Inserting B2B Tech Executives into Trending Conversations – Without Sounding Like Everyone Else

In B2B tech and business, the news cycle moves at lightning speed (some say it leads to whiplash…) Whether it’s the latest AI breakthrough, a cybersecurity breach, or a new financial regulation or policy shaking up an industry, opportunities to shape the narrative are everywhere. For communications leaders, the challenge isn’t finding conversations to join – it’s making sure your B2B tech executives are appear in the right conversations, with something original to say.

On the agency side, we’ve all heard our clients say, “we should be in here”, or “we have something to contribute to this topic…” It is our job to strategically assess the topic/opportunity and help executives craft an authentic, original narrative – without being promotional or sounding like just another voice in the noise.

Here are three ways to effectively insert your spokespeople into the trending conversations happening across the media.

1. Have Real Journalist Relationships – Not Just PR Pitches Sent Blindly

One of the most cringeworthy things to hear from a PR prospect is “tell us who you know in the media”. Well, the truth is anyone can say they “know” a reporter, influencer or analyst, but have they built up a trusted media relationship with them? Are they someone that a reporter respects because they are not bombarding them with blind, irrelevant pitches about everything coming out from their client or organization?

Tech and business reporters are overloaded with noise, and it is part of your communications team’s job to minimize contributing to that. If you want your tech executive to be on their radar when a big story breaks, the time spent investing in relationships when nothing is on fire is key. Invite them for informal chats, comment on their stories, offer background info without expectation, and always be transparent.

Journalists come back to the PR pros who they know who is going to bring a balanced, thoughtful source for their story. Journalists also remember execs who are clear, candid, and useful in their commentary. That is how the professional relationship between the media and spokespeople is built.

2. Align on Expertise, Not Just Hype

The B2B tech world loves buzzwords – AI, quantum, Web3, automation, tariffs (heard about them?). But that doesn’t mean your CTO or CEO needs to weigh in on every headline. The smartest strategy is to identify the specific areas where your executive has deep credibility and a clear point of view.

• Build a thought leadership map across:
• Specific technical expertise (e.g., machine learning infrastructure, data privacy, cloud architecture)
• Sector-specific insight (e.g., fintech, healthtech, hospitality tech)
• Ethical stances (e.g., responsible AI, open source, cybersecurity policy)
• Macro-economic views (e.g., current trade policies, unemployment, inflation)

This clarity helps avoid shallow commentary – and builds a long-term voice of authority.

3. Speak Like a Leader, not a Marketer

Tech and business audiences are sharp. They can spot fluff from a mile away. Whether you’re aiming for TechCrunch, The Verge, Wall Street Journal or Wired, make sure your tech executives voice comes from a point of authority – not a corporate PR script.

• How to provide useful, insightful commentary to the media today:
• Use real examples from your personal experiences and challenges
• Avoid industry specific jargon
• Don’t be afraid to show humility or uncertainty – credibility often comes from nuance
• Be willing to look beyond your own industry from which you come. This one takes some balancing but bringing a broader view to the conversation at hand provides extreme value to the media

These three tips will help you prepare your spokespeople as you look to bring them forward as a source to the key topics driving media coverage today, but you shouldn’t stop there.

Thought leadership isn’t just about being quoted in the media – it’s about owning the ongoing conversation. If your executive only appears when a journalist calls, you’re missing a huge opportunity. Owned and social channels are where real influence lives. Going beyond the earned media is another way to build your executives profile and presence ahead of the trending topic of the day.

There are plenty of tools at a communications professional’s disposal to build this thought leadership platform, and you need to put in the time now (and be consistent with it) so that you are successful when the broader outreach time comes.

• Start by having a regular LinkedIn strategy for your key spokespeople. Create short posts sharing their point of view on certain topics, provide key data points you come across, and engage with other relevant/like executives and thought leaders’ posts
• Create short videos for your website or social platforms. Video is extremely engaging and authentic, and your audiences can get to know your spokespeople at a deeper level off the words on a page
• Propose industry byline articles that dive in on broader trends happening across your marketplace. It is important that these are vendor neutral and instead of push your agenda/product, inform and bring to the forefront new approaches to certain situations.

Lead with Insight, Not Ego

The most respected B2B tech executives in the media aren’t the loudest – they’re the ones who consistently add clarity, foresight, and technical expertise on complex topics. As a communications leader and agency partner, your job isn’t just to get your exec quoted – it’s to shape a long-term presence that influences how people think about complex topics across the business and technology landscape. Position them as a voice of reason. A voice of innovation. A voice that makes sense of what’s next.