Sitting at G2 Reach in headphones, watching Dave Gerhardt of Drift steal the hearts and minds of attendees, I thought: we know how much G2 matters for our client base of B2B software companies, why don’t we have a blog on how we can help? So, here it is.
Google any SaaS brand, and one of the first search returns will likely be review site G2. Customer reviews on site like G2 can make or break a software deal. According to G2’s data, 7 out of 10 buyers reference reviews in the consideration phase and half report using reviews in the later stages of the buying process. Also, G2 gets as much traffic as a top-tier publication: 3.34 million unique visitors per month.
When asked about the peer-to-peer review site, tech media consultant Sam Whitmore said, “G2 is an interesting company — part database, part marketplace, part publisher. So the point here may be, given enough time, software changes everything. In tech, public relations and analyst relations will continue on in legacy fashion, but the winds of change are blowing. Platforms aren’t just on the way — they’re here. Time to harness them.”
It goes without saying, but I’m saying it: if your PR team doesn’t care about G2, you have the wrong team. Below are a few ways PR should be harnessing the power of G2’s platform:
Contributed content
G2’s Learning Hub accepts contributed content submissions from experts. PR teams should submit profiles of thought leaders with expertise in areas such as SaaS, marketing and media and IT. The submission guidelines focus heavily on SEO value — keyword strategy, internal linking, 1500+ words, etc. Once a thought leader is accepted, PR teams should keep up a regular cadence of submissions to make the most of the profile.
Press releases
Each quarter, G2 produces Grid Reports. These reports highlight products and vendors by category based on reviews gathered from the user community, as well as data aggregated from online sources and social networks. Inclusion in Grid Reports make for compelling press releases, either standalone or paired with a product announcement.
To be clear, G2 Grid releases won’t earn you TechCrunch or other top-tier coverage, but issuing them on a wire or even hosting them on your blog will showcase momentum and credibility to an ever-important SaaS pillar: current customers and prospects. But, don’t issue a release every time G2 releases a new Grid report if your solution remains in the same position on the same Grid. We suggest releases when our clients move positions or appear on a Grid for the first time.
Expert insights
Not only does G2’s Learning Hub accept guest posts from thought leaders, but it also regularlly sources quotes to feature in posts written by members of the G2 team. For example, this post features our VP on finding a job in PR. Your PR team should sign up for the email alerts and submit on topics that connect to your business.
Interested in talking with our team about how we can help support your G2 efforts? Reach out.