Companies need visibility – and public relations, aka PR, still helps with that. Part of good PR is good press work. I’ve been experiencing how that works from three perspectives for many years: as a PR consultant who wants to get clients’ topics into the media, as the founder of my own startup, and as an editor who decides which press releases get a chance.
nnnnIn this triple role, I’ve encountered pretty much everything: the 14-page press release from Timbuktu without a single number. The “exclusive” photo that blocks the inbox as a 25-MB file. Or the text that starts with “In today’s fast-paced world…”; a sentence that makes editorial teams collectively go refill their coffee.
nnnnThe good news: Many mistakes can be easily avoided. Here’s how professional press work works and how your startup becomes more visible through it.
nnnnPublic relations is not a megaphone – it’s translation work
nnnnFirst and foremost: Press work and PR is not a one-way street. Simply “throwing it out there” rarely helps. Because just because a press release was sent doesn’t mean it will be picked up. Or at least not right away. Unless it’s really “hot” and can’t wait. Often days, sometimes even weeks pass before editorial teams pick up content. Then, for example, when it’s not topical and time-sensitive. So be patient and don’t immediately send a follow-up email asking “whether the email arrived”. That’s a cardinal sin that above all produces one thing: annoyed editors.
nnnnThe public – whether media, VCs, or individuals on social media – don’t automatically care about a startup. They care about relevance. About developments that go beyond the individual company. About stories that explain a bigger picture, also in the context of the Munich startup ecosystem or an industry.
nnnnPublic relations is therefore not an extension of marketing, but translation work: Why is what you do important for others too?
nnnnWhy press work is more important than ever today
nnnnThe same question keeps coming up in conversations:
Does anyone actually still read that? Is there reach beyond social media?
The clear answer is: yes.
nnnnTrade media, business editorial teams, newsletters, industry portals and their online articles are read intensively. And precisely by the target groups that are crucial for startups: investors, potential partners, talent, customers. Often these formats are even more relevant than traditional reach channels because they are used purposefully, not in passing.
nnnnAnd a new factor is added: Trust is increasingly being assessed by machines too.
Search engines and AI systems preferentially access sources that are considered reliable. These include established media, editorially reviewed content, and properly categorized articles.
Those who appear there gain not only visibility with people but also digital findability. PR still directly contributes to company visibility and trust. And credibility is the foundation for perception, for decisions, and increasingly also for algorithmic relevance.
nnnnOr in other words: Good startup PR and media presence is far more than just communication. It’s part of a company’s digital infrastructure.
nnnnWhat startups send and what editors hear
nnnnPR wins whenever it translates abstract visions into concrete impact.
An example from editorial everyday life:
The press release says: “We develop an innovative platform for optimizing urban mobility.”
nnnnIn the editorial office, an invisible thought bubble will appear that says:
“And what exactly does that mean?”
So make it concrete:
“We help cities bundle delivery traffic so fewer vans are on the road at the same time.”
That’s tangible, understandable, tells a problem and delivers the solution.
nnnnMarketing language is not a quality marker
nnnn“Market-leading.”
“Revolutionary.”
“Unique.”
These words appear in remarkably many press releases. They’re meant to impress, but usually do the opposite. Because journalistic texts work without superlatives. They need context, examples, numbers, maybe even a comparison.
nnnnOr in other words: If something is truly revolutionary, you don’t need to write it down.
nnnnThe language matter (and why German is sometimes the better choice)
nnnnInternationally oriented startups like to communicate in English. Even with German media. That sounds global, but creates unnecessary work for German-speaking editorial teams. Texts need to be translated, quotes lose their tone, nuances disappear.
nnnnThe result is often an article that may no longer say exactly what was originally intended.
nnnnIf you want to reach German audiences, you should offer them finished German content. This greatly increases the chance of accurate representation. And that’s in every company’s interest.
nnnnQuotes are not thank you speeches
nnnnAnother PR phenomenon that particularly appears when many hands have stirred the pot: A wasteland of quotes is included. CEO, CTO, three investors and maybe even the founder’s dog all say the same thing in different forms.
nnnnQuotes are not a group photo. They should explain something, put it in context, or sharpen it.
Two strong statements work better than five friendly ones that repeat things from a different angle.
A good quote answers a possible question.
A bad one starts with “We’re very pleased…”.
Visual material: The underestimated door opener
nnnnText is essential, images are almost mandatory nice-to-haves, again in your own interest. And yet usable visual material is often missing.
nnnnTypical cases:
nnnn- n
- no image included nnnn
- screenshot instead of photo nnnn
- blurry, pixelated image or poorly edited nnnn
- logo in the background as big as a barn door nnnn
- file too small or absurdly large n
Editorial teams need material that works immediately: properly resolved, without branding in the image, about two megabytes or less, and cleanly labeled.
Name, function, and company of the people shown included. Ideally provided via a download link in two sizes (smaller for online and high-resolution for print).
That sounds trivial. But in practice it makes a huge difference. And with the right image, you keep your narrative in your hands. Otherwise you leave it to the editorial team to find a more or less suitable image.
nnnnAI may support, but shouldn’t take the lead
nnnnOf course, many texts today are created with AI support. That’s efficient and completely legitimate. It only becomes problematic when you recognize the origin immediately. Smooth, interchangeable formulations without edges, opinions, and examples are a nightmare not only for editorial teams.
nnnnAI can provide structure. But the last step must always be taken by a human: to make it concrete, sharpen it, put it in context.
nnnnGood PR doesn’t happen sporadically, but continuously
nnnnThe most effective examples I’ve encountered never came from a single press release. They resulted from strategically planned, consistent, and understandable communication over a longer period.
nnnnThese companies regularly explain what they’re working on, how their market is changing, what they’re observing. They provide context rather than just announcements.
nnnnThat builds trust. And that’s the real currency of PR.
nnnnnnnn
PR checklist (the absolute must-haves)
nnnnRelevance
☐ Would this news interest someone who doesn’t work for us?
☐ Can we explain in one sentence why this matters right now?
Clarity instead of buzzwords
☐ Have we removed all words like “leading,” “innovative,” “revolutionary”?
☐ Does someone outside our field immediately understand what we concretely do?
Story present
☐ Does the text describe a problem and our solution – or just our product?
☐ Is there a comprehensible context or market reference?
Quotes with substance
☐ Have we used a maximum of two quotes?
☐ Does each quote really say something new, instead of just “We’re pleased”?
Language fits the medium
☐ Is the text written in the language we want to publish it in?
☐ Does it sound like us and not like generic AI German?
Material is editorial-ready
☐ Have we included at least one good, print-ready image without logo?
☐ Is the file under about 2 MB or available as a clean download link?
☐ Are all people correctly labeled with name, function, and company?
Substance present
☐ Do we provide numbers, data, facts, and context or concrete impacts?
☐ Is this really news and not just an internal update?
Saskia Müller, founder and managing director of Saskia Müller & Colleagues.
After her PR traineeship, she worked for corporations like BMW and startups like ZVAB in marketing and PR. In 2013, she founded the freelancer network Saskia Müller & Colleagues, and in 2025 came a startup project in the field of parent-child communication: Stellamia.
Her superpower? She knows communication not just from one perspective, but from quite a few: from a company perspective, a journalist perspective, a startup perspective. As a certified trainer focusing on media and type-specific communication, she also trains teams and individuals in positioning messages so they don’t just get sent, but actually reach the other person.