Tier 1 coverage doesn’t have to be out of reach for B2B tech and telecoms companies with complex technologies. Even if they don’t have a consumer story to tell, they can still secure Tier 1 coverage and tell a compelling story to a wider audience.
Often, Fortune 500 companies dominate Tier 1 news and articles. Large companies like Apple, Facebook and Google can generate coverage with a product launch or new features or capabilities. The journalists know they drive clicks and readers are curious about their every move. It can be difficult to get the same level of engagement for smaller B2B companies.
For many tech and telecoms businesses the role they play in the ICT ecosystem can be critical but difficult for general audiences to understand. They’re important and have interesting stories to tell but that has to be translated and communicated effectively to get Tier 1 coverage.
Research & Tracking
Researching and tracking the things that journalists like to talk about and engage with on Social Media enables you to tailor pitches and tell a story that will have the biggest impact for them. You should be on LinkedIn and Twitter, following them and seeing what they post. Journalists often tweet out asking for story ideas so if you can provide real help with your business news, it can be an effective way to get coverage.
For our B2B clients, we hand pick journalists from key Tier 1 publications to track and pitch the most appropriate news to them.
Relationships
It’s important to remember that Tier 1 coverage shouldn’t be about securing a one-time article. B2B companies need to nurture their relationships with journalists to maximise the potential number of hits. When they know who you are, what you do and can relate to the types of stories you share, they will be more open to future news from you.
B2B businesses should build valuable relationships through regularly speaking with journalists, introducing them to clients and inviting them to events. It’s a great opportunity to secure face time with the journalists and create affinity towards your business.
A strong relationship is also a crucial part in seeing the whole PR process through to completion. Securing interviews is great but it doesn’t necessarily mean coverage and articles can get pulled at any time. Building strong and long-term relationships helps to turn news into published articles.
The Story
Stories can be technical but they have to have an impact on the general audience. They have to be positioned with a human-interest angle. For example, we have used networking equipment and highlighted its role in Voice fraud that everyone experiences. The client may be interested in the technical capabilities of a product or service, what makes it exciting is how it affects people’s personal and professional lives.
Piggybacking
Sometimes, B2B clients will have a story that is relevant to a topic that is already making news. There’s potential to piggyback on existing news to place a story for a client. We work with a lot of global businesses with reach into unique markets.
While they may not realise it, they have a lot of insights into business cultures around the world and how to do business in places as unique as Afghanistan, Myanmar and Nigeria. In this way, we’ve been able to get Tier 1 coverage for clients using their unique knowledge that goes beyond tech.
Outcomes
For a B2B company, securing Tier 1 coverage can be a great communications tool both internally and externally. Customers, prospects and peers see that they are a business that matters with interesting stories to tell and one that has real momentum behind it. Internally, it makes team members feel proud to be working for a firm that’s making progress, innovating and growing in the industry.
Tier 1 coverage can also provide another unique touchpoint for being discovered by prospects. They see quality Tier 1 coverage and know that they can trust the organisation. It encourages prospects to reach out and start conversations.
At Ilex, we’ve helped our B2B tech and telco clients secure leading coverage in some of the most recognised publications including New York Times, International Herald Tribune, Reuters, The Times of London and City A.M. We know what it takes to craft a compelling story and get in front of the right people.
To find out how we can help turn complicated messages into simple and easy to understand stories that drive Tier 1 coverage, please get in touch.