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Category: Technology

21 E-E-A-T Strategies To Supercharge Your SEO And Boost Brand Trust

By Oliver Wells, SEO Director

Estimated read time: 12 minutes 

Blog summary: In this blog I breakdown the importance of Google’s EEAT framework to modern SEO and business growth. I’ll focus on how to implement experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness on your website. Read on to learn how utilizing EEAT strategies not only enhances your organic search performance but also builds long lasting customer loyalty and trust; positioning your business for success in a digital-first world. 

EEAT as a measure of enduring quality

In this dynamic and now AI-influenced landscape of digital content production, Google’s E-E-A-T framework stands as a beacon of unwavering credibility. Born into the 2014 edition of the Quality Rater Guidelines as 3 simple letters: “E-A-T” (Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness) they have since been incorporated into updates both core and micro for as long as I can remember, and now also include a further “E” for “Experience”. We can now see and track the direct and wholly positive impacts of EEAT strategies in organic campaigns, but why is this the case?

“E-A-T is a template for how we rate an individual site. We do it to every single query and every single result. It’s pervasive throughout every single thing we do.”

Hyung-Jin Kim, Vice President of Search at Google, speaking at SMX Next

The value of lived experience

EAT was introduced as a quality concept in response to the growing need for authoritative and trustworthy online information. Fast forward to 2022, and the concept expanded to include ‘Experience’. This represents the value of firsthand, lived experience(s). This evolution wasn’t just an update; it was a statement. Google was championing content not just rich in expertise but also steeped in honest, genuine input. For users, it meant a more relatable, trustworthy and reliable online world, where information comes from those who don’t just know but truly understand the industry because they have lived it – and they aren’t simply writing content in order to sell you a dream. They want to help or guide you towards something, they’re willing to prove themselves to you, and they are happy to be patient.

EEAT as an influencing force

As goes modern SEO, Google’s E-E-A-T has emerged as a powerhouse. Its utilization in the March 2024 update is telling. It’s not just a framework; it’s how you connect with potential customers and website users. It’s how you show them why you’re the best option in a noisy and incoherent grey space of endless choice. By blending experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness Google is able to nudge content creators, business owners and marketing directors (sometimes forcefully and with some degree of resistance) towards excellence. Engaging with EEAT frameworks as they become even more essential, is now a case of when, not if; and there is some degree of urgency.

The focus revolves around rewarding those who know their stuff with resonance that is achieved through genuine experience and transparency – honesty with a dash of true and forthright passion for a craft and a business that wants to thrive. For SEO strategists, myself included, mastering E-E-A-T is not just about playing by the rules; it’s about crafting content that connects with audiences and converts because it is a natural full stop rather than a wrestling match.

Why you need to be using EEAT frameworks sooner, rather than later

So why should you care about SEO and EEAT and what does success look like for your business following continued engagement with these frameworks? The short answer is: online trust = increased business but garnered the right way, consistently and honestly, over time. In our challenging digital world it can seem like every blog and every site is designed to splice attention into consumable chunks, robbing businesses of feeling and websites of humanity.

Therefore, SEOs and Google know and understand that those who genuinely want to engage and talk about a topic are the ones who cultivate the greatest loyalties. Customer loyalty and brand trust being possibly the two greatest pillars upon which strong businesses are built. EEAT is a big thing. I won’t pretend like I am able to discuss it all in one blog post. It encompasses a lot of SEO with crossover into design, digital marketing generally, as well as brand positioning and content creation. But we are passionate about this. We believe strongly that EEAT is the best way to improve organic presence, but we also have an extremely strong feeling that these frameworks are formative to AI and LLM performance. Google may rely heavily on how trustworthy you are, how much authority you have; therefore success in EEAT may very well mean success in AI when AI becomes a major, dominant player in SEO and search.

So, lofty goals we may set, but attainable they are. We have compiled for you below, our top 21 EEAT elements that you must engage with as soon as you can if you want to become a trustworthy organic performance powerhouse.

Unlocking the potential of Google’s EEAT to achieve SEO excellence

Showcase Experience

  1. Use “I” and personal pronouns in your content. Address your audience and readers naturally. We’ve touched on this above but be personable. Talk about yourself as the writer and your experiences relative to the topic at hand and add value with your input. Don’t be afraid of anecdotes. Make your content relatable and authentic. De-mask the featureless writing machine and be “you”. 
  2. For reviews and UGC, try to promote and encourage your customers and users and partners to talk directly about their experience with you as a brand and a business. How did they find an onboarding process? Was their experience with your customer service team positive and why? The value here is in the depth of detail and creating a realistic expectation for others.
  3. Long-form and effusive testimonials are marketing gold-dust. This is a given fact. How you utilize them, once acquired, can be a difference-maker. Make sure you split up a positive review or user-story and inject its influence across your site, content, and marketing channels. You can quote a review snippet into a blog, create an image slider on social media, a testimonial-blast email and so much more. This gives users a great sense of your experience in the industry.
  4. A simple but effective approach is to include dates that relate to your own experiences. If you’re writing a blog, mention your credentials. For me, for example, I have 8 years’ experience in SEO and digital marketing. This one sentence lends credence to my insights and tells Google that my experience can be trusted.
  5. To expand upon the above, when writing meet the team pages or employee information sections on your site (which are a must do but we will get to that!) then include how many years’ experience they each have and where they acquired that experience. What degrees do they have, where did they study, and who are their notable client exposures. If your marketing team of 10, each have between 5- and 10-years’ experience in the industry each, that is a collective (roughly) 50 to 100 years’ worth of knowledge. That is a data point worth shouting about.

Highlight Expertise:

  1. It may seem obvious but one of the best ways to implement the expertise concept is to utilize experts on your site and in your marketing. This can take many forms. You can approach a topic-related industry professional or known quantity to write/author a blog for you. You could also ask for a contribution to a blog piece or you can ask them to provide specific input regarding your service and surface that prominently on your home or service pages. A blend of all is often most effective. Make sure you are displaying the expert’s credentials, qualifications, and experiences as best you can.
  2. Showcase topic experts. When writing content, it is vital that the author is shown. The method of showing also counts here. A one-liner is not enough. We need an author bio of 50-100 words that links the author to the topic. This is an SEO blog. The ‘about the author’ section in this blog talks about my SEO experience. Because I am an SEO expert. Ideally, we need a job title too, and an image of the author (designs coming soon…) You also need to work towards building a bank of content authored by your experts.
  3. Meet the authors. An often-overlooked strategic content piece. A page that showcases all your authors alongside all their subject specialisms and a link to “see content authored by this expert” goes an extremely long way to showing Google and your audience that you are a trustworthy business comprised of topic/industry experts. You can also go one step further and build out author profile pages on a specific URL for each person; allowing a user to deep-dive your experts, their experience, and the content they have written.
  4. Have you written more on the subject matter? Conducted studies, or research? Then link it. You can’t be an expert with a blog count of one. This blends into the final point of consistency. Experts, real ones, write a lot of content. My colleagues know my specialisms, but if I don’t write on the topic consistently then readers, and Google, won’t know or trust that fact. 
  5. Lastly, an expert uses the best sources. So do your research and showcase your findings. The very best blog articles out there link to studies, research, data, reviews and then some. A brilliantly written wall of text just isn’t going to cut it. Google uses these links to cement the content in truth. Utilize the words and insights of other experts to support and formalize your own.

Generate Authority:

  1. Authority can be hard to earn generally and may take some time as a challenger brand or start-up. For established businesses, you might already have authoritative voices in your company. If so, utilize them. You can begin this process with, for example, creating a meet the team page. Who are the people that make up your business and why are they authoritative (you can see here how constituent parts of the EEAT concept are interlinked). Later on, you can engage with actions such as conferences, community events, posting about your presence there on your site and social media channels; develop individual voices with multimedia creation such as podcasts – make the right types of noise in the right kinds of relevant spaces.
  2. Engage with digital PR. DPR is one of the best, quickest, and most effective ways to build your brand authority. We can get your CEO or a HOD listed in newspapers and magazines offering commentary or insight regarding world-events or current affairs. We can get you a full-post placement in an audience/business specific magazine or publication showcasing a new service, entrance into a foreign market or discussing the state of an industry and the potential issues that may (come to) plague it following the announcement of new legislation. DPR builds authority through direct audience recognition. It also may provide a backlink which directly and positively improves your site’s authority in the eyes of search engines. Furthermore, Google is now able to detect un-linked brand mentions and employ that detection as a measure of trust and authority. This identification is getting more and more sophisticated (a trend that will continue) as Google moves away from traditional backlinking as a potent measure of interconnectivity and moves towards more natural ways of testing a brand’s impact in press – especially as media backlink inclusion gets less and less commonplace. Hence the truly vital nature of digital PR.
  3. To be an authority, you need to understand a subject deeply whilst also developing your and others’ understanding of it at the same time. To do this, you need to create and commission studies, research and analysis that is new to market. You can survey your audience and publish your findings. You can engage a specialized agency to undergo rigorous testing on your behalf – utilizing the end product across marketing channels and media. This also goes a long way to establishing yourself as a thought leader in your specific space(s).
  4. An authoritative site is trusted by others. It is all well and good writing the best blog in the world but if nobody sees it, does it have authority? Following the publishing of a blog piece it is then important to conduct manual outreach to other sites, brands and businesses. You want those other sites to use your piece in their own insights and analysis as a hyperlink or reference. To go back to the above point, if you have conducted excellent research with fascinating end-product data, chances are, media and relative brands will want to use your findings. Thus, the cycle of authority and thought leadership is oft self-sustaining.

Delivering Trust:

  1. Of all the metrics and approaches, the notion of trust is almost certainly the most important as regards all-round business growth and efficacy of method. The first thing you should do is ask yourself the question “how can I prove myself and create a natural, genuine sense of trust between me, my audience, and Google?” Your first port of call should be to ascertain and/or showcase your industry specific business qualifications, certifications and accreditations. These are vast and varied by nature but can cover things such as health and safety, ISO specifications, quality control (QC) and even badges that show users how you encrypt data or ensure safe payment methods.
  2. Award wins and recognitions. If you have won awards for your excellent business practices, campaigns or for a specific project –shout about them! Winning awards and being recognized for your work is one of the best and quickest ways to build trust between you as a business, search engines and your users. If you haven’t won any awards just yet, start applying for some. If you’re in the tech industry, check out our list of the best tech awards to enter.  If you’re an energy company reading this, we’ve got you covered. Browse our comprehensive list of energy awards to enter.
  3. Case studies are key when it comes to trust building. The more descriptive you can be with your case studies the better. Offer insight and commentary on the work you did, the relationship you created, and the results you achieved. Breakdown data and statistics, be clear, up-front and honest about any challenges you encountered. It is important to include a testimonial from the client, a review snippet or a measure of insight from their side. You should also link to the website in question if applicable – cementing the relationship to search engines. You should also segment your case studies for clear access; utilizing menu grouping, unique URL paths and breadcrumbs. Grouping all of your case studies in a bunch together is hard to interpret but creating “SEO case studies” and “PPC case studies” groups makes life easy for potential SEO and PPC clients respectively. You want these case studies front and center, easy to read; concise and valuable.
  4. Fact check all content and keep it evergreen. Dated content no longer functions in our fast paced environment. I wouldn’t trust an SEO strategy blog dated to 2018, or even 2020, and I’m sure you wouldn’t either! Please also keep dates out of URLs, they don’t belong there! I believe it also goes without saying, but don’t include anything in your content or marketing that you cannot prove to be true.
  5. You can’t trust what you don’t know. An about us page is something that is perhaps arduous to create but is truly worthwhile. Users want to know who you are. Google wants to know who you are. Go further and showcase your history, the people that made your business, your mission statement, values and purpose – provide a timeline, or an interview with the company founders. Do all you can to show the world your business is made of real people with real passions that can be trusted by virtue of their openness and capacity for honesty.
  6. Engage with review sites across the web. EEAT is not just site-specific, its impact escapes and encompasses the entire web. Therefore, it is imperative that you engage with multiple review sites and aggregators. That means having a presence on e.g. Trustpilot, Clutch, Review.io, industry specific reviews sites and more if you can. Google reviews are perhaps the most crucial, but it does not mean that others should be overlooked. When it comes to review harvesting and prompting be sure to encourage (as stated above!) honesty and clarity on process. But also try to secure service specific language and deep insights into a product or experience. You want to create a sense of relativity, allowing your potential new audience to put themselves in the shoes of your current audience. Lastly on this, you must directly address all negative reviews, no matter how time-costly this is. This shows you’re a genuine, trustworthy business that cares about how people perceive it.
  7. A final but interconnected point on testimonials. Where possible, insert these into relative pages. Testimonials that extol the virtues and value of a service, placed onto that service page, will work wonders for your conversion rate and for the right reasons at that.

To conclude

As I said, EEAT is BIG. But it is worth getting your head around. It represents for me, and for Aspectus, the evolution of SEO and the future of AI and LLM performance. Businesses that fail at EEAT, will fail as we transition. But that ought not be a negative. EEAT means building connections with your audience. It represents a freedom and creativity to engage and to be exciting. It’s a celebration of authenticity and expertise; a showcase of your experience. It’s about showing the world who you are, what you do, why you do it and what drives you forward.  EEAT isn’t just the next big thing; it’s the foundation for enduring success on search engines. It’s an invitation to create content that’s as real as it is relevant, as personal as it is powerful. Get in touch with me today to discuss how we can help you achieve SEO success through EEAT implementation.  

Key Takeaways:

What is Google’s E-E-A-T?

Google’s E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness, a framework crucial for SEO success, emphasizing credible and quality content.

How does E-E-A-T impact SEO and digital marketing?

E-E-A-T directly influences organic search rankings by rewarding content that demonstrates genuine expertise, authoritative sources, and trustworthiness, along with the author’s personal experience in the subject matter.

Why should businesses focus on E-E-A-T?

Focusing on E-E-A-T ensures that businesses create content that truly resonates with their audience, establishing a strong, trustworthy online presence that drives organic growth and customer loyalty.

How can incorporating E-E-A-T into content strategy benefit a business?

Incorporating E-E-A-T into a content strategy significantly boosts a business’s online credibility and authority, leading to better search rankings, increased trust among users, and ultimately, higher conversion rates.

What role does ‘Experience’ play in the updated E-E-A-T framework?

The addition of ‘Experience’ to the E-E-A-T framework highlights the importance of personal anecdotes and firsthand knowledge in creating relatable, authentic content that resonates with audiences and demonstrates genuine understanding.

Why is E-E-A-T considered foundational for future SEO and AI performance?

E-E-A-T is foundational because it aligns SEO practices with the evolving capabilities of AI and machine learning, ensuring that content not only meets current standards of relevance and quality but is also prepared for future technological advancements in search algorithms.

About the author:

I have been working in SEO and strategic marketing services for over 8 years now. My experience is an even split between in-house roles at start-ups and agency roles at some of the UK’s biggest PR and digital agencies. I am based in East London having moved down from Essex 5 years ago. Professionally, I am a proud advocate for EEAT and SEO and the genuine business benefits of integrated service adoption. Personally, my heart is in the Lake District and nature. Podcasts are my jam and coffee is my addiction.

Bibliography

More from us on SEO, Google, and marketing strategy: 

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Top technology awards to enter in 2024

By Mitchelle Odigie

With numerous B2B technology awards open for entry every year, it can be hard to know which ones to enter – that’s why we have curated a list of prestigious technology awards for you to have your pick. B2B technology companies may even wonder, should they even participate at all? Yes! One practical reason to enter, is that industry award wins serve as unbiased third-party endorsements, showcasing real-world success stories that provide instant credibility to a technology solution or company. Having award wins under your belt acts as tangible proof for investors, prospects, and potential employees. Not only do technology awards showcase a company’s product and service offerings, but they also boost employee morale. The combination of strategic branding and earned credibility contributes greatly to a company’s reputation. See our earlier article for more on why awards should be a key component of your marketing/communications plan.

Here are our top ten B2B technology awards to enter in 2024:

SC Europe Awards

Named as one of the most prestigious cybersecurity awards and with over 25 categories to choose from, the SC Europe Awards celebrate the excellence, advancement and incredible minds that are shaping the future of cybersecurity in Europe. In a crowded B2B cybersecurity solution provider ecosystem, top tier award wins can be a key differentiator and can help convert a buyer in the decision stage of the funnel.

  • Entry deadline: 22nd February
  • Entry fee: £460 + VAT
  • Awards ceremony: 4th June

Global Business Tech Awards

Technology is a huge part of our lives, and the Global Business Tech Awards celebrate how emerging and existing technology helps us to overcome challenges, create new opportunities and much more.

The categories span numerous industries from EdTech to Cybersecurity to SaaS, and include cross-sector categories such as Best Use of Innovation, Tech Deal of the Year and Tech for Good. These awards help celebrate everything from the apps that have changed customer experience to the management systems that have transformed business across multiple industry verticals.

  • Entry deadline: 23rd February
  • Entry fee: £265
  • Awards ceremony: 9th May

The Health Tech World Awards

The Health Tech World Awards celebrate the best examples of leadership, innovation and impact in health technology globally. The awards include several categories to enter, from Health Tech Leader of the Year to Best Digital Health App of the Year to Health Tech Startup of the Year, so there’s something for everyone!

  • Entry deadline: 29th February
  • Entry fee: None
  • Awards ceremony: March

Campaign Tech Awards

The Campaign Tech Awards are back for 2024, the stage is set for you to showcase and celebrate the limitless possibilities technology enables within the marketing, advertising, and media industries. The Campaign Tech awards matter because they are judged by the toughest critics, your peers. Their expert judging panels consist of numerous industry professionals such as the SVP of Brainlabs, the CEO of Growthcurve, the Staff System Engineer of Airbnb and more, representing the full breadth of the technology industry- selected based on their expertise, experience and integrity.

  • Entry deadline: 29th February
  • Entry fee: £615 + VAT
  • Awards ceremony: TBC 2024

Tech Capital Global Awards

The Tech Capital Global Awards is not just about recognising achievements; it’s also about celebrating innovation, creativity, and the power of digital infrastructure. The awards ceremony is the perfect place to meet and interact with other digital creatives from around the world. By attending, you’ll have the chance to connect with potential partners, investors, and collaborators, and gain valuable insights into the latest industry trends.

  • Entry deadline: 8th March
  • Entry fee: None
  • Awards ceremony: 22nd May

Tech Excellence Awards

Celebrating its 22nd year of excellence, this awards programme will culminate in a black-tie gala event that gathers the best of the tech sector, for a night of recognition and celebration. The Tech Excellence Awards represent the most prestigious achievements across the technology sector, recognising the skills, innovation and ingenuity of the industry and its people.

  • Entry deadline: 5th April
  • Entry fee: None
  • Awards ceremony: 23rd May

Cybersecurity Excellence Awards

The Cybersecurity Excellence Awards highlights companies, products, and professionals that demonstrate leadership, innovation, and brilliance in information security. Whether you’re a startup or an established company, they offer categories tailored to your product, team or organisation.  

  • Entry deadline: 6th April
  • Entry fee: $900
  • Awards ceremony: May

Digiday Technology Awards

The Digiday Technology Awards are tier-one adtech/martech awards that recognize the technology modernizing media and marketing. Over the years, they’ve honored industry-leading work from Adobe, SpotX, Twitch, PubMatic, and Piano. Categories range from Best AI Tool and Best CRM Platform to Best Native Advertising Platform and Best Marketing Automation Platform.

  • Entry deadline: 24th May
  • Entry fee: $599
  • Awards ceremony: Late summer 2024

Global Bank Tech Awards

Organised by financial services publication The Digital Banker, the Global BankTech Awards, exists to honour and celebrate the world’s newest ground-breaking technology companies and their contributions to technology-based enhancements, initiatives and innovations within the financial services industries that are streamlining operational processes, automating workflow and re-engineering business models, while materially driving productivity gains.

  • Entry deadline: 12th July
  • Entry fee: None
  • Awards ceremony: 19th September

Women in Tech Awards

The time has never been better for women to get into technology. Information technology has been listed as the most in-demand skill set across multiple industries according to a survey published last year by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation. The Midlands Women In Tech Awards are a unique opportunity to highlight and solidify the ongoing contribution of amazing women in the tech sector.

  • Entry deadline: 4th August
  • Entry fee: None
  • Awards ceremony: 4th September

Our technology team has won multiple awards for our client[RE1] [MO2] s; the Ground Engineering Awards for COWI, and we helped BT Wholesale secure the Diversity Award last year at the Comms National Awards – to name some – by drafting compelling entries to celebrate and showcase their achievements. Get in touch at tech@aspectusgroup.com if you’d like to enter B2B technology awards in 2024.

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Internal threat data: your key to cybersecurity media success

By Sanjana Rao, Account Executive

In a densely saturated market for media attention, it can seem an uphill struggle for cybersecurity sellers to carve out a name for themselves. A company news drought can be frustrating, especially in those periods when you have no new funding rounds, high profile hires, or marquee client partnerships to announce. But cybersecurity companies are treasure troves of internal threat data which can form the glue between your company and journalists writing their next story.

Banking on your data

Many companies in the cybersecurity space have access to vast repositories of data, which can be enhanced to tell new and compelling stories about current trends in the market in which you operate.
In other words, what are the current patterns your product is experiencing, and what can this tell us about the broader cybersecurity landscape? What modes of cyberattacks are most prevalent for your users? What security tools are most in demand from customers and prospects? What kinds of companies need your product and services? Internal data could reveal interesting data security trends in whatever verticals you serve.
Suddenly, an array of internal performance data becomes an insightful take on the wider industry and reinforces why businesses should invest in cybersecurity, and your product in particular.

Data-driven journalism

Journalists love data. Data offers hard evidentiary proof points in an inherently opinion-driven media world. When creating and pitching stories to journalists, you need to consider why it’s important to readers and what value you can add. A great way of doing this is by providing data, since this grants credibility to stories and gives real-world context. Media pitches backed up by data in the form of numbers, charts, graphs, tables, or interactive infographics offer a clear story map that makes a journalist’s life easier. Nowhere is this more important than the cybersecurity trade media like Beta News, Security Boulevard, and ZDNet – in the evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats, readers are concerned about the measurable risk that current and future trends pose to themselves and their businesses.
Thankfully, with new technologies at the hands of cyber criminals, no subsector is too niche for journalists, whether it be hardware security, Kubernetes, identity and access management, and many others. This presents an opportunity for you to become an industry data leader by offering market research that can’t be sourced from anywhere else.

Become a market research go-to source

The goal is to ultimately become the go-to data bank for journalists when they are writing their next stories. For instance, this could be commissioned yearly as an annual report, meaning over time, you can become known for something. For example, longtime Aspectus client and award-winning anti-malware solution provider Malwarebytes produces an annual and quarterly Ransomware Report, detailing ransomware attack trends. Cybersecurity trade outlets including InfoSecurity Magazine published articles on Malwarebytes’ 2023 spring report, noting that the UK’s education sector was the most targeted industry in 2022-23.

However, a conglomeration of internal data and a cutting-edge market report are two very different things. Getting there requires knowing exactly what your end goal is and how this can be rolled out to maximise your return on investment.

Data-driven PR builds credibility and good media relations

Survey research reports present robust opportunities for PR and marketing campaigns and content. Cybersecurity companies that conduct periodic surveys of industry participants or target audiences can generate data-driven storylines that not only can attract media attention but also can be repurposed into valuable content for blog posts, LinkedIn campaigns, white papers, and conference presentations. This can elevate a company’s voice of authority in its space, positioning executives as credible thought leaders and attracting new business. For some tips on conducting PR survey campaigns, see this earlier post.

As communications professionals, we have our fingers on the pulse of the cybersecurity news cycle. We also have longstanding and very personal relationships with the journalists who would be interested in your products. Moreover, our cybersecurity sector expertise means not only that we grasp the technical details of the industry, but we also are keyed in to the latest trends and news in the cybersecurity mediascape. We can therefore connect the dots between your business and their next article, which results in building media relations that pays dividends again and again.

Most importantly, we can work with you to create a creative, but relevant report topic that customers, prospects, and media can look forward to.

There is a lot to digest starting out in this process, so if you want to know how to make the most of your internal data, get in touch.

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Mastering B2B SaaS marketing: choosing channels and media for optimal success

By Sophie Reed, Associate Content Manager

In today’s digital landscape, social media has become a staple for B2B digital marketing. However, the online space is crowded with countless platforms and an overwhelming array of content – making it tough to stand-out within the Software as a Service sphere. This makes it crucial for software companies to leverage social channels the right way and ensure efforts aren’t wasted.
Gone are the days of simply existing across every social platform. Instead, each social channel possesses its own unique dynamics, user demographics, and engagement patterns.
To maximise the impact of your social media presence, it’s essential to adopt a customer-centric approach and let your target audience guide your strategy and supercharge your SaaS metrics.

Social channels for meaningful connections

To hit the bullseye with your B2B SaaS audience, you must align your efforts with their preferences and behaviors to ensure your message resonates with the right people in the right places. If you are targeting primarily professionals and decision-makers, LinkedIn is an optimal platform to make connections.

Here, you can promote your spokespeople, showcasing their expertise, positioning them as key thought leaders in the space, and build meaningful relationships with potential customers. Through thoughtful engagement, such as participating in relevant group discussions, resource sharing, industry news commentary or offering expert advice, you can curate a genuine connection with your audience. By nurturing these relationships, you open doors to future collaborations, referrals, and increase your potential of high conversion rates.

Work smarter not harder

Less is more when it comes to selecting the right channels for your B2B SaaS marketing. Rather than a blind pursuit across a range of platforms, target two birds with one stone.

Twitter is a fantastic way to contribute to wider industry conversations in real-time, and enables wider audience reach and traction by leveraging trending hashtags and breaking industry news. To make the most of it, repurpose LinkedIn messaging to create short, punchy tweets sparking engagement. This way, you can recast, retell and replay your messaging to ensure it consistently aligns across your channels.

Amplify your credibility with PR

From a PR perspective, trade publications offer a golden opportunity to shine the spotlight on your company’s spokespersons, products and services to captivate your desired audience. These publications are read by industry professionals and decision-makers actively seeking insights on trends and innovative solutions within their field.

By targeting top-tier trade publications relevant to your niche, you can generate interest in your product and wider services. For example, if you are promoting an update to your HR software service, your HR tech PR strategy will target top-tier trade publications such as HR Grapevine, HR Magazine, The HRDirector and People Management Magazine. You can then boost engagement with trophy coverage by sharing it across your LinkedIn and Twitter.


Securing coverage in reputable publications boosts brand visibility and industry credibility, signalling to target audiences that you’re a trusted player, attracting and strengthening customer relationships. Credibility such as this paves the way for long-term loyalty.

The wrap-up:

🔍 Know your audience: inform your approach by selecting the social media channels where audiences are most present to ensure messaging gets in front of the right people

⚡ Recast, retell, replay: keep your messaging consistent and aligned across your chosen channels to make a cohesive brand presence, maximizing audience engagement and visibility

📰 Don’t underestimate the value of trade publications

Bear in mind, B2B company updates are not necessarily the tastiest bait for reeling in national headlines. When it comes securing a big tuna, PR campaigns and research are a brilliant hook. If you want to make a splash above the sea of competition, keep your eyes peeled for our following blogs in this series, covering considered creativity and data mining for national catches.

Want to step up your SaaS marketing game? Get in touch with Aspectus Group, an award-winning integrated SaaS marketing agency with expertise in B2B technology PR.

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Why the time to ignite tech communications in Singapore is now

By Isabelle Dann, Media Strategy Director

The world of venture capital (VC) is like no other. Unlike the stock market, there are no daily temperature checks, nor individual share prices for people to watch. Still, as the global VC slowdown persists, there are reasons to be cheerful – if you know where to look. Singapore attracted more venture capital investment per capita in 2022 than any other country, receiving over $1 billion, beating the US – the world’s largest VC market – which ranked third. 

This makes sense, considering that South-East Asia is now the world’s most compelling region for digital innovation, with Singapore its technical capital. Catalysts include new local initiatives such as the Singapore Deep-Tech Alliance, the Singapore-MIT Alliance, and the National University of Singapore. 

On top of this, funds from home-grown VC firms such as iGlobe Partners and Temasek are fuelling tech founders. More time may be taken to choose and close deals but, ultimately, investors must deploy the capital they’ve raised. 

Within the tech sector, deeptech – encompassing the likes of artificial intelligence, robotics, and blockchain/Web3 – is a particular strength. Food tech is another, as Singapore is the only country where consumers can buy lab-grown meat. While the rest of the world largely recognises the climate benefits of cultivated meat, it has yet to catch up with Singapore – a golden opportunity for entrepreneurs in this space.

Beyond these spotlights, the opportunity is endless. After all, these days, technology can encompass everything from building a website and conversing with ChatGPT to crafting space satellites and driverless cars. No longer is it the preserve of a select few; everyone is a digital citizen. 

Until the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, books were scarce and expensive. As they became more abundant, literacy rates soared. In 1800, 60% of men and 40% of women were literate, rising to 97% for both sexes within a century. The same story can be seen in tech now. 

In 2001, there were 500 million global internet users; in 2021, that shot up to five billion. Just as increased literacy rates kindled communities and contributed to economic growth, widening access to digital resources has granted more people the power to shape and challenge the impact of technology on society. 

So, what does this all mean? For tech startups and scaleups in Singapore, now is the time to tell your story. Competition – whether that’s for headlines, clicks, or customers – will only grow more fierce. Those who cut through the noise with compelling communications, led by tech PR, will find themselves equipped with a unique competitive advantage. Make the move now – or risk missing out entirely.

Isabelle can be reached at isabelle.dann@aspectusgroup.com and @izzydann 

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Step up your SaaS marketing game: top tips for knowing your audience

By Sophie Reed, Associate Content Manager

When it comes to audience growth, engagement and reeling new potential clients, fostering an authentic relationship between your brand and customers is key. To do so, businesses must interact with their target market on the ground. With an optimised communication strategy, you can engage with your customers and prospective leads to build connections that last.  

In the digital age, a wealth of platforms can assist in getting your brand in front of your target audience. With around 3.5 billion people using social media networks worldwide, you need to develop your understanding of social channels and optimise your SaaS marketing by creating a clear comms strategy to maximise your results and cut through the noise.  

Taking an integrated approach will help you communicate through different platforms and get your message out there. Whether it’s though social media, advertising, public relations (PR) or emails and newsletters, these must all work in unison to achieve the same goal.  

Here’s how you can develop a thoughtful integrated comms strategy to achieve your business goals.  

Know your audience: who, what, why

The customer is king. Evolving consumer demands determine your ongoing business developments and offerings. Adapting in response to these changing needs will ensure your B2B SaaS offering remains relevant, showcases your agility, and helps you scale up to maintain a competitive market edge.   

To create thoughtful messaging that resonates, you need to tailor it to your audience – find out their unmet needs, preferences, pain points and motivations, then position yourself as the answer. Crucially, it is key that messaging is designed to fill the ‘white space’ conversations that your customers are not currently owning and topics that are not saturated.   

Where to start: 

  1. Desktop research: identify the trends, patterns in customer behaviour, social discussions, and online reviews to get under the skin of your audience and understand what they care about 
  1. Surveys and interviews: requesting feedback is a great way to connect with your current customers and demonstrate you value their opinion. Ask about their issues, buying habits, and what they value most in a product or service 
  1. Competitor research: work smarter not harder. Analyse competitors and take inspiration from how they connect with audiences. Competitors will also open the door to other prospective leads to target – look for gaps in their marketing strategy you can capitalise on, and hone in on the whitespace to elevate your unique value proposition 

Unleash your distinctive potential

Taking the time to undertake in-depth upfront data gathering and competitor audits will enable you to make more well-informed, strategic decisions that will be truly impactful in the long run. A magnified knowledge of the market will help you understand and communicate your unique traits, differentiating yourself from market competitors and creating a brand that makes you famous for your thinking. All of this enhances your wider business strategy. 

You can revisit these methods again and again, keeping the customer feedback loop open and adjusting your messaging accordingly. This creates a virtuous circle of results In turn, you can flex your business agility and deliver messaging that will appeal to audiences and increase engagement rates by hooking readers in.  

In our next blog in this series, we will focus on the tools used to push out your enhanced messaging, with information about how to identify the relevant media and social channels so push messaging out and place you in front of your target audience.  

Looking to learn more? Get in touch with Aspectus Group, an award-winning integrated SaaS marketing agency with expertise in B2B technology PR. 

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3 top tips for developing an effective technology event communications plan

By Astor Sonnen, Senior Account Director

Trade shows are a staple of most industries. A chance to network, showcase solutions, sell, buy, and learn, brands often anchor entire marketing and sales campaigns around their appearances at events.  

Driving the most value out of trade shows is dependent on having clear objectives, defined within a strategic event communications plan. You can’t simply turn up and expect success; you need to lay the groundwork.  

While events may differ between industries, there are several key considerations for marketeers when developing marketing and comms plans. So, whether you’re planning on exhibiting at DCD Connect, Capacity Europe, SaaStock, InfoSec Europe or any other event, here are three top tips to keep in mind.  

1: Tell your audience that you’re attending and ‘stand’ out

Raise awareness of your attendance so that your audience can set up meetings at the show, while also boosting your brand by publicising what topics and events you’re active in.

Start activity 6-weeks or so out and use a variety of tactics – such as email marketing, social media and content – to increase the likelihood your audience will engage.

Conversations will also happen organically at the show, but having a stand that sets you apart will help to attract visitors. Some brands develop vibrant signage, while others may have quirks such as demos and freebies.

Ask yourself:

  • How will your target audience know that you’re exhibiting at the event? 
  • What’s the most effective way of reaching your audience? 
  • Do you have something planned that will increase the attractiveness of your stand?  

2: Train your speakers to represent your brand in the right way  

If you have a representative in a panel discussion, make sure they’re fully prepped to add insightful commentary. A true thought leader can explore industry topics, while subtly bridging back to their own messaging, so that attendees gain a better understanding. If panel participants clearly push their own agenda and aren’t in sync with each other, it can be alienating to the audience.  

Ask yourself:  

  • Are your experts fully prepared for a discussion?  
  • Do they require training so that they understand when best to engage in the wider conversation and when to be more direct with your messaging? 

3: If you want media coverage, have something new to say  

Media coverage is another common desired outcome for brands attending events, but this is dependent on having actual news. Attendance in itself is not newsworthy. Be ready to announce something along the lines of new data, offerings, customer relationships or top-level hires so that journalists have a reason to come to your stand.  

However, other brands in attendance will likely be announcing news at the same time for the same reasoning, so make your story strong. And remember, if there’s no news, you can still take the opportunity to chat to journalists on the day to build relationships – with the right preparation. 

Ask yourself: 

  • Do you have something new to talk about? 
  • If yes, to manage expectations, would you expect coverage of the news if you announced it outside of the show?  
  • What are your main goals for attending? If lead generation is a priority, your efforts may be better focused elsewhere. 

There are plenty more top tips we can give you, so if you’ve got an industry event on the horizon and want to know how to make your resources deliver more, get in touch.  

Let’s discuss your event communications plan, as well as your wider technology PR and comms strategy. 

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Why we care more about bad news… and how spokespeople can cut through

By Alex Newlove, Senior Account Manager

It is a common complaint that journalists tend to focus on the ‘bad’ stories that make us despair about the state of the world. Our clients sometimes worry that journalists’ propensity for covering conflict and mishap will lead to quotes being taken out of context and placed in an overwhelmingly negative story.

Who else subscribes to a news service where the refrain below-the-line is often “I will be cancelling my subscription to this alarmist newspaper, I expected better”?

The insinuation behind these complaints is that journalists go out of their way to irritate and alarm us, just for fun. Sometimes, the follow-up statement from commenters will be something like, “why can’t you report on some good news for a change?”.

The answer to this question is clear: editors have better information than ever about what people are reading, given that the vast majority of news is now clicked on, as opposed to leafed through. I would argue that this makes us all culpable for the quality and tone of the news agenda. You clicked on one too many articles about Kim Kardashian’s bum, and you are now living in the mean and superficial world which you helped to mould. Social media has further fueled an environment that rewards only the most extreme, black-and-white opinions.

But while I have just implied that we all have a degree of responsibility for the negative news cycle, we are also born with brains that fire up for drama and disaster; merely flicker for charming stories with a happy ending; and barely register accounts of where things have gone well or adhered to the status quo – in fact this latter group is barely considered news at all.

Excuse me while my undergraduate psychology course rears its ugly head, but this penchant for bad news makes perfect sense from an evolutionary perspective. The ‘negativity bias’ meant our ancestors were vastly more likely to put their attention towards what could be a snake in the grass, over admiring a glorious blue sky. Ignoring potential bad news (the approaching snake) was vastly riskier than not focusing on neutral or good news. Similar mechanisms are at work when we find it easier to recall insults than compliments, and why you remember exactly what you were doing when you heard a plane had crashed into the twin towers. Your brain registered the perceived shocking threat and helpfully filed the ‘lesson’ for later.

This negativity bias poses a challenge for PR people. Our clients often come to us desperately excited about a new project their team has been working energetically on for many months. We are sometimes in the unenviable position of telling them “sorry, no-one cares”. This will be translated to something along the lines of “What an exciting initiative! Unfortunately, due to the busy news agenda we cannot imagine this will get much traction with the media at this time”.

So how can firms capitalise on a grim news agenda, without coming across as overly pessimistic, or getting drawn into a slanging match with competitors?

Contrarian points of view

Restating the status quo does not get you quoted. The journalist wants colour and opinion – what is your or your company’s attitude towards a topic? Can you critique a prevailing idea or theory, or even your own industry, before covering what your firm is doing to change it? (We recommend against criticising specific competitors.)

Use their angle to your advantage

Ask the journalist if they already have an angle in mind. If you feel it is inaccurate or overly-negative, this gives you a chance to come up with a more positive counter-narrative and will help guide your responses throughout the conversation.

Move the story on

The journalist is always trying to write the next chapter on a given topic, so there is little point in extensively rehashing old ground. Give them something fresh to go on and explain how an issue is moving on. “Now the market is shifting, and our clients have started asking us about Y. This means…”

Be fearless: say what you think

A big frustration for journalists is the extent to which senior people in well-paid positions are afraid to venture an opinion, even where it correlates to their company’s messaging. The world is gasping for thoughtful, frank, discussion. Being passionate and showing personality is good.

Aspectus can help your company navigate a turbulent news agenda. Contact us.

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The democratisation of the internet: how Web3.0 can correct the mistakes of Web2.0

By Corrie McBain, Account Executive

As we stand on the precipice of a Web3.0 world, it’s time to look at how the foundations of this new iteration of the internet can improve designs of the past. Much attention has been paid to how Web3.0 will democratise the internet as it allows users to harness the power of blockchain technologies and applications. Moving away from a centralised online framework to one where users can own their content and retain control could transform our online sphere, and indeed the way businesses and consumers interact.

Power to the people

Web3.0 offers the chance to redistribute power from the few tech giants (Google, Meta, and Twitter etc) that monopolised Web2.0 and award it to the users. Let’s look at the reasons behind why this is possible:

1) Web3.0 will likely improve data ownership. Having a few entities that controlled data in Web2.0 meant that companies, most notably Meta, transitioned simply from being social networks into mass distributors of their users’ information. Conversely, the ‘creator economy’ that provides the backbone of Web3.0 has seen the creators leveraging their own data. This way, users can protect and monetise their creations as they please.

2) Financial incentives for online dwellers. Make no mistake, Web2.0 invigorated entrepreneurial ambition across the world through e-commerce, drop-shipping, and many other avenues. This was, however, mostly limited the by strict control of the overlords.

Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (DAOs), which are legal structures that have no central governing body, empower members of different blockchain communities to work together on deciding the future of their respective entities. This bottom-up management approach enables a fairer, and more attractive model for investing in and selling commerce within Web3.0’s portfolio.

3) Improving transparency. The fundamental blocks of Web3.0, such as decentralised finance (DeFi) and other blockchain technologies, will be interoperable and powered by smart contracts. Essentially, this means that ledgers will have shared access for all stakeholders. This enables greater transparency of the commerce in question, consequently leading to more investment and less reliance on the big tech intermediaries.

Use cases that are enabling this revolution

Cryptocurrencies
DeFi in Web3.0 will involve people owning a digital wallet such as ‘MetaMask’ or ‘Coinbase Wallet’, further entrenching the notion of decentralisation in Web3.0, with people gaining full control of their finances and removing the role of the outside forces who take a cut.

Despite the volatile nature of the crypto market right now, there are plenty of cryptocurrencies that will dominate Web3.0 due their permissionless nature, transparency, and inclusivity. Aside from the frontrunners, Bitcoin and Ethereum, other networks such as Solana appear to be weathering the storm, so much so that it is expanding its portfolio by introducing Web3.0’s first mobile phone. DeFi has its sights on bigger and better things in the age of Web3.0.

NFTs

NFTs can enable users to provide proof of ownership for content, including but not limited to, AI art, data and gaming. Powering NFTs is incredibly useful, and potentially misunderstood, technology that is unique and inimitable. This technology could liberate content creators from the chains of intermediaries who often exploit their ideas and creations – a dynamic that has been exacerbated in Web2.0 by the Tech giants. For example, Snoop Dogg has a highly successful NFT collection and has shown record labels that music ownership can be better managed using blockchain technology.

A fairer marketing landscape

To understand how Web3.0 fits into a wider, business context, we can look at how these new functions will impact digital marketing. A key issue of digital marketing is being able to personalise ads to hit the target audiences, with 63% of marketers still struggling with personalisation.

Given the shift in data control, Web3.0 would make it even more difficult for marketers to gather and store data. Third party cookies will be a thing of the past in Web3.0, so B2B marketers will need to be more innovative in how they reach their audiences. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for marketers, however. This innovation required will involve embracing new blockchain applications and brands that will enable organisations to become closer to the trends of users, therefore alleviating concerns of losing that personalised touch.

As a result of this change, consumers will receive more valuable and engaging ads. In turn, this could generate better trust between consumers and businesses as the ads are more honest and truer to the users’ preferences. Ultimately, Web3.0 could enable better ROI for advertisers on account of the more precise nature of their campaigns. B2B marketing will, indeed, require a slight makeover if it is to adapt successfully to this new iteration.

Evolving with the times

‘Hype’ is an easy thing to overvalue, especially today. However, if harnessed properly, and if blockchain founders avoid the balance of power sliding in favour of a few bad actors, Web3.0 could reimagine the way the way we use the internet. From better B2B marketing, to increased personal wealth from DeFi, Web3.0 could manifest itself as an inclusive, connected, and prosperous version of our World Wide Web.

If you need support transforming your company’s B2B marketing as we enter Web3, Get in touch with our team. Our blockchain specialists are on hand to help!

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