Three ways to propel your tech PR outreach strategy to new heights

The technology landscape has witnessed unprecedented shifts in innovation and development in recent months. Businesses are thriving, with Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google all reporting strong quarterly profits despite economic uncertainty, and 72% of UK tech companies seeing a rise in demand for services between March and August this year. An effective technology PR – or tech PR – strategy is essential for businesses in the sector to make the most of this momentum, differentiate from the crowd and ensure they stay one step ahead.

Here are three ways to boost your tech PR outreach strategy in this dynamic and fast-paced environment.

Base tech PR in thought leadership 

Thought leadership is a crucial element of any tech PR strategy and helps to establish business professionals as experts in their field through quality content such as opinion pieces or interviews in key industry publications. Technology companies can lead the industry conversation, engage their target audience and differentiate from their competitors by organically building their primary spokespeople a reputation for being knowledgeable thought leaders that stay atop of the news agenda and trends.

The tech landscape is a crowded space, but it is also rapidly changing, with new opportunities opening up all the time, so it is essential for tech professionals to set themselves apart to maintain relevance and grow brand presence. Thought leadership PR is about educating target audiences and addressing key industry issues, receiving priceless trust and loyalty in return.  It is the perfect way to promote a brand message and raise awareness of a business and its products or services without making it obvious you are doing so.

Drive industry direction through newsjacks

Newsjacking – sometimes described as ‘rapid response’ comments – is the act of jumping on breaking news stories with a thought or opinion. It is a highly valuable tactic in tech PR as it helps secure media coverage in quality publications, strengthen journalist relations and further establish industry professionals as thought leaders. It may seem like a simple process, but it is necessary to follow three key steps to maximise the chances of success:

1. The first and probably most important step in a tech PR newsjack is getting the timing right. Awareness of what is happening in the industry and knowing who to contact and when is vital to grab the journalist’s attention.
2. To secure the journalist’s interest, a clear and concise yet thorough pitch is crucial.  A pitch may well get lost in a journalist’s inbox, especially in the hours after a breaking news story, so following up on a pitch via another channel is beneficial.
3. To secure coverage time and time again, it is essential to establish a strong relationship with the journalist. This can be achieved through adapting to their communication style and working to their deadlines in order to build a reputation for reliability.

Newsjacks are a useful tool in any PR campaign but they are especially important for a tech PR strategy. This is because change is rapid in the sector and a single development, such as a product launch or an announcement from one of the major tech providers, can dramatically alter the course of the industry narrative. Being at the forefront of the latest developments, and constructively leading the industry response can strengthen the reputation of tech companies as sector leaders.

Cement search engine rankings with SEO

Search engine optimisation – or SEO – is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a specific website by achieving good ranking positions on the search engine results page (SERP), and is another key ingredient of tech PR. An effective SEO strategy ensures a website contains valuable, high quality and easy to navigate content that increases organic traffic and boosts user loyalty.  Keyword research comes under the umbrella of SEO, and this vital analysis will help to concentrate tech PR outreach strategies in the right direction. Keyword analysis can:

1. Provide specific data that helps businesses better understand their target audience and their search habits. This will inform how to connect with key customers and decide what content will fulfil their search needs.
2. Help to identify certain online niches that exist within the industry. This presents the chance to capitalise on a specific phrase, keyword or query and gain an advantage over competitors through content marketing.
3. Expose trending topics in the news agenda that can be used as leverage when contacting key journalists in the relevant industry.

Technology is a fast-paced, exciting environment to be a part of. By including these strategies in tech PR outreach, tech companies will be better equipped to increase brand visibility and drive content in the right direction. For many, exploring the capabilities of a specialist tech PR agency will help to make the most of the current environment. With extensive expertise in the market and access to a relevant target audience through pre-built media contacts, a specialist tech PR agency can ensure insightful, high quality content is seen by the right people at the right time to build a business’ reputation.

To find out more about how GingerMay helps businesses execute winning tech PR campaigns that deliver results,  please get in touch at hello@teamgingermay.com.