As the cloud computing industry continues to boom — Forrester Research estimates that the public cloud market’s value will exceed $1 trillion worldwide by 2026 — businesses realize an ever-growing need for differentiation in an increasingly crowded market. Product innovation is necessary to become a top player in the industry, but distributing timely product information proves challenging with many brand voices.
A fully comprehensive, KPI-driven public relations strategy is essential to break through the noise and place your cloud computing organization in front of the right customers. Partnering with a PR agency can increase brand awareness and lead generation while cutting your organization a more significant piece of the pie when measuring share of voice.
1) Enhancing Brand Awareness
Establishing brand awareness in the cloud computing industry can drain internal company time and resources. Your cloud computing startup may offer an innovative solution. Still, without the press-oriented efforts of a PR agency, customers will remain ill-informed regarding new product offerings, advancements, and differentiators. A PR agency can leverage existing relationships with relevant vertical, industry, and Tier 1 media to connect your brand with target audience gatekeepers.
By building strong relationships with cloud computing journalists and industry influencers, a PR team will score impactful media mentions for your company that reach potential customers, investors, and industry leaders.
An effective PR team will maintain brand awareness among journalists and experts within the cloud computing sector by providing relevant and timely information to stakeholders. A steady cadence of company news and executive expertise sets the foundation for a PR team to develop reporter and analyst relationships that lock in consistent coverage.
2) Generating Leads and Acquiring Customers
Consistent, timely coverage will improve your company’s stake in the market and generate new business opportunities. After your target audience becomes familiar with your company, its messaging and product offerings, PR teams will initiate a top-of-funnel approach to generate awareness of products and services.
Company announcements — surrounding product developments, hiring updates or year-over-year growth — allow PR teams to approach journalists with timely news and generate media mentions that turn into qualified leads with an expanded customer base. When searching for cloud computing solutions, prospective buyers look first for companies leading the way for the industry's future. Through frequent and targeted media mentions and placements, companies with a stake in the industry develop authority among customers.
Another method a PR agency uses to generate leads from qualified customers is through strategic thought leadership opportunities. Thought leadership can highlight your cloud computing company and its executive team as valuable experts within the industry. As a thought leader, your company’s spokespeople will be given a platform to share their insights through contributed articles secured by your PR team. Thought leadership positions your organization as a credible, well-informed industry leader and offers up company executives as valuable sources for ongoing reporter relationships.
Social media can also be a worthwhile tool to generate initial relationships with potential buyers. Although navigating corporate social media can be intimidating, owned content sets the foundation for all other PR and marketing activities. By building out your corporate social media accounts, your company will accumulate a repository of content for your PR team to develop campaigns and proactive pitching angles.
3) Staying Ahead of the Competition
Maximizing your company’s share of voice within the cloud computing industry is imperative in such a crowded playing field. A PR agency will monitor and analyze trends and coverage to ensure your company remains top of mind. Coverage trackers and analytics tools are leveraged by PR teams when pitching strategy recommendations for your company. These tools track your share of voice and other valuable metrics that company stakeholders request and provide insight into timely conversations your company can join.
A great PR team will also track competitor activity and respond accordingly to shifts in the share of voice measurements. By communicating crucial differentiators and offering a unique value proposition for your company, PR teams can drive coverage that positions your brand above competitor conversations. Shifting PR strategy plans and goals based on changes in trends keeps your company nimble in an ever-advancing market.
PR is essential in creating significant coverage and awareness for your company. The rapidly-developing cloud computing industry continues to produce more startups with innovative solutions. But at the same time, it presents an ever-growing need for differentiation in messaging and media strategies.
Although many tech startups have experienced economic turbulence in recent months, an investment in a PR agency and the strategies they develop is crucial for top-of-funnel success. No matter the stage of your cloud computing company, a partnership with a PR agency can benefit the company's growth and reputation.