4 tips to reach multiple verticals

One of the obvious and most crucial goals of a tech company’s public relations strategy is to gain media coverage, which can result from a variety of different efforts and come in many different forms. Tech companies often focus on being covered in top tier outlets, such as TechCrunch, Insider, or WIRED. While those are definitely publications to aim for, in order to land an article, you have to know how to tailor your story to each individual outlet and utilize your brand positioning to your advantage. Some aspects of your company will be of interest to some journalists, while other aspects will capture the attention of others. 

Media verticals are major categories or themes, which PR professionals look at to focus on specific audiences with targeted approaches. Here are four tips to keep in mind when you are considering which media verticals to pitch your tech company to.

Share company news with business outlets

When pitching business publications, it’s not unusual to be excited about your product or service and to want to share all of the features that come along with it. However, one of the biggest news-generating topics for a tech startup is its financial backing. How much money did it raise? Series A, B, C, or D? Is it a unicorn? These facts can be of huge interest to business reporters who specialize in funding news. Be sure to pay attention to what level of funding reporters cover and if they focus only on a certain number range. Oftentimes, it is an advantage to include funding news in a startup’s first press release. This way, the company’s launch will not only attract reporters in its specific industry, but it will also pique the interest of business journalists. 

Business journalists are also the prime targets for news regarding partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions. Many specialize in Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and make that clear in their bios. However, make sure to keep reading to see if they focus on a certain industry, such as health tech, fintech, or others. Another thing to keep in mind when pitching business news is to make sure you’ve left no stones unturned when it comes to potential contacts. For example, M&A news involves two (or more) companies, which gives you added possibilities -- both with industry niches and multiple geographies. For example, you should reach out to not only local business publications where the main company is based, but also outlets where the company that’s being acquired is located.

Dig for niche publications

One of the advantages of being a tech company is that there is guaranteed to be an online presence for niche publications focused on exactly what your company does. Whether that be fintech, medtech, crypto, DeFi, or something else, there are loads of specialized publications that are a fit for your company and that may be perfect to approach for a news feature about your company’s new product or service. Though some of these niche publications have a lower number of unique monthly visitors, that’s okay, because the readers of these sites are your exact target audience. They are more likely to relate to and appreciate your company, care about your industry, and to inquire about your business -- which, in the long run, is what leads to more users.

Build relationships with tech targets 

Further broadening your scope will bring you to the general tech vertical. This category includes big names like Engadget, The Verge, and ZDNet. These outlets bring you the latest news, analysis, commentary, and product reviews for many tech sectors. Given the range of coverage at these publications, it’s important for tech companies to be aware of who covers their beat, whether that is consumer tech, enterprise tech, and so on. These publications are also where to go if you want to get your product looked at by a top reviewer. Being included in a review is important for companies in the tech space, as there are not many things better than positive reviews of your product as social proof for your brand. The cycle of building relationships with reviewers and obtaining positive reviews is very valuable for any business. 

Land a profile in mainstream media

In addition to landing articles in business and industry-related publications, seeing your company’s name in a mainstream outlet will undoubtedly bring you a sense of excitement. You can pitch mainstream publications a variety of announcements due to the fact that they have many different teams with an array of focuses. One option is to try to get a profile piece on your company or one of its founders. These profiles can give readers a full overview of your new business, its activities, mission, and goals, even through the course of an interview. It can also include the story of the company’s founding and describe its products or services. When reaching out to a journalist about this type of story, tech startups should also include any notable achievements they’ve received thus far (such as funding, testimonials, and company growth). Getting a synopsis or interview like this published in a mainstream outlet is a great step in building awareness for your tech business. 

Take advantage of your strengths 

Tech startups should take advantage of all of the different aspects of their companies to get the most out of media relations. When considering what announcements are newsworthy and to whom, tech companies can gain great insights by researching similar past announcements by competitors to see what kind of coverage they garnered and where. By being creative and utilizing a number of different verticals, coverage will come easier. Good coverage brings more good coverage. Learning who to pitch what -- and how -- takes some time, but breaking up your coverage goals into verticals like the ones above is a great first step. By focusing on different audiences and being creative with the different verticals that you can hit, your tech company will have the opportunity to thrive in the world of media.