Spreading the word about your product is incredibly hard - even if you're trying to promote amusing pet toys. But, generating PR for your product is even more difficult if you have, let's say, a vertical DSP platform with machine learning driven by proprietary DMP...or Influ2. And, PR efforts can take up a lot of time.

Creating content, talking to publicists, modifying content, talking to publicists again, re-writing the rewritten content, and then trying to build relationships with journalists… can be exhausting. And, even if you put in all that time and effort, securing media coverage is never guaranteed.

And why do you put yourself through this? Think about it. You are trying to engage a publicist, who, in turn, is trying to get a journalist to write about you and your company. Sometimes, do you ever wonder, 'wouldn't it just be easier to write about myself? I can just leverage my blog.' But, if your blog doesn't already have a large following, no one will read what you post. So, you won't be generating awareness, you'll just be sharing your message with whoever stumbles across your blog.

That's why it's vital to get journalists to cover what you're doing. They already have a built-in audience and multiple channels to broadcast their message. But, a niche technology product isn't inherently comprehensible or interesting, so you need to create an exciting story about what you're doing and why it's relevant to others. Because journalists need to both appeal to a broad audience and make them care about what they're talking (or writing) about.

You Didn't Wake Up To Be Mediocre, Be Great With Influ2

However, is that the best approach to promoting your highly technical product? Do you want to attract the general consumer? Because, like with any campaign, defining your audience is important. And, if you have a highly technical product that's niche, a traditional, solely media-driven approach to your promotional efforts won't be enough.

So, this leads me to my next question: What do the media and bookstores have in common? Their business model. Brick-and-mortar bookstores have limited space on their shelves, so they put their most popular books at the front of the store to draw in customers. And, if there is no other bookstore within walking distance then often the store does well because there isn't any competition.

And, while this model drives sales for well-known authors, niche writers get lost on the shelves and struggle to get known.

Imagine, you wrote a fascinating book on alternative theory in quantum physics. There might even be 100,000 physicists in the world who could understand and appreciate your book and be willing to pay $20 for it. But, if your book never gets seen, or gets any attention, then those who would be interested in it never buy it.

So, when you are pitching a niche technology product to a journalist, you are often like the author who wrote a book on quantum physics. It's very hard to get anyone interested in it outside of a few select people, and that's not enough to drive awareness, even within a select audience.

Don’t get discouraged, though.

Bookstores’ business models have been challenged by companies like Amazon. Currently, there are at least 12 million titles on Amazon — and this number is probably 3xs bigger than any brick-and-mortar bookstore. And, as a result of online targeting and digital advertising, niche writers can reach their readers and get their books known.

The media is another example of an established industry getting disrupted by online outlets - because how many of you watch traditional broadcast networks or buy a paper? Also, social media has acquired the function of delivering content to the end-reader and now there are even citizen journalists.

Back in 2006, Twitter was the first platform to combine a social network with content distribution. Facebook quickly followed by implementing its news feed, which now accounts for over 40% of the traffic for popular media. LinkedIn launched articles to attract a business audience, and now there are other hybrid content networks, such as Medium, Tumblr, etc.

So, the best approach is to leverage an ABM solution that can help you effectively target your niche audience across multiple online channels and directly communicate with your potential prospects - even if they are quantum physicists. That's why you don't need to put in a maximum amount of effort convincing journalists that your product and company are amazing. Though, you should never cut them out because there are enterprise-focused journalists who can help you further spread your message.

And, that was the inspiration behind Influ2. We wanted to help people who have amazing products get known - and to have more than just traditional public relations to lean on. You're probably reading this very blog thanks to Influ2 because we believe in our product so much that we use it ourselves, for all of our marketing efforts. And, you're likely one of the people that we're trying to reach, so please always feel welcome to check us out and say hello.

Conclusion: The media and bookstores face similar challenges - both need to focus on content production and leverage social networks to distribute their messages. Journalists have mastered this, but bookstores still need to catch up. However, as time goes on, journalists continue to look more like bloggers. And, those who can't adapt are vanishing.

For high-tech companies, it is vital that they not only effectively target, but also create more personable content that speaks directly to their customer's hearts. We must drop the habit of using marketing lingo and complex technical language. And, instead, learn how to tell our stories masterfully.

Also, we need to routinely evaluate our marketing and public relations efforts and be open to new approaches and content distribution channels. Because the story itself is never good enough, especially if it isn't seen.