Tag: B2B Tech PR

In this blog, Whiteoaks’ Finance Director, Adam George shares his insights about how to ensure your PR investments keep your CFO happy, including:

  • Ensuring campaigns are built around business objectives
  • Setting out clear performance metrics
  • Finding a consistent partner

Like many services, PR can often have an intangible quality that is difficult to reconcile for finance leaders. The tendency to lean upon paid marketing where results can be measured and return on investment (ROI) established is a tempting alternative to appeal to the CFO mindset. That’s why if you want your CFO to back your PR spend, you need to position it not as a creative expense, but as the strategic, measurable business investment it is.

Here are some of the ways to make your PR investment CFO-friendly:

Fixed fees for fixed deliverables

It sounds obvious, right? Traditionally, PR has used the retainer model, but this promotes uncertainty and often results in mounting costs without a clearly defined return. Why not seek out an agency offering a fixed cost for clearly defined deliverables? By eliminating the budgetary uncertainty, PR can be factored into annual budgets with certainty, helping your finance leader plan with confidence.

Business-aligned planning

It can sometimes feel difficult to cut through the jargon and waffle associated with marketing and PR. CFOs are driven by the commercial results, not lip-service and hot air. The agency you partner with should build its strategies around your commercial goals – market expansion, growth in share-of-voice, talent acquisition or any other outcomes your business desires. By aligning PR with business strategy, you give your CFO the confidence that every pound spent is tied to measurable commercial objectives – not vanity metrics or vague brand goals.

Clear KPIs and performance reporting

This leads us on to measurement. It’s the bread and butter of any senior finance professional. The inability to measure the success of any spend means it becomes more difficult to justify. With clear KPIs agreed up-front, and concise reporting throughout a campaign, your PR spend ceases to be deemed a money pit from which results are difficult to define. Instead, it becomes a clear, measurable service aligned with your business goals.

Whether it’s share of voice, media coverage, engagement metrics or influence on pipeline, everything is benchmarked and tracked.

ROI accountability – even a money-back guarantee

‘Money back’ is a phrase you will rarely encounter in the PR world. But without this guarantee, value for money and, crucially, accountability, can often be diminished. Contrast this with clear ROI that is reinforced by a money-back guarantee. This gives your CFO peace of mind that their commercial goals are matched by the desire of the agency you engage.

Consistency that protects long-term value

Unlike paid media, your PR agency should be your partner when it comes to building and protecting your brand. PR isn’t a tap you turn on and off. Stop-start campaigns waste money and erode brand equity. If your agency adopts an ‘always-on’ approach, it becomes easier for your CFO to calculate the benefits and long-term growth provided by consistent and long-term partnerships.

PR as something finance can believe in

To keep your CFO happy with your investment, treat PR like a long-term, strategic asset – not a discretionary spend. Build your case around cost-certainty, commercial alignment and measurable impact. When you speak the CFO’s language – outcomes, risk-management, and value – you turn PR into something finance can believe in.

Get in touch to learn more about how we deliver PR campaigns that keep your CFO happy.

Passing the ‘So What?’ test – why a bit of journalistic rigour is vital in B2B tech PR

In this blog, Hugh Cadman, Senior Content Writer, discusses:

  • How his journalism background prepared him for life as a B2B tech writer
  • The importance of answering journalists’ “So What?” questions
  • The unlikely connection between all this and a punk record seized by the police

 

From reporting on TV licence-dodgers to writing about enterprise database management via the odd health furore. There is a common thread that connects my two decades as a journalist with my current role at Whiteoaks and a profane punk record seized by the police.

It’s the “So What?” test. This is the basic threshold that any idea for a piece of content must cross if it is to get into a publication worth reading. Reporters tend to be among the most sceptical people on earth – and if you can’t answer their “So What?” questions, your hopes of coverage are doomed.

It’s a mindset I still share – accepting little at face value and being prepared to unpick the details and ask a few questions. So often that’s all it takes to either destroy a story idea or stand it up.

Journalists want dramatic front-page exclusives, but they may also be eager to fulfil their story quota and keep the website numbers up. Whichever it is, they will apply the “So What?” test to everything – because they know if they don’t, their newsdesk will.

And this is the part that sales and marketing executives sometimes find difficult – it’s not enough to be fired up, making bold claims about being game-changing or disruptive. Journalists have low boredom thresholds and can spot spin a mile off. You have to give them reasons to treat your press release as news, and any article must tell a good story, be accurate and make a convincing case. Journalistic weariness is why research has to generate eye-catching headlines.

Get your ducks in a row

In B2B tech PR, as in news journalism, however, you must always get your ducks in a row before you unleash any kind of content. For me, it is the simple but mildly impertinent questions that get to the point with clients when we initially find we don’t have what the content requires. “Why should a potential customer choose your solution over XYZ when on the surface they seem quite similar?”

It’s where a little journalistic technique comes in handy. Some people need coaxing; others have to forget the hype and plant their feet back on the ground before they can answer.

The three horsemen – jargon, waffle and repetition

Convincing journalists, though, is only part of the job in B2B tech PR. The real audience out there is also asking its own “So What?” questions. Persuading them takes more than a deluge of clichés about “empowering” and “disrupting”, whether in a press release or a 1,500-word article.

In articles especially, language and structure are important. My journalism training and my experience going through other reporters’ articles when I was a news editor made me allergic to jargon, waffle and repetition. I can also spot where there may a copyright infringement or a potential libel, or where a claim could lead to a letter from a rival’s legal department. The obsession with accuracy leads me to double-check the spellings of just about everything, and to be clear about any terminology I use. You have to know the limits of your own knowledge.

What did this technology do for us?

As a reporter, I learned to extract the news nuggets from two-inch-thick NHS or local government policy documents for a broad audience that was only interested in what it would all mean for them and their community. This is not so different from writing for many tech titles, where it is essentially the business outcomes that matter.

Understanding the audience is critical. I’m no longer writing for people of all ages who are skimming between the front page and the property section. My audience usually comprises senior executives who may also have substantial technical knowledge. Anything I write must address what matters to the right segment of this audience and convince them we know what we’re talking about.

Accuracy is essential but so is momentum – the ability to carry forward a story in a way that makes it immediately relevant. Whether on a news website or in a B2B tech title, audiences must want to carry on reading right the way down to a captivating conclusion.

The Anti-Nowhere League

As always, it’s the “So What?” question that we must constantly answer. This is where I defer to the Anti-Nowhere League – a very profane cartoon punk outfit I saw at a gig long ago. They produced a 7” single called So What? that was seized by the police under the Obscene Publications Act. This foul-mouthed ditty was allegedly inspired by two men in a pub trying to outdo one another with their stories. The point is that if B2B tech companies want to avoid going nowhere with their PR they must answer the “So What?” questions that journalists and their audiences ask – and they need to use the right language. Otherwise, they may as well be two sweary men in a pub.

Want help answering the “So What?” questions? Get in touch.

 

 

In this blog, Richard Peters, Senior Content Creator at Whiteoaks, discusses:

  • Why customer-centred storytelling helps B2B tech brands cut through feature-driven noise
  • How to shape narratives around real-world outcomes, proof points and human insight
  • Practical ways to extend one strong story across channels while supporting wider business goals

 

In a technology market crowded with ‘feeds and speeds’, and lengthy lists of features that look and sound much the same, a compelling story can act as the lever that enables your brand to stand out from the crowd and help you connect with your target audience.

For decades, the importance of storytelling in tech PR has been demonstrated by brands using the approach to foster stronger emotional connections with their customers, build trust and ultimately drive sales.

But it’s the nature of the story they are telling that really makes a difference. For B2B technology companies, successful storytelling is never about simply broadcasting product specs or boasting about speed to market. Instead, the focus should be on weaving narratives that resonate with decision-makers and spark conversations that convert interest into contract wins.

That strong engagement with the end audience is key to successful storytelling, of course. B2B businesses, after all, frequently convince themselves that they have a compelling story to tell but in reality, these stories often struggle to excite external targets.

The launch of a new company website, for example, may seem big news to the business concerned but customers, prospects and partners are likely to be left cold. That’s because, when told straight, the story lacks the “so what?” factor that can translate an internal narrative into a proposition that addresses industry pain points and can make stakeholders across a target market sit up and pay attention.

That doesn’t mean that the story itself has no value but rather that the business needs to find a new angle.


Framing the narrative in a different way

Successful storytelling depends not just on the story but the way that story is told. That’s true even in the case of the new website. It is a dry narrative, if told straight, but shift the angle to the customer benefit: faster self-service, a refreshed knowledge base and improved uptime for support and the same announcement starts to matter.

The most effective examples of storytelling also have a human element. Tech solutions often sound abstract: algorithms, machine learning models, API cycles. Without context, they remain just words on a spec sheet. Good storytelling brings those concepts to life.

By framing your innovation around a customer challenge – whether that’s reducing supply-chain bottlenecks, or powering next-generation healthcare analytics, you highlight tangible outcomes and engage your end audience.

When prospects hear about how a manufacturing firm has reduced downtime by 30% or how a hospital has cut waiting times by 20%, they don’t just see dry statistics, they see real world benefits they can potentially tap into.

This kind of third party endorsement proves that the story the business is telling, and the benefits they are talking about, are true. Audiences are much more likely to start caring about the solution as a result.

                                                                                                     

Building credibility and trust

Trust is earned, not assumed. Peer validation, case studies, testimonials, analyst endorsements play a central role in B2B tech buying decisions. A story rich with credible data points and authentic voices invites readers to believe in your brand.

Openly sharing the challenges that your product team faced and explaining how they subsequently overcame them to develop an innovative new solution, shows transparency. It reassures stakeholders that you understand the market’s demands and have the expertise to deliver.

 

Aligning with business objectives

Effective B2B PR doesn’t exist in a silo. Organisations must always ensure that they clearly align their storytelling efforts with the broader commercial and strategic goals of the business, whether that’s a new product launch, a funding round, or the opening of a new international office.

A well-timed narrative around your latest platform upgrade, for example, has the potential to support investor communications, social media campaigns, keynote presentations and sales collateral in unison. This consistency amplifies impact, ensuring every channel delivers a cohesive message.

 

Engaging through multiple channels

Quality narratives can, and should also have a long shelf life. A single, well-crafted story can fuel diverse content assets: press releases, by-lined articles, multimedia case studies, podcasts and social media posts. B2B tech businesses can, for example, transform a customer success story into a short video that highlights client testimonials, then distil key statistics into an infographic.

By repackaging the core narrative across formats and sharing across owned and earned media, businesses can meet their audience where they consume information, enhancing reach and engagement, and ensuring that the story keeps delivering benefits for them over the longer term.

 

Measuring impact

Storytelling effectiveness can also be measured. Organisations can track media pickup, share of voice, social engagement rates and website traffic to relevant content.

You can even supplement these metrics with qualitative feedback from analysts, messages from prospects or anecdotal evidence from their team. When you see a spike in inbound demo requests following a high-profile thought leadership piece, you know your story has had genuine traction.

For B2B tech companies, storytelling is a strategic imperative. Narratives that humanise technology, reinforce credibility and differentiate your brand can accelerate media coverage, fuel demand generation and strengthen customer relationships.

By consistently applying storytelling best practices across channels and aligning them with business objectives, tech PR teams can turn abstract innovation into compelling reasons for audiences to listen, engage and ultimately act.

Ready to get your tech story heard? Speak to the Whiteoaks team today.

In this blog, Hannah Buckley, Head of Content and Service Development, explains:

  • what digital PR is and how it differs from traditional PR
  • the fundamentals of digital PR strategy
  • how digital PR can be used by B2B tech businesses

 

Defining digital PR

Digital PR has become a core part of how B2B tech brands build visibility and credibility online. But what exactly is it, and how does it differ from traditional PR? In short, digital PR is the practice of gaining online coverage, links and engagement through content, media relations and digital-first outreach strategies. It combines the goals of traditional PR with the tactics of SEO and digital marketing.

The result? Campaigns that not only increase brand awareness but also improve search performance and drive relevant traffic to your website.

Ultimately, it’s an essential part of a broader online PR marketing strategy that helps connect your brand with your audience, where they’re already searching.


What does digital PR involve?

A strong digital PR strategy can include:

  • Creating thought leadership content that appeals to your target audience
  • Developing blogs and website content to target high value keywords
  • Pitching stories and insights to online media outlets and journalists
  • Securing coverage with backlinks on high-authority websites
  • Engaging with relevant online communities and influencers
  • Amplifying earned media through social media and email campaigns

As with traditional PR, the focus is on quality, relevance and outcomes, rather than just quantity.


Digital PR vs traditional PR: what’s the difference?

At this point, you may be wondering what exactly the difference is between Performance PR or traditional PR and digital PR. While traditional PR focuses on a mix of online and print or broadcast media, digital PR is entirely geared toward online platforms.

The tactics behind both, however, are similar – strong storytelling, relevant outreach and a clear understanding of your audience.

At Whiteoaks, we see digital PR as complementary to our PR programmes, not competing. Both play a role in building brand visibility and trust. What’s different is the intent and methodology.

Digital PR tends to be backed by keyword research and gap analysis and focuses on increasing online visibility, improving rankings for keywords and driving traffic to your website, with securing backlinks from high authority websites a key goal.

The way we measure it also differs. The focus is on monitoring backlink quality and assessing the influence of the programme on things like search rankings and web traffic.


Why is digital PR important for B2B tech companies?

For B2B tech brands, digital PR plays a key role in building trust and authority in competitive markets.

At the heart of it is ensuring that when your audience searches for solutions, your brand is discoverable and credible.

While Performance PR can do a lot of the leg work in building reputation and credibility, digital PR helps you become discoverable.

By creating keyword optimised content and earning domain authority boosting backlinks, digital PR strategies improve online visibility and direct potential customers to your site.

In short, digital PR helps connect your expertise with the people actively looking for it.


It’s not either, or

When combined with our Performance PR approach, digital PR can help extend your reach, reinforce your messaging and deliver measurable results across platforms – making it an effective B2B PR programme.

For B2B tech businesses, it’s an effective way to turn industry knowledge into real digital outcomes.


Want to start seeing improvements in rankings and referral traffic to your website? Get in touch to find out how our digital PR services can help.

In this blog by Hayley Goff, CEO, and Sophie King, Associate Director, Whiteoaks, we talk about the key takeways from our recent webinar, including:

  • The importance of tying PR to business objectives
  • How integrated campaigns deliver stronger impact
  • Why measurement should focus on outcomes, not just outputs

 

PR often gets tarnished with the “fluffy” brush. 61% of PR professionals struggle to link PR to business goals, driving the perception that campaigns fail to demonstrate clear, measurable value.

And it’s unfortunately been a very real past experience for some of our clients. We hear of experiences with previous agencies where contracted hours have been used up halfway through a month with little to show for it, with activity then put on pause until the following month. This serves to not only create questions about an agency’s accountability, but about such models themselves.

With mounting pressure on B2B tech brands to prove the impact of every marketing investment, PR needs to connect the dots between activity and outcomes.

In our recent webinar, “If it’s not measurable, it’s meaningless: How to use PR for B2B tech”, Whiteoaks CEO Hayley Goff and Associate Director Sophie King explained how businesses can turn PR into a strategic, measurable asset. Here are some of the key takeaways:

PR with purpose

PR isn’t just how many times the name of a company or spokesperson appears in different media; it has a much greater purpose.

Coverage views on an article are great, but they don’t tell businesses if they’re making any measurable progress towards real outcomes. For example, if the objective of PR activity is to drive consideration for a product launch, supporting content needs to encourage engagement from potential buyers.

Effective measurement begins with clear objectives, whether that’s driving brand awareness, breaking into a new market or even supporting recruitment efforts. And different objectives may have different target audiences, such as customers, investors, analysts or future hires.

That’s why when we embark on a project with a new client, one of the first things we do is connect PR to these business priorities. We then show how our strategy links to those objectives and report back against them, proving our accountability to our clients.

Reaching audiences in different ways

So, what does a measurable campaign look like? Today’s best ones aren’t run in siloes. Whiteoaks’ Performance PR model brings together media relations, content, social and creative in one package.

A B2B tech brand might have a strong news story to share with the press, but it could actually be more impactful if it’s also repurposed on LinkedIn, for example. Shared on a social media platform, it can be backed by a visual campaign, supported by thought leadership content and amplified by colleagues on their personal profiles.

It’s about creating the opportunities for audiences to engage in different ways via a mix of touchpoints.

Audience-centric measurement

Audience-centric measurement is vital to gauge the effectiveness of campaigns, this can include metrics that align with visibility, engagement and impact.

Impact is often considered the holy grail of audience measurement, as it reflects how PR activity has influenced an audience’s perceptions or actions. Impact can be seen in a few different ways, such as changes in brand consideration, reputation, lead generation or new partnerships.

The old perceptions of PR as being based on vanity metrics or impossible to measure are outdated. Proving the business value of PR is entirely possible, with the right strategy behind it. By setting clear objectives from the outset, aligning activity to strategic priorities and measuring what really matters, PR can become a critical part of a brand’s growth story.

When campaigns are integrated, purposeful and designed with impact in mind, they deliver far more than coverage stats. They deliver tangible outcomes.

Want to find out more about how to turn PR into a strategic, measurable asset for your business? Download the full webinar to hear more from Hayley and Sophie.

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.

In this blog, we discuss:

  • the visibility challenges digital infrastructure brands face
  • why traditional PR often falls short in this sector
  • how a performance-focused approach can help

 

There’s a certain irony in working in digital infrastructure.

You’re the engine room of the internet – powering websites, platforms and content; keeping storage, cloud services, networks and data flowing.

You make the digital world work, keeping everyone else online, connected and visible.

And yet… generating visibility for your own brand? That’s more of a challenge.

The digital infrastructure market is crowded. Buyers are sceptical. Sales cycles are long. And your competition are behemoths like AWS, Microsoft and Google.

So how do you cut through?

How do you prove you’re not just another “cloud solution”?

How can you prove – categorically – that PR spend is worth the investment?

Common challenges for digital infrastructure brands 

Do any of these challenges sound familiar? If so, read on. Digital infrastructure brands are among the hundreds of B2B tech brands we’ve worked with for the last 30 years and these are the problems we see most often. 

Struggling to generate visibility and differentiate: Being seen is one thing. Getting noticed is another. Visibility puts you on the radar, but standing out is what makes people pay attention. Your tech might be smarter, faster, more secure but if your message sounds like everyone else’s, it’ll get lost. Buyers are under pressure and short on time so your PR needs to grab attention, outshine the competition and be remembered.

Your buyers have complex buying cycles: Selling into a buying committee is like trying to convince a table full of people to agree on where to eat: the IT lead wants performance; the finance lead wants savings; the compliance officer wants a stress-free audit.

Infrastructure deals take time; they’re high value, involve multiple decision-makers and often drag on for months. With all the internal discussions, questions and delays you need to keep one foot in the room the whole way through. So how do you stay relevant and helpful without being pushy or annoying?

Performance PR can help digital infrastructure brands

It increases visibility through:

  • Press releases which get your news in front of the right journalists.
  • Articles which give your take on the issues your buyers care about.
  • Case studies which prove you can deliver.
  • Videos which bring what you do to life in a way that’s quick, clear and shareable.
  • Award entries show you’re recognised for your solutions and work.
  • Social campaigns which put your message in front of decision-makers where they’re already scrolling.

It can aid complex buying cycles:

PR must support and nurture journeys, not just bring in the leads initially. Therefore there needs to be a drip of communication, with messages delivered clearly, confidently and consistently.

  • PR can keep you visible across a long decision-making process period so you’re not forgotten.
  • It can deliver a steady flow of interviews, thought leadership and media features which can educate and reassure your buyers throughout the process.
  • It can help to secure third-party endorsements e.g. via customer testimonials or mentions in analyst reports which make it easier for buyers to justify their decision internally.

All these PR activities can position your brand as a trustworthy, forward-thinking choice. And earning trust is key, because when buyers are comparing options, the brand they’ve seen offering consistent, valuable insight is the one they’re more likely to pick. And when you tailor messaging to your buyers’ different roles, your sales team can use PR’s useful content and coverage to keep conversations warm – and crucially – moving.

How Performance PR can secure internal buy in

Even if you do, not everyone in your organisation is likely to get what PR does.

To non-marketing teams and senior management, things like “brand awareness” or “engagement” sound fluffy. Instead they’re focused on: leads, deals and revenue. So when you talk about top-of-funnel activity or PR coverage, the first question is often: “What’s the ROI?”

A fair question, but it puts a lot of pressure on professionals like you to prove the value of work which doesn’t always result in conversion overnight.

Have you ever had to justify questions like: 

“How many leads did that article bring in?”

“What’s the value of that podcast appearance?”

“Do we really need to be on that panel?”

Well this is where Performance PR comes in. 

Performance PR is built on measurable KPIs, ensuring every campaign is aligned with your business objectives. By directly linking actions to outcomes, it delivers clear evidence of impact. It ditches vanity metrics and speaks the language the boardroom wants to hear.

It arms you with proof so when leadership asks what PR is doing for the business, you can confidently say: “Let me show you.”

Measuring PR’s impact for digital infrastructure brands

So just what might those numbers and outcomes look like in a Performance PR campaign designed to target these challenges?

Visibility: If PR is helping you to become more visible, you’ll see increased media coverage, search interest, social mentions, website traffic and backlinks.

Complex buying cycles: To measure whether your PR efforts are supporting complex buying cycles, you want to track metrics which show how PR is influencing awareness, trust, education and conversion over time. Are more people searching for your brand, visiting your site or downloading your content after a campaign? Are leads engaging with thought leadership, mentioning articles in sales calls or moving through the funnel faster?

If you’re in digital infrastructure and battling to stand out, drive your pipeline and prove ROI, it’s time for a partner who gets it. That’s where we come in. Find out more about Performance PR and how we do it here at Whiteoaks. Ready when you are.