As "e" business begins to segue into simply business, tech reporting has begun to converge with more mainstream business coverage. It's focusing less on the mechanics of
technology and more on how it has shaped the way we do business. Tech reporters are now on the hunt for companies that can show tangible examples of the impact their products and
services have in the real world, for real customers. That may mean you need to adjust the delivery or focus of your communications programs.
One of the keys to securing positive tech coverage is to move the focus of your pitch from your company's technology to what your company has done for its customers. Benefits-
focused pitches are more compelling to reporters who want to show their readers the impact of a service or product your company offers. When you can present case studies that
illustrate such impact, your stories will be more relevant and useful. Some companies include language in customer contracts that helps facilitate feedback to use in product
announcements or case studies. Some additional suggestions:
Media Sources: Industry Analysts
Reporters typically search for multiple sources to help give balance and credibility to a story. Industry analysts can play a critical role as impartial commentators, offering
context for your product or service, as well as perspective on how it compares to other services on the market. When pitching a story, alert the relevant industry analysts in
advance and provide their contact information to the reporter. The reporter may or may not contact the analyst you recommend, but quite frequently they will ask for a recognized
source that understands the product and can give them a reasoned opinion within a tight deadline.
Jargon-Free Zones
As technology and business reporting converge, there is less tolerance for the jargon that frequently plagues press releases today. Try to avoid words and phrases such as
scaleable, turnkey, next generation, best of breed (or class) and robust - or risk the wrath or ridicule of the reporters you are trying to reach. I know it sounds basic, but take
a look at some of the technology announcements on BusinessWire or PR Newswire. Companies still issue press releases that read as if they were written by engineers,
touting products that require the Rosetta Stone to decipher.
Web Sites: Corporate Blueprints
Corporate Web sites are increasingly serving as tool boxes for reporters, offering case studies, press releases, biographies, photos, speeches, and industry analyst reports, as
well as links to earlier press coverage, in a format that is easily accessible, 24 hours a day. Well-designed sites can serve as effective channels for message dissemination, as
well as for information gathering. Most sites feature clearly marked "newsrooms" of varying degrees of depth. Try offering email alerts or newsletters, but recognize that in
this cluttered media environment, less is often more. You don't want the reporter regretting the day he wandered onto your site.
Media Trading Cards
The onslaught of new technology-focused media outlets means more targeted coverage and, therefore, more targeted outreach. This requires an even greater personal and targeted
approach to media relations. While understanding a publication's focus and a reporter's beat is important, it is becoming more challenging in this rapidly shifting environment.
Many journalists seem to change beats and publications faster than free agents change teams in the major leagues.
To keep track, you'll need a media database that's as targeted and flexible
as baseball trading cards - formerly packaged with gum and now found online.
You can maintain your core press list yourself, or contract the task out to
a service such as Press Access (http://www.pressaccess.com),
Media Map (http://www.mediamap.com) or Vocus (http://www.PRality.com).
Such services will help you manage targeted lists of reporters - along with
their beats, interests and contact information - that you can slice and dice
as needed. They'll also send you weekly email updates and alerts to help keep
you moving at "Internet speed" (another overused term - I slipped, sorry).
One final word of caution: be careful not to recycle the same material too often. Nothing puts off a journo on the prowl like stale news. It also creates a perception that
your company has little depth. And, as always, offering meaningful exclusives is usually an attractive proposition to reporters in this competitive media environment.
Reid Walker is managing director,global marketing communications for GE
Global eXchange Services. 301/340-5985, [email protected].
Media Tides
Reporters and publications seem to have moved to the next phase of the Internet
revolution, which goes beyond "isn't technology neat?" to "isn't technology
useful?" A new crop of publications (on- and off-line) point to the nearly ubiquitous
impact of technology on all facets of business and life. Publications such as
line 56, Darwin, eCompany Now and alarm:clock (http://www.thealarmclock.com)
examine the changing world of technology business - ground that was tilled by
magazines such as Red Herring, Business 2.0 and the Industry
Standard (which are also growing fatter every issue, and occasionally reaching
Manhattan Yellow Pages-like heft).