Earnings season is a busy time as an IRO. You have to collect and report on key data to make the best impression on the investment community, anticipate stakeholder interest, and prep communications teams and C-Suite management before the big event.
With so many jobs to juggle, you can never start preparing too early. Here are some tips to make sure you’re ready well in advance.
1. Focus on Your Narrative
Earnings season is an opportunity to share your company’s performance over the past quarter. But it goes beyond the black and white of the numbers in your report.
It’s a chance to frame this information, subtly influencing how your stakeholders interpret the data.
When crafting your message, consider your story a roadmap for your shareholders. Not only does it highlight your past track record, but it also pinpoints the goals you intend to reach soon.
Document forward-looking strategies to highlight your strengths and value proposition, pivoting your IR intelligence to weave together your vision for the future.
2. Publish Clear and Consistent Information
Consistency in your messaging and design is mission-critical. It presents a united front across all your communication platforms, which inspires confidence in your brand.
After all, the investment community will be reading your reporting, line by line. With your data under the microscope like this, you can’t afford any errors.
Having a standard of data and language is easy when you use the end-to-end investor software from Q4. This tailored solution streamlines communication across all platforms and events.
With the right IR tech behind you, you can eliminate the chances you publish conflicting or inconsistent information in the following:
- Call scripts
- Direct stakeholder communications
- Financials
- IR website
- Press release
- Q&A
- Virtual events and webcasting platform
3. Refresh Your IR Website Throughout the Season
According to the Digital Investor Survey, which polled 537 international intuitional investors, 92 percent of respondents say they visit a company’s IR website when they need to investigate an issue. Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) say the information they learn from IR sites has influenced investment decisions.
What does this mean for your earnings season? Your IR site is the first contact for connecting with investors. You need to produce the information they expect at the pace they need.
Your IR website should flawlessly support your earnings event at every step, so it’s best practice to update your site multiple times throughout the season. Posting timely information before, during, and after your event keeps the investor community fully informed.
Your IR site design should make it easy for visitors to see everything they need regarding your current earnings seasons, as well as past events and related data.
4. Adopt the Latest Virtual Events Platform
With the surge of the Omicron variant, an in-person event today is both unnecessary and unwise — especially when the latest communications and webcasting platforms make it easy to host entirely digital events.
If you haven’t already adopted a virtual events service provider, it’s time to look into one for the upcoming season. When shopping around, you’ll want to find an all-in-one platform that provides the following services:
- Earnings coordination
- Engagement tools
- Event management
- Webcasting support
The Takeaway:
As an IRO, you play a critical role during every earnings season. Keep these tips in mind to help you make the best impression with the investment community.
