SaaS PR: How To Build The Best PR Strategy For Your SaaS Startup

In the SaaS world, product and performance marketing can often dominate the conversation. PR can easily fall by the wayside. But the truth is, it’s more important than ever.

SaaS PR isn’t just about killer paid ads and landing pages. Done right, PR – Public Relations – can be an absolute game-changer. Really. PR is your secret growth lever you didn’t even know you had.

Sit tight while we wade through the fascinating world of PR for SaaS startups. We’ll break down why it matters in the first place, then get into how you can drive meaningful long-term results with the best possible PR strategy for your SaaS brand.

Why PR Is Crucial for SaaS Startups

You might have an incredible product, the iPhone of the SaaS world, even. But the truth is, you’re not even halfway there.

You have to get people to care about it. Or even just to notice it. In 2025’s market, that’s tough.

That’s where PR comes in. For SaaS startups especially, credibility is currency. Whether you're pre-launch, post-funding, or scaling aggressively, strategic PR is important and helps you:

• Build authority
• Create demand
• Stand out in a saturated market

But it’s not all about press releases. The golden word here is “storytelling”. Great PRO attracts top talent and investors (as well as buyers) by hooking them with a captivating story they simply have to be a part of. Done right, it also gives your marketing engine more fuel: content to repurpose, backlinks for SEO, and a stronger brand narrative across channels.

Ignore PR and you might become your industry’s best-kept secret – but you’ll remain a secret.

PR vs Marketing in the SaaS World

Professionals often talk about marketing and PR in tandem. They’re related, sure, but they’re not the same. They actually play completely different roles in your strategy. Here’s a quick graphic you can come back to:

As you can see, marketing is typically direct and data-driven: ads, email campaigns, SEO, lead-gen. You control the message and the channel. PR, on the other hand, earns you credibility by getting others, like journalists, analysts, influencers,  to talk about you. That’s a key distinction. You’re building legitimacy through third-party validation.

There’s a lot of evidence this works, too. Studies show around 90% of people are more likely to trust a third-party recommendation over an advert. That translates to more sales.

For SaaS startups, PR helps shape perception early and sets the foundation for trust. Marketing may get someone to click your ad; PR ensures they’ve heard of you before they do.

How PR Impacts Long-Term SaaS Growth

Signups are great, but there’s more to growth. Real growth, that is. An SaaS startup needs both momentum and staying power.

PR is your best friend here. Why? It supports long-term growth by:

• Building thought leadership
• Earning backlinks that boost SEO
• Securing a steady stream of brand mentions across respected platforms

When your brand consistently shows up in the right places (think industry roundups and respected tech publications), you become part of the landscape.

That directly translates to shorter sales cycles. And when something big happens like a funding round or product launch, you’re not starting from zero. You already have the trust and the channels to amplify it.

PR Challenges Unique to SaaS Startups

You might already know, at least in the abstract, that “PR is important”. The problem is that it simply isn’t as straightforward as it often seems. Why is that?

Well, to begin with, SaaS platforms aren’t always easy to demo or explain to a broad audience, unlike, say, a physical product. On top of that, you're usually going up against well-funded competitors with household names and deep PR war chests.

For startups in the very, very early stages, you’re trying to get attention before you’ve even had a chance to build up much proof. It’s tough.

The good news, though, is that it’s not impossible. SaaS startups like yours break through every single day.

Abstract Products, Tangible Stories

The nature of SaaS is generally very “behind-the-scenes”. You’re solving a backdoor problem – infrastructure automation, B2B workflows, etc. You’re not necessarily grabbing headlines in the way a cool new product might.

So, one of your biggest challenges is translating abstract solutions into relatable, engaging stories. This all comes back to the old golden rule of marketing: reporters (and, indeed, users) don’t care about your product's features, they care about the problem it solves.

So, you’ll need a narrative. The goal? Make the invisible feel real. Use metaphors. Show outcomes. Humanize your product.

Competing with Funded Giants

Then, there’s competition. Going head-to-head with SaaS behemoths in the media is like pitching a garage band next to Taylor Swift. Scary.

Big companies have veteran PR teams, existing media relationships, and solid name recognition. What do you have?

Well, you almost certainly don’t have more resources, so don’t try to outspend them. What you can do, however, is outsmart them. Be faster with commentary. Be more niche with your positioning. Offer bold or contrarian takes. Smaller startups can move quickly and say things big brands can't (within reason!).

Journalists are always looking for fresh voices, especially those with unique perspectives or data. You won’t win every headline, but you can win the right ones.

Building Credibility from Scratch

Being the “new kid on the block” may give you a certain level of freedom, but it sure makes it harder to get your foot in the door when it comes to PR. The plain truth is that media gatekeepers tend to favor known brands and proven teams. You don’t have those.

However, you can build credibility, even from zero. Start small. Right at the beginning. niche blogs, podcasts, newsletters, LinkedIn are your best friends. Publish original insights or data from your user base – something only you could.

Remember: every small win adds up.  Once you've built a few solid placements, you can use those to pitch bigger outlets. Think of credibility as compound interest. It starts slow, but snowballs with consistency.

Before You Build: Foundation of a Winning SaaS PR Strategy

Let’s start at the bottom: groundwork. PR without a strong foundation is like running ads without a product page: it won’t last.

There are a few pillars you should hone in on here: what you stand for, who speaks for you, and whether your digital presence backs it up. Here’s how to set the stage for powerful SaaS PR:

Define Your Core Narrative

Your core narrative is basically your story. The “why now”, “why you” readers love. Go beyond a simple tagline and develop a throughline  that connects your product to a bigger movement or problem.

A strong narrative helps journalists understand your relevance and gives your audience something to believe in.

And that’s not just a platitude. It’s true. Evidence shows storytelling is extremely consequential in PR and marketing. Check this out:

Ask yourself: If a journalist were to describe our company in one sentence, what would we want them to say? That’s your narrative goalpost.

Position Your Founders as Experts

Here’s a tip: journalists aren’t really interested in product updates. They want insight and commentary. Your founders are key here.

Positioning your founders as subject matter experts increases your media appeal and creates more PR opportunities, especially between launches.

There’s actually a very systematic way to go about this. You can start by simply identifying 2–3 themes your founders can speak to. Think: industry trends, pain points. Then, share those ideas on LinkedIn, in blog posts, and during interviews or panels.

You want to keep your founders visible and credible. It’ll take a lot of work at first, but, over time, it creates a magnetic effect. Press starts coming to you.

Audit Your Online Presence

Imagine you’ve just heard about a competitor startup. What’s the first thing you’d do? Google them, right?

Well, journalists do the same. That’s precisely why your online presence needs to be:

• Tight
• Credible
• Consistent

Go over your whole online presence and make sure it’s as good as it can possibly be. In the early days, when you lack the resources and manpower to do everything you’d like to, this is one area where you have 100% control, so use it!

Does your website clearly explain what you do? Is your About page media-friendly? Do your founders have professional LinkedIn profiles? Are there recent blog posts or insights that show you’re active and relevant?

These signals matter. Studies show more than half of people abandon bad websites.

How to Craft the Perfect PR strategy for Your SaaS Startup

The thing to realize about SaaS PR is that it’s not just about “getting coverage”. It’s actually about building relationships and driving meaningful long-term outcomes. A press release may bump your traffic. A good relationship with a journo can last a lifetime.

For SaaS startups, the perfect PR strategy balances vision with execution:

• Clear goals
• The right audience
• Smart outreach

But how? How can you turn these factors into a perfect product launch or consistent thought leadership in your niche? Try this:

Set Measurable, Realistic PR Goals

In PR, goals are everything. Evidence shows that goal-driven campaigns outperform goalless ones by miles.

Before you reach out to a single journalist, get clear on what success looks like. “Get in TechCrunch” is a hope, not a strategy.

Strong PR goals are as specific as they are measurable. For example, “we want to”:

• Boost traffic by 20%
• Earn 5 media placements in Q3
• Secure one speaking slot at an industry event

However, goals also need to match your business stage. Think about where you currently are and what the next step is, not just where you want to be in five years. And always ask: how will this tie into growth? If your PR isn’t helping with recruiting, SEO, fundraising, or customer trust, it needs focus.

Identify Your Target Audience

PR isn’t one-size-fits-all. Especially in SaaS. If you don’t know who you’re trying to influence, you may as well put up a poster in your local park and save yourself the effort.

Spend time building out your ICP (that’s your Ideal Customer Profile). Not just who they are (“eCommerce founders”), but what they need and how they operate.

There’s a lot that goes into a detailed ICP. Before you draft any pitches, define your core personas: who are they, where do they hang out, and what kind of stories resonate with them? Are they reading Forbes or niche Substacks? Do they prefer case studies or big-picture trend pieces? Knowing this helps you tailor not just what you say, but where and how you say it.

Many startups make the mistake of treating PR pitches the way they treat email marketing: blast them out like it’s a numbers game. Don’t do this.

PR is all about focus. Cold, generic emails are the best way to burn bridges. But you want to build them. So, build a curated list of media outlets and writers who are a strong fit for your niche and story. Look at where your competitors or aspirational brands are being mentioned. Study which journalists cover your space consistently. Plus, always read their work before you pitch.

Make sure you personalize. Studies show that marketers, just like PR pros, see almost 90% more ROI when they personalize campaigns.

Core SaaS PR Tactics That Work

Got your strategy in place? Great. It’s now time to execute.

That means knowing which tactics actually deliver value for SaaS companies. The key is to mix short-term wins (like quick media mentions) with long-term plays (like thought leadership and backlinks).

The great news for SaaS startups and SMEs is that, despite what you might think, you actually don’t need a giant PR budget to make a splash. All you need are the right tools and consistent rhythm.

Here are some good places to start:

Press Releases That Don’t Suck

The press release is an art form of its own. Sadly, too many are filled with jargon and fail to pack a punch. They end up in the trash.

A good press release, especially for SaaS, does two things:

• Makes real news clear in the first two lines
• Gives journalists an easy path to write about you

Check out this stellar example:

No matter what your press release is about, whether it's announcing a funding round, major product launch, new partnership,  it should consistently display why it matters. Cut the fluff.

Here are some good tips:

• Add a punchy quote from your CEO
• Include metrics and a link to visuals or demos
• Email it directly to journalists who actually cover your niche

Make the journalist’s job as easy as possible!

HARO and Expert Commentary

One of the fastest ways to build early PR momentum? Be diligent in responding to journalist queries on platforms like HARO (Help A Reporter Out) or Qwoted. These tools let you position your founders or team as experts in your space.

It’s all about speed and relevance. But don’t just reply quickly (although you should); also make sure you answer well and even include a unique insight when possible. The goal is to build a track record of credibility over time.

“Over time” is really important there. You’re not trying to go viral. You’re trying to steadily get your brand in front of decision-makers while sidestepping the need for an ice-cold pitch.

Data-Driven Content & Reports

Depending on your SaaS, you could be sitting on a goldmine. Not just of money, but of data. Chances are, you have tons of valuable user data at your disposal.

Don’t just sit on it! There’s value here. Turn your data into original content (think reports or trend briefings) and make your brand a go-to resource for media and customers alike.

Pro tip: journalists love citing proprietary data. Especially data that’s surprising.

However, you don’t have to go straight for journalists from big publications. You can start in your own backyard, with a blog post with insights from your user base, or a mini-report tied to a news cycle.

SaaS Awards, Podcasts, and Guest Posting

Traditional media has its place. But in 2025, that place is dwindling. Today, an enormous 69% of PR specialists prefer digital releases over print pieces.

But it’s not just about “print vs. digital”. There are myriad other ways to get your voice out there, too. For example:

• Awards
• Podcasts
• Guest articles

These are all top ways to gain exposure and credibility.

Take awards, for example. You don’t necessarily have to win an award, but you should still submit. G2, SaaStr, or Product Hunt accolades are all worthy badges you can actually use in sales and marketing.

Podcasts are great, too. They give your founders space to tell deeper stories and connect directly with niche audiences. Likewise, guest posting lets you control the narrative while piggybacking on someone else’s audience.

Using Personal Branding To Strengthen Your PR Efforts

In the modern world, branding is everything. That’s not just for your brand as a whole, but for its people, too. Take your founders, for instance: they can be a force multiplier for your SaaS PR.

People respond to people, not logos. So, your leadership team (or yourself, if it’s a one-person venture) needs to be visible and credible.

It’s not exactly hard to accomplish this. It just takes a lot of time and effort. But small steps can take you a long way. Here are some good starting points:

• Post thought leadership on LinkedIn
• Weigh in on relevant news
• Speak at virtual or in-person events

This gives journalists more angles to cover you and adds proof to your pitches. It also builds direct influence; prospects and partners see you as a voice in your space.

Think of personal branding as a PR channel you own. The earlier you invest, the faster it compounds.

When (and How) to Hire a SaaS PR Agency

DIY SaaS PR can get you a long way. Especially when you’re just starting out. However, as you grow, and your needs grow greater, you may find that DIY PR starts to bottleneck your team. PR is a major aspect of your business, but it shouldn’t take all your time and resources.

That’s where an experienced SaaS PR agency can make all the difference.

Let’s say you’re:

• Launching something big
• Raising a major round
• Trying to break into top-tier media

If any of these sound familiar, expert PR strategy agencies like Influize can help you move smarter and faster.

However, don’t go hiring the first agency you come across. Look for a few things that matter most to you, namely: a track record in SaaS, strong media relationships, and a clear plan for how they'll position you, among others. Ask for references. Review past placements. Clarify expectations on strategy.

In 2025, over 50% of businesses are outsourcing PR. Why? It’s a fast, cost-effective way to get out there while connecting with experienced professionals who really know their craft.

Conclusion: Build PR Like You Build Product

Despite what you might have heard, the best SaaS PR strategies aren’t about hype. Or going viral. 99% of the time, they’re built on clear, consistent relationship-building. Value should be at the heart of your PR approach – both for the journalist and their readers.

Just like product development, good PR starts with:

• Understanding your audience
• Solving real problems
• Developing your credibility

PR isn’t one-and-done. It’s an ongoing aspect of business development that constantly shifts and changes. If you build PR the way you build a product, you won’t just get covered. You’ll build a brand that lasts.