Public relations is an important part of the marketing mix. Coverage by journalists can be difficult to attain, especially when you are just getting started. However, it can often be more persuasive than other marketing channels thanks to the neutral middle entity (the publication). The following six tips will help your tech company to better harness PR.
1. Have a strong, simple message
When you want to get something about your business covered, create a pitch for journalists that is clear and persuasive. This isn’t the time to overthink things or to get too high-minded. Instead, try to keep the message simple and grounded.
You can think about it a lot like email marketing. When you pitch a story, you need the recipient to open your message, quickly understand its value and be persuaded to take action. Of course, journalists are clever and can sniff out anything that doesn’t have substance. Thus, it is usually a good idea to get right to the point with a straightforward pitch.
2. Take advantage of current stories
Sometimes, you can jump in on currently trending topics. This can be a great way to make your tech company more relevant for different audiences. You may not be able to be the center of the story, but you can still enjoy some PR benefits.
For example, if Apple released a new series of Macs with impressive new processing power, you could make a press release highlighting the difference that the upgrade makes with your software. This can help you get mentioned in other stories about the new computers.
3. Get to know journalists
Like a lot of the business world, PR relies heavily on relationships. So, a little professional networking can go a long way. Trying to establish mutually beneficial relationships with journalists can go a long way toward getting coverage.
Try to think about what a journalist may want from you, rather than just what you want from him or her. If you can create a connection that makes you valuable to the journalist, you are likely to have more success.
4. Offer expertise on other stories
One of the best ways to offer value to journalists is to offer your expertise on various topics. For example, if your business is in educational technology, you could offer to add your thoughts on stories about the state of education.
In many cases, it is best to simply offer that journalists reach out to you when they need something. It may also be helpful to act as a connector. While you may not be able to offer expertise on every topic, you can still add value by offering up your network.
5. Keep your focus on the audience
Whether you are publishing a press release or pitching a story to a writer, you should always think about your audience. Ultimately, it is the audience that you are trying to reach. So, you should make sure that your proposed story would be interesting and useful to the readers/viewers/listeners.
Also, think about whether a story is reaching your target market or not. It can be easy to get caught up in the prestige of PR and waste time on stories and publications that aren’t really relevant for your business’s strategic goals.
6. Present data with your story
Finally, it is almost always a good idea to present some hard facts with your story. Again, this is relevant whether you are putting a release out into the wild or pitching directly to a journalist. If someone is going to write about your business, he or she likely wants some data to work with. Any story that is based only on soft information and vague concepts will be tough to sell. Back up your claims with data whenever you can.
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Discover more about using public relations to grow your tech company today. With the right strategies, you can reach a large audience.
