How Jessica Pantages and Egnyte Use TikTok and Newsjacking to Drive Awareness, Leads, and Revenue

When most people think of “cloud-based content governance and collaboration,” TikTok doesn’t usually come to mind. But Egnyte’s marketing team thrives on the unexpected. Led by VP of Corporate Marketing Jessica Pantages, the team is redefining what lean, creative marketing looks like—from influencer campaigns to newsjacking and AI-powered content.

We spoke with Jessica about how she’s making a big impact with limited resources—and reaching the right audiences in smart, unconventional ways.

Q: Tell us about your TikTok influencer campaign. That’s a little out of left field for your industry, isn’t it?

Jessica Pantages

It definitely is, which is why it worked so well. Influencer marketing is usually associated with B2C brands, not enterprise SaaS. But we saw a unique opportunity in one of our strongest verticals: architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC). Our team identified a TikTok creator who was a university architecture student and asked her to show how she uses Egnyte to manage her files and collaborate on projects. It was authentic, relatable, and created from a real-life use case. Her post generated 300,000 views, 47,000 likes, and 6,000 saves. Even months later, people were still discovering and bookmarking it.

When we brought her back to help promote our Global AEC Summit, it drove 50 qualified leads and $40,000 in annual revenue—on a $3,000 budget and just a few weeks of ramp-up. It was a lean, experimental play that delivered more brand exposure than we could’ve expected through traditional channels.

Q: That’s impressive. What made the team think to go in that direction?

Jessica Pantages

It honestly came down to budget constraints and creativity. We couldn’t afford the traditional influencer route, but the team didn’t let that stop them. They thought hard about the kind of people who would not only resonate with our product but also have potential long-term influence in the industry. That’s why we picked a student—someone who may not be a buyer now but has the audience and potential to influence decisions down the line. We’re playing the long game.

Q: Let’s switch gears to PR. You’ve been successful with getting your executives to comment on trending stories–newsjacking. How are you doing that?

Jessica Pantages

Newsjacking has become one of our most effective PR strategies. With a small team and limited PR resources, we knew we couldn’t rely on long-lead product stories or customer case studies alone. 

Plus, the media isn’t really interested in covering product information. They want to speak with spokespeople who can comment on market trends, even if it means not specifically discussing Egnyte. We’re lucky to have a great group of executives who can just as easily talk about what we’re doing as what our competitors are doing, or how events outside of our business are impacting our industry and customers.

Q: Can you give an example of that working?

Jessica Pantages

Absolutely. When the 'big, beautiful bill' was being debated in Congress, there was a lot of buzz around how it would impact technology companies, especially those managing large amounts of data. We saw an opportunity to insert our voice into the national conversation. Another example is the ongoing discussion and decisions around tariffs.

Our CEO has a strong but balanced opinion about the implications of regulation on innovation and data security. We quickly draft responses, pitch to our media contacts, and have secured coverage in several tech publications as well as Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal. 

Because our take was timely, relevant, and nuanced, it didn’t just get picked up. It also helped position Egnyte as a credible voice in the broader AI and governance conversation.

Q: Tell us about how newsjacking helped you secure your CEO’s appearance on CNBC.

Jessica Pantages

We identified a company whose earnings announcement was likely to draw media coverage and aligned with our CEO on what he could credibly comment on. We then pitched him as a guest expert to the producers at Bloomberg, framing his insights as a valuable perspective on broader industry trends. 

That outreach resulted in a segment where he shared his take on the company’s performance and implications for the SaaS space. The anchors then moved on to ask about Egnyte as well as our AI capabilities. It not only boosted his visibility but also positioned Egnyte as a forward-thinking voice in enterprise technology. 

Q: What tools or tactics support your media relations efforts?

Jessica Pantages

We rely heavily on tools like Muck Rack to monitor journalist queries, track coverage, and maintain up-to-date media lists. We also subscribe to journalist request services where we can respond to real-time inquiries from reporters on deadline. 

But honestly, one of the most effective things we do is build direct relationships with reporters. Suppose someone writes a story that’s relevant to our space. In that case, we’ll reach out personally to offer a perspective or just to open the door for future conversations. Often, our team crafts a message for an executive and has them send it directly to a reporter, which gives the outreach a “one-to-one” touch. We also post thought leadership responses on LinkedIn, tagging journalists or outlets to amplify engagement. 

It’s all about showing up consistently and being helpful, not just transactional.

Q: With such a lean team, how do you prioritize and economize your marketing efforts?

Jessica Pantages

Prioritization starts with knowing exactly who we’re trying to reach. We are ruthlessly audience focused. We ask: Who are our customers? Where do they get information? What matters to them right now? That insight helps us decide what channels to invest in, whether it’s a specific social platform, an industry newsletter, or a Reddit thread. We also look at past performance and use AI-powered tools to surface what’s working, so we’re not guessing. 

Economization comes from being strategic about repurposing material. One strong piece of content might become a blog, a video clip, a slide in a sales deck, or even a pitch angle. 

Q: What’s your one piece of advice for marketers with limited resources?

Jessica Pantages

Be authentic, be strategic—and repurpose like your budget depends on it (because it probably does).

Feeling inspired by Jessica’s approach? If you’re looking to build scrappy, high-impact marketing programs that get results—even with limited resources—get in touch with us.