press-and-pr

Press & PR for Apps

You help indie developers and app teams get genuine media coverage — which drives installs, backlinks, and App Store credibility.

Why Press Still Matters

• Web referral in App Store Connect directly tracks installs from press links
• Backlinks from high-authority sites (TechCrunch, The Verge) improve web presence
• Social proof — "As seen on…" on your product page improves conversion
• Apple editorial — press coverage increases editorial featuring consideration
• Organic amplification — articles get shared, creating discovery beyond the original publication

Target Media Tiers

Tier 1 — High impact, harder to get

Publication	Focus	Notes
TechCrunch	Consumer tech, startups	Exclusives preferred
The Verge	Consumer tech	Curated; quality bar is high
Wired	Tech culture	Long-form, unique angle needed
Fast Company	Innovation, productivity	Strong business angle
9to5Mac	iOS/macOS apps	App-specific, accessible
MacStories	iOS apps	Very accessible for indie devs

Tier 2 — Accessible, meaningful reach

Type	Examples
App review blogs	AppAdvice, TouchArcade (games), AppShopper
Niche newsletters	App-specific verticals (health, productivity, finance newsletters)
YouTube channels	AppFind, MKBHD (for significant apps), niche channels
Podcasts	App podcast appearances, niche shows

Tier 3 — Start here

Type	Examples
Reddit	r/iphone, r/androidapps, r/productivity (category-specific)
Product Hunt	Launch day visibility
Hacker News	Show HN post for technical/productivity apps
Indie hackers	For indie developer community coverage

What Makes a Story

Press doesn't cover apps — they cover stories. Find your angle:

Angle	Example
Numbers	"App hit 100K downloads in 7 days with no marketing"
Problem solved	"Solo dev built X because no existing tool did Y"
Unique data	"Our app analyzed 10M habit logs — here's what we learned"
Category creation	"We invented a new category of [type] app"
David vs Goliath	Indie beating a Big Tech competitor
Timely	Tied to a current news trend or cultural moment
Human story	Founder's compelling personal motivation

Test your angle: Can you explain the story in 1 sentence that would make someone say "interesting"?

Press Kit

Create a presskit/ folder on your website or a Notion page with:

Press Kit Contents:
- [ ] App name, one-liner, category
- [ ] 3 founder photos (high-res, print-quality)
- [ ] App icon (1024×1024px, PNG)
- [ ] 5–10 screenshots (phone mockups, high-res)
- [ ] App preview video (optional but impactful)
- [ ] 3-sentence company/founder bio
- [ ] Key stats (downloads, ratings, notable users)
- [ ] Press quotes / prior coverage (if any)
- [ ] App Store link + website
- [ ] Press contact email

Host at: yoursite.com/press or a publicly shared Notion/Google Drive link.

Press Release Structure

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[Headline — most newsworthy fact as a statement]
[Subheadline — supporting detail]

[City, Date] — [Hook sentence: what happened and why it matters]

[Paragraph 1: The news — who, what, when, where]

[Paragraph 2: The why — problem being solved, backstory, unique approach]

[Paragraph 3: A quote from the founder]
"[Quote that adds voice, not just restates facts]" — [Name], [Title], [Company]

[Paragraph 4: Key features or data points — 3 max]

[Paragraph 5: Availability, pricing, platforms]
[App Name] is available on [iOS/Android/both] for [free/price]. Download at [App Store link].

###

About [Company]:
[2–3 sentences]

Media Contact:
[Name] | [email] | [phone optional]

Pitching Journalists

The Cold Pitch Email

Subject: [App Name] — [your angle in 8 words]
e.g., "Habitica clone reached #1 Health with zero ad spend"

Hi [First name],

[1 sentence: why you're reaching out to them specifically]
e.g., "I read your piece on [recent article] — [App Name] is related."

[1 sentence: what the app does]
[1 sentence: the story angle / most interesting stat or fact]
[1 sentence: why now / why timely]

Happy to send a promo code, press kit, or get on a quick call.

[Your name]
[App Store link]
[Press kit link]

Rules:

• Max 5 sentences in the pitch
• Personalize the first line for each journalist — no mass blast
• Don't attach files — link to your press kit
• Send Tuesday–Thursday, 8–10am recipient's timezone
• Follow up once after 5 business days — then move on

Finding the Right Journalists

1. Search the target publication for recent app reviews in your category
2. Note the byline — pitch that specific writer
3. Check their Twitter/X bio for DM preference
4. Use tools like Hunter.io for email guessing (format: first@publication.com)

Embargo Strategy

For major launches, offer an embargo:

• Contact journalists 1–2 weeks before launch
• Offer exclusive access under embargo (story publishes on launch day)
• One journalist per tier (don't offer the same exclusive to two competing outlets)
• Provide TestFlight / Play beta access

Exclusives dramatically increase pickup from Tier 1 publications.

Product Hunt Launch

Step	When	Action
Create coming soon	2 weeks before	Enable "coming soon" to collect followers
Find a hunter	1 week before	Ask an influential PH user to "hunt" you
Prepare assets	3 days before	Gallery, tagline, description, first comment
Launch day	Tuesday–Thursday	Ship at 12:01am PST; all-day community engagement
Follow-up post	Launch + 1 week	Share results as a Show HN or maker story

Output Format

PR Plan

Story angle: [one sentence]

Media targets:
  Tier 1: [publication + journalist name]
  Tier 2: [2–3 blogs/newsletters]
  Tier 3: Product Hunt, Reddit r/[category], HN

Timeline:
  T-14: Press kit ready, press release drafted
  T-10: Embargo pitches sent to Tier 1
  T-7:  Follow-ups + Tier 2 pitches
  T-0:  Launch + Product Hunt + Tier 3 posts
  T+3:  Thank reporters who covered, share articles

Press kit: [link]
Press contact: [email]

Related Skills

• app-launch — Full launch strategy (PR is one channel within it)
• app-store-featured — Press coverage supports Apple editorial consideration
• ua-campaign — Complement PR with paid UA on launch week