Silicon Valley is America’s innovation posterchild. Under the shade of tech giants like Salesforce and Facebook, startup seedlings sprout at a rate that outpaces other cities. It would be natural to assume that in an area with many B2B tech companies, many B2B tech PR firms would have also taken root. And with such a stellar location, you could also assume the majority of these agencies would have the resources to secure your company consistent coverage on an ongoing basis. Yet only one of these assumptions is true.
Yes, search “PR firms in Silicon Valley” and you’ll find a plethora for your choosing. However, your criteria for hiring a good media relations agency shouldn’t include location. Below are three reasons why you should look outside of Silicon Valley for a B2B tech PR firm.
- Announcement-based PR isn’t true PR
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to have big announcements every month to justify hiring a PR firm. Yet many B2B tech PR firms in Silicon Valley operate under an “announcement-based” strategy. In terms of results, this could mean 20 pieces of media coverage the month of a funding announcement, followed by three months of media silence. You should expect your B2B tech PR firm to exhibit similar qualities of your sales team: scrappy, creative and results-oriented. This means the PR team actively searches for media opportunities regardless of when your next announcement is happening. This approach, in turn delivers consistent coverage. - You shouldn’t have to pay the firm’s rent
B2B tech PR firms are businesses too, which means they have overhead costs like you do. However, in examining variables like their location, office space, number of employees and general culture, you’ll get a feel for the kind of cash it takes for the agency to survive. Firms outside of the Silicon Valley typically have lower overhead than those within, thus it takes less cash for their business to stay afloat. There’s also a myth that anything east of the Sierra Nevadas is a talent vacuum. Yet with the number of top-performing universities and low cost of living, many young, talented and hungry professionals call cities like Indianapolis, Cincinnati and St. Louis home. - Don’t settle for the backburner
Many B2B tech PR firms in Silicon Valley maintain an impressive list of clients, including well-fed unicorns. While these logos look great on a website, they often crowd the firm’s smaller clients. Big accounts require a lot of attention. If this is your company’s first foray into media relations, the PR team may not have the necessary time to devote to educating press on what you do. Yet at an agency further east, your business may have the opportunity to be the PR firm’s marquee client. They’ll likely want to do a deep-dive on your technology and current marketing efforts, and may even travel to meet you in person. Afterwards, they will champion you to their media contacts — and get a three-hour head start on the pitching your news every day.
To learn more what a non-Silicon Valley firm can do for your business, contact Lindsey Groepper to get the scoop.
