Securing consistent media coverage presents unique challenges for financial technology and financial services companies operating in the B2B space. Unlike consumer brands with easily understood products, fintech firms must work harder to translate complex achievements into stories that capture media attention.
This comprehensive guide shows you how to identify, evaluate, and leverage your company’s achievements for maximum media impact.
Why Milestone-Based PR Matters in Financial Services
Journalists receive hundreds of pitches daily. Generic company news rarely breaks through, but strategically positioned milestones can transform routine achievements into compelling coverage opportunities.
Financial publications and journalists typically seek stories that:
- Demonstrate measurable market impact
- Illustrate significant industry trends
- Provide data-backed insights
- Showcase innovation in solving real problems
By systematically identifying and promoting the right milestones, fintech companies can build a steady drumbeat of media coverage that enhances brand authority and market positioning.
Step 1: Mapping Your Company’s Milestone Categories
Start by cataloging potential newsworthy events across these key categories:
Product & Technology Milestones
- Platform Evolution: Major updates to your core technology offering
- Integration Announcements: New partnerships with complementary financial systems
- Security Achievements: compliance, penetration testing results, certifications
- Patent Approvals: Proprietary technology or methodology patents
- Feature Launches: Significant functionality additions solving specific industry pain points
Business Growth Indicators
- Revenue Thresholds: Reaching significant transaction volume milestones
- Client Acquisition: Landing enterprise clients or reaching customer number benchmarks
- Geographic Expansion: Market entry announcements in new regions or countries
- Funding Developments: Investment rounds, acquisitions, or strategic financial moves
- Team Growth: Executive appointments or significant workforce expansion
Industry Impact Developments
- Research Publications: Original market insights or financial trend analysis
- Regulatory Achievements: Compliance with new frameworks
- Case Studies: Documented client success with measurable results
- Industry Recognitions: Awards, analyst mentions, or industry rankings
- Market First Claims: Pioneering approaches or technology implementations
Step 2: Building Your Strategic Milestone Calendar
To ensure consistent media presence, develop a 12-month milestone calendar that includes:
Predictable Reporting Cycles
- Quarterly Results: Financial performance highlights and growth metrics
- Annual Reviews: Year-over-year comparisons and growth trajectory
- Industry Event Timing: Product announcements aligned with major financial conferences
Planned Development Landmarks
- Product Roadmap Deliverables: Release dates for significant platform enhancements
- Partnership Announcements: Scheduled integration or collaboration launches
- Market Entry Timelines: Planned expansion into new geographic regions or verticals
Anticipated Achievement Windows
- Certification Completion Periods: Expected timeframes for security or compliance certifications
- Award Announcement Seasons: Industry recognition program announcement dates
- Milestone Achievement Targets: Projected dates for hitting user or revenue thresholds
Having this calendar enables your communications team to prepare materials ahead of time and strategically space announcements for maximum impact rather than releasing everything at once.
Step 3: Evaluating Milestone Newsworthiness
Not all milestones deserve media attention. Evaluate each potential announcement against these criteria:
Market Impact Assessment
- Problem Significance: Does this milestone address a major industry challenge?
- Audience Relevance: Will this matter to your target publication’s readers?
- Timing Advantage: Does this tie into current market conversations or trends?
Competitive Differentiation Analysis
- Innovation Factor: How does this achievement differ from competitor offerings?
- Market Position: Does this milestone strengthen your unique market positioning?
- Industry Leadership: Does this establish your company as a thought leader?
Data-Backed Value Proposition
- Quantifiable Results: Can you provide specific metrics showing impact?
- Client Benefits: Are there measurable improvements for users?
- Industry Implications: Does this signal a meaningful shift in approach?
Implementation Tip: Create a simple scoring matrix rating each milestone from 1-5 across these criteria. Prioritize announcements scoring 20+ points across all categories.
Step 4: Crafting Compelling Financial Milestone Narratives
Transform technical achievements into stories journalists want to cover by focusing on these elements:
Headline Development Strategy
Effective financial services headlines focus on:
- Market Impact: “Company X Enables 43% Faster Settlement Times for Cross-Border Payments”
- Problem Resolution: “New Platform Reduces Compliance Costs by 37% for Regional Banks”
- Industry Advancement: “Fintech Firm Launches First Carbon-Neutral Payment Processing System”
- Growth Indicators: “Company Surpasses $10B in Processed Transactions, Signals Market Shift”
Supporting Elements That Strengthen Your Story
Complement your core announcement with:
- Contextual Data: Industry statistics framing the significance of your achievement
- Executive Insights: Thought leadership perspectives on market implications
- Client Testimonials: Named customer quotes validating the impact of your solution
- Visual Assets: Infographics or charts illustrating relevant data points
- Industry Expert Commentary: Third-party validation from analysts or authorities
Financial journalists value exclusive data, original research, and concrete examples they can reference.
Step 5: Strategic Distribution Channels for Financial Milestones
Match your milestone significance to appropriate media tiers:
Tier 1: Major Financial Announcements
Reserve for truly significant news like major funding, transformative acquisitions, or groundbreaking innovation:
- Business Networks: CNBC, Bloomberg TV, Fox Business
- Top-Tier Financial Press: Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Bloomberg
- Industry Keynotes: Money 20/20, Finovate, Sibos announcements
Tier 2: Significant Industry Developments
Well-suited for substantial product launches, major partnerships, or impressive growth metrics:
- Industry Publications: American Banker, Banking Technology, PYMNTS.com
- Trade Publications: Investment News, Insurance Journal, Wealth Management
- Regional Business Press: City business journals, regional financial publications
Tier 3: Regular Company Updates
Appropriate for regular growth updates, minor product enhancements, and thought leadership:
- Company Blog: Detailed technical explanations and case studies
- LinkedIn Articles: Executive perspectives and industry insights
- Email Newsletters: Customer and prospect communications
- Industry Forums: Specialized discussion groups and communities
Distribution Strategy Tip: Create announcement templates for each tier that standardize formats while allowing customization of key messages.
Implementing Your Milestone Communication Strategy
Follow these steps to operationalize your approach:
- Develop a Cross-Departmental Milestone Tracking System
- Create a shared document accessible to product, sales, and executive teams
- Implement a simple submission process for potential announcements
- Schedule monthly review meetings to evaluate upcoming milestones
- Build Your Annual Milestone Calendar
- Plot known events across the next 12 months
- Identify potential news deserts and proactively plan content
- Align announcements with industry events and news cycles
- Establish Your Evaluation Framework
- Document your criteria for assessing news value
- Create templates for different types of announcements
- Develop a verification process for claims and statistics
- Measure and Optimize Performance
- Track media pickup rates across different milestone types
- Monitor engagement metrics for various announcement formats
- Analyze which stories generate inbound media requests
Taking Your Communications to the Next Level
By implementing this structured approach to milestone identification and promotion, B2B fintech and financial services companies can transform routine business achievements into powerful media opportunities.
With connections to over 3,000 news outlets worldwide and specialized expertise in financial services PR, Fifth Avenue Brands helps clients identify, position, and promote their most newsworthy milestones. Contact us for a complimentary PR consultation to discuss how we can amplify your company’s achievements across key financial media channels.
