By: Kate Sarmiento
You know the drill. Your product’s out. You’ve launched, pivoted, maybe even gone viral once. But now? Crickets. Investors are asking what’s next. Your team’s itching for momentum. Media outreach starts to feel like shouting into the void.
The worst part? Knowing you need visibility but feeling like you don’t have anything “worthy” to offer. No new feature. No funding announcement. Nothing that screams headline. But here’s what most brands get wrong: they wait for something big before stepping back into the conversation. In today’s media landscape, the best stories aren’t reserved for launch day. They’re built from relevance, not just events.
At Don’t Be A Little Pitch (DBALP), we specialize in spinning “non-news” into narrative gold. Because media coverage isn’t just for the flashy headlines, it’s for the ones who know how to work the room, even when there’s no confetti cannon in sight.
Newsworthiness Isn’t Just About What You’re Doing, It’s About Why It Matters
Here’s the biggest myth most founders believe:
“If I’m not launching, scaling, or raising, I have nothing to pitch.”
Wrong. That mindset keeps more brands invisible than bad marketing ever could.
Newsworthiness isn’t reserved for product launches and investor decks. In fact, some of the most widely shared stories start with small sparks: a trend, a take, a shift in thinking. What makes them press-worthy isn’t the activity. It’s the angle.
1. Journalists Don’t Write About Products. They Write About People, Problems, and Patterns.
Your newest software update might be exciting internally, but if it doesn’t connect to a broader conversation, it’s likely a no-go for media. Editors aren’t here to hand out participation trophies. They’re looking for stories that resonate with their audience.
Think about it like this:
“We launched a new AI feature” = meh. “Why our customers refused AI until we made it human-friendly” = now we’re talking.
One gives facts. The other delivers insight, tension, and relevance.
2. Relevance Is a Moving Target… and That’s a Good Thing
The beauty of media is that what’s relevant changes all the time. That gives you countless windows of opportunity if you’re paying attention. Tie your brand, expertise, or perspective into:
- Breaking news
- Cultural trends
- Industry shifts
- Political changes
- Viral moments (yes, even memes)
A fintech founder doesn’t need a new product to weigh in on rising interest rates. A food entrepreneur doesn’t need a new menu to talk about changing grocery prices. You already have opinions. Let’s shape them into stories.
3. “Why Now?” Is the Golden Question
Every editor asks it. If you can’t answer it, your pitch is toast.
When shaping a media angle, always ask:
Why does this matter right now? What has changed in the world that makes this topic timely? Is there a trend, milestone, or anniversary I can anchor this to?
4. You Are Not the Hero of the Story, The Audience Is
Another reason your “non-news” isn’t landing? You’re making it all about you. The best pitches don’t lead with company facts. They start with reader impact.
What problem are you solving? What myth are you debunking? What lesson are you offering?
If your story educates, entertains, or adds value, it doesn’t need to be splashy. It just needs to be relevant, and journalists will do the rest.
5. Narrative > Novelty
Media isn’t short on “new.” What’s it starving for are good stories. Journalists get hundreds of emails a day from companies announcing the next big thing. But unless those things come with perspective, data, or cultural heat, they disappear into the void.
It’s not about having something shiny. It’s about knowing how to hold up the mirror to what people care about and say, “Here’s our take. Here’s why it matters.”
Remember: Relevance = Context + Timing.
Our 7 Favorite Ways to Make “Nothing” Sound Like Something
Let’s spill some tea. The secret sauce isn’t in the size of the announcement. It’s in how you frame what you already have.
The truth is most of the media wins we help clients land come from what they originally labeled “non-news.” It’s all about shifting the lens from “we don’t have anything” to “how can this be shaped into a story that speaks to people right now?”
Here’s how we do it:
1. Trend Piggybacking (a.k.a. Riding the Relevance Wave)
The goal here isn’t to create news, it’s to join it.
Watch what’s trending in your industry, your region, or in culture at large, and craft a smart, timely take. Think of it as offering expert commentary without waiting to be asked.
Pro tip: You don’t need a hot take every time. Sometimes, just being the first to explain a trend in clear, human terms is enough to win the story.
2. Founder POV Pieces (a.k.a. Thought Leadership with Teeth)
Your founder story is more powerful than you think… but only when it speaks to something bigger than you.
Instead of telling the usual “how I started my company” tale, dig into lived experience, industry lessons, or bold perspectives that spark curiosity.
Think of this like an op-ed with personality. You’re not pitching a product. You’re pitching your perspective as a lens for something relevant and real.
3. Behind-the-Scenes Transparency
You don’t need to invent drama. Just lift the curtain.
Founders often underestimate how interesting their process actually is. Journalists and readers love unpolished, raw, in-progress stories. Show the messy middle, the strategic shifts, or the weird decisions that shaped your product or team.
You don’t need to be done with a story to tell it. Sometimes, sharing a work-in-progress makes you more relatable and more pitchable.
4. Customer-Centric Wins (That Aren’t Just Testimonials)
If your customers are seeing results, making unusual use of your product, or doing something inspiring thanks to your tool, that’s your story.
But don’t make it all about you. Frame it around the customer’s journey, the insights it reveals, or the broader trend it connects to.
Media loves human interest stories with a functional twist. Your customers can be your PR MVPs… if you position them right.
5. Data Drops & Insight Nuggets
Don’t hoard your insights. Even a small batch of internal data can open the door to a great story if it reveals something surprising, funny, or counterintuitive.
You don’t need a giant research arm. Just look at your user data, surveys, customer service tickets, or social DMs. There’s a story hiding there—you just need to connect it to culture.
6. Reframing Everyday Moments
A story doesn’t need to be groundbreaking. It just needs to be grounded. Ask yourself:
What’s unexpected here? What lesson or trend does this reflect? What would a headline sound like?
Example transformation:
“We redesigned our app” becomes → “Why We Deleted Half Our Features and Didn’t Lose a Single User”
“We hired two new team members” becomes → “Why We Only Hire People Who’ve Failed at Something Big”
A story isn’t about what you did. It’s about how it makes readers think, feel, or see something differently.
7. Resurrecting the Archives
You don’t always need new material. Look backward.
Is there a tweet that performed well? A viral TikTok from months ago? A podcast interview you did with a killer quote that never got media pickup? Repurpose it.
Journalists haven’t seen everything you’ve ever done. Just because something didn’t get press before doesn’t mean it won’t now, especially if the cultural climate has changed.
When you build a habit of spotting and shaping small stories, you stop scrambling for press and start attracting it. And remember: even Netflix runs reruns. If you have a killer origin story, a dramatic failure-to-fix, or spicy insights from past wins, repackage them.
Make Your Quiet Season Your Loudest Yet
Your “nothing” moment might be your best story waiting to happen. With the right lens and timing, even the smallest spark can start a wildfire.
At Don’t Be A Little Pitch (DBALP), we don’t wait for the big reveal. We build momentum from the in-between. If you’ve been wondering what to say next, chances are, you already have it. You just need the right way to tell it.
The spotlight isn’t waiting. Let’s make it yours.
