The world of public relations is multifaceted, striving to cover everyone's media needs, from established healthcare companies to fresh startups and celebrities in need of crisis management.
PR for the tech sector is a nuanced discipline that hinges on one's ability to craft a narrative that goes beyond specs and hooks the audience, generating excitement for innovation.
PR revolves around telling a compelling story. To succeed in a PR campaign for a tech client, publicists must be strategic, and they must also be willing to tailor their approach to the specific needs of each client, whether an established company or just starting out in the tech industry.
This article will outline how to craft a rock-solid tech PR strategy that will garner rave reviews and help grow business.
Tailoring Your Message
Effective PR is all about tailoring the message, so your PR strategy for tech clients should adapt to the stage of your client's business.
The message for an established business will be radically different from the one for a startup.
Whereas startup companies must focus on building their brands and fostering credibility in the market, an established technology business may already have a recognizable brand, so it should have a strategy crafted that emphasizes innovation and market leadership.
Compelling Storytelling
Again, the foundation of a strong PR campaign is its ability to tell the client's story, which means the narratives crafted around a client should resonate with their target audience.
Much of what makes up compelling stories in the tech industry is about simplifying complex subject matter and making it palatable for the average consumer or reader.
For instance, the audience has to be able to relate to the material even if what the company does involves complicated technical concepts. A strong narrative can help get the message across, and data-driven storytelling can help drive home the need for the client's product or service.
Stories that work emphasize the specific issue or need the client's tech company addresses and should demonstrate the tangible benefit for its users and consumers. Effective stories can also connect a client's product or service to the broader tech world by showcasing the client's specific innovation and relevance.
Positioning of Thought Leaders
Whether one's client is the leader of a tech startup or the head of a long-established tech company, they can become thought leaders. (Showcasing their expertise within the tech industry is one of the best ways to foster credibility within the market.
For example, startup founders can discuss how their tech solves problems differently or highlight their niche expertise that has helped them launch and scale their businesses. Similarly, leaders of established companies can share their expertise about growing a tech company, keeping tech organizations relevant at scale, or their long-term vision for the tech industry.
No matter what stage the business is at, its leaders still have a unique voice to add to the world.
By increasing their influence in the market, thought leaders help shape industry trends, drive tech innovation, and steer consumer behavior, all of which benefit their companies.
Remaining Authentic
If it's one thing today's keen consumers or buyers can sniff out, it's a phony. They know when they're being "sold to" by tech companies, which is why authenticity is so crucial in public relations.
When helping your clients craft their narrative, you must stay true to who they are—both as leaders and companies.
We live in an age of information overload. Telling your tech client's story in a genuine and transparent way will help you cut through the noise and resonate with their target audiences.
Strategic Media Outreach
Effective PR has to be the whole package to knock it out of the park, and that includes making the right media contacts for your tech clients. Targeted outlets should be relevant not only to your client's primary industry but also to their specific tech niche.
Niche publications are a great place to begin for startups to help them establish a name for themselves in the tech market. For businesses that have been operating for a while and have recognizable brands, publicists may want to target more prominent outlets with more mainstream audiences.
Media outreach success all hinges on timeliness and consistent communication, which is where PR professionals can come through for their clients by leveraging their hard-won media connections and know-how.
* * *
One thing is for sure in the PR world: Things are constantly changing. That's especially evident in the tech world, where innovations emerge on seemingly a daily basis and then often fade into obscurity as soon as the next best thing comes along.
PR strategists must innovate and evolve as fast as the tech world if they are to keep up. The future of tech PR does not depend on making messages louder or more frequent but on being savvy and intentional about how a story is told and how the media is used to get it in front of the people who matter.
With a focus on authenticity, compelling storytelling, thought leadership, and a multichannel approach, PR experts can help tech companies lend their vision to the greater tech world and influence tech innovation for years to come.
More Resources on Public Relations
PR in Seven Easy Steps for Startups in Emerging-Technology Markets
B2B PR and Content Marketing Pros Have to Get Creative as Ad Spend Drops
Public Relations: Four 'Wow' Ways to Use It for Sales
How the Information Age Killed Public Relations... and What You Can Do About It
