B2B Tech PR Archives - Whiteoaks PR

If you’re a fintech brand, you’re probably under no illusions: growth must be profitable, positioning must be perfect and performance must be provable. If you’re feeling the pressure from investors or senior management, it’s because the bar for success just got raised. Here’s the barometer of the highs, lows and rising pressure fintechs are facing right now:

The highs

The UK is the powerhouse of European fintech, pulling in almost half the funding across the EMEA region. In 2024 the UK was also the second largest recipient of fintech investment globally, after the US.

The lows

Unfortunately investment was down in 2024. Globally investment dropped from $113.7 billion in 2023 to $95 billion last year, while in the UK it fell by over 25% from £10.95 billion to £7.97 billion.

This slow down is driven by several factors including rising interest rates, inflation and global economic instability – all of which have made investors more risk averse.

Meanwhile, venture capitalists are also tightening their criteria. They want growth, yes, but not at all costs; they’re also hunting for proof of profitability, stability, resilience – and that your fintech brand is built to last.

The rising pressure

Unfortunately this slow down signals the end of those free-flowing investment days. And it means that as a fintech brand, the pressure’s on:

Pressure to show growth – specifically growth which is sustainable and profitable.
Pressure to differentiate – with funding harder to secure, you need to make sure your brand stands out.
Pressure to maximise budgets and deliver ROI – every outgoing, such as marketing, is under the microscope.

So let’s get this straight: the brief is to grow profitably, cut through the noise and make sure your comms budget is working hard for you?

It’s a tough brief for sure, but the right fintech PR strategy can help you deliver on all of those fronts.

The pressure to show sustainable, profitable growth

The 101 of Performance PR is that campaigns are designed to align with your business objectives.

Every activity or piece of content, like a press release, LinkedIn post or eBook, contributes to achieving your overall business goal. Depending on what that is, the metrics a campaign delivers could be customer signups, leads, improvements in brand consideration or perception change.

But for a brand looking to scale, the main KPIs of a campaign should be increased visibility, credibility and authenticity. The latter two being the key elements which are going to support that long-term sustainable growth.

In order to generate visibility, your brand needs a regular stream of strong media coverage to bring the buzz and create hype.

But those alone are not what investors are looking for.

As well as being seen, you need to be seen as credible, otherwise you won’t stay memorable for long.

Credibility and authenticity are what turns attention into action, and action into growth.

Those come through securing coverage in relevant, trusted publications as well as publishing supporting content which demonstrates your expertise – be that blog posts, showcasing your knowledge on a podcast or educational LinkedIn content.

When people see that you share quality, valuable information time and time again, they begin to trust you. With trust, you’re on their radar. And if you’re on their radar, they come to consider you, and ultimately buy from or invest with you.

While the formula sounds simple it really does take an experienced toolkit; an in-depth knowledge of the B2B technology space and a team of PR, media, content, social media and creative specialists who have many years executing fintech PR campaigns under their belts.

And you need the individual expertise of those specialists because Performance PR is multichannel, and when maximised all help to amplify the impact of the coverage.

B2B tech PR can also help you tell your growth story to your (potential or existing) investors.

It can help you show off your wins such as user growth, revenue milestones and new partnerships and tie them into the bigger fintech trends investors are interested in.

When you close a funding round, break into a new market or hit a major user milestone, PR can make sure the right people know about it.

The pressure to differentiate

What can you do as a fintech brand to stand out from your competition and cut through the noise?

How do you show investors your brand is deserving of their cash?

You must speak directly to your audience’s needs, motivations and pain points. You must use compelling narratives which spark action. You must position your product as the breakthrough solution.

Developing these narratives is where we come in. We create bold, authentic narratives which demand attention. We weave them into thought leadership, visual storytelling and press activity to establish authority, authenticity and dominance wherever your investors, buyers and partners are looking.

How do we measure cutting through the noise? Share of voice (compared to competitors), media coverage, branded search growth, social media engagement rates and of course inbound interest from target investors or partners.

The pressure to maximise budgets and deliver ROI

The campaign is over. The results are in. You are called into the office to show what all that fintech PR investment has actually delivered.

But because we align campaigns to your business goals, you can walk in confident, ready to show exactly how PR helped drive growth and how it’s given a return on their investment – whether that’s to senior management or to your investors.

We stand by our ‘fixed fees for fixed outcomes’ model, giving you complete clarity on costs with no hidden extras or nasty surprises. From day one, we work as your partner, setting clear, agreed targets which align directly with your business goals, all backed by a formal service level agreement. And here’s where our version of B2B tech PR is different: if we don’t deliver on those targets, you get your money back. It’s a model built to give you peace of mind and to hold us fully accountable for delivering the best results.

So don’t worry, that investor presentation will be a breeze to put together.

If you’re a fintech brand feeling the pressure to show growth, stand out and prove ROI on your marketing budget – then we’ve got your brief. Find out how we can help.

In this blog by Hannah Buckley, Head of Content and Service Development, we talk about:

How to create lasting visibility by combining PR and SEO efforts
The importance of SEO strategy
The efficiency and measurement gains of integrated strategies

For many B2B tech brands, SEO and PR often operate in silos – each delivering their own set of outcomes, but rarely aligning for maximum impact. That separation can be a missed opportunity.

When these two disciplines work hand-in-hand, they amplify each other’s strengths in a way that delivers lasting visibility, stronger performance and measurable results.

PR isn’t just for headlines

Traditionally, PR has been associated with reputation-building, thought leadership and securing coverage in the media outlets that matter to your audience. These goals remain essential.

But when aligned with SEO best practice, PR also plays a role in shaping how your brand appears in search. Media coverage on respected websites can improve how search engines perceive your site, contributing to greater credibility and discoverability.

This shift isn’t about reinventing PR, it’s about extending its value. A well-placed article doesn’t just influence perception; it can also influence where and how a potential buyer finds you in the first place. That’s especially important in B2B, where long buying cycles often start with an online search.

Keywords and credibility

Effective SEO starts with understanding what your audience is searching for. Creating content that targets those terms is crucial, but visibility isn’t just about the right keywords – it’s also about who’s talking about you and where that content lives.

That’s why combining SEO with digital PR adds real value. Strategic content that’s both keyword-optimised and published in the right places supports stronger search rankings and puts your brand in front of the right audiences, at the right time.

Search intent also matters. When PR content aligns with high-intent keywords (those that indicate someone is actively looking for solutions) it becomes a powerful tool for lead generation. You’re not just being seen more; you’re being seen by people who are ready to act.

Integrated strategy, measurable results

Blending SEO and PR creates space for a more joined-up measurement approach. Instead of tracking siloed metrics, you can evaluate progress across keyword rankings, referral traffic, media coverage and search performance – seeing a clearer picture of impact.

It also makes delivery more efficient. One team, one strategy, aligned around a common goal: increasing your visibility in the media and in search results, where prospects are actively looking for solutions.

Measurement also becomes more meaningful when SEO and PR are viewed together.

A spike in referral traffic from a media hit doesn’t just signal PR success, it can also impact metrics like bounce rates, time on page, and even conversion rates if supported by well-structured landing pages. Similarly, improvements in keyword rankings can often be traced back to the credibility gained through external coverage.

Understanding these touchpoints helps demonstrate the cumulative impact of your communications strategy with tangible business outcomes.

Turning powerful stories into lasting digital visibility

Want to ensure your PR and SEO efforts are joined up?

Get in touch to set up a call and find out how Visibility+, our new digital PR service, helps B2B tech brands turn powerful stories into lasting digital visibility, backed by SEO strategy.

We’re one team, delivering two outcomes: visibility in the media and visibility in search.

For B2B technology companies, the launch of a new product is a critical moment. With vast amounts of money and countless hours invested in research and development, ensuring that these innovations don’t merely blend into the background against established competitors is crucial. Yet, even the most innovative products that offer significant benefits to customers can face the risk of poor market performance if they don’t make a splash at launch, which can curtail further innovation and impact profitability. The key to preventing this lies in strategic partnerships with specialised B2B tech PR agencies. These agencies excel not just in traditional public relations but in constructing a unique solution proposition, supported by compelling narratives, which resonate with the target market.

The Role of Specialised B2B Tech PR Agencies

B2B tech PR experts focus on gaining an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape and are highly-skilled at highlighting the unique elements of a new product or service. By positioning it not just as another entry into a crowded market but as a pioneering solution to a real problem, they set the stage for market disruption or even the creation of new categories.

Looking Beyond Features

One significant advantage of employing specialised PR services is their ability to shift the focus from the features of a product to the solutions it provides. Instead of just promoting technical specs, which can get lost in translation for the decision-makers, PR strategies emphasise how the technology addresses specific customer challenges. This approach not only makes the product more attractive to potential buyers but also enhances its perceived value and relevance.

Driving Visibility

For a new product to make its mark, it (and the brand) needs to be visible and credible. Visibility comes from expertly crafted content such as thought leadership articles, insightful blogs, and informative whitepapers that can be shared across different channels, whether that’s on the company website, social media, or the media. These pieces capture the essence of what the new innovation stands for and what it means for the end users and allows the brand to target the right audiences by speaking their language.

Creating Credibility

The credibility factor makes a real difference. It’s not enough to talk the talk, prospects need to see that the business they’re considering engaging with is capable of walking the walk, too.

By using case studies or press releases to showcase real-world applications and testimonials from beta users, PR can demonstrate the practical benefits and reliability of the product. Alongside this, quotes and endorsements from respected industry figures can boost credibility and attract attention from a broader audience. Finally on this point, recognition from industry-relevant awards can significantly enhance the product’s profile and serve as a testament to its innovation and impact. All of this third-party endorsement acts a sign of credibility to prospects and helps to give new product launches extra clout to stand out from competitors.

Ultimately, when B2B technology companies leverage the expertise of specialised tech PR agencies, they ensure that their innovative solutions are not just another drop in the ocean. Instead, they stand out as solutions that address real-world problems, backed by strategic storytelling and robust market positioning. This not only elevates their offerings above the fray but secures a competitive edge that drives both current profits and future innovation.

If you’re wanting to make sure your next product launch stands out from the crowd, get in touch to find out how we can help.

Hook, Hampshire, 14 February 2024: Whiteoaks International, the performance-driven tech PR agency, has announced three strategic appointments to bolster its senior team amid its continued drive for growth and ethos of delivering meaningful impact through PR.

Adam George, Finance Director, has joined the Whiteoaks board, where he will provide financial leadership to achieve short and long term business goals and help steer the company towards its ambitious growth targets. Having joined Whiteoaks as Head of Finance in 2019, George’s appointment is testament to the impact he has had on the business so far and to his nearly 20 years’ experience in finance roles.

Hannah Buckley has been promoted to Head of Content and Service Development, where she will continue to focus on ensuring excellence across content delivery and the ongoing development of the practice, whilst also spearheading the evolution of the company’s service offering to ensure a competitive differentiator.

Finally, Natalia Kaczmarek assumes the role of Digital Content Manager which will see her lead the development of strategic and impactful digital programmes as well as creating compelling digital content across the client base.

The appointments follow the elevation of Hayley Goff to CEO in May 2023, marking a new era of leadership for the company, and underscoring Whiteoaks’ commitment to leadership excellence and outcome driven impact in PR.

Hayley Goff, CEO, Whiteoaks, comments, “As an agency, we are dedicated to creating and delivering performance-led campaigns that deliver meaningful outcomes and tangible impact for clients. Our team of experts in media relations, design, social media and content creation are our greatest asset and ensure every PR programme is executed to the highest quality to achieve results.

“With Adam, Hannah and Natalia stepping into their new roles, I am confident in our ability to navigate the exciting next phase of our growth journey.”

By Vicki Curtis, Senior Client Consultant

Change has arrived in the PR industry. Synapse, a new platform devised by former Dow Jones and Gorkana executive, Charles Russell, and PR legend Mark Borkowski, aims to transform the way that journalists and PR professionals communicate. The idea is that journalists can access a custom-filtered inbox of PR pitches that are relevant to them, and PRs can discover new media and influencer contacts and pitch interesting angles and fresh perspectives.

I can see why the idea has materialised. There’s been an industry-wide friction between journalists and PRs for many years. Cision’s Global State of the Media Report 2023 discovered that only 7% of journalists say the majority of pitches they get are relevant to their audience. It’s a shockingly low statistic. But why has it come to this? If PR professionals across the board were tailoring pitches, understanding media and only sending relevant emails to the right journalists, would there be a need for these new types of services?

Time for a rethink

It’s time for PR professionals to rethink the way they approach their work so that they don’t have to solely rely on these emerging platforms. However, it must be said that technology can deliver some helpful tools. For example, Synapse allows journalists to filter the pitches they receive from PRs by topic and format. They are also able to flag pitches that aren’t relevant to them. Similarly, PRs will be able to see who has viewed or accepted their pitches.

But it’s also our responsibility, as PR people, to consider the perspective of journalists and know what is going to resonate with them in the first place and not simply rely on the tech. This is incredibly important as the Cision research also revealed that as many as three in four journalists will block a media relations professional who spams them with irrelevant pitches.

Many PR agencies are structuring their internal teams to feature dedicated media specialists. These employees are focused solely on media activity and building relationships with journalists, which feeds into the second requirement of the modern day PR professional. Now that we’re fully clear of the pandemic, it’s time for PRs to step out from behind the screens and set up relationship building meetings with key media figures.

The trend for intermediaries

More than 1000 journalists from across more than 140 titles, including The Mirror, The Express, The Scotsman and OK! Magazine have signed up to Synapse. As the platform gathers pace, more look likely to join, but it remains to be seen as to what extent it will help to alleviate the issues between PRs and journalists.

One aspect that is clear is the growing trend towards ‘matchmaking platforms’ across industries. Whether it’s matching pitches to journalists, brands to agencies or even investors to entrepreneurs, there’s a big focus now on employees looking to save time with supporting platforms. In this sense, the technology could help employees to streamline their day-to-day tasks.

However, while tools such as Synapse offer promising solutions to bridge the gap between journalists and PR professionals, these innovations shouldn’t overshadow the fundamental principles of PR, including relationship-building and understanding the media landscape. Professionals must ensure that they get these basics right, and the unique value that only they can provide is building those human connections that technology can’t replicate. Only by merging these capabilities can the PR industry be truly revolutionised for the better.

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By Bekki Bushnell, Associate Director

So, your B2B tech business has just secured a significant investment. Congratulations! This funding opens up a world of opportunities, enabling you to explore innovative R&D projects, expand your talent pool, or even venture into new markets, setting the stage for future success.

But as the confetti settles, a new journey begins – one that demands strategic thinking and a powerful ally by your side. It becomes necessary to communicate your business’s accomplishments, unveil carefully crafted plans, and showcase your unique value proposition to the world.

Here’s where strategic communications steps into the spotlight. It serves as the catalyst for post-investment success, helping businesses like yours to level up and thrive in a fiercely competitive landscape. By harnessing its power, tech enterprises can drive long-lasting growth and establish a dominant market presence.

Turning Talking Points into Compelling Narratives

Naturally, your business will want to shout about the success of its latest funding round. And rightfully so! It’s an excellent talking point – and with a well-crafted strategic approach, it can be transformed into a cohesive, captivating narrative that truly elevates your brand.

In today’s multi-channel, multi-platform world, effectively conveying the investment news goes beyond just issuing a press release (though this remains a crucial element of PR). With strategic communications, you have the power to weave a compelling story across diverse channels, spotlighting the company’s vision, expertise, and commitment to growth in a way that genuinely strikes a chord with your audience.

This narrative will become the bedrock for all future communications, as targeted media outreach and thought-provoking content positions your business as an industry trailblazer. The rewards of increased brand visibility, heightened loyalty, and strong stakeholder trust await – and it all begins with the initial buzz generated by the investment. After all, if every successful business has a great story to tell, why not let this chapter be your ultimate launchpad towards achieving demonstrable market impact?

Accelerating Growth with Targeted Campaigns

To fully capitalise on post-investment expansion opportunities, connecting with the right audience is essential. This is where strategic communications and business success perfectly align. By collaborating with passionate PR and communications specialists with a deep understanding of the B2B tech marketing landscape, your company can harness data-driven insights and expert-led strategies to proactively identify and engage your target market.

Strategic PR thrives on versatility. It demands an integrated approach spanning content, social media, creative, and digital marketing. This ensures consistent, relevant messaging across platforms, maximising audience reach and impact to supercharge business growth. Moreover, our team of professionals will define clear KPIs aligned with your business goals to help you measure and track campaign success, making your hard-won investment go even further.

Building a Brand Presence that Lasts

Seizing the moment is crucial, but post-investment success goes beyond quick wins or attracting new clients. An effective communications strategy also fortifies your brand’s reputation and credibility, nurturing lasting relationships with investors, partners, and clients alike.

To solidify and amplify your brand, impactful storytelling, eye-catching visuals, and consistent messaging across channels is essential. Having a trusted PR partner by your side can even transform your business’s story into a gateway to connect with influential individuals and key industry stakeholders. For example, leveraging leadership profiling after an investment win could unlock lucrative media opportunities, events, and strategic collaborations within established networks. Through effective networking, your business can build lasting trust, expanding its reach and credibility for enduring brand presence.

And of course, this communications approach will also keep your current stakeholders engaged and informed every step of the way, creating a supportive brand community that shares in your success as you reach new heights.

As your business launches its post-investment journey, let strategic communications become the driving force behind your growth. Reach out to us today and discover how our tailored PR solutions can elevate your B2B tech company to new levels of success after investment. Let’s maximise your business potential and achieve measurable market impact together!

By Bekki Bushnell, Associate Director

We are all seeking the magic bullet that sends our sales into orbit. And when energised by hope and ambition, it’s all too easy to be drawn toward PR pitches that promise rocket fuel but deliver only fumes.

When agencies present purely creative PR campaigns, with outcomes that are neither predictable nor measurable, it can mean that they’ve simply run out of ideas. And while a creative Hail Mary proposal could be the salvation your brand needs, it’s crucial to strike a balance where creativity isn’t the sole driver of the campaign.

Creativity has long been celebrated as the driving force behind innovative campaigns and groundbreaking ideas. While creative thinking is an undeniably powerful tool to capture attention and engage audiences, it best works in a marriage with strategic planning. The smartest campaigns are integrated across digital, creative, content and media. Each pillar contributes to measurable outcomes, aligning with the specific goals of the campaign.

While marketing builds a value proposition with a client, PR can harmoniously justify that proposition, pushing sales, with the right customers and at the right price. Ensuring that the right message is generated, that it’s effective and that it’s being broadcast to the correct audience.

PR should play a leading role in determining and embedding brand values into the public psyche. In doing so, it expands the desire for the product, rationalises the buying decision and makes the ownership experience more valuable.

Our job within PR is to work with brands in such a way that their values resonate with the buyers. Through storytelling, thought leadership, providing commentary to the front page of the country’s most important news sources, or creating regular updates for the business community. Everything is possible, and everything is within reach when the correct approach is applied.

The technology market is a dense and noisy and one. New tools, platforms and products appear with each season, backed by various capital structures. It takes time and effort to cut through the noise. While a purely creative, abstract, campaign might seem appealing, it’s no replacement for a strategic approach.

There’s a good reason why there are so many rungs on the PR career ladder – there’s just an awful lot to learn. That’s why our 30 years of experience pays dividends. Throughout our journey, we’ve developed and learned, as individuals and as a company, and always been supported by our unique and flexible engagement business model. Abandoning the traditional retainer, we offer fixed fees for fixed deliverables and a formal SLA to single-mindedly focus on achieving impactful results for our clients.

In the dynamic landscape of PR, creativity remains an invaluable asset that fuels innovation and sets the stage for remarkable campaigns. However, it is essential to combine creativity with a strategic mindset to achieve tangible results and measurable outcomes. By taking a measured approach to PR that embraces strategic creativity, brands can unlock the true potential of their campaigns, leaving a lasting impact on their audience and driving success in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

To find out more about how you can level up your creative PR, book your free PR strategy consultancy meeting with me now.

By Bekki Bushnell, Associate Director, Whiteoaks International

Building a successful B2B tech business isn’t easy. Just ask any CEO or board of directors. This is especially true when it comes to start-ups and smaller companies where traditional roles of sales, marketing, operations overlap and are carried out by one or two people. Not all new businesses have the budget to hire a powerful marketing team from the get-go. In our experience, when businesses like these secure funding, PR & marketing is always on the wish list. However, its sometimes seen as a nice to have instead of an absolutely must-have.

We’re of the opinion (naturally) that PR & marketing is absolutely essential for growth. It fulfils many functions; elevates brand awareness amongst target markets, investors and the media, positions against competitors, nurtures your profile as an attractive employer helping to attract the right staff, and plays a role in supporting sales with lead generation.

We are also of the opinion that employing an agency to do the heavy lifting when it comes to the PR & marketing ecosystem is a must.

Yes, there are objections, as there always will be when it comes to spending money. But here’s why you should do it:

You’re the client. That’s the most important thing to remember. So you can choose the right agency with the right team to meet your needs. Just like you’re not like your competitors, you need to find an agency that does things a little differently – whether that’s having the right expertise in and understanding of your industry, or their approach to delivering integrated campaigns. That synergy in view points will only help develop a strong relationship.

You’re focused on building your business. Therefore, while you recognise the value that PR and marketing activities will deliver, you don’t necessarily have the time to dedicate to making it happen. Neither does the rest of your team; focused on what you hired them for.

In much the same way, your agency is there to help you. You’ll have access to a team dedicated to help you achieve your objectives. Depending on agency structure, you’ll have media and PR specialists working with you. Our approach is a little different; we have specialists across media, PR, creative, social and content, so you always have the best people deployed in the right places.

Set your boundaries (targets) and get your agency to commit to them. Whether that’s based on coverage achieved, assets delivered, or media interviews secured, work with them to figure out what your objectives should be, map those to your wider business objectives and then get them to commit to them. We think is absolutely essential and another thing we’re passionate about (you can read more about it here).

We also hear from prospects – especially those in the start-up space – that they are concerned about the retainer model. Yes, it’s great that they have that resource, but it’s often unclear what you actually get as part of that retainer. Especially when every pound is under the microscope. Again, we do things a little differently; we’ve left the retainer model behind and prefer to work on a fixed fees for fixed deliverables basis. Putting it plainly, you get what you pay for and you know exactly what that is from the beginning of the relationship. It’s also flexible, so we can easily adapt those deliverables to align to changing needs.

At the end of the day, you need an agency that’s working hard for you, delivering results and impact, and enabling you to do what you do best. Do we think we’re the right fit? Absolutely.

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