How to Get Press Coverage for Your Business

26 Oct 2026

Getting press coverage for your business starts with three things: a genuinely newsworthy story, outreach directed at the right journalists, and preparation thorough enough that a reporter can move quickly once interest is there. In practice, that means focusing on local or niche trade publications first, keeping pitches short, and always being clear on why the story matters right now. For companies operating in Singapore's capital markets, from pre-IPO businesses building early visibility to SGX-listed companies reinforcing their market presence, press coverage is not incidental. It shapes how a company is perceived by customers, business partners, and the broader investment community, often before any direct conversation takes place. GEM COMM works with companies at precisely this stage, providing specialist public relations services that draw on established relationships with journalists across Singapore's financial and business media. This piece walks through how to find a genuinely newsworthy angle, identify and pitch the right journalists, prepare the assets that make coverage easier to secure, and execute outreach that gets read.

Find Your Story and Angle

The most important step in any press outreach happens before a single email is sent. A strong pitch will not rescue a story that is not newsworthy.

1. The "So What?" Test

A useful filter before pitching is to ask whether the story would appeal to readers outside the company's own circle. New hires, internal milestones, and product launches can all be significant internally without being of interest to a journalist's audience. The discipline is framing the story around why it matters to the reader, not just the business. A company expanding into a new market is not the story; the gap in that market, and what filling it changes, might be.

2. Local or Timely Hooks

Connecting a story to something larger than the company itself makes it significantly easier to place. A pitch tied to regional job growth, community impact, or a trend the journalist is already tracking gives the reporter a reason to run it beyond the company's own momentum. Press media coverage is earned more reliably when the pitch fits into a narrative the outlet is already following.

3. Expert Commentary

Not all press opportunities require the company to have news of its own. Positioning leadership as credible commentators on developments in their industry creates opportunities for coverage that run independently of any announcement cycle. When journalists need a reliable voice on a regulatory development or a market shift, the companies already on their radar as informed sources get the call. Building that standing takes time, but the payoff in media relationships compounds over subsequent stories.

Target and Pitch Journalists

A well-crafted pitch sent to the wrong person is invisible. Precision targeting is often the single most effective improvement companies can make.

1. Research the Beat

Journalists cover specific industries, topics, and geographies. Identifying the writer who covers the exact territory relevant to the story, rather than sending to a generic news desk, is the step that separates pitches that get read from pitches that do not. A well-targeted approach to media outreach directed at one journalist consistently outperforms a broad email sent to thirty.

2. Personalise the Outreach

Reading a journalist's recent work before pitching, and briefly noting why the story fits their beat and audience, shows consideration most pitches lack. It does not require much: a sentence that shows genuine familiarity with what the journalist covers is enough to earn a second reading in a crowded inbox.

3. Keep It Short

A pitch email under 200 words with a clear hook in the subject line is more likely to be read than a detailed brief. The pitch is not the story; it is the introduction to the story. Lead with the most compelling element, keep the press release coverage request tight, and let the interview fill in the rest.

Prepare Media Assets

Interest from a journalist can dissolve quickly if the company is slow to supply what the story needs. Preparation is what converts initial interest into published coverage.

1. High-Resolution Visuals

Product photos, professional headshots, and logos should be ready for distribution before outreach begins. Removing friction on the journalist's side, so they aren't chasing assets against a deadline, is one of the most practical steps a company can take to improve the chances of coverage running.

2. Quick Response Times

Journalists work against tight publishing deadlines. A slow response to an enquiry, even by a few hours, can mean the story runs without the company's input or does not run at all. Designating a single media contact and prioritising response speed during any active outreach period is a straightforward step many companies overlook.

3. One-Page Press Kit

A simple document containing contact details, brief biographies of key spokespeople, and core business information gives journalists everything they need in one place, so they don’t have to chase it down. For SGX-listed companies, this document should also reflect any disclosure guidelines relevant to investor-facing communications.

Execute Outreach and Follow-Up

1. Pitch via Email

The initial pitch goes directly to the journalist's inbox. The subject line is often the only thing a reporter reads before deciding whether to open the email, so leading with the most compelling element of the story, rather than the company name, gives the pitch its best chance.

2. Time Your Follow-Up

A single follow-up after three to five business days is appropriate. Including a fresh angle or a new piece of information, rather than repeating the original pitch, gives the journalist a reason to engage with the second message. More than one follow-up without a response risks damaging a relationship before it has been established.

3. Consider Paid Options

For time-sensitive announcements with compliance implications, paid submission paths are worth considering. The Business Times, for example, offers a paid submission option that guarantees placement when a corporate announcement needs to run on a specific date. For SGX-listed companies navigating disclosure obligations, this route provides certainty that unsolicited pitching cannot.

Local Publications Worth Considering

Singapore publications reach a range of audiences, and matching the right outlet to the right story matters as much as the pitch. Here are some outlets to consider:

• The Business Times: The destination for corporate announcements, financial results, and capital markets news.
• The Straits Times Business section: Broad reach for general business news with a wide local readership.
• The Edge Singapore: Closely followed by the investment community, suited to stories with a capital markets or valuation angle.
• CNA Business: Wide reach across Singapore and the region, suited to broader economic and business stories.
• Tech in Asia and e27: Well suited for growth-stage and technology-driven companies building visibility ahead of a listing.

Each outlet has a distinct audience with distinct expectations. A story pitched to The Edge Singapore needs to speak to investors; the same story reframed for CNA Business needs to earn its place on a much broader news agenda. The pitch, and sometimes the angle itself, needs to change accordingly.

Building Your Media Presence with GEM COMM

Consistent press coverage doesn't come from a single well-crafted pitch. Companies that earn regular coverage treat journalist relationships as an ongoing discipline rather than a campaign launched around specific announcements. A media relations strategy maintained between announcements builds the standing that pays off when there is real news to share. As a Singapore-based public relations agency with established relationships across the financial and business press, GEM COMM works with listed and listing-bound companies to build exactly this kind of sustained visibility. Our services include press release copywriting, journalist outreach, and coordinated communications built around each client's specific positioning needs. In our experience, an investor relations strategy and a media strategy work best when they are aligned, and companies that manage both under one coordinated approach are better positioned when coverage matters most. For listed companies, knowing how to handle negative press is as important as knowing how to earn positive coverage. Both require the same underlying discipline: clear positioning, consistent messaging, and media relationships built before they are needed. If your company is building a media presence in Singapore's financial and business press, get in touch to discuss how a focused media relations strategy can support that goal.