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It’s no secret that Singapore is the Asia’s version of Silicon Valley with the most number of start-ups. Singapore already hosts major projects like Facebook’s S$1.4 billion data center and Alibaba’s first joint research institute outside China.
In more recent news, Amazon recently took over a giant conference hall in downtown Singapore to launch a $9 billion investment plan. It is clearly evident that Singapore’s tech sector has been growing and there are major advancements in global technology further reshaping the business landscape.
When it comes to PR, effective tech communication is crucial. For startups and tech giants, it is crucial to convey your message early on and get too hung-up on product specifications or tech spec sheets. It is all about language and specialised strategies that make you stand out from other companies.
How can you as a tech company build on your PR storytelling? Here are some of our insights from a local tech communications agency in SG:
Tech Communication Strategies vs Regular PR Strategies
Tech PR is not as straightforward as regular PR – it’s more than just taking a press release, localising it and publishing it. It requires technical expertise and understanding of the tech product, including several round of demonstrations before you get a sense of the key messages.
The language is perhaps one of the most important aspects – media outlets like Tech in Asia, e27 or Vulcan Post have a certain way of writing. To get published in these publications, you need to have a thorough understanding of what beats do these publications pick up and the client’s specific sector in order to be able to translate their messages to each reporter.
What Key Elements Are Important with Tech PR?
- Clarity and Precision
The various products and services by tech start-ups are not very exciting sometimes when it comes to crafting a story. It’s important to simplify it as much as possible and distill technical jargon into clear and understandable language.
A tech communications agency in Singapore helps in carefully explaining complex concepts into layman messages that resonate with a broader audience.
- Tech storytelling
Let’s face it: people are here for the stories rather than the raw data. You can’t turn a spec sheet into a press release. You need to craft a compelling narrative that includes various angles from a founder’s story and vision, to solving an industry pain point that digs deep into that connection with the audience.
Most of our team members at a tech communications agency often spend time with the product team and the sales team as well as the founder to break down the messages. It is time spent with different teams that allows us to discuss to craft various angles from success stories to real-world applications which make it more relatable and inspiring.
- Being adaptable
The tech industry is constantly changing; there are new and disruptive technologies and other competitors who are always reinventing themselves.
This requires razor-sharp focus and PR efforts and campaigns that are consistent for at least a six-month duration for you to see results. You’ll want your tech communication agency in Singapore to be churning out new pitches and being adaptable to the landscape as it changes.
For instance, if there’s a sudden surge in interest around AI-driven solutions, your PR agency should be quick to pivot and highlight how your company’s technology leverages AI to solve critical problems.
What does an ideal PR tech campaign look like?
- Press Releases and Media Outreach: The most important is to begin with crafting compelling stories about how your start-ups are uniquely positioned to address this pain point in the industry. These are pitched as stories to tech journalists and industry-specific publications where you will be able to secure covering in prominent media outlets.
- Thought Leadership Articles: It’s important to push for thought leadership articles in Singapore’s leading Tier one media like The Straits Times, Channel NewsAsia and even e27. You can position your founder as a thought leader in his field by arranging for guest articles in these leading tech publication. These are not just run-in-the-mill thoughts but they need to be focused on insights from their experiences.
- Social Media Campaigns: While social media campaigns often work the best for the B2C landscape, however in tech PR, the market is changing and there is now a demand for podcasts, short videos, infographics and case studies content. The point of these posts are to educate and engage your audience about the benefits and innovative aspects of your technology.
- Webinars and Online Events: Since Covid-19, PR launches have now moved to the online sphere and sometimes it is better to have a webinar or a launch event if you are low on budget. In the future, once you have secured more coverage, it would be ideal to take this offline.
- Partnership Announcements: A key favourite among our tech clients are partnership announcements. You’re able to connect with a government body or partner with think-tanks or institutions who highlight their commitment to advance your technology. These announcements are useful in gaining the most traction and are often pick-up by various beats from news to tech and even business.
The future of tech PR
With the growth of immersive technologies and the need for more data-driven press releases, it is important for you as a tech company in Singapore to be on top of your data, audience behaviours and insights like surveys or research before hiring a tech PR agency in SG.
Understanding the local market is super important. Being aware of local trends, consumer behaviour and regulatory requirements allow us to craft messages that are not only compelling but also compliant and relevant.
