The Evolution of Presspool: From Traditional PR to Next-Gen Media

At Presspool, we didn’t always operate the way we do now. In fact, we started out just like many other traditional PR firms, helping companies land coveted placements in top-tier outlets like Forbes, Entrepreneur, and The Wall Street Journal. For a time, this was the ultimate goal for our clients—being featured in these big-name publications was seen as a badge of honor, a sign of legitimacy, and an opportunity to gain brand visibility.

But as we continued working with companies, especially those in fast-paced, high-tech industries, we began to notice a troubling pattern: while these placements looked great from a branding perspective, they rarely moved the needle when it came to driving high-quality traffic to our clients’ websites or generating leads with a genuine interest in their services. The reality was that the shiny allure of being featured in these traditional media outlets didn’t translate into the measurable outcomes that companies truly needed to grow.

The Peak of the Zero-Interest-Rate Era: A PR Boom

At the height of the zero-interest-rate era, startups that had freshly raised large Series A and B rounds became enamored with the idea of brand credibility. Many of these companies were flush with capital and eager to establish themselves as thought leaders in their industries. For them, getting featured in Forbes or WSJ was like buying credibility, and they were more than willing to invest heavily to make it happen.

But despite these high-profile placements, the needle wasn’t moving in the areas that really mattered—qualified traffic, lead generation, and ultimately, revenue. The excitement of seeing their names in lights didn’t translate into the kind of long-term business impact that justified the investment.

At the same time, we started noticing a seismic shift in the media landscape. Top writers and journalists from major publications were leaving to start their own niche, industry-specific outlets. These weren’t massive media machines, but small, expert-driven publications that catered to highly engaged, opt-in audiences.

The Rise of Next-Gen Media

This shift toward niche publications was driven by a simple but powerful dynamic: trust. These next-gen media companies weren’t chasing mass appeal. Instead, they were focused on building deeply engaged communities of readers who cared about the specific topics they covered. The value of these new outlets was in their ability to attract highly specialized, knowledgeable audiences that trusted the voices behind the content.

In the cybersecurity industry, in particular, these new publications became invaluable. Decision-makers at Fortune 500 companies weren’t just passively consuming content from mainstream media outlets. They were turning to expert-driven cybersecurity newsletters, podcasts, and blogs for trusted advice and insights. This marked a stark contrast to the more generalized, brand-driven readerships that traditional outlets were targeting.

Why Traditional Media Is Failing to Compete

The legacy media brands that once dominated the space have struggled to keep up with these niche players. The cost-to-performance dynamics simply don’t favor large, brand-driven media companies anymore. Large outlets are saddled with high operating costs, bureaucracy, and the need to cater to broad audiences. As a result, they’ve become less effective at delivering the kind of targeted, high-intent traffic that businesses are looking for.

Meanwhile, niche media companies are leaner, more focused, and more authentic. Their audiences are smaller but far more engaged, which means the content they produce has a much higher impact. For businesses, this shift represents a massive opportunity—if they can access these highly specialized outlets.

The Challenge of Working with Next-Gen Publications

However, working with these next-gen media outlets is no easy task. Many of them are small operations, often run by just two or three people. They’re focused on producing high-quality, expert content, not on monetizing their platforms through advertising or PR placements. Their flat fee models can be expensive, and navigating the process of getting featured can be time-consuming and opaque.

That’s where Presspool comes in. We saw the writing on the wall early on and pivoted our entire business model to meet this shift head-on. Our goal was to create a new kind of PR—one that was performance-based, scalable, and easy to navigate for companies in the cybersecurity industry.

Presspool: A New Model for PR

We’ve built partnerships with over 100 next-gen publications in the cybersecurity space, giving us access to their highly engaged, opt-in audiences. But more than that, we’ve developed a performance-based model that eliminates the risk of traditional PR. Instead of paying hefty retainers and hoping for results, our clients only pay for the unique clicks they generate from these media placements.

This approach allows us to offer a true one-stop shop for companies looking to get featured in industry-leading cybersecurity publications. We handle everything—from securing the placements to tracking performance and optimizing campaigns for future success. Our data-driven approach means we’re constantly refining and improving the process to ensure you’re getting the best possible return on your investment.

The Future of PR Is Here

Presspool used to function just like any other PR agency, helping companies get placements in big-name outlets. But we saw the trend, adapted, and changed our model to offer something far more valuable to our clients. The future of PR isn’t about broad, unfocused media placements. It’s about targeted, high-quality traffic and measurable results.

Let’s talk about how we can help your brand get featured in the cybersecurity industry’s top publications, and only pay for the clicks you receive. At Presspool, we’re not just following the trends—we’re leading the way.