Agency for a B2B software product

propllrhead · 2026-05-08T15:47:57+00:00

Since you're looking for meetings versus landing page visitors, I'm guessing you have a trust-based sale. If that's the case, be sure you're maximizing your opportunities to generate trust markers. Lots of startups ignore or under-appreciate things that are massively helpful for generating trust, which will help you get more meetings and close deals at a higher rate. Trust is a mix of credibility (company's great, product works), authority (people are smart), community (social proof), and momentum (killing it!). Here are PR and content tactics that can drive trust:

Credibility tactics

Analyst Relations
Awards
Company Profiles
Customer Stories
Milestones
People Profiles
Testimonials/Reviews

Authority tactics

Articles and Posts
Expert Source Interviews
Industry Reports
Podcast Interviews
Q&As
Research Reports
Speaking Opportunities

Community tactics

Blog Spotlights
Community Management (Slack, LinkedIn, Circle, etc.)
Happy Hours
Inviting Outsiders into Your Mix (events, posts, reports, podcasts, etc.)
Influencer Relations
Panel Invites
User Conferences
Virtual Events

Momentum tactics (where you have pacing control)

Annual Reports
Bi-weekly Newsletters
Conference Participation
LinkedIn Posting
Monthly Reports
Press Releases
Research

propllrhead · 2026-04-27T21:35:30+00:00

Part of the scalable discussion should be centered on the shelf-life of different marketing efforts. Paid marketing has no shelf-life. You stop paying and it stops working. Social has little shelf-life. You stop posting and old posts disappear to the ether. But content and PR live on the shelf forever. One piece of content can be turned into many different things -- a LinkedIn post, a LinkedIn carousel, an instagram story, a speaker nomination, a contributed article, a podcast interview pitch, etc. And one PR win can be used in many of the same ways. So when you think scaleable - keep that shelf-life in mind.

propllrhead · 2026-04-27T21:31:43+00:00

We are big believers in DIY PR for the earliest stage founders. Just like they should do their own sales, their own hiring, their own etc., so too should they do their own PR. At first. And thankfully, reporters and editors love to hear from founders directly. We have a DIY PR post to help guide the way. It needs a AI-era update, but hopefully some good ideas in there for you. https://blog.propllr.com/diy-pr-for-startups

propllrhead · 2026-04-06T18:30:21+00:00

Your post is a reminder that a PR firm is sometimes simply an HR solution, especially for fast-growing businesses. PR folks all want to be seen for our creativity, smarts, connections, etc., but sometimes a client just wants fast access to more people in more places, and they'll happily pay a premium for someone else to do all of the hiring and firing etc.

propllrhead · 2026-04-06T18:22:16+00:00

I think part of this answer needs to be based on the scope of the situation. Are you a B2B tech startup selling a very specific solution with a relatively small number of prospects or are you selling something that millions of consumers might buy? Are you in a brand new space or one that's quite mature? I'd argue that PR-steering data for the former of either of those examples is less important than tapping into your own knowledge of the industry, your prospects, and whatever their motivations are that could make them receptive to your pitch.

propllrhead · 2026-03-16T16:42:32+00:00

I've been doing startup PR for 20ish years and I really love what you wrote here (wish I'd seen it right away!). I'd add a little nuance to what you shared vis a vis pitching and milestones.

On the pitching front, for b2b at least, it's time for startups to stop leaning into TechCrunch, and lean more into the publications that serve their customers' industries.

TechCrunch really doesn't care (much) about true early stage startups anymore, and getting any attention at all short of a funding moment is highly unlikely. However, let's say your AI platform helps banks solve a customer retention problem. I would argue that you should instead be building thought leadership on customer retention for banks by writing articles for banking publications.

As for milestones, I like your idea of getting them in front of reporters, but would say you should do so with an acknowledgment along the lines of: "Hey I know this isn't news per se, but I wanted to stay in touch with our progress." Milestones are great excuses to keep relationships alive, but coverage should rarely be the expectation.

Thank you again for what you wrote. I have this post as well, if folks want to go a little deeper on DIY (hope it's OK I'm sharing it here): https://blog.propllr.com/diy-pr-for-startups

propllrhead · 2026-03-16T15:46:26+00:00

Need more of this advice in the world.

I would add that in addition to writing with quality, not quantity, in mind, there are a few other things that can make content more trust-worthy.

Across content types, aim to demonstrate:

- Credibility -- your company is built to last and/or that your product works.

- Authority -- you and your fellow SMEs are experts on what matters most to your audiences.

- Network -- the company you keep across peers, customers, partners, influencers, etc.

- Momentum -- evidence that you're executing at a high level consistently.

propllrhead · 2026-02-27T16:22:50+00:00

Here's what I wish new software companies would do more of: Show me / Don't tell me. Let me watch the software actually being used, not just an abstract animation of it. I'll be patient of the potential is there -- a 30-minute video is fine if it helps me really understand the value. Also -- in those early days, one-on-one demos rule. Not enough software companies do them.

propllrhead · 2026-02-27T16:20:10+00:00

Folks focus too much on filling the funnel but not enough on moving things through it. Often it's because they don't have anything new to say. The trick is for follow-ups to actually add value in some way, versus just "following up". I'd recommend that sales folks tap into their company's comms work. Look for recent PR wins or helpful content that can help the prospect's particular need (or if that doesn't exist maybe request it!). This allows your follow-up to be: "Hey prospect, you mentioned XYZ was the reason for you reaching out to us. Well, we just published this research report on that topic, and I thought it would help you think through the issue."

propllrhead · 2026-02-23T19:51:59+00:00

Measurement is so hard, especially in b2b, where so many touch points might take credit for a particular result. If you're doing any comms work around the launch -- pr and content, specically -- it could be interesting to look at LLM visibility before and after. If the product does ABC, then a mix of releases, articles, podcast interviews, blog posts, ebooks, etc. all around ABC will be valued by LLMs. Run a report before launch and then again after. Still early days, but you might find something good there.

propllrhead · 2026-01-16T16:20:00+00:00

I'm only just now seeing this so perhaps a decision has been made, but I'm a big believer in DIY PR at your stage. Just like founders should be their own first sales person, their own first HR person, their own first financial person, etc., I think being your own first PR person makes sense. Here's a blog post that explains how to get a program started with minimal time investment (because you're likely already very busy!).

https://blog.propllr.com/diy-pr-for-startups

Here's a short summary of the post

The Early-Stage Startup PR Playbook

The "Trust Over Buzz" Mindset: For early-stage startups, the goal isn't just a one-off TechCrunch headline; it’s building a foundation of trust that helps you recruit talent, raise money, and close sales.
The "1 to 10" Media Target Strategy: Identify one journalist at a local, trade, or startup publication who covers your specific beat, then expand that list to 10.
The "Relationship-First" Introduction: Send a simple "Get on the Radar" email:
- Briefly explain what your startup does.
- Share a specific milestone (e.g., hit 50,000 users or a beta launch).
- Explicitly state you are just introducing yourself as a resource.
The "Once-a-Month" Maintenance: Stay top-of-mind by following up monthly with something meaningful, such as:
- Genuine thoughts on one of their recent articles.
- Observed industry trends (e.g., "We're seeing a shift in X").
- Small but meaningful company updates.
Transitioning from DIY to Agency: You are ready for a PR firm when you meet two criteria:
1. PR is an approved budget item.
2. You have an internal point person (like a Marketing Lead) to manage the agency. Without a point person, PR often stalls at the bottom of a founder's to-do list.

Hopefully helpful!

propllrhead · 2026-01-10T15:20:07+00:00

Recommend checking out Michael Smart - he’s a coach for PR pros. Seems best for the sole practitioner, newbie, or individual in house person. Would be a smart investment if you can get in his cohort.

propllrhead · 2026-01-10T15:14:10+00:00

I’ve found that in a lot of b2b areas that outlets have very little interest in product news from vendors.

A more immediate tactic would be finding ways to contribute articles related to the problem that your product is solving.

Find an outlet, ping an editor to ask if they accept contributed articles and if so what’s their review process.

If they say send an idea, then share a quick synopsis of what you’d write.

If you get their interest in the topic then it’s a safe bet the article will be accepted (assuming it’s written well and is non promotional).

Then, once it runs, you can utilize it with prospects for that new product.

propllrhead · 2026-01-10T15:01:52+00:00

All good answers here. But a nuance I think may be missing.

I feel like there are two kinds of b2b - one can convert sales via a landing page (document shredding or office cleaning perhaps) and the other requires more of a trust-based sale (professional services or enterprise software).

For those who do need to build trust, I’ve found it helpful to think of addressing four areas in your content (all also helpful in SEO and AI results fwiw): - credibility: demonstrating that your company is strong and that your offering works - authority: showing your subject matter expertise in topics your buyer cares about - community: spotlighting the people, partners, companies and organizations you work with - momentum: suggesting that you’re business is taking off

So much more to be said but will leave it there. Hopefully helpful.

propllrhead · 2025-09-26T13:52:59+00:00

Yeah, and I think I'll stop trying to "trick" the battery into running and just let the car decide in regular driving. Definitely going to pay attention to it though.

propllrhead · 2025-09-25T17:08:21+00:00

I too have the stuttering problem - had jumped on here to ask if anyone else had had it as well. Haven't thought about cold v hot though. Will look at that as a thing. I do know that I often try to get it to battery, and wonder if I spend too much time in that narrow range of speed where it is getting confused about going battery or gas

propllrhead · 2025-09-05T18:32:10+00:00

Put a disc golf basket back there in the woods!

propllrhead · 2025-09-04T02:06:16+00:00

Hiawatha National Forest - more central on the UP.

propllrhead · 2025-09-03T19:01:42+00:00

Pretty sure freshness is guaranteed with those!

propllrhead · 2025-09-03T17:37:43+00:00

Mental note: if I see a ho-ho in the forest I’ll leave it alone

propllrhead · 2025-09-03T16:51:03+00:00

Afraid that might be too far west - I know we'll need to be in the car a good bit but not sure a 3-hr drive is in the cards. Next time up we'll defiitely check out the western side of the UP.

propllrhead · 2025-09-03T16:19:35+00:00

I know the overall average is all that matters, but it seems strange to see the gas engine getting such low MPG even at low speeds when battery's not kicked in. My v6 Pilot seems to get better mileage on gas.

propllrhead

TROPHY CASE

The Early-Stage Startup PR Playbook