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 Search the target publication for recent app reviews in your category Note the byline — pitch that specific writer Check their Twitter/X bio for DM preference 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]