We know that PR can be a powerful tool to complement marketing efforts.
However, within some technology companies, teams may downplay the importance of PR–often because they think it’s not as tangibly measurable as other activities. Admittedly, the benefits of PR for software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses often are silent. This doesn’t help SaaS communicators make the case for talking up PR’s influence during board meetings.
As communicators, we need to help company leaders understand that direct customer acquisition is not the only reason to do PR; often, it is the least important reason.
We have to make a case to broaden the view of PR’s power, from recruiting and fundraising to social proof.
Here a few points to support your argument:
Investors
It’s much harder for companies to attract funding when nobody has heard of them. The opinions of others influence investors, whether that’s thought leadership or news articles, reports or interviews. Earned coverage and perceived expertise of your executives will have a direct impact on how a venture capitalist (VC) views your company. This alone is a great reason for investing in PR.
SaaS expert and VC Mark Suster says, “Great PR could add $10 million to your valuation or increase your chances of closing a round 2x.” So, making sure you have good press is far from a vanity project; it adds to the bottom line and can prove beneficial, even years down the road.
As an example, before a recent funding round, almost all potential investors had tuned into an SaaS podcast the company’s CEO did. The CEO’s insights during that podcast shaped, in part, VCs’ positive perception of the company. Interestingly, that podcast debuted two years before the funding round.
Recruiting
Recruiting and retaining world-class talent is difficult. Positive PR is an asset at any point in the employee lifecycle. However, when you’re in a recruiting drive, the process becomes much easier when qualified candidates have read about your company, are familiar with what you do and when your vision and values excite them.
PR’s connection with high-quality talent acquisition is rarely considered, but makes for a strong argument–especially when candidates mention that they have seen your press articles during the interview process.
To measure this, make sure HR, or whomever is interviewing talent, notes when a candidate indicates she has read about the company. Keep track of the publications and articles through which candidates mention having read about the company; this will enhance your analytics.
Profile Raising
We know that press placements help develop a company’s profile and credibility. But there a few beneficial areas that aren’t touched upon enough, and they add strong rationale for PR investment:
- PR’s role in supporting SEO: A high ranking on Google is vital. Support those efforts with reams of highly visible press coverage, including case studies, new-customer stories and thought leadership. That’s powerful ammunition. It can be the tipping point for a decision maker.
- Partnerships: B2B SaaS PR is incredibly useful for raising a company’s profile. Potential partners will want reassurance that they’re working with a leader in the category. High-value press placements help solidify that perception.
- Coverage scale up: It’s going to be near impossible to land a feature in the New York Times, TechCrunch or Wall Street Journal if there’s no previous mention of your company. Existing press coverage provides journalists with context, understanding and the confidence to cover your business.
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