Tech PR — 7 Steps to Operating at Capacity

Clearwire made waves this week with a bold dare to customers: “Go ahead, use more mobile data.”  With rising complaints about slow networks, this is a brilliant way to attract bandwidth-hungry users.  And it brings to mind another capacity issue: Are companies using their full PR bandwidth?

“Heck, yeah,” might be the knee-jerk response. “We’re issuing press releases right & left, blogging for business, filling up our Facebook fan page with news, holding webinars, tweeting and podcasting, too.”  All well and true.  But in many cases, the content turns out to be identical from one medium to the next — companies use multiple forms of both traditional and social media to say the same thing. Gets a little boring.

Herewith, seven pointers on how to max out your PR capacity for optimal results:

1. Advance the Release.  Like everybody else these days, reporters, editors and bloggers are pressed for time. If you “own” the timing of an announcement, i.e., it’s not subject to customer approval, or a “material” announcement restricted by SEC rules, consider giving it out early to media on embargo.  They’ll appreciate the extra time, and the chances are good you’ll get more space — particularly if you offer it as an exclusive or semi-exclusive.
2. The Canned Q&A.  If you have no choice but to do a “day of” announcement, you’re competing with thousands of other companies in the same bind. Similar problem to above: Reporters may not have time for an interview. So do it for them. Create and distribute a Q&A exec interview they can use in whole or in part.  Many reporters already like to do e-mail interviews, where they send in Qs for the interviewee to respond to.  Why not provide the whole enchilada?  We learned this pointer years ago by including a Q&A in a press kit. Guess what?  Reporters skipped right over the press release and went straight for the Q&A. Result: mucho in-depth coverage.
3. Bloggerama.  Post blogs that flesh out the story with key details and opinion that didn’t fit in the announcement.  Instead of using a C-level author, find a tech or engineering type who can really drill down into the topic and provide fresh info that people can put to work right away. Include links to white papers and powerpoints that provide even more background on the topic.  Later, consider re-purposing such pieces as “guest blogs” for selected media.
4. Vertical Slant.  Just as all politics is local, so is much PR.  Vertical trade editors and local press want to know how a story affects the narrow interests of their readers.  They’ll blow right by a general announcement, but if you come back with a pitch tailored to the needs of readers of your target verticals, be they telecom, IT or financial services, or to the interests of businesses in a specific local/regional market, an editor might just bite.
5. Twitter and Facebook. It’s okay to have your announcements pop here, but don’t stop at that.  Use these mediums for a variety of purposes.  Promote speaking engagements and industry awards. Provide “Top 10″ tips that help customers improve their own business performance.  Point to relevant studies and articles in your field, even if they don’t directly reference your company — doing so demonstrates your willingness to act as an information conduit when it helps others. And though it seems blatantly self-promotional, link to your best coverage: It shows momentum for your story and may generate more coverage. Lastly, follow key editors and reporters on their favorite social media — You may uncover a request for help with stories they’re working on.
6. Linked In.  You might be surprised at the number of journalists who are willing to join your network. Following them on Linked In keeps you up-to-date on who’s been promoted, who’s left and who’s replacing them.  Requests for story ideas or help with articles crop up here, too.
7. Video Not Voice.  There was a time when people gathered around the radio once a week to hear the latest episode of “Little Orphan Annie.”  These days, “Captain Video” goes over a lot better.  Unless you have a gifted writer who knows how to create a tight, action-packed script — and a “talent” to breathe life into it — forget podcasting.  That goes double for webinars, at least as a PR tool.  99% of webinars are so self-promotional that press won’t cover them, not even they’re the sponsor! Video is more time-consuming to create, but people will pay attention to it.  High production value isn’t essential, and may even hurt if the end product looks like a commercial, but scripting and talent are still critical to making a great video.

With that, this blog is now maxed out.

Related posts:

1. Telecom PR: Drowning in Tech Gibberish? Tired of the term "CLEC," a marketing veep began calling...
2. Tech & Telecom PR – Tips for 2010 Planning With 2010 almost upon us, it's likely that companies will...
3. Tech PR: “Please Join Our Webinar” (Uh, I’ll Get Back to You) The note came in from a puzzled marketing colleague: "No...
4. Social Media and Tech PR: The Value of Hand-Crafting Seth Godin presents a cogent case for hand-crafted work. Matthew...
5. Tech PR: Call Me Over-Educationalized — I Detest “Curate” and “Monetization” In a past life as a trade journalist I edited...