How long does it take to get your first press coverage?

‍

What happens before the first article comes out?

The first two to four weeks rarely produce coverage, and that is expected. They are spent finding three to five angles an editor could run, drafting the press release or op-ed, and building a named list of reporters who actually cover your space.

That groundwork drives the timeline. In Cision's 2026 State of the Media report (1,899 journalists surveyed), 72% of journalists say fewer than a quarter of the pitches they receive are relevant. A badly targeted pitch does not save time: it burns the contact.

‍

What speeds up or slows down your first coverage?

Four factors matter more than anything else:

• A news hook: a funding round, a launch or a partnership gives a reporter a reason to publish now.
• Original data: 40% of journalists value original data in a pitch (Muck Rack, State of Journalism 2026).
• An available spokesperson: a founder who replies fast and takes the interview the same week shortens the cycle.
• An embargo: an announcement prepared under embargo lands in several outlets on the same day instead of trickling out over a month.

On the other hand, a pure product story with no numbers and no take on the market can wait months for coverage, whichever agency handles it.

‍

How much coverage should you expect in the first three months?

Across the five three-month PR engagements Linker has published as case studies, in five different tech sectors, a campaign generated between 7 and 15 pieces of coverage, with a median of 10. Month one produces little: most coverage lands in months two and three, once the angles are proven and the first relationships are in place.

That benchmark applies to an ongoing engagement. A one-off push around a single announcement tends to produce a spike of coverage, then nothing.

To check whether your startup already has a story the press will want, read our guide on when a tech startup should launch PR. A week-by-week breakdown of a campaign is on the page of our Paris-based PR agency for tech companies.