I have done some research recently about ways a startup (like ours: http://commerce.exorbyte.com) which hasn’t gotten approval yet by large numbers of paying users can get coverage from reporters, bloggers, influencers, etc. I came accross some good resources that I have tested over the past 2 months and I want to list them here by order of priority for other startups to use them:
- Daily HARO – http://www.helpareporter.com – nothing new to many HNers – but consider this great query from a journalist today (sorry Haro T&Cs don’t allow me to disclose the name or email of the journalist. Just sing-up for free):
Looking for expert tips to include in an article on turning an idea into a successful product. Tips should reflect the stages of developing an idea, getting a lawyer, obtaining a patent, marketing, etc. Please include your quote, and how you would like to credited in your reply. Thank you!
- BloggerLinkUp – http://www.bloggerlinkup.com – Similar to HARO but you target bloggers instead of reviewing requests for content
- Business2Blogger – http://business2blogger.com/ – free and paid campaigns (starts at $50) and targets are bloggers
- Pitch It To Me – http://pitchit.ning.com/ – Pitch your products to bloggers. They have stopped takingnew signups recently though. Getting too big. Keep checking.
- The Product Review Place – http://productreviewplace.ning.com/ – You pitch your products, and let the interested reviewers come to you.
- MediaSync: FREE media list service called MediaSync: search for influencers and find outlets and contacts that reach them. MediaSync has a database of more than 500,000 media contacts and 9 million articles and blogs. You can search for contacts or opportunities (including editorial calendars) using a simple search box.
- NewsBasis – NewsBasis is for journalists to improve their targeting of sources. As a source, you can add your profile to the database and position yourself for interview opportunities.
- MatchPoint – MatchPoint lets you post your pitch and search journalists who write about what you’re pitching.
- PressWiki: FREE directory. PressWiki is a great media DB alternative.
- MediaOnTwitter: MediaOnTwitter is a list of media contacts who use Twitter. There are similar alternatives like MuckRack andJournalistTweets (by Cision) that are great for finding journalists on Twitter.
- ExpertTweet: Journalists tweet request for content through ExpertTweet. The message goes to ExpertTweet’s followers (you).
- NewsCertified Exchange: NewsCertified Exchange (NCE) provides journalists with a searchable database of experts who have been ‘certified’ as interview-ready. For a fee, experts can be added to NewsCertified’s database (though you have to meet the editorial board’s requirements). This service is ideal for experts looking to build a national (or international) personal brand.
- Journalistics: If you’re an expert, add yourself for free. Journalists come to search for content and experts.
- PitchEngine: PitchEngine social media releases (SMR) help you package, distribute, manage and track your news across social media.
- Press Kit’n: Press Kit’n stands out as a solution worth checking out.
- AwardSync: AwardsSync is a FREE database of awards opportunities. There’s a lot of information to sift through. A little tweaking of the search results and you’ll save hours of work using this product.
- PRSourceCode: PRSourceCode is a paid service specific to tech and telecom industries. PRSourceCode’s research team sends you alerts on a daily basis (similar to how query services work). They also have a great editorial calendar product worth looking into.
Hope this helps. I will keep growing the list as I use other or test other services.