Companies need visibility – and public relations, or PR, still helps with that. Good PR includes good press relations. I've experienced how this is done for many years from three perspectives: as a PR consultant who wants to get topics into the media for clients, as the founder of my own startup, and as an editor who decides which press releases get a chance.
In this triple role, I've encountered pretty much everything: the 14-page press release from Timbuktu, without a single figure. The "exclusive" photo that clogs up the inbox as a 25 MB file. Or the text that begins with "In today's fast-paced world..."; a sentence that sends newsrooms collectively running for coffee refills.
The good news: Many mistakes are easily avoidable. Here you'll learn how professional public relations works and how it can make your startup more visible.
Public relations is not a megaphone – it's translation work.
The most important thing to remember upfront: Press relations and PR are not a one-way street. Simply "spitting it out" rarely helps. Just because a press release has been sent doesn't mean it will be picked up. Or at least not immediately. Unless, of course, it's truly "hot" and can't wait. Often, days, sometimes even weeks, pass before newsrooms pick up content. This is often the case if it's not current news. So be patient and don't immediately send an email to ask "if the email arrived." That's a cardinal sin that primarily produces one thing: annoyed editors.
The public – whether media, venture capitalists, or individuals on social media – isn't automatically interested in a startup. They're interested in relevance. In developments that extend beyond the individual company. In stories that explain a bigger picture, also within the context of the Munich startup ecosystem or an industry.
Public relations is therefore not an extension of marketing, but rather translation work: Why is what you do also important for others?
Why public relations is more important today than ever before
The same question comes up again and again in conversations:
Does anyone even read this anymore? Is there any reach beyond social media?
The clear answer is: yes.
Trade publications, business newsrooms, 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, and customers. Often, these formats are even more relevant than traditional reach channels because they are used deliberately, not casually.
And a new factor is added: Trust is increasingly being assessed by machines.
Search engines and AI systems preferentially access sources considered reliable. These include established media outlets, editorially reviewed content, and clearly categorized articles.
Those who participate in such events gain not only visibility among people, but also digital discoverability. PR continues to directly contribute to a company's visibility and trust. And credibility is the foundation for perception, for decisions, and increasingly also for algorithmic relevance.
Or to put it another way: Good startup PR and media presence is far more than just communication. It's part of a company's digital infrastructure.
What startups broadcast and what newsrooms listen
PR always wins when it translates abstract visions into concrete results.
An example from everyday editorial work:
The press release states: "We are developing an innovative platform to optimize urban mobility."
An invisible thought bubble will appear in the editorial office, containing the following:
"And what exactly does that mean?"
Therefore, make it concrete:
"We help cities to consolidate delivery traffic so that fewer vans are on the road at the same time."
It is tangible, understandable, it explains a problem and provides the solution.
Marketing language is not a quality indicator.
"Market leader."
"Revolutionary."
"Unique."
These words appear in a surprisingly large number of press releases. They are meant to impress, but usually achieve the opposite. Journalistic texts don't work without superlatives. They need context, examples, figures, and perhaps even a comparison.
Or to put it another way: If something is truly revolutionary, you don't need to write it down.
The thing about language (and why German is sometimes the better choice)
Internationally oriented startups often communicate in English, even with German media. This creates a global impression, but it also creates unnecessary work for German-language newsrooms. Texts have to be translated, quotes lose their tone, and subtleties are lost.
The result is often an article that may no longer say exactly what was originally meant.
Anyone wanting to reach a German audience should therefore offer them ready-made German content. This greatly increases the chance of an accurate presentation. And that's in every company's best interest.
Quotes are not acknowledgments.
Another PR phenomenon that becomes particularly apparent when too many cooks have mixed up the broth: a barrage of quotes is served up along with the product. The CEO, CTO, three investors, and perhaps even the founder's dog all repeat the same thing in different ways.
Quotes are not a group photo. They are meant to explain, contextualize, or exaggerate something.
Two strong statements are more effective than five friendly ones that repeat themselves from a different perspective.
A good quote answers a possible question.
A bad one begins with "We are very pleased...".
Image material: The underestimated door opener
Text is mandatory, images are almost obligatory optional extras, also in one's own interest. And yet, usable visual material is often lacking.
Typical cases:
- No image included
- Screenshot instead of photo
- blurry, pixelated, or poorly edited image
- Logo in the background as big as a barn door
- File too small or absurdly large
Editorial teams need material that works immediately: high resolution, no branding in the image, under about two megabytes in size, and clearly labelled.
Name, function, and company of the people pictured. 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 also retain control of your narrative. Otherwise, you leave it to the editorial team to find a more or less suitable image.
AI may provide support, but not take the lead.
Of course, many texts are created with the help of AI these days. That's efficient and perfectly legitimate. The problem only arises when the source is immediately recognizable. Smooth, interchangeable phrases devoid of nuance, opinion, and examples are anathema not only to editors.
AI can provide structure. But the final step must always be taken by a human: specifying, refining, and classifying.
Good PR doesn't happen in isolated instances, but continuously.
The most effective examples I've encountered never came from a single press release. They resulted from strategically planned, consistent, and understandable communication over an extended period.
These companies regularly explain what they are working on, how their market is changing, and what they are observing. They provide context instead of just announcements.
This is how trust is built. And that is precisely the true currency of PR.
PR checklist (the absolute must-haves)
relevance
☐ Would this message also be of interest to someone who doesn't work for us?
☐ Can we explain in one sentence why this is important right now?
Clarity instead of buzzwords
☐ Have we removed all words like "leading", "innovative", "revolutionary"?
☐ Would a non-expert immediately understand what we actually do?
Story available
☐ Does the text describe a problem and our solution – or just our product?
☐ Is there a plausible context or market relevance?
Quotes with meaning
☐ Did we use a maximum of two quotes?
☐ Does every quote really say something new, instead of just "We are happy"?
Language is appropriate for the medium
☐ Is the text written in the language in which we want to publish it?
☐ Does it sound like us and not like generic AI-generated German?
The material is suitable for editorial use.
☐ Have we included at least one good, printable image without a logo?
☐ Is the file under approximately 2 MB or available as a clean download link?
☐ Are all persons correctly labelled with their name, function, and company?
Substance present
☐ Do we provide figures, data, facts (ZDF) as well as an assessment or concrete effects?
☐ Is this really a news item and not an internal update?
Saskia Müller, founder and managing director of Saskia Müller & Kollegen.
After her PR traineeship, she worked in marketing and PR for corporations like BMW and startups like ZVAB. In 2013, she founded the freelancer network Saskia Müller & colleagues and in 2025 a startup project in the field of parent-child communication followed: Stellamia.
Her superpower? She understands communication not just from one perspective, but from many: corporate, journalistic, and startup perspectives. As a certified trainer specializing in media and communication styles, she also trains teams and individuals to position messages so that they not only get sent, but actually reach their intended audience.
