by our client, Vitaly Alexandrov, the founder of Food Rocket, a food-tech grocery delivery company. In the story, he shared his rationale behind moving away from Silicon Valley and setting up shop in Chicago as his startup entered a new stage.

#4: Sifted

If you are located in Europe or planning on entering the European market, this is a fantastic outlet to gain visibility with the continent’s startup and VC community.

The site has an audience of more than 500,000 people, mostly in countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Ireland. However, it has also acquired a following in the United States, given the increased attractiveness of certain European ecosystems to North American investors.

To pitch Sifted, first, double-check that the topic is of relevance to local startups. You can pitch investigations, data stories, news, and opinion pieces, and Sifted’s preferred topics are fintech, venture capital, startup life, healthtech, deep tech, climate tech, and news related to European innovation ecosystems.

Successful examples featuring our clients include a climate-related story quoting Karolina Attspodina, founder and CEO of We Do Solar, and an article about Delaware — the most common state for international businesses to incorporate in — featuring commentary from Mikhail Taver, founder and managing partner of Taver Capital.

#5: Axios

Axios has gained notoriety for its insightful reporting on several topics, including politics, technology, gaming, big tech, misinformation, 5G, data privacy, surveillance, automation, and AI. This has led the publication to be followed by almost 30 million people worldwide.

While the geographic scope of its news centers in the United States, the media outlet also has an audience in Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as in countries like Germany and Australia.

To pitch the Axios’ newsroom successfully, make sure that your story has data-driven insights that offer a unique perspective on current trends and developments.

#6: The Information

A premium, subscription-based outlet that offers in-depth, behind-the-scenes coverage of the tech sector, it is primarily interested in thoughtful pieces covering the intersection of tech, venture capital, startups, and culture.  

For instance, once we found a unique opportunity to feature our client, the online publishing platform Heyscribe, there. Since the article talked about creators’ trends, the company’s founder was uniquely positioned to comment on the subject.

The Information has an audience of over 1 million readers, and its writers usually dive deep into the potential impact and implications of their stories on the tech sector and society at large.

#7: Crunchbase News

Crunchbase is well-known for its vast data repository, which offers tremendously valuable intelligence for entrepreneurs, investors, and other ecosystem stakeholders alike.

Its media arm, Crunchbase News, actively reports on tech-related news, market overviews, and recent developments regarding noteworthy rounds of funding and strategic investments.

To successfully pitch the outlet — and get access to its 300,000 readers — you can also leverage how-to stories that provide actionable advice.

For example, our client, Alex Menn, partner at London-based VC fund Begin Capital, wrote a piece to help entrepreneurs approach investors, particularly if they are doing it for the first time. Additionally, Darya Sesitskaya, co-founder and CEO of Shader, shared how creating a product video played a key role in her first round of funding.

#8: Forbes

With over 150 million readers worldwide, this is one of the most iconic brands when it comes to wealth, billionaires, and successful entrepreneurs and businesspeople.

As a global media company, Forbes also boasts extensive coverage across industries, and regions, providing a wide array of information and valuable content to business leaders.

Having said this, there are various ways to collaborate. One of them is being featured, which can happen either in interviews or news articles. A successful case here is our client, XPANCEO. The company’s founders were interviewed for an article that profiled what the company is doing to advance computing by building the world’s first ultra-thin smart contact lenses.

Additionally, there is also the opportunity to become a contributing author. This is a fee-based program called the Forbes Business Council, and it gives founders and executives with a proven track record the chance to share their insights with a wider audience. Our clients Ivan Saprov (founder and CEO of Voyagu) and Pavel Shynkarenko (founder and CEO of Mellow) have actively capitalized on this to further cement their positions as leaders in their industries.

#9: VentureBeat

With an emphasis on emerging trends and groundbreaking technologies — such as AI — as well as on sectors like gaming, VentureBeat has quickly found a niche to thrive and become a trusted source for tech professionals, founders, and investors.

The publication has an audience of over 1 million readers, and it accepts pitches for product announcements, funding news, and guest posts. However, your story needs to be attractive and transformative enough for it to gain acceptance.

Here, we also have a successful case, Mika Games, a gaming investment company that recently raised $10 million from our client, Boston-based VC fund Flint Capital. VentureBeat covered the announcement and quoted Mika Games’ founder, Nick Katselapov.

#10: Entrepreneur

As its name states, this publication has become a widely popular site dedicated to inspiring and empowering entrepreneurs.

Boasting over 4 million readers, this media outlet offers practical advice, insights, and success stories that can help fellow founders and innovators thrive.

Depending on what you have created, you can get featured in Entrepreneur for a news article or an interview. Additionally, you can become a guest author by becoming a part of the Entrepreneur Leadership Network, a fee-based opportunity for industry experts to share their perspectives and experiences.

General tips before you start pitching

Now that you’ve identified what some of the most popular outlets are about, where they operate, and what they are looking for, here are some tips that can help you maximize your chances of success whenever pitching.

As we mentioned, some of the media outlets we covered are subscription-based, which means they are behind a paywall. If you plan on pitching to them, we strongly recommend subscribing, and also, signing up for their newsletter.

The rationale behind this is simple — if you cannot see half of the content these outlets publish, how are you going to generate ideas that are relevant to them?

Then, spend at least one hour reading their articles. This will help you understand their angles and preferred formats, as well as their topics and subjects of interest, creating a sense of familiarity that will make your pitches more effective.

This is not all, though. Once you identify a journalist within that outlet that covers your industry or region, become even more acquainted with their work. By diving deep into their stories, you can fully grasp what they’re after, and craft a narrative that gives them exactly what they’re looking for.

Summary and final thoughts

Gaining media coverage — primarily if it takes place in tier-1 media outlets — comes with tremendous rewards. In a nutshell, as your visibility and discoverability increase, more people will become aware of your brand and about you, enhancing the chances of inbound requests and potential partnerships.

However, as with everything, the process needs to start from the inside out. The main thing is to identify your goals, and then, look for the right media outlets that can help you attain them. While the outlets we listed are among the most popular with our clients, the reality is that, depending on what you’re building, a niche, industry-specific platform might be better suited for your goals.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The right outlet is the one that can help you accomplish your objectives, grow your business, and ultimately, impact more people.

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Originally published on Mindset