Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

 

Working in the IT-company, PR-specialists use almost all existing PR tools and techniques. That is why the PR in IT-sphere cannot be separated. Ideally, PR manager is involved in programs for reputation management in various projects of internal corporate PR, in planning sponsorship and participation in social projects. All this shows that the work carried out is not much different from that of PR manager at another company. However, some specific features in IT-PR are still there.

 

So what can offer PR to IT company?

Generally, all is needed is creation and strengthening of the company's image, the image of the head, establishing relationships with external audiences, intracorporate PR, and, finally, it is promoting of the product.

 

Typically, IT-PR does not set a goal of "wide promotion" of something to the general public. For example, if the IT-company develops software for accounting or bank, there is no point of disseminating information about it to a wide audience. All software is "written" according to a certain customer. And for customer it is interesting and important to know everything about the program you are developing, but it’s not so for the rest.

 

Competent PR would make everything possible for potential customers and partners to apply to this company but not any other one: because there are competent professionals, pleasant to talk with staff, quickly done work, the essential principles of cooperation are held, etc.

 

By the way, one of the features of IT-company functioning is full secrecy: everything the company is developing for a client is a trade secret. In this situation the task of PR is to make everything possible not to let the confidential information become public.

 

In addition to the internal PR there is also an external one. There is no need in direct advertising. All that works is your company’s image, which is created by a competent setting of information, articles run, communications with foreign partners, including the “viral” dissemination of information (from lip to lip).

 

Corporate website is the advertising support to IT-companies. It is the site content (the information about the history of the company, its employees, management, projects, and partners) works on the image of the company as advertising. Today, it is a corporate site often becomes the next step in a row (after they heard the name) on exploring company for further cooperation.

Nevertheless, PR implies constant support in social networks and communication with the media, so it’s very important to make new acquaintances in this sphere. Also don’t forget about different forums, corporate events, seminars and conferences, where you will be presenting your company.

 

An important PR tool for any company, regardless of its target audience and positioning, is a video interview with its experts. This expert can become general manager or other member of a company, who can tell you about the main priorities of your company’s’ activities and answer the key questions which would be interesting to potential customers.

 

And what methods of PR in IT sphere do you know or use? How to promote IT company? 

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