We are all a couple of months away from the back half of the year, and it has been a long year already amid persistent inflation and global tensions casting a shadow.

Yet, we are also at the forefront of rapidly advancing technologies that are reshaping entire sectors. It’s not just GenAI; it’s automation, wider adoption of drones, and advancing healthcare technologies. New technology is taking hold rapidly, leading toward an explosive rate of innovation and adoption. The pace of innovation cannot be contained, even as the global and political spheres storm overhead.

For technology companies, mid-year often represents a turning point in strategy. Investments that may have been withheld are released, and teams ramp up to complete their back-half goals.
Tech companies at the forefront should be evaluating their PR strategies and leaning into them to energize business goals and important outcomes.

The Why Now

PR Is not just a grand strategy for defining a category. It also accomplishes many more tactical objectives for marketers that serve the pragmatic priorities of supporting revenue generation. Sometimes, these benefits are overshadowed by the big concepts of the brand and ideas around thought leadership. While those are true, some nitty gritty outcomes from PR are poised to give companies an edge – and most companies could use that edge, especially in the back half of the year.

Examples of what PR boosts:

  • Increasing SEO via live links – PR is known to dramatically advance SEO. anthonyBarnum PR’s data shows that nearly 85% of the pieces published for our clients carry a link. Search engines rank third-party news coverage higher than any internally distributed content.
  • More organic traffic – It is no mystery that a published piece featuring a client’s innovative perspective and solution will result in organic traffic to a website. When the placement intersects with the persona-based audience framed in the context of their pain point, it will draw prospective customers to the site. For companies without a prior systematic PR strategy in place, our data shows a 100% increase in traffic in six months.
  • More top-of-funnel – The increase in SEO and organic traffic translates into the fundamental objective for marketing and sales: more qualified top of funnel prospective leads. Many marketers are sourcing leads through their content programs; PR is a way to take it further and reach more ideal customers. Many clients can point to specific articles that lead to briefings and conversions.

Is THIS PR Supporting Marketing Outcomes?

If a marketer is asking this question, there may be an issue.

PR is its own facet of marketing and requires a team for execution. It’s very difficult for a single individual to do everything required to lift a campaign in its totality at the scale needed to deliver momentum. (*I speak from experience, as anthonyBarnum started with only myself.) Also, there is a lot of infrastructure and software that make campaigns more informed. However, the simplest way to determine whether an upgrade is necessary is to look at best practices and outcomes.

What should your “back half of 2024” PR campaign deliver? Here are some deeper questions to weigh.

  • Thought leadership – Is my PR effort originating two to three compelling thought leadership concepts per month?
  • Placement cadence – Is my organization achieving three to seven unique and compelling earned media placements per month? Is the program delivering velocity, or are placements few and far between?
  • Traffic + Leads – Do the PR outcomes align with the decision-making audiences in the key markets that matter most to the company? Has the effort thus far led to direct leads attributable to any key placements?

If, upon evaluation, it doesn’t add up, it may mean that the PR effort needs to be fuller and more dedicated to driving placements. If that is the case, it may be time to get serious.

If a PR strategy is not in place, the benefits and outcomes of an intentional, professional campaign offer a component that will complement many of a marketer’s core strategies and tactics. If the stakes are high, now is the time.