Getting featured in publications can help your business reach new audiences, build credibility, and stand out in a competitive market. Whether you run a startup, manage a brand, or work as a professional, media exposure can create valuable opportunities for growth. However, earning attention from reputable publications requires more than sending random emails.

You need a clear story, relevant expertise, and a smart outreach strategy. By using digital PR, building relationships with journalists, and sharing newsworthy insights, you can improve your chances of earning media coverage. The right approach can strengthen brand authority, increase online visibility, and help you gain lasting trust.

First, understand what you’re up against

Muck Rack’s 2026 State of Journalism survey, covering nearly 900 journalists, found that 86% say PR pitches inspire at least some of their stories. So pitching works. But the same survey found that 88% delete pitches that miss their beat, and almost half, 47%, said pitches are seldom or never relevant to their work.

That second number is your opportunity. Most competition is lazy. If your pitch is truly relevant, you’re already ahead of a big chunk of the inbox.

Also keep in mind that pitching isn’t the main source of stories. Per PR Daily’s reporting, 51% of journalists said only 1% to 10% of their published stories began with a pitch. So you aren’t competing for a guaranteed slot. You’re competing with the reporter’s own ideas, wire stories and editor assignments.

Step 1: Decide what you’re actually offering

Before writing a word, answer this: what can I give a journalist that they can’t easily get elsewhere?

According to Cision’s 2026 State of the Media Report, journalists want original data, access to an expert, an embargoed announcement or compelling visuals. “We launched a new feature” isn’t on that list.

Here are examples of things worth pitching:

  • A small survey you ran with real numbers, even 100 responses.
  • Something you noticed in your own data, such as support tickets, sales patterns or usage trends.
  • A first-hand perspective on a trend a reporter is already covering.
  • Photos or screenshots that show something unusual.

If your honest answer is “nothing,” do the work to create one thing before you pitch anybody. A single original data point beats ten polished emails.

Step 2: Pick the right people (this is where most pitches die)

Relevance is the whole game. Muck Rack’s survey found journalists judged a pitch as relevant most often when it directly affected the community their audience belongs to.

So don’t start with “which big publication do I want?” Start with “who already writes about my exact topic?”

  1. Search your topic in Google News or the site search of publications you read.
  2. Open the last five articles from each reporter. Do they cover your topic regularly?
  3. Note who they quote. If they quote small-business owners, you can be one. If they only quote academics, skip them.
  4. Make a short list of 10 to 15 names, not 200.

One tip I’d give a friend: smaller, niche publications often respond faster and are easier to land than national ones. A feature in a respected trade site can matter more than a rejected pitch to a giant outlet.

Step 3: Write the pitch

Keep it short. Muck Rack’s data shows 69% of journalists prefer pitches under 200 words. A pitch guide summarizing the data suggests stating the story in the first two sentences and naming who can speak to it.

Here’s the structure I’d use:

Subject line: Short and specific. One writing guide recommends five to seven words, with the most important part first. No ALL CAPS, emojis or exclamation points. A Fractl and BuzzStream study found 70% of publishers don’t want them.

Opening line: The news or finding, not your name.

Middle: Why their readers care, with one or two proof points.

Close: What you can provide (interview, data, photos) and your contact details.

Here’s a rough example:

Subject: 62% of freelancers we surveyed raised rates this year

Hi Sara,

I read your piece on freelancer burnout last week. I run a small invoicing app and surveyed 140 of our users about pricing in 2026. 62% raised rates, and the most common reason wasn’t inflation, it was dropping unprofitable clients.

I can share the full data and a few freelancers willing to talk on the record. Happy to send charts if useful.

Thanks,
Ali

That’s under 100 words and has one clear hook. Notice what it doesn’t have: an attachment, a company history, or a paragraph about how “innovative” the app is.

Step 4: Use request platforms, but carefully

Responding to journalists’ requests is often easier than cold pitching because they’ve already asked for what you offer.

The landscape changed recently. HARO shut down as Connectively in December 2024. Founder Peter Shankman launched the free Source of Sources, and Featured.com relaunched the HARO brand in April 2025. The options people use now include:

  • Source of Sources: Free, email-based digests, closest to the old HARO experience.
  • Qwoted: Offers a free tier. One guide lists Qwoted Pro at about $99 a month.
  • Featured.com: Paid, with one roundup putting it from about $49 a month.
  • Help a B2B Writer: Free, aimed at B2B and SaaS expertise.
  • Muck Rack or Cision: Journalist databases for direct pitching, costing far more, often thousands of dollars a year.

Prices change, so check each site yourself. My advice: start with the free ones for a month before paying for anything.

One warning from a platform guide: when responding to HARO requests, never use AI, because it will get you banned. Journalists feel the same way. In Cision’s survey, 53% of journalists somewhat or strongly objected to receiving AI-generated pitches and press releases. Use AI to tidy your grammar if you must, but write the substance yourself.

Step 5: Follow up once, with something new

Most people either never follow up or follow up five times. Neither works.

Muck Rack’s webinar data cited that 50% of journalists say one follow-up is ideal, and 51% say it should come three to seven days later. One PR guide adds that a message saying “just checking you got my email” can work against you.

So wait a few business days, then send something that adds value, such as a new statistic, a relevant quote, or a fresh angle tied to news. Then stop. If there’s no reply, move on and try again later with a different story.

Mistakes I’d help you avoid

Mass-emailing a list. Don’t BCC twelve reporters. Personalize each one, even lightly.

Pitching your product instead of a story. “Our app now has dark mode” is an announcement. “Why 70% of our users switched to dark mode at night” is a story.

Being fake-friendly. A tip from the Fractl study: don’t be so friendly that you come off as fake. And “I know you’re interested in startups” is hollow. Reference a specific article.

Sending attachments. Link to extra material instead. Attachments can trigger spam filters and annoy busy readers.

Contacting reporters only when you want something. Reply to their social posts sometimes, share their articles, and thank them after a feature. Relationships make the second pitch easier.

Exaggerating your expertise. If a journalist asks for a source, only claim what you actually know. One misquote or fake credential can end a relationship permanently.

Keep a simple tracker

You don’t need a fancy tool. A spreadsheet with these columns is enough: journalist, outlet, date sent, angle, reply, follow-up date. It stops you from pitching the same person the same idea twice and shows you what angles actually get replies.

After ten or fifteen pitches you’ll start seeing a pattern. Maybe data-driven subject lines get opened more. Maybe trade publications answer faster than general ones. That feedback is worth more than any template.

What I’d do this week

Pick one original insight you can back with real numbers. Build a list of ten reporters who’ve covered that topic recently. Write one 150-word pitch per person, each personalized. Sign up for Source of Sources and answer two or three requests that truly fit your experience.

Expect silence from most of it. That’s normal. Getting featured in publications is usually a slow game of small yeses, and the first one often comes from a smaller outlet you hadn’t planned on.

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