The approach to product news has changed dramatically over the years. Not long ago, the prevailing advice was blunt: “No one really cares about your product announcement. Just publish it and move on.” The thinking was that product news had a short shelf life, mainly useful for scoring a few press hits, adding logos to your website and giving your sales team something to smile about.
But today, product announcements are no longer just transactional moments. They are strategic opportunities. When done right, a launch isn’t the end of a story. It is the beginning of a long-term visibility play. Product news can spark ongoing media interest, fuel your content marketing engine, create SEO lift and reinforce your position in the market well beyond launch day.
Important reminder before we begin
The first step – or more accurately, the first misstep – in turning product news into long-term visibility is ignoring the details. If you’re thinking, “No one will notice that some of these updates are a little outdated, recycled, or technically part of a previous release,” think again. Reporters notice. Your audience notices. And so do the competitors you’re trying to outpace.
Step One: Building Your Foundation
The first step is, of course, the initial pitching of the news. To maximize the announcement’s impact, 10Fold develops a tailored strategy that places the news under embargo two weeks before the official launch. Given how busy reporters – especially those covering cybersecurity – are these days, giving them ample lead time is crucial. Each key target receives a customized pitch closely aligned with their specific coverage area to ensure relevance and engagement.
It’s also essential to take a holistic approach that combines strong media relationships with strategic alignment across the marketing team. If a reporter has covered a previous announcement, connecting the dots between past coverage and the current update helps maintain engagement. At the same time, ensuring the news is integrated into broader marketing campaigns—with clear calls to action and aligned messaging across social, email, and digital channels—helps maximize visibility and drive meaningful leads.
Step Two: Own The Conversation
It doesn’t end with the initial news announcement. How can you expect others to write about your product if you’re not actively telling the story yourself? Press releases alone don’t cut it. They focus on the immediate news but miss the opportunity to build a broader, lasting narrative. That’s why developing a content strategy around your product news is essential, not just for visibility, but for control over how your story evolves.
In the months following a launch, 10Fold works closely with subject matter experts to create a steady pipeline of thought leadership that extends the value of the announcement. This content can take many forms, including LinkedIn posts, blogs, and contributed articles that speak directly to the market problems your product solves. The goal is to turn a single moment into a conversation that lasts, one that continues to drive engagement, media interest, and web traffic long after the initial launch.
For example, in our case study with Cequence,10Fold went beyond the initial product update announcement by developing and pitching complementary storylines that extended the narrative and captured broader media interest in outlets like VentureBeat. Coverage from the announcement also contributed to a 24% increase in website traffic, showing how the right mix of content and media strategy can turn a news event into a measurable visibility engine.
Step Three: Follow the Announcement with Third-Party Validation
10Fold also leverages partner networks to secure third-party validation following significant product updates, helping to demonstrate real-world value and execution. By developing joint solution briefs, we highlight meaningful technology integrations that reinforce product relevance and open new angles for future coverage. And when reporters aren’t ready to cover a launch immediately, 10Fold keeps the door open by aligning with future content themes and offering timely access to subject matter experts, laying the foundation for long-tail opportunities that sustain visibility well beyond the initial announcement.
Step Four: Align With the Problems You’re Solving
Since your product news isn’t the only thing competing for attention, it’s important to connect your announcement to broader market trends. In B2B public relations – especially in cybersecurity – one of the biggest challenges is standing out amid the constant stream of vendor updates and industry noise. To break through, you need to meet your audience where their attention already is. One of the most effective ways to do this is by anchoring your narrative in original research that offers timely, relevant insights aligned with current conversations.
Surveying both the practitioners on the front lines and the decision-makers helps you tap into the real issues shaping the market. It shows you’re not just promoting a product but listening to the industry. A good example of this today is AI. While it is dominating headlines and reshaping priorities, it is not the only challenge cybersecurity teams are facing. Original research gives you the opportunity to bring other critical conversations to the forefront and tie them back to your product in a relevant, compelling way.
But research only works if it is done right. 10Fold’s media analysis showed that the research landscape is saturated. Large numbers and generic “State of Security” reports no longer move the needle. Reporters told us they are overloaded, and unless findings are surprising, highly relevant or tied to something timely, they are unlikely to get picked up. Many also said they prefer short, concise content delivered regularly rather than one dense annual report.
To solve this, 10Fold partnered with Swimlane and a third-party research firm to develop a series of short, point-in-time studies focused on how security teams are using automation. The data was presented in highly digestible formats. Just as important, the research partner was selected for speed, ensuring fresh findings could be plugged into trending storylines while they were still relevant.
The result, as detailed in our recent case study with Swimlane, was a repeatable and trusted format that reporters recognized, valued, and consistently engaged with. It positioned Swimlane as a credible voice in the industry and gave them a seat at the table in timely, high-value conversations. Just as critically, the research was strategically timed to align with key product announcements, giving Swimlane original, newsworthy content to boost visibility and reinforce the value of their solutions in context.
Done right, research doesn’t just support your product story. It helps extend it, amplify it, and ensure it lands in the right conversations.
Building a Long-Term Asset
Turning product news into long-term visibility doesn’t happen by accident. It takes planning, consistency and a willingness to look beyond launch day. The companies that succeed are the ones that treat their announcement not as a one-time moment but as a spark. That means pitching with purpose, creating content that carries the story forward and developing assets that demonstrate how your product can solve the issues your target audiences are currently facing. When you do that, you’re not just chasing headlines. You’re shaping the narrative. And that’s how product news becomes something more: a long-term asset for your brand that will drive meaningful coverage and sales.
For a deeper look at turning product news into long-term visibility, check out our case studies with Cequence and Swimlane.