Technology firms have set the agenda for PR in recent years; technology PR blazed the trail for blogging, SEO and social media and, over recent years, other sectors have started to catch on.

That being said, as technology becomes more and more instrumental in our daily lives, these organisations are coming up against increasing competition for our attention. Therefore, standing out in a crowded marketplace is becoming difficult, and this is where PR comes in.

It doesn't matter if you are an IT vendor, channel partner, e-commerce developer or VoIP organisation, each specialism needs public relations in some capacity. Here are some basic tips on how to get started on your PR.

Product PR

You'll find that product PR will be the focus of most of your activity – getting your products reviewed and featured is the best way to spread the word.

Identify what publications/ pages you want to target and then put in a few calls to the correct contacts. Once you've established these contacts, by sure to regularly check in with these journalists – building a relationship can be extremely beneficial and is more likely to lead to repeat coverage.

Be sure you have a plentiful supply of samples that you're willing to send to journalists so they can review your products; it's not a good idea to keep them waiting as it could reflect negatively on your business.

Business news

If there has been significant developments within your business (e.g. award wins, significant business growth etc.) then this is the area of the newspapers you'll want to target.

When you're drafting your press release, keep things simple and to the point, try and include a quote from someone in the business and always get someone else to proof read it for you.

If you think a good photo would strengthen your story, it's worth considering paying a professional photographer to take some shots for you.

When your press release is ready, call your chosen newspaper (avoid calling on the newspapers' deadline day if possible). Explain briefly who you are, why you're calling and what the press release is about, then ask who the best person to send it through to via email would be.

Digital

The internet provides plenty of options when it comes to promoting your business.

If you have a website, make sure it is updated regularly and is easy for your customers to navigate. You should also consider setting up a Twitter account or Facebook group. 'Add' or 'follow' people from your sector and keep it up to date so they can easily find out what's going on with your business.