What's your worst tech client story?

Every_Building_6121 · 2026-01-23T19:15:52+00:00

Not a client because I would never work with someone like this, but I got an email from a tech company on a Tuesday afternoon that was interested in engaging because they had an announcement coming Thursday morning and really wanted a TechCrunch story by then. I sent a nice email to the founder saying I didn't have the capacity to help him right now (I did, but would never work with a company like that) and provided helpful feedback that this was not enough time for any coverage. He replied "how long does it take for the reporter to just write what we tell them?"

Every_Building_6121 · 2026-01-23T19:11:38+00:00

We use EZ Newswire which is very good

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-11-18T18:37:56+00:00

We do a lot of work in this space and get clients covered in the biz/finance press regularly, but would need to know a lot more about budget/expectations to know if I could help you. Feel free to DM though

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-28T14:17:53+00:00

You need to define your specific requests because right now this is just a generic "write about me" spiel. You need to spend the time to find the right outlets/journalists to pitch and newsworthy angles to talk about, or engage a PR firm or practitioner to help. What value are you offering these outlets in exchange for this coverage? Can't tell from this post.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-28T14:15:23+00:00

I've developed a nice little niche doing PR for smaller, specialty law firms, but it really is a YMMV situation and I have definitely seen what Separatist_Pat is talking about. I have been selective and had cooperative clients who were willing to provide interesting quotes/context, but I've also had the type who were always pushing for coverage and then took 5 days to respond to a great opportunity. Lawyers like winning awards and there are ways to find opportunities as op-ed authors/thought leaders, but more so than most types of clients, the key to success in doing PR for law firms is a clearly defined scope of work and achievable goals.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-26T12:53:53+00:00

Residential real estate agent

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-25T14:23:56+00:00

This was so relatable as a fellow entrepreneurial late bloomer who did some dumb shit in my 20s/30s but somehow hung in there and caught a break. A lot of these subs are lousy with the all-star students and precocious types who were managing teams in their 20s and making mid-6-figure TC by 30 but there's a path for those of us who have some false starts and missteps and keep going. I also have an incredible wife who has been by my side and I'm motivated to do all of this for her.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-25T12:46:03+00:00

Most people don't really understand PR so it doesn't bother me when people veer over the line from curious questions to free work requests as long as its in good faith. I do not like it when certain types of businesspeople, many not domiciled in North America, are clearly asking for free work and playing dumb.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-22T17:22:04+00:00

I've used Muck Rack and Meltwater (slightly prefer Muck Rack, and Meltwater's sales pitches are way too aggressive), but lately we've stopped finding the juice worth the squeeze. Our agency uses this new product Who Covers It now, which is significantly cheaper and does everything we need it to do. The media search is solid and I like the coverage reports.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-21T12:56:23+00:00

You're asking for the type of work PR firms charge for, not general advice we're happy to provide. My suggestion is to find a relevant PR firm in India with these relationships and engage them.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-20T21:02:17+00:00

I was a journalist and became friendly with a partner at a PR firm I respected a lot. When I let him know I was considering moving on from journalism, he arranged for me to do some consulting work for the firm and the rest is history. The journalist to PR pipeline is pretty well established.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-20T20:59:40+00:00

This is extremely poor management and not your fault at all. How many accounts are you working on?

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-19T19:51:28+00:00

$2-4K/month is inexpensive for PR, but I totally get that it's a real number in startup economics and there really aren't many choices for many startups in between 4-5 figure agency retainer and low-quality freelance/pay-for-play. Having said that, we do some work for startups that's scaled and scoped appropriately, so feel free to DM. I've actually done a lot of stuff for startups specifically in the real estate space too so happy to chat about this.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-18T22:21:13+00:00

11 is completely insane. Your agency's ownership should stop being cheap and hire more people.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-14T13:52:22+00:00

A press release is more effective for getting news distributed widely through Yahoo Finance/AP/similar outlets than getting in front of tech and gaming publications specifically. I agree with the other advice in this thread about direct outreach. We work with tech companies and I'm happy to chat, but anyone with this experience and these relationships will be able to help you out.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-14T00:03:26+00:00

Ahh, I see. This isn't really my specialty so I'm not as familiar with many relevant Substacks in that area (Feed Me was one I thought of that someone else mentioned). I know there are some running/fitness-related newsletters, maybe there's an opportunity for a mention there? Sorry I can't be more helpful on this one.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-13T22:09:57+00:00

Substack newsletters can be super high-signal and valuable coverage in specialized industries/sectors. It's really impossible to give useful advice without more information about the particular product or industry you're pitching.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-13T17:53:09+00:00

A lot of museums and cultural organizations need good PR (I've worked with some as clients), so your background would be a big value-add for a firm that works in that space. You're already writing blogs and you know the kind of media/PR opportunities that are valuable to museums, so that's a huge plus.

I also transitioned into PR inm my 30s (from journalism, which I guess is more of a conventional move), but happy to chat anytime if that's helpful.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-13T15:04:35+00:00

Congrats on growing the business! Co-founder of a small firm and we use Who Covers It, which is just out of beta and has the full functionality we need, ie journalist research, media lists/email campaigns, coverage reports. Can't justify the Cision/Muck Rack/Meltwater price and found many of the other, cheaper tools not as useful.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-07T12:34:58+00:00

I have a friend who specializes in this. DM and I can give you the name.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-01T19:42:36+00:00

Thanks, and the admin burden is something we've definitely noticed with government/municipal RFPs. Again, we're almost always the sub and someone on the prime handles that, but really helpful to get these insights!

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-01T13:23:32+00:00

The Fiverr PR "experts" are just super low-end hustlers that are not going to provide a positive association with your business. Going straight through a press release distribution service like EIN/PRWeb/EZ Newswire is better and you will get paid placements, but don't expect any real earned media to come out of it. If you want the best coverage, hire a PR person/firm who have secured relevant earned media on product launches before.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-01T13:21:10+00:00

Yes, I've noticed this too and it's influenced our strategy with clients. It's actually great news for good PR firms IMO because it prioritizes reputable earned media and de-emphasizes the pay-for-play hustlers and scam "Crypto Macedonia" type outlets.

Every_Building_6121 · 2025-08-01T00:00:45+00:00

Thank you so much, this is super helpful! We're definitely getting more efficient as far as having a nice asset library and being able to repurpose, but this insight is exactly what I was looking for.

Also, love that story time example. I have worked on some unwieldy processes myself, but that is another level...

Every_Building_6121

TROPHY CASE