In a world of shrinking budgets and rising competition, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle as thousands of brands compete for consumers’ and media’s attention. Startups in Silicon Valley are rapidly developing revolutionary artificial intelligence software, yet many struggle to gain the necessary media coverage to showcase their innovations. Brilliant tech companies have amazing, game-changing products. They are still almost unknown, because like many other important breakthroughs, they have not developed strong communication strategies.
With a vastly different media environment than just a few years ago, the challenge requires a new model for communications. The one-size-fits-all tactics that worked so well 10 or 15 years ago just don’t speak to audiences like they did in the past. Businesses need to understand that effective communication is more than just getting one favorable story. They must realize that they need to build strong and enduring relationships with both journalists and consumers.
The Challenge of Visibility
In an age where everyone is inundated with messages clamoring for their attention, that’s a tall order — one of the greatest challenges marketers face. Now, add in thousands of brands all vying for the same set of eyeballs and you can see how hard it’ll be for any one company to break through. Yet in this hotbed of competition and ingenuity, radical innovations can easily get overlooked. Many startups, despite their ground-breaking advancements in AI and technology, find themselves overshadowed by larger companies with more established communication channels.
Plus, a great product announcement that gets there three weeks late can undercut its success completely. Jumping into action on climate Timing is everything! Releasing any product at the optimal time will magnify your odds of creating traction and courting media interest. Fighting climate change requires companies to spend millions developing the latest hardware and software, hiring the best engineers, building the most advanced up-to-date systems. But without a targeted education and communication strategy, all of this good work will go unnoticed.
Bridging the Communication Gap
Third, one of the biggest problems in the tech/telecom space today is often the gulf between the tech explanation and what customers actually understand. Hardware companies have a tendency to get lost in technical jargon. Although helpful for engineers, this approach can leave out prospective customers without an engineering degree. This disconnect makes for a major obstacle. Frequently, the most relevant explanation for a consumer in the market for a new car isn’t the nitty-gritty tech specs.
To close this gap, businesses need to take a customer-first approach to communication. Breaking down challenging concepts into familiar terms is a good way to demystify technology for the lay buyer. By focusing on how their products can solve real-world problems, companies can create a narrative that resonates with their target audience.
The media environment today is more crowded than ever, with thousands of new targeted publications and niche towns and neighborhoods popping up out of nowhere. Organizations need to change the way they communicate in order to truly reach and engage with these channels. Knowing where their target audience is getting information from is key to developing the right messages and making the biggest impact.
A New Approach to Communication
If any meaningful change is to result from the current crisis, tech companies need to understand that successful communication is not a one-off exercise. It takes sustained commitment and flexibility to make adjustments in a constantly evolving landscape. An innovative product may generate initial interest, but sustaining that momentum requires consistent engagement with both the media and consumers.
Investing in a common and effective communication strategy will pay huge dividends. Companies should prioritize building relationships with journalists and influencers in their respective industries to ensure their innovations receive the attention they deserve. Plus, using social media and other digital tools not only increases outreach, it builds excitement and camaraderie among participants.
Lastly, the most important ingredient to success will be setting the stage for technical innovation through consumer education. Through defining the big-picture, specific narratives of their products, technology companies will be able to connect the dots between their innovative solutions and customers that need them.
