How to Get Featured in Business Insider

Dating etiquette applies
When you’re reaching out to editors or really anybody that you want to build a relationship with, you cannot go for the gold the first time you contact them. Don’t try to pitch them, don’t try to sell them, don’t try to make them do stuff for you, because they will not want to be your friend. Instead, be engaging and be engaged; answering questions and asking questions provides value. Be interested in being a good listener; that’s a great first step.

Do your homework
The more you can learn about an editor, the more you can stand to make a good impression on them. How do they like to be contacted? Do they like comments on their blog? Or do they not really get to the comments section on their blog very often? Do they like to hear from you via email or via social media? Some people love to use Twitter so, if they do, contact them on Twitter. Use the platform they like the most. Also, if you subscribe to someone’s email list, you might start to understand what they like or want they want you to comment on. Do they want you to just respond to their emails? Whatever is that they’re asking for, just giving it to them is a great start.

The first thing I must stress is that you don’t just rush into PR where you’re like “hey I’ve got this product, can you write about it?” PR should be a part of your business plan; you have to do your research as in any other element of the business plan. You can successfully pitch your story to a journalist and come up with some strong news angles. However, it is really important to know what journalists are after when picking up stories that are mentioned in their articles.