How to Keep Momentum Going Post-IPO
Kicking off an initial public offering (IPO) can feel a bit like getting ready for a New Year’s Eve party, with lots of pre-IPO planning and suspense. Then, execution becomes a matter of waiting for the clock to strike midnight, as champagne corks fly around. But then… what?
Organizations inherently garner more attention — and scrutiny — after the initial public offering, when every penny matters. That said, making the jump into the capital markets doesn’t guarantee front-page coverage for every announcement.
Understanding how to maintain post-IPO coverage, driven largely by your firm’s pre-IPO chatter, is essential to boosting visibility among potential customers and investors.
Why is keeping the momentum going after the IPO important?
If you’re not growing, you’re dying. Investors and board members need to see meaningful movement on a regular basis, and it’s up to the PR and IR teams to ensure companies stick the landing after they’ve started raising capital. PR people should make themselves familiar with tactics that focus on how to attract investors. Calibrated messaging and targeted post-IPO public relations, including influencer outreach, can make all the difference between a needle-mover and an all-out snoozer.
Why is this a challenge for many companies?
While public companies are required to disclose material developments, there’s a fine line between corporate updates and newsworthy updates. Too many organizations fall into the trap of assuming what’s important to the company and its stakeholders must also be interesting to reporters and their readers, as well as potential investors.
What makes a corporate finance story compelling? Here are some quick recommendations from Bospar’s media relations team, featuring veteran reporters and on-air talent from Bloomberg, CNBC and CNN who have deep experience covering the stock markets.
Draw reporters’ attention to public offerings with:
- An immediate, useful takeaway with an urgent call to action
- Bold, highly quotable statements from executives and partners
- Recent real-world examples with clear results
- Economic impact, including eye-catching dollar amounts
- A human-driven narrative that elicits an emotional response
What’s the key to communicating momentum among target audiences?
It is crucial that companies not simply push their news at key audiences but instead engage with them as part of the IPO process. Developing proactive, creative outreach campaigns targeting influential reporters, analysts and advocates is paramount to a successful communications strategy and should be part of any IPO launch plan.
What role can PR play?
An integrated and strategic communications program can help publicly traded companies achieve a variety of business objectives around the IPO announcement, from expanding the awareness portion of an organization’s sales funnel to equipping third-party evangelists with data-driven insights.