Publishers: how to approach media relations
For any software publisher or, more generally, any company of any size, having good visibility in the media is a solid asset. However, this relationship with the media must not be built without respecting certain rules. Here are some explanations and communication tips for software publishers.
Publicising the launch of a product or a new feature
When a new version of a service or solution is released, a company naturally wants to communicate about its own product, inform its customer base and, more generally, its audience. To do this, it can use traditional communication, advertising and marketing tools, but it can also call on the media to meet its expectations.
The promise is an interesting one. Whether it's a question of gaining visibility, building brand awareness, building audience or customer loyalty or simply attracting new prospects, the media have the advantage of providing a complete sounding board for delivering your messages.
Communicating differently
To achieve this, it is essential to adopt an asynchronous rhythm between requests for interviews from the media, the supply of content (deliverables, infographics, white papers, etc.) and their eventual publication in the media. It is therefore important not only to listen to but also to understand this different time logic from that of your company.
Another point is that, while you can't invent the talent for public speaking, it is important to be able to communicate easily about your service. That's why media professionals generally recommend that you don't necessarily communicate about your product, but that you focus the debate on issues that indirectly address a company's specific concerns.
The results of this approach can be explosive. Many entrepreneurs are now used to appearing on TV or radio for the simple reason that they don't usually talk much about the profound nature of their company's business. So it's not unusual for business leaders to receive a steady stream of press coverage, the result of a pitch that is perfectly in tune with the zeitgeist or directly relevant to current events.
Faced with this need to make people understand and inform them, one thing seems clear: being able to explain trends or technologies that are sometimes complex in simple terms has become a major asset. It's a challenge that company managers need to take up if they are to approach their business from new angles. A complete arsenal at the service of your communication, which will not only help you to express yourself in a variety of ways, but also to anticipate the questions that will inevitably be asked.
Olivier Robillart is editor-in-chief of TECH IN France. This association, the voice of the digital industry in France, brings together 400 member companies, software publishers and service companies, from start-ups to multinationals.
Partner article. The expert contributors are authors who are independent of the appvizer editorial team. Their comments and positions are their own.
Article translated from French