How to get press for your product | Jason Feifer (editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine)
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career
Lenny Rachitsky
5.0 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 12 October 2023
⏱️ 102 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Brought to you by Sidebar—Catalyze your career with a Personal Board of Directors | Maui Nui Venison—The healthiest red meat on the planet delivered directly to your door | Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments
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Jason Feifer is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine and a former editor at Fast Company. He’s also a podcast host, book author, keynote speaker, and startup advisor. Every week, he shares tips in his newsletter, One Thing Better, to help people become happier and more effective at work. In today’s episode, Jason draws upon his wealth of experience in media to share tactical insights on how to get press coverage. We discuss:
• High-level steps to securing press coverage for your product
• Why it’s critical to understand the mission of the publication
• Why freelance writers are more likely to write about you
• When it’s worth investing in PR
• When and how to hire a great PR agency
• Insider tips for writing the perfect pitch
• Why you should optimize for “Opportunity Set B”
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-get-press-for-your-product-jason-feifer-editor-in-chief-of-entrepreneur-magazine/
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Where to find Jason Feifer:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonfeifer/
• Newsletter: jasonfeifer.com/newsletter
• Help Wanted podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/LsYdERXQ
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Jason’s background
(04:09) Jason’s inbox volume
(07:41) The impact of press coverage on startups
(08:47) Navigating the timing and outlets for press exposure
(10:37) When not to pursue press coverage
(12:38) Jason’s three-step press strategy
(14:01) Unpacking the media’s mission
(15:48) Identifying a publication’s mission
(22:56) Step one: How to prepare for outreach
(26:11) How press can help you
(28:25) When to work with a PR agency
(32:16) PR insights and red flags
(36:02) Selecting the right publication for startups
(42:34) Step two: Identifying the ideal pitch recipient
(47:27) Pitching best practices
(52:26) Step three: Creating excitement around writing about you
(59:10) Success story: Meg O’Hara’s pitch
(1:05:14) Playing the long game of engagement
(1:08:57) The quantity of outreach
(1:11:11) How to structure multiple pitches
(1:14:01) How to engage with the press
(1:16:37) Anticipating the story’s direction
(1:18:26) “Sometimes you’re not the story, but you can be part of it”
(1:24:12) How Barbara Corcoran became relevant
(1:27:10) Jason’s parting advice: “Be human”
(1:28:59) Lightning round
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PR resources:
• Jon Bier, Jack Taylor PR: https://www.jacktaylorpr.com/
• Hanna Lee, Hanna Lee Communications: https://www.hannaleecommunications.com/
• Jen Squilla, Max Borges Agency: http://maxborgesagency.com/
• Gregg Delman, G Three Media: https://www.gthreemedia.com/
• Steph Jones, Jonesworks: https://jonesworks.com/
• Jon Hammond, Hammond Strategies: https://hammondstrategies.com/
• Mark Fortier, Fortier PR: https://fortierpr.com/
• Noelle Guerin, Cru of Two: https://www.cruoftwo.com/
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Referenced:
• Entrepreneur: https://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine
• Fast Company: https://www.fastcompany.com/
• Men’s Health: https://www.menshealth.com/
• This Founder Created a Genius Way to Do Market Testing on the Cheap: https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/this-founder-created-a-genius-way-to-do-market-testing-on/289144
• TechCrunch: https://techcrunch.com/
• Inc.: https://www.inc.com/
• Money News Network: https://moneynewsnetwork.com/
• Help Wanted podcast: https://moneynewsnetwork.com/podcast/help-wanted/
• Nicole Lapin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolelapin/
• Jennifer Miller on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-miller-3b43abb/
• Meg O’Hara on Problem Solvers podcast: https://audioboom.com/posts/7703348-build-relationships-that-can-reinvent-a-business
• Ripple Rug cat toy: https://www.ripplerug.com/
• Cat Fight! How These Inventors Beat the Counterfeiters That Nearly Destroyed Their Company: https://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/patents-and-copyright-lawyers-what-to-do-if-someone-steals/315142
• Barbara Corcoran’s website: https://www.barbaracorcoran.com/
• Zapier: https://zapier.com/
• The Cold Start Problem: How to Start and Scale Network Effects: https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Start-Problem-Andrew-Chen/dp/0062969749
• The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power: https://www.amazon.com/Perfectionists-Guide-Losing-Control-Peace/dp/059332952X/
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem on Paramount+: https://www.paramountmovies.com/movies/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem
• Better Call Saul on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80021955
• Breaking Bad on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/70143836
• Bigvu: https://bigvu.tv/
• Michelle Pfeiffer on the Never-Ending Launch of Running a Business: ‘I Kept Waiting for It to End, and I Finally Realized—Well, It’s Never Going To!’: https://www.entrepreneur.com/starting-a-business/michelle-pfeiffer-on-the-never-ending-launch-of-running-a/398064
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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | The editor, the writer, they, like I'll just say it as plainly as possible, they don't care about you. |
| 0:07.0 | They don't care about you. |
| 0:10.0 | They care about their reader or their listener or their viewer. That's who they care about that's who they're serving and if you |
| 0:17.4 | Can be of use to them in sharing the kinds of information that they are looking to serve their audience, |
| 0:25.3 | then you can get what you want, but you can't treat them like a service provider |
| 0:30.6 | because they're not. And so you have to approach them with an understanding of what they're trying to do for |
| 0:38.7 | their audience and how you can fit into that. |
| 0:42.2 | Because if you don't, they are not interested in you. |
| 0:46.8 | Today my guest is Jason Fyfer. Jason is editor-in-chief at entrepreneur magazine |
| 0:51.9 | previously an editor at Fast Company and a number of other |
| 0:54.8 | magazines. |
| 0:55.8 | He's also an author, podcast host, keynote speaker, and startup advisor. |
| 1:00.0 | In our conversation, we get incredibly tactical |
| 1:02.8 | about how to get press for your product. |
| 1:04.8 | Jason shares how to pitch a journalist, |
| 1:06.9 | how to find the right journalist to pitch, |
| 1:08.8 | what publications to consider, |
| 1:10.7 | why freelance writers are more likely to write about your story, why the mission of the publication is so important in how you pitch them, |
| 1:18.0 | plus what channels to use to reach out to journalists, how to think about your goals and what success looks like from getting press. |
| 1:24.0 | So much more. I learned a ton from this conversation and if you're looking to get press for |
| 1:28.8 | your stuff you will find so much value here. With that I bring you Jason Pfeiffer after a short word from our sponsors. |
| 1:36.3 | This episode is brought to you by sidebar. Are you looking to land your next big |
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