The SkySwitch marketing team strategized and executed a robust PR and social communications plan that resulted in numerous media pickups for Vectors 2019, the SkySwitch annual user-group conference. After the conference, SkySwitch continued to be recognized in the media for 12 consecutive days via Telecom Reseller newsletters and podcasts, and received positive editorial coverage from notable media outlets like UC Today, Telecom Reseller, ChannelVision News and TMCNet.

Numbers at a Glance

• Original content featured 10 times in The Sunday Report by Telecom Reseller
• Vectors 2019 banner ads ran 12 times in The Sunday Report by Telecom Reseller
• SkySwitch’s Vectors 2019 mentioned on social media 100+ times
• 12+ original articles covering SkySwitch during the Vectors 2019 event
• 2k+ exact match news release pickup on all Vectors 2019 related news releases
• 15 podcasts recorded and distributed to the Telecom Reseller audience

Phase 1: Creating Buzz Pre-Event

Taking a multi-media approach, we entered a media deal with Telecom Reseller which included a package of podcasts. I was responsible for the strategic work on six podcasts preceding the Vectors 2019 event, where I was in charge of:

1. Researching industry topics and determining which could be spun into newsworthy stories
2. Creating a podcast calendar and scheduling recording sessions with the host and interviewees
3. Writing talking points and scripts for the podcast recordings
4. Attending each podcast recording to assist in conversation flow and story coverage
5. Creating social media posts and blogs for all podcast recordings, and coordinating with interviewees to cross-promote content
6. Working with Telecom Reseller publisher to attain media placement in email newsletters

Podcast Recordings

• Jeff Pulver and the Golden Age of Voice
  Listen to the podcast below and see the podcast published on Telecom Reseller here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Why Poly Keeps Coming Back to Vectors
  Listen to the podcast below and see the podcast published on Telecom Reseller here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These podcasts were highlighted in Telecom Reseller’s newsletters, with a readership of nearly 50k subscribers, and were socially shared by many prominent reporters in the industry. For example, one of our podcasts with IDC Analyst, Amy Lind, stirred up tons of media buzz with frequent social shares that turned into original news content, like this example below:

 

News Releases

I was also in charge of creating a news release schedule, writing releases, and pitching media and analysts.

1. SkySwitch Brings Annual User Group Conference, Vectors 2019, to Orlando
2. Keenan, Founder and CEO of A Sales Guy Inc., to be Featured Keynote Speaker at SkySwitch’s Vectors 2019
3. Jeff Pulver, UCaaS Pioneer, Vonage Co-Founder and Entrepreneur, Featured as Keynote Speaker at SkySwitch’s Vectors 2019, in Orlando, FL
4. SkySwitch’s Vectors 2019 to Feature IDC’s Amy Lind as Keynote
5. Adaptiv Networks and SkySwitch Form Strategic Relationship
6. E911 to Be A Featured Breakout Session At SkySwitch’s Vectors 2019

 

Phase 2: News Cycle at Vectors 2019

We invited reporters from media outlets that we frequently worked with pre-event to attend Vectors 2019. Authentic media coverage within the telecommunications industry is rare for a user-group conference, which differentiated SkySwitch as a company that provides truly valuable content for their customers. Media coverage at the event included podcasts, video interviews, and web articles.

 

 

 

One of my primary responsibilities at the event was creating a comprehensive schedule for all of our speakers and sponsors to get booked for a media interview, ensuring appointments occurred on schedule, and working with on-site media about major SkySwitch company announcements.

I also wrote the following news releases for the major announcements made at the event:

1. SkySwitch Announces New Features to Its Advanced SIP Trunking Program
2. What’s New with SkySwitch — Keenan Teaches Resellers How To Sell More, ReachUC Mobility Enhancements, SkySwitch Enhanced Branding Options
3. SkySwitch Introduces New SD-WAN Products in Collaboration with Adaptiv Networks
4. Compliancy Group to Educate SkySwitch’s Resellers on Adding HIPAA Compliance-as-a-Service to their Offerings
5. SkySwitch Enables Advanced SIP Trunking to 3CX Partners
6. Vectors 2019 Final Day — IDC’s Amy Lind on the State of UCaaS, SkySwitch Enables 3CX Channel Partners with Advanced SIP Trunking Program, SkySwitch to Exhibit at IT Nation Connect

Sampling of Original News Coverage as a Result of News Release and Media Relations:

1. Cloud Voice Alliance (CVA) Launched During Vectors 2019, UC Today
2. SkySwitch Supports the Launch of Cloud Voice Alliance at Vectors 2019,  ChannelVision Magazine
3. SkySwitch Offers Resellers SD-WAN Solution from Adaptiv, Channelnomics
4. Adaptiv Delivers SD-WAN Solutions to SkySwitch UCaaS Customers, SDXCentral
5. Vectors 2019: SkySwitch, Adaptiv Unveil SD-WAN Collaboration to Reseller Community, ChannelVision Magazine
6. Re-Think UC, Channel Playbook
7. From Keenan to Julian Marley, Vectors 2019 Brought Energy to the SkySwitch Community, TechZone 360
8. All The News from SkySwitch’s Vectors 2019, UC Today
9. SkySwitch Transforming SIP Trunk Sales and Adds Virtual Concierge, UC Today

Phase 3: Continuous Coverage Post-Event

The 30+ live video interviews recorded at Vectors 2019 were not released until after the event. By strategically staggering the publish dates on each video and writing SEO blog content daily, we had close to 3 months worth of content that still made the user-group conference relevant, even coming into 2020. These blog posts have been shared by prominent reporters of telecom industry publications, which increases SkySwitch’s brand visibility, and by including full video transcripts on each blog post, we are boosting our organic traffic with minimal effort post-event.

A Few Examples:

1. How Telecom Resellers and MSPs Can Stand Out Against National Brands: It’s All About the Relationships
2. Growth Predictions for Cloud Hosting In 2020
3. E911: The Technology Responsible for Saving Lives
4. What’s New in Team Collaboration: The PBX With Microsoft Teams