Four PR Projects for July & August

July/August can be a quiet time marcom-wise for tech firms. People are on vacation, many trade mags have already gone to press for their summer issues, and there is very little trade show activity. Plenty of time then, to consider your marcom activity for the forthcoming quarter.

Here’s some things you can usefully do:

Send Out A Newsletter

July and August are good months to reach out directly to your target market, and a good way to do this is with a company newsletter.   All this requires is five or six articles recapping important company news from the last few months and previewing forthcoming events – trade shows, new developments etc. Pictures and illustrations will help lift the text. Newsletters are a great way of staying in touch and front of mind for your targeted customer base, and in-house newsletter templates are relatively inexpensive to distribute.

The success of the newsletter depends on the quality and relevance of the articles – remember you are engaging with your key prospects, customers and investors, so make sure the content is on point – knowledgeable, informative, displaying unique insight.

Another key to the success of your newsletter is who you send it to, - the better targeted they are, the more likely they will be to read it, so remember to keep building your in-house distribution list.

Tighten Your Press List

Check your in-house press list is current. This is a time consuming process, but it is also informative. Two things do to check your media list is current are:

·       Read the most recent articles by everyone on the list, to make sure they are still covering your area of interest;

·       Check the press pages of competitors to see if and where they have been getting coverage, and make sure those writers and editors are on your list.

Press lists are fluid, constantly changing as writers and editors move on and publications adjust their focus. The most successful press lists are selective – lists with a tight industry focus are more likely to be engaged with properly targeted news and feature pitches.

Check Forward Features for Sept - Nov

This is something you can do while you are checking your press list – when you visit recent articles of your target writers and editors, also check out the ‘forward features’ for Sept – Nov., and make a note of anything of interest, and give yourself plenty of time to get you pitch in.   Anything listed for September will need immediate action, so if you see items of interest there, that should take priority. 

Prepare Q4 Trade Show Activity

If you are planning a trade show appearance during Sept/Oct/Nov, it is always worth checking the organisers’ media arrangements. Most shows have media partners, or are run by media companies, and these will be looking for pre-show content to create a buzz and encourage participation. And if the show in in September, they might have a list of other trade media registered to attend the show, so it is also worth dropping them a line, introducing your company, and letting them know what and where in the hall you will be exhibiting, offering a preview. 

For more advice on your PR programme for the rest of 2024, please feel free to contact me here to set up a no obligation call.