It’s been a tough time since March 2020, particularly for businesses. With commerce paralyzed and the events industry put on the backburner, technology has been left at the forefront of ensuring our lives are disrupted as little as possible. As a result, technology public relations has become one of the central pillars to a new wave of solutions aimed at helping us navigate part 2 of the pandemic.
Tech companies, however, can’t go it alone. This is especially true for younger startups trying to make a name for themselves, considering tech is one of the few industries that has mostly muscled through the pandemic. Here’s what they need to know about tech PR:
Storytelling Can Be a Golden Goose
Most PR agencies since the onset of COVID-19 have had to change their approach. From servicing clients, liaising with the media, and building new business pipelines, to reinforcing brand presence, everything shifted. During the pandemic, the demand for standout content in particular, in order to fuel social and digital activity became more apparent than ever.
This is where the power of effective storytelling and narratives have helped businesses carve out their own brand of added value amidst the rubble. Producing engaging content which tells a captivating story has enabled technology public relations to retain the confidence of clients’ expectations in the absence of physical trade conferences and networking events.
A Chaperone in a Sea of Uncertainty
As the world rediscovers itself amid the vaccine rollout, startups should be cautious about taking on too much in house, especially when it relates to PR and marketing. Technology public relations agencies have acted as a guiding light for hesitant business strategists trying to decipher the best next step amidst the uncertainty, and they will continue to do so
Technology Public Relations Needs to Keep its Finger on The Pulse
Being a guiding light amidst uncertainty means agencies need to understand the true perspective of an industry, being fully aware of shifting priorities and not straying too far away from the “mood of the room.” That’s where some agencies have sometimes veered off. The technology industry sometimes acts within a microcosm, detached from the struggles of the average Joe struggling to make ends meet.
That being said, there is also an awareness by journalists of the broader challenges that organizations face achieving growth, positive company culture, and workforce productivity in a pandemic. In other words, reporters also want to cover the human side of business.
Never Missing a Beat
Agencies need to keep in step with the shift of newsroom structures and beats. You see many agencies waiting for the news cycle to slow down and settle. That’s ill advised, the pandemic will remain the prevailing narrative for the foreseeable future. Depending on the nature of each news announcement, agencies need to do a better job of ensuring the messaging is relevant to the current environment businesses, workforces, and consumers face. The more a technology public relations agency operates oblivious to what’s going on around it, the more it potentially becomes irrelevant to businesses who require a pragmatic understanding of the entire landscape.
