By: Travis Hutton

Startups are built on momentum. The right early press can help spark it. A well-timed media feature can assist in validating the product, attracting investors, building trust with users, and giving founders a potential advantage in crowded markets. That’s why many founders are now considering press coverage earlier in their journey, rather than as a late-stage strategy. They use it to help set the tone—and direction—for everything that follows.

Credibility Before Customers

Startups often launch with little more than a landing page and a pitch. Press coverage can provide an edge by creating a layer of third-party trust that advertising can’t replicate. Investors, users, and future hires often do the same thing first—they Google you.
A 2023 report by TechCrunch found that 64% of early-stage investors said media coverage played a role in how they assessed unfamiliar startups. Even a small feature in a niche publication can signal traction, offering a sign that someone else believes in your story enough to share it.

Early Press Helps Build the Story Foundation

Every startup needs a story. Press coverage can help shape it. When journalists write about your mission, product, or founding team, it provides messaging that you can build on in future materials—pitch decks, websites, investor updates, and even interviews.

For example, a founder of a pre-seed consumer app, secured a feature in a local business blog two weeks after launch. The article explained her background, her problem-solving approach, and why the market needed her product. That one story helped her secure her first 500 users—and got quoted in her next investor deck.

That’s the role early press can play—it helps anchor the story.

It Fuels Search and SEO

Startups need to be found. But new websites rarely rank high in search right away. Press features help fill that gap. They add backlinks, improve domain authority, and make it easier for users to find credible information quickly.

A 2024 SEMrush analysis found that new companies with third-party media coverage had 45% higher branded search volume than those relying on social media alone. This early momentum can help position a startup for long-term visibility.

That’s why many founders are turning to Hermes Wire. Launched in 2023, Hermes Wire helps early-stage startups distribute press releases, founder stories, and announcements to trusted outlets—without needing a full PR team. It’s fast, simple, and focused on visibility that aims to build credibility, not just attract clicks.

For new founders, it’s an efficient way to share what they’re building—and why it matters—while keeping control of the message.

Early Coverage Creates a Confidence Loop

When a startup gets press, it’s easier to attract early users. When users show up, more investors may take notice. When investors get involved, more stories can follow. Early media features can start that loop.

Another example, a co-founder of a B2B payments startup, was featured in a fintech roundup just weeks after launch. That article didn’t bring in thousands of users, but it brought in one lead investor, three beta testers, and a co-marketing request from a larger brand.

That early coverage helped set his whole fundraising timeline in motion.

Early press isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a strategic tool. It can help shape perception, build credibility, and assist startups in moving faster and with more confidence. The right story, told early, has the potential to do more than raise awareness—it can help shape your trajectory.

Published by Stephanie M.