startup
How Industry Analyst Engagement in Your PR Strategy Can Help Your Startup Succeed
Influencers are all the rage these days for brands who are looking to increase brand awareness and credibility, build engagement, and ultimately increase sales. But, if you’re a startup, especially in tech, you shouldn’t overlook the power of the original influencers: industry analysts. Including industry analyst engagement in your PR strategy is a must. Here’s why and how to connect with them.
The Importance of an Industry Analyst
In general, an industry analyst is a person, working individually or within a firm, who creates and publishes in-depth research about a particular field. They are especially common, and influential, in the technology industry helping to influence purchasing decisions and shape public opinion. In fact, a Gartner, Forrester, or IDC study is likely to have helped you choose a product, service, or provider in the past. Industry analysts are trusted to provide expertise and objectivity which is why favorable mentions can do so much for your brand including:
- Increasing awareness
- Raising investor capital
- Increasing sales
- Improving your company’s reputation
- Improving credibility
Industry analysts are also routinely quoted in the media as experts in their field and asked to speak at leading industry conferences on innovation and market trends.
Achieving Effective Industry Analyst Engagement
Now that you know why it’s so important that industry analysts are aware of and familiar with your brand’s capabilities, how do you strategically engage with them? These tips can help.
1. Find the right industry analysts
You’ll need to research the industry analysts in your specific niche. Technology is a vast field so it’s important to prioritize your industry analyst engagement on who will be most influential for your brand. Learn all you can about them as that will help you understand their research focus and will help you anticipate questions they might ask during a briefing.
2. Build the relationship
Reach out to the industry analysts on your radar to schedule a briefing. They are busy people, so you have to be prepared with a pitch that will cut through the clutter. Keep in mind that industry analyst engagement can be a lengthier process than traditional PR pitching so plan ahead.
3. Prepare for the briefing
Most startups don’t have the clout to get in front of industry analysts on a regular basis, so you need to make your briefing count. Don’t be overly promotional, instead provide a company background from a strategic perspective with the industry in mind and focus on how your product or service addresses current market needs. Make sure you back everything up with data. And be honest, especially when it comes to areas of improvement. What’s more, think of this as a give-and-take where you can also ask them questions about their research agendas (and how your brand might fight in) as well as their perspective on the industry to gain further insight.
4. Keep top-of-mind
But do this in a relevant manner, keeping in mind their research focus when it comes to keeping industry analysts informed of your brand’s news, strategies, and plans. You’ll also want to make sure you quickly respond to information requests. In addition, use industry conferences and other networking events for industry analyst engagement as well. All of these tactics will help you nurture the relationship and position your brand as a resource.
While larger brands have an entire analyst relations team devoted to this ongoing effort, smaller brands and startups can lean on their PR firm for this expertise. For example, R team can not only handle all of the above for you, but we can leverage our already established relationships among industry analysts in the technology and startup community on your behalf.
For more information on how R industry analyst engagement expertise can help your brand, schedule your FREE Discovery Call today!
