Earned Media Outreach

When to Use

• Founder wants to get featured on podcasts as a guest
• Founder wants press coverage from journalists and tech publications
• Founder wants to build relationships with media for ongoing exposure
• Founder wants to identify which podcasts and publications reach their target audience
• Founder wants to write pitch emails that actually get responses

Context Required

• Founder's story and what makes it interesting (not just what the product does)
• Target audience — who are you trying to reach through media? (customers, investors, talent)
• Topics the founder can speak on with genuine authority
• Previous media experience (if any)
• Upcoming newsworthy events (launch, funding round, milestone, contrarian take)

Workflow

1. Define the media angle — journalists and podcast hosts don't cover products, they cover stories. Identify your angles:
   • Founder story: unusual background, pivot story, "I quit X to build Y"
   • Trend story: "Why [trend] is changing [industry]" — you as the expert source
   • Data story: original data or insights from your product/market
   • Contrarian take: challenge conventional wisdom in your space
   • Milestone: funding round, user milestone, revenue milestone, major partnership
2. Build the target list — research podcasts and publications that reach your audience:
   • Podcasts: search Apple Podcasts, Spotify, ListenNotes, and Podchaser by topic. Look for shows that have had similar-stage founders as guests. Check episode frequency (active shows only) and audience size (download numbers if available).
   • Publications: identify journalists who cover your space. Read their last 10 articles. Follow them on X/Twitter. Check if they have a tips inbox or preferred pitch method.
   • Newsletters: Substack writers, industry newsletter authors who feature startups
   • YouTube channels: tech reviewers, industry commentators
3. Tier the list — prioritize by reach x relevance:
   • Tier 1 (5-10): perfect audience fit, worth significant prep time
   • Tier 2 (10-20): good fit, standard outreach
   • Tier 3 (20+): adjacent audience, batch outreach
4. Write the pitches — different formats for different targets:
   • Podcast pitch: short, personal, focused on what you'll teach their audience (not what you'll promote)
   • Journalist pitch: newsworthy angle, relevant data, why their readers care, not a press release
   • Newsletter pitch: how featuring you provides value to their subscribers
5. Send and follow up — outreach cadence:
   • Initial pitch
   • Follow-up 1 (5-7 days later, add new context)
   • Follow-up 2 (7-10 days later, final touch — offer a different angle)
   • Move on after 3 touches with no response
6. Prepare for appearances — for confirmed bookings:
   • Research the host's style and past episodes
   • Prepare 3-5 talking points with stories (not bullet points)
   • Have a clear CTA for listeners (one thing, not five)
   • Send the host a prep sheet with your bio, headshot, topics, and any questions to avoid

Output Format

## Earned Media Plan

### Media Angles
1. **[Angle name]:** [1-2 sentence pitch hook]
   - Best for: [podcast / press / newsletter]
   - Timeliness: [evergreen / time-sensitive — why now]

### Target List

#### Podcasts
| Show | Host | Audience | Fit | Pitch Angle | Contact |
|------|------|----------|-----|-------------|---------|
| [name] | [host] | [who listens] | Tier 1 | [which angle] | [email/form] |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

#### Journalists & Publications
| Name | Publication | Beat | Recent Article | Pitch Angle | Contact |
|------|------------|------|---------------|-------------|---------|
| [name] | [pub] | [what they cover] | [recent relevant piece] | [which angle] | [email/X] |

#### Newsletters
| Newsletter | Author | Subscribers (est.) | Pitch Angle | Contact |
|-----------|--------|-------------------|-------------|---------|
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

### Pitch Templates

**Podcast Pitch:**
Subject: [subject line]
[Draft email — 150 words max]

**Journalist Pitch:**
Subject: [subject line]
[Draft email — 200 words max]

### Appearance Prep Sheet
- **Bio:** [2-3 sentences]
- **Headshot:** [link]
- **Talking points:**
  1. [Point + story]
  2. [Point + story]
  3. [Point + story]
- **CTA for audience:** [one clear action]
- **Topics to avoid:** [if any]

Frameworks & Best Practices

• Lead with their audience, not your product. "I can teach your listeners how to..." beats "I'd love to share about my startup..."
• Reference a specific episode. "Your episode with [guest] on [topic] resonated because..." proves you actually listen.
• Make it easy to say yes. Include your topic, 3 talking points, and bio in the first email. Don't make them do research.
• Short pitches win. Podcast hosts get 50+ pitches/week. 150 words max. Journalists get 200+. Be brief.
• Timing matters. Pitch journalists on Tuesday-Thursday mornings. Avoid Mondays and Fridays. For podcasts, timing is less critical but avoid holiday weeks.

• Tells stories, not features ("We almost ran out of money in month 3..." not "Our platform leverages...")
• Has a genuine point of view — agrees with the host on some things, disagrees on others
• Gives actionable takeaways listeners can use immediately
• Doesn't hard-sell — mentions the product once naturally, lets the host ask about it

• Sending press releases instead of personalized pitches
• Pitching the product instead of the story
• Not researching the host/journalist before reaching out
• Saying yes to every podcast regardless of audience fit (your time is limited)
• Forgetting the CTA — you get 1,000 listeners and they have nowhere to go
• Not repurposing appearances into social content, blog posts, and email

Related Skills

• founder-thought-leadership

  — media appearances amplify your personal brand

• cold-outreach

  — similar outreach mechanics, different audience

• content-strategy

  — repurpose media appearances into content

• launch-strategy

  — coordinate press with product launches

Examples