Tech PR (Public Relations) is one of the best ways for both established technology companies and startups to expand their reach, boost their reputation, and potentially increase sales. These days, there’s more to it than simply working with an agency to distribute news stories to tech publications.
PR consultants, freelancers, and agencies work with tech companies in a range of comprehensive campaigns, planning events, connecting with influencers, and exploring opportunities for lead generation. Whether you’re just launching a new company or product or you’ve been in the tech landscape for years, the right PR specialist could give you the edge you need.
That’s particularly true now that “technology” is becoming one of the fastest-growing and most competitive industries. So, what does tech PR actually involve in 2024, how can you choose the right partner for your team, and what trends should you be looking out for?
Here’s everything you need to know.
What is Tech PR?
Tech PR, like standard public relations, is the process of combining communication strategies, marketing campaigns, and relationships, to elevate your brand’s reputation, increase awareness, and drive demand for your tech company’s services or products.
Companies in every industry use public relations strategies to increase sales and conversions, the same is true in the technology space. Tech PR experts work with startups on the creation of campaigns that can include everything from news and press statements, to social media marketing, event presentations, and more.
The overall purpose of Tech PR is to make your company more attractive to investors, customers, and employees while protecting your brand from negative backlash.
What do Tech PR Companies Do?
Tech PR companies, professionals, consultants, and agencies are the specialists that technology brands work with to develop and implement comprehensive public relations strategies. They help organizations target the right media outlets, create engaging content, and forget relationships with influential figures and partners.
While the exact services that tech PR companies can offer vary, most offer assistance with the following:
- Media relations and outreach: PR companies build relationships with journalists, potential partners, thought leaders, brand ambassadors, and influencers. They use these relationships to boost the visibility and impact of your brand, as well as your marketing campaigns.
- Content creation: Most PR agencies will help with the development of crucial content, such as articles, blog posts, and press releases. They’ll tailor this content to the specific interests of your target audience based on extensive market research.
- Event planning and marketing: PR experts can help you plan physical and digital events or strategies for appearing at other industry-focused events. This gives you an opportunity to increase your media exposure and engage new customers.
- Digital marketing: PR companies can assist with a range of digital marketing tasks, from creating email marketing campaigns, to managing your social media profiles and calendars. They can also advise you on implementing pay-per-click campaigns.
- Thought leadership: PR experts excel at elevating a company’s thought leadership in their industry, with informative articles, interviews, and panel discussions. They also offer insights into your brand’s reputation, to help you boost your connection with customers.
- Internal communications: An often overlooked service that some PR companies offer is internal communications management. This essentially means structuring how you share branded content and materials with your team to boost brand consistency.
- Crisis management: Tech PR companies frequently assist businesses with preparing for and responding to adverse incidents, such as negative press stories and reviews. They help you defend your reputation against all kinds of threats.
How is Tech PR Different from Traditional PR?
On the surface, Tech PR probably seems pretty similar to any other form of public relations strategy. Admittedly, there is an overlap. Most tech PR companies use strategies similar to those of other PR experts, such as responsive PR techniques or influencer marketing.
The main difference between Tech PR and standard PR is that companies focusing exclusively on promoting “tech” companies have a more specific, niche focus. In both the B2B and B2C worlds, tech PR specialists need an in-depth knowledge of the tech landscape and buyer behaviors to implement the right promotional strategies and position companies correctly.
Since the tech landscape is constantly evolving, the trends in Tech PR are fast-moving, too. In 2024, for instance, there’s a greater focus among Tech PR agencies on:
Building credibility
Tech can be difficult to understand, even for B2B buyers. Customers don’t trust what they don’t fully understand, which means PR agencies need to work harder than usual to make a brand seem credible and authoritative.
This often means creating more in-depth content, reaching out to specific industry analysts and thought leaders, and getting news publicized on specific websites. It can also involve getting tech companies featured on specific market reports, like the Gartner Magic Quadrants.
Content marketing
Content marketing is a pretty standard component of any PR strategy today, but it’s particularly valuable in the tech industry. Since tech purchases are often more expensive than everyday purchases, customers usually need more information before they’re willing to convert. This makes educational, informative, and engaging content particularly crucial in tech PR.
Whitepapers, articles, case studies, and content that demonstrates social proof are particularly popular as they add to the credibility of emerging companies (particularly startups). As an example, look at all of the unique content HubSpot shares, both on its own website and across different platforms.
Adapting to trends
Tech PR companies need to adjust their marketing strategies and campaigns rapidly to suit quickly-changing market trends. Many use strategies like “Newsjacking” to stay ahead of the curve, or conduct in-depth research to create data-led marketing campaigns, based on what they know about a specific audience.
For instance, as governments continue to crack down on sustainability issues, many PR companies are focusing on promoting the eco-conscious activities of tech brands. Here’s an example of how Microsoft regularly shares reports on its sustainability initiatives.
Crisis management
While all companies can face issues from time to time, tech companies are often held to higher standards than most. Any evidence of a malfunction in a product or a company failing to adhere to the latest ESG and ethical guidelines can destroy a brand’s reputation. This makes consistent social monitoring and crisis management a must.
As an example, look at how much backlash Meta has received in recent months, for not just its metaverse technology and hardware, but its social media platforms and AI tools too. A good tech PR company would find a way to effectively respond to this backlash.
Innovative marketing campaigns
Tech companies are more likely to invest in cutting-edge marketing campaigns than other brands. They leverage things like extended reality, generative AI, and even predictive content pretty regularly. That’s because customers expect to see technology companies thinking outside of the box.
Various technology brands have even created full metaverse campaigns, showcasing their latest products in digital environments.
Why is Tech PR Important?
Similar to a PR strategy for any company, the right tech PR strategy can have exceptional results for business leaders, leading to massive increases in growth and revenue. Fundamentally, the right tech PR strategy can help differentiate a company from its competitors, improve its relationship with customers, and increase the ROI of other marketing campaigns.
Investing in tech PR can help both small, and larger technology companies to grow at incredible speed, and even respond effectively to potential threats (like negative press).
In particular, the biggest benefits of PR for tech brands include:
- Improved brand awareness and visibility: The biggest benefit of any PR strategy is that it significantly improves visibility for your company. Content published on your own website and social media channels can only travel so far. Tech PR companies can connect businesses with publications, influencers, and ambassadors who help them reach entirely new customers.
- Stronger SEO results: The right tech PR strategy can boost your SEO performance by driving valuable backlinks to your website. Many PR companies also work with technology brands to create thought leadership content and articles that target specific keywords, helping them connect with specific consumers through organic search.
- Attracting investors: Most tech companies, particularly startups, rely heavily on investments from the government, and third-parties. A strong PR strategy can demonstrate your value to potential investors, and help your business to grow at a faster rate. Most investors will be more likely to provide funding to a brand that has a great reputation.
- Boosting conversions: Since public relations strategies attract more attention to your company, they can drive more traffic to your website, leading to more opportunities for sales. Plus, PR strategies can help to increase trust in your company, making it more likely customers will want to buy products and services from you.
- Thought leadership: Tech PR companies invest a lot of effort into positioning companies as thought leaders in their industry. They highlight the innovation of the brand, the expertise of the people behind the company, and their impact on the wider market. This gives you an excellent way to differentiate yourself from the competition.
- Connecting with talent: A strong tech PR strategy doesn’t just attract investors and customers to your business; it can help you attract the attention of top talent, too. This is particularly crucial now that we’re facing a global shortage of tech experts and people with digital skills.
Mastering Tech PR: Why Hire a Tech PR Specialist
Notably, while a strong tech PR strategy can lead to a lot of benefits for business leaders, creating, implementing, and managing your own strategy isn’t simple. As a tech business leader, you’ll have an in-depth knowledge of your industry, and potentially your target audience, but you may not know how to share your company’s value proposition in a way that resonates with potential customers.
Plus, it’s unlikely you’ll have the skills, marketing technology, and network connections of a dedicated PR agency or specialist. Working with a specialist, whether it’s a tech PR consultant, freelancer, or company, might cost extra, but it delivers benefits like:
Expert Assistance Building Your Brand Reputation
As mentioned above, reputation is everything to a growing technology brand. You only need to glance at the latest stories shared by Google News to see plenty of examples of technology brands facing backlash because of issues with their products or problems with sustainability.
Tech PR specialists know how to respond to the press and the public in times of crisis to help preserve your brand’s reputation. They can use social media monitoring and listening tools to track positive and negative mentions of your brand, keeping you ahead of scandals.
They can also work with you on building a comprehensive brand positioning strategy that elevates your go-to-market efforts and boosts your chances of earning customer loyalty.
Insights into the Latest Tech PR Techniques
Trends in the public relations marketing landscape are constantly evolving. In recent years, we’ve seen a growing number of companies in the tech industry taking advantage of things like data-driven PR and newsjacking. Here’s a great example from AWS: taking advantage of the growing hype around generative AI to promote their services.
Tech PR companies know which strategies actually work for budding and growing technology companies, and they can help you adapt dynamically to the latest trends. They even leverage cutting-edge analytical tools, so they can provide granular insights into which campaigns really work.
This means you’re more likely to see a high return on investment from every campaign you create with a PR specialist and reduce your overall marketing budget. Plus, since tech PR brands invest in powerful marketing technologies, they can share those solutions with your company, whether it’s helping you automate press release distribution or create content with AI.
Marketing Strategy Expertise
As mentioned above, most tech PR companies don’t just distribute press releases to publications anymore. They’re quickly becoming multi-faceted marketing teams that can help with various aspects of your promotional efforts. Depending on the specialists you hire, you can get state-of-the-art assistance with everything from content production to creating Facebook Ads.
Tech PR experts are particularly good at creating content that resonates with a specific niche in the tech sector. They conduct in-depth research to learn everything they can about your target audience’s pain points, goals, and expectations to help you formulate the right marketing messages.
Moreover, their experience promoting other technology brands means they can guide you toward the right distribution methods and channels to improve your reach. For instance, they might help a B2B tech company stand out with LinkedIn video posts, newsletters, and posts on specific groups.
Access to an Extensive Network
One of the biggest benefits of working with a tech PR specialist or company is that you gain access to a carefully curated network. This is particularly crucial for smaller tech companies, who might be just beginning to branch out into the market. PR specialists already have existing connections with leading tech publications like Mashable, Wired, Forbes, CNET, and Bloomberg.
This means they can submit press releases and news stories to the most reputable sites on the web, improving your chances of connecting with crucial customers and investors. Many of the top tech PR companies also have proprietary networks of influencers, affiliates, and thought leaders they work with to elevate your brand’s reputation.
Ultimately, tech PR companies make it easier to attract the valuable “earned” media that boosts your visibility online and even offline in some cases.
Support with Additional Services
On top of all the benefits mentioned above, many Tech PR companies also boost their value by offering access to additional services and support. They can help you build a more impactful brand, by conducting research on your behalf, and helping you design customer profiles.
Some tech PR companies assist organizations with finding affiliates and brand ambassadors they can use to increase and optimize their lead-generation efforts. Many also offer support with comprehensive social media management, assisting with campaign creation for both paid and organic strategies, social monitoring, and reporting.
If you choose to work with a tech PR consultant or freelancer, you can even build your own team of freelance experts to help with every aspect of your marketing strategy.
The Top Tech PR Companies in 2024
Notably, there are numerous ways to get support with your tech PR efforts in 2024. You don’t have to rely exclusively on an agency or complete PR team. In fact, at Toptal, we can match companies with dedicated tech PR freelancers and consultants with years of experience working with some of the biggest names in the industry.
However, if you’re looking for more comprehensive, multi-level support and you don’t want to take the time to build your own freelancer team, there are some great companies out there. Here are just some of the biggest brands making waves in the tech space.
1. Channel V Media
Channel V Media is an award-winning company from the US, specializing in website development, content marketing, and public relations. The company has an excellent reputation in the tech industry, working with well-known organizations like Bold Commerce, and Breezometer.
Technology PR is one of the specialist areas promoted by the company, and it has an excellent range of connections that can be particularly valuable to tech brands. For instance, Channel V can get your news stories published on platforms like Forbes, Reuters, the MIT Technology Review, and CNBC.
Notably, Channel V works in virtually every technology vertical, from Fintech and AdTech to artificial intelligence and cyber security. It’s even earned positive reviews from companies like Oracle.
Services offered:
- Messaging and brand positioning
- PR strategy development
- Thought leadership
- Media relations
- Newsjacking
- Crisis Communications
- Press releases
- Data analysis
- Product announcements
- Trade show management
2. 5WPR
Like most PR companies, 5WPR doesn’t focus exclusively on promoting technology brands. It also creates and manages campaigns for consumer products and finance organizations. However, the business is particularly passionate about the tech industry.
The 5W team has worked with a range of technology startups and innovators, including N26, Payoneer, and Vizio. What makes this company special is that it goes beyond the basics of standard public relations services to offer assistance with all forms of tech promotion, including search engine optimization and reputation management.
Throughout almost two decades, 5WPR has continued to build its position as a leader in the technology space, and its won a number of awards for its campaigns too.
Services offered:
- Tech product announcements
- Crisis communication
- Reputation management
- Digital PR
- SEO and content marketing
- Social media management
- Consulting and analytics
3. Crowdcreate
Crowdcreate is an unusual tech PR company. It doesn’t just focus on traditional outreach and public relations. The company has also built an exclusive network of thought leaders, ambassadors, and influencers it works with to promote growing startups and market innovators.
Crowdcreate also has a fantastic investor relations strategy, which can help smaller technology companies attract the attention of experts for extra funding. The company has raised more than $250 million for its clients and has worked with the likes of Anker, Lenovo, and TP-Link.
Unlike most tech PR companies, Crowdcreate focuses mostly on cutting-edge tech vendors, like those in the cryptocurrency, NFT, and web3 markets. It also leverages generative AI quite often to help scale digital marketing campaigns.
Services offered:
- PR outreach and promotion
- Investor marketing
- Digital marketing
- Influencer and affiliate marketing
- Generative AI advertising
- Social media management
- Consulting and analytics
- Community management (for web3 companies)
- Event marketing
4. Merritt Group
Another award-winning leader in the realm of tech PR companies, Meritt Group, is a global organization that offers comprehensive content marketing and outreach services to a range of technology brands. The company specifically thrives in the niches of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and connectivity.
Merritt has worked with the likes of Microsoft, Databricks, and Tableau on end-to-end marketing campaigns in the past, and often takes advantage of the latest technology to fuel data-driven campaigns. When companies invest in this organization for PR marketing, they also automatically gain access to the team’s SEO and social media skills.
As a bonus, the Meritt Group can also offer training and guidance to members of your team, providing you with the insights you need to sustain the results of your PR campaigns.
Services offered:
- Thought leadership
- Media and analysts’ relations
- Messaging and positioning
- Media training
- Content and social media management
- Search engine optimization
- Data analysis
- Event management and promotion
5. Babel PR
Babel PR is one of the few companies out there that actively advertises itself as a “Tech PR company”. While other organizations spread their services across a range of industries, Babel focuses exclusively on tech, giving it a niche edge.
The company has worked alongside many innovative brands, such as Vislink, TelcoDR, Epson, and NetScout. Primarily, they’re a B2B focused brand, which means they probably won’t be able to build the perfect campaign for a consumer tech organization.
However, Babel has achieved incredible results with its work, expanding awareness for countless fintech, cybersecurity, and even ecommerce organizations. The company’s services are pretty comprehensive, too, and include media training.
Services offered:
- Industry analysts relations
- Media relations
- Content creation and promotion
- Organic and paid social media
- Bespoke media analysis
- Event marketing
- Brand messaging and strategy
How to Choose a Tech PR Specialist
Whether you decide to source support from one of the tech PR companies mentioned above or you choose to work with a specialist consultant or freelancer, there are a few things to keep in mind. Some of the key factors we recommend examining when making your decision include:
- Industry expertise: The most effective tech PR companies and specialists have a deep knowledge of the tech industry. They should have a proven track record working with similar organizations in your niche and should be aware of the unique needs and pain points of your target audience. Look for clear evidence of industry success.
- Reputation: Most great B2B tech agencies and specialists should be able to provide insights into the results they’ve accomplished in the past. If you can’t find any customer success stories, reviews, or case studies linked to a professional, it’s best to look elsewhere.
- Service Scope: As mentioned above, different tech PR companies can offer different types of services. Some only help with PR outreach and media relations. Others can support you with content creation, social media management, and influencer marketing. Decide how much support you’re going to need from your PR company in advance.
- Transparent communication: The best PR company should be constantly looking for ways to prove its value to your business. Make sure any organization you work with regularly shares reports and analytics with you, tracking the key metrics that matter to your brand. Ensure there’s always someone available to answer any questions you might have.
- Access to tech: Usually, the best tech PR companies will take advantage of cutting-edge tech to help them optimize your campaigns. Look for a company that uses intuitive keyword research tools, analytical and reporting software, and even AI. Access to social listening tools can be extremely useful, too. It helps with protecting your brand’s reputation.
Making the Most of Tech PR: Top Tips
Before you run off to hire a consultant or company to assist you with your tech PR efforts, we have some additional best practice advice to share. Succeeding in tech PR can be complex, particularly since the industry is so competitive. Based on the trends influencing the PR landscape right now, here are some quick tips to optimize your PR strategy.
1. Follow the Latest PR Trends
No matter which industry you’re in, it’s important to recognize that the public relations landscape is constantly evolving. Not so long ago, “outreach” in PR simply meant connecting with relevant industry publications. Now, it also involves forming connections with influencers and brand ambassadors across the social media landscape.
Some of the other major trends to keep an eye on right now include:
- Artificial Intelligence: AI is becoming increasingly common in tech PR. Generative AI tools can help scale content creation, assisting with the development of pitches and blogs. AI analytical tools can also help you determine which topics to talk about in thought leadership content. Just be careful not to rely on AI too much.
- Cross channel promotion: Although cross-channel promotion has been common in PR for a while, the number of different channels companies use is increasing. As well as sharing website-based content, posting on publications and using social media, companies are running offline and online events, and even investing in podcasts.
- Thought leadership: Thought leadership marketing is also a big thing in PR today, particularly in the tech landscape. Sharing unique insights and demonstrating industry expertise can give you an edge in a world where AI-generated content is becoming commonplace. Check out the example here from IBM:
Pay Attention to Tech Industry Trends
Aside from watching the trends emerging in the PR landscape, it’s also important to be aware of the trends in the technology space. As mentioned above, “ESG” (Environmental, Social, Governance) factors are becoming increasingly important in the tech landscape as both businesses and consumers look for ways to reduce their carbon footprints and make more ethical purchases.
As investment in AI continues, many consumers are also looking for more authenticity and “human spirit” from technology brands. This doesn’t mean you have to avoid using automation and AI in your marketing strategies or produce less data-driven content.
However, it does mean it’s more important to have an authentic, human voice that resonates with your target audience. For instance, you might notice that a lot of the videos and content that HubSpot promotes features genuine people, sharing real insights in thought-provoking, emotional ways.
Paying attention to the latest tech trends, and how buyer behaviors are changing, should help you to create more impactful campaigns when working with your PR expert. Watch news stories relevant to your industry, track your competitors, and even listen to your customers with social monitoring tools to find out what they’re talking about.
Analyze Everything
Finally, this is something every company investing in PR should be doing, but it’s particularly crucial in the tech industry, where the success of a campaign can change overnight. Before you launch any new promotional strategy with your PR tech company, decide which metrics you’re going to monitor.
You could look at anything from campaign engagement levels, to media coverage and reach, web traffic, conversions, domain authority, and even share of voice. The right PR expert should be able to give you access to tools that help you to monitor this crucial data. More importantly, they should help you to analyze that data, and turn it into strategies to optimize your future campaigns.
The most important thing to remember with tech PR is that you can’t just wait until the end of a campaign to see how well it performed. You need to be constantly paying attention to everything from customer sentiment, to reach. This can help you determine whether you need to change strategies quickly, to avoid damage to your reputation.
Just look at how quickly Zoom shifted tactics after announcing its latest AI-powered features to focus on reassuring customers that their data would be kept private.
Investing in the Power of Tech PR
Developing and implementing a comprehensive and powerful tech PR strategy can be complicated. There are a lot of things to consider, from changing market trends to the evolving marketing landscape overall. However, the right campaigns, partnerships, and communication strategies can help you attract more customers and investors, boost conversions, and outperform the competition.
The easiest way to give yourself an edge in an environment as complex as the tech PR landscape is to work with the right experts. Seek out specialists who already have the network connections you need and understand the needs of your target audience. Work with them to develop powerful campaigns that boost your brand’s reputation and position you as an industry thought leader.
Most importantly, ensure you’re ready to rapidly adapt and pivot as you gather feedback and insights from your target audience. If you need help mastering your tech PR strategy, reach out to Toptal today to find the ultimate PR consultant or freelancer.
FAQs
What is a technology PR company?
A technology PR company is a public relations business or agency that works with technology companies to enhance their brand’s visibility, increase awareness, and boost lead generation tactics. The right PR company will use various marketing strategies and connections with crucial influencers and publications to help you connect with your target audience.
What is the meaning of Tech PR?
Tech PR, or Technology Public Relations, is a marketing and brand promotional strategy that involves enhancing and managing the public image of a technology company. It encompasses strategic communication, relationship development, and content creation, with a focus on boosting connections with the media, stakeholders, and the public.
Can technology support public relations?
Technology can have a significant impact on public relations strategies. Online platforms, like websites, social media channels, and email, help companies to connect with their target audience. Tech can also help with analyzing market and customer trends, monitoring a brand’s reputation, and creating content for marketing campaigns.
