Key Insights
- Crypto journalists can help Web3 projects earn publicity, credibility, industry access, and valuable media relationships, especially when pitching is done strategically.
- Successful crypto media outreach starts with researching journalists’ recent work, publication focus, and preferred topics before sending a pitch.
- A strong crypto journalist pitch should include a clear subject line, concise introduction, compelling news hook, and supporting details such as links, background, and credibility signals.
- Avoid overly promotional messaging, unclear story angles, and mass-emailing journalists; targeted, relevant outreach is more likely to lead to coverage.
If there’s any group of people that often holds the key to success in the crypto industry, it’s crypto journalists. As with any emerging industry, a crypto journalist stands at the forefront of communications, letting both newcomers to the space and existing investors know what is happening at any given point.
Crypto journalism is more important than ever before, and this means that for businesses in the crypto industry, pitching and engaging with journalists is also more important. Luckily, pitching crypto journalists can be boiled down to a science of sorts, and this means higher success rates. If you’ve ever wondered how to get your business seen by the right people and right publications, this is for you.
After you’ve identified the journalists you want to reach out to, you want to apply the following principles when crafting your pitch.
After you have crafted your award-winning pitch, it’s time to send it off to the appropriate crypto journalist. But the channel with which you reach out to the crypto journalist is perhaps just as important as the pitch itself. As we’ve noted in a previous article, some channels are more appropriate to reach out to a crypto journalist with than others. Email, LinkedIn, and official contact forms are considered the best options. At the same time, reaching out through other social media and channels might also work. Either way, consider these different channels and decide which one is most appropriate for the occasion.
Why Crypto Journalists Matter for Web3 Projects
Before you begin wondering why you should go through all the stress of pitching to a crypto journalist in the first place, it’s important to contextualize their role in the ecosystem. First of all, crypto journalists are an important access point to top publications. A crypto journalist finding your business interesting means that they are likely to include it in articles, blog posts, user guides, and so on in the publications they work with. If they work with especially influential publications, this means more exposure for you. It also means that you have an ally in the media should anything go wrong. If you’re dealing with a PR crisis and immediately need to change the public narrative about your business, having a crypto journalist in your corner can give you the sort of goodwill that money cannot buy. So, the crypto journalists can offer you a mix of publicity, credibility, industry access, and allyship.Understanding What Crypto Journalists Actually Want in a News Announcement
While it is easy to be tempted by the perks of engaging with the crypto journalist, you need to know what exactly to send them to get these results. It’s important to note that the average crypto journalist gets several pitches each week, with the most important ones getting several per day. So, it’s not a matter of just sending a pitch but understanding what they actually want. The best way to do this is to look at their most recent work. If they’ve been putting out a lot of stories about sustainability within the blockchain sector, then you’ll know that this is the angle they will be interested in. Also, consider the general direction of the news website. If a particular blockchain product is trendy at the moment, they’ll probably want news announcements regarding it. Before you send any pitch to them, ask yourself how this benefits them specifically, and you’re more likely to have success.Research the Right Crypto Journalists
Another angle you need to consider when pitching a crypto journalist is choosing the right one. The boom in crypto-related media means that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of crypto journalists. And while you might assume that this means there are thousands of journalists for you to pitch, not all of them are right for you. Some journalists focus on news while others primarily do analysis pieces or interviews. Some journalists who work with publications simply would not be a good fit for your business. Some simply focus on an aspect of blockchain that has nothing to do with your own project. To avoid wasting time and resources on all ends, it’s best that you research the right crypto journalist. This, of course, means looking into the work of whatever journalist you’re considering. Ideally, you want to start with individual publications and look at the journalists covering crypto topics on them. You can also research specific crypto topics and see which journalists appear to be writing the most about them. This will give you a helpful shortlist of who to approach and who will not be a good fit.Crafting a Strong Crypto Media Pitch
After you’ve identified the journalists you want to reach out to, you want to apply the following principles when crafting your pitch.
A Clear Subject Line
Always assume that the crypto journalists you are reaching out to get dozens of pitches per week. To stand out, make sure you have a clear subject line that summarizes the project and gets attention. If you are putting out a crypto wallet that stores over a thousand tokens, a headline that says ‘New Crypto Wallet With Over 1k Tokens PR’ allows them to know what is going on and can stand out. Just like with a news headline, avoid falling into the trap of clickbait as this will likely annoy them.A Concise Introduction
While you should obviously include a greeting and be professional, do not write a long-winded introduction. Instead, you should explain in one sentence what your business is and who you are. This gives them a background to you before you immediately explain what the pitches are about and why they should read it. The goal is that even if they only read the first paragraph of your pitch, they should have a good idea.The News Hook
While a crypto journalist will have experience in crafting news hooks, you are more likely to get the attention if you give this to them. If you’ve developed a meme coin with higher return potential than Dogecoin, mention that in the first paragraph. Whatever the unique selling point of your project is, communicate it as soon as possible and write it in a way that would read well in the headline.Supporting Details
A good hook is not all you need to secure attention from a crypto journalist. You should also give a proper background to the project, all the details, links to your social media and website. These supporting details give further context and give credibility to what you are selling. These should come after the news hook, assuming that they will continue reading.Outreach on the Right Channel
After you have crafted your award-winning pitch, it’s time to send it off to the appropriate crypto journalist. But the channel with which you reach out to the crypto journalist is perhaps just as important as the pitch itself. As we’ve noted in a previous article, some channels are more appropriate to reach out to a crypto journalist with than others. Email, LinkedIn, and official contact forms are considered the best options. At the same time, reaching out through other social media and channels might also work. Either way, consider these different channels and decide which one is most appropriate for the occasion.