If you are trying to market and promote your SaaS platform, you cannot afford to be careless. Any mistakes or errors on your part are going to have a long-term impact not only on your reputation but the reach of your software as a service platform.
It might even result in you losing your existing market and consumer trust. Remember, you need to come up with a successful communication program to make it evident to your prospects that they just cannot imagine their businesses or even their routine lives without your SaaS platform. And this is where public relations comes into the picture. Let's give you an idea as to what PR mistakes you should avoid in 2023 that could land your software offering in hot water:
- Getting On To The Bandwagon Too Late
This is one of the biggest mistakes you can ever make. You must understand that it is going to require an ample amount of planning before you can put your first press release out there. Therefore, you have to start preparing for it in advance. It is important to conduct market research to understand the mood of your prospects. This is going to give you a clear picture of what kind of voice your brand needs so that your message can be conveyed effectively. For example, your target demographic and its age is going to define whether you should keep a more formal voice or a more casual tone. You also have to show up on the most popular mediums to connect with them and get them excited about your campaign.
- What? No Budget For PR!
Forgetting to create a financial plan or budget for your public relations campaign is a huge blunder that you must avoid. Public relations do not happen overnight. They are not something that calls for huge investments but they are not going to be free of cost either. Depending on the type of agency that you have, you will have to come up with an initial budget of at least $5,000. Depending on how wide you want your reach to be, the budget can easily multiply by 5 or 6 times.
- Not Using The Right Language
There will always be a critical bunch within your target demographic who is going to look out for even the smallest of errors and mistakes in your PR content. This makes it even more important to write up your press release content very intelligently. A well-written piece is going to get you more traction with your audience. When you put effort and research into your press release note, it shows and your audience appreciates it tremendously.
- Forgetting To Seek Expert Advice
When it comes to doing marketing and promotional activities for your platform, forgetting to get the right expert on your marketing panel could be a big mistake. If you are a startup and are trying to enter an already concentrated market, the best way to improve your SaaS public relations and establish your brand from the start is to associate with industry experts. Invite them to become a regular part of your proactive marketing team. They will be able to predict some of the most impactful marketing pitfalls that you might be headed to given that you are not yet experienced in the industry. You will be in a better position to come up with a winning PR strategy with marketing experts from your industry.
- Not Following Up With Media Houses
So you gave your precious press release letter or note to the leading media houses all across the country. Have you forgotten to follow up with them? Have you asked them to share with you a detailed report of the responses that it has gathered so far? If you haven't been able to do that, you will not be able to connect with your audience either. Remember, just handing over your PR content to the promotional agency is not going to be the end of your responsibilities.
The Bottom Line
The most important thing that you need to understand is that effective and long-lasting public relations are a way to communicate with your customers and prospects. It will have a long-lasting impact on your brand. Also, public relations is not a form of paid media advertisement. It is not your regular SEO or any other promotional tactic that you have to pay for. It is a road map to create strong relations with your target market. If you do not take it seriously, your prospects will not take your brand seriously.