Why it’s time to inject some life into your B2B PR strategy

Written by Luke McDowell, Account Director

When it comes to B2B comms, strong sector-led PR is one of the oldest tools at our disposal. However, as the world of B2B has embraced influencers and social media over the last decade (as it very well should), PR has often become the traditional, stuffy and repetitive add-on to a comms strategy. This needs to change.

‘Variety is the spice of life’

That was the famous phrase first written in The Task in 1785, and whilst our B2B PR strategies were just a twinkle in William Cowper’s eye when he put pen to paper, it’s still something we should take stock in today.    

So, that brings us to the same old question, how do you solve a problem like B2B PR? Or more accurately, how do you start driving real value from your B2B PR? The answer lies both in variety and creativity

A SELECTION BOX OF MEDIA TARGETS

One of the big misconceptions of B2B PR strategies is that coverage is confined to technical, trade or industry-specific titles. These coverage hits are important and vital for many audiences, but the pitching shouldn’t just stop – or indeed start - there.

When developing a PR strategy for a client, it’s important to first look at how we all consume media, and then apply that to the audience we’re trying to speak to and engage with. Even if you’re targeting an incredibly specific expert or niche sector, ultimately, there are so many media outlets vying for their attention, and it might not be their trade media that’s shouting the loudest . Coverage in ‘mainstream media’, that is on message but still provides a link back to your brand, can work wonders and deliver tangible results to campaigns, not to mention a huge increase in brand and product recognition.

A good PR campaign will always have a mixture of media targets, whether that’s splitting trade media into sub-sections, or branching out to mainstream, national or even lifestyle hits. It’s all about getting creative to ensure you’re adding value, and thinking first and foremost – “is this newsworthy”?

Case study : How we inserted our client Ideal Standard in the wider news agenda of the summer 2022 drought in both trade and mainstream media.

GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR OUTPUTS

The checkpoint to decide whether something is newsworthy is critical – do people want to read about it, will it add anything to the existing narrative, does it add insight? This isn’t just about focusing narrowly on the commercial end goal – to sell more products or services - it’s about translating that into something relevant that means your audience will see your brand in connection with the issues that are important to them. Ultimately, it’s important that comms teams get creative.

When it comes to a more creative approach to B2B PR, we’ve all been banging the thought leadership drum for years now, but this isn’t just about drafting long-form features, there are so many other ways your spokespeople can truly take hold of a conversation. Newsjacking through commentary and interviews is obviously key, but this can be expanded in a plethora of ways – from poignant social interruptions, to full-blown manifestos – it all comes back to adding value in a unique way.

BE ORIGINAL

When trying to be creative with piquing a journalist’s interest, it’s understandably important to be original and offer something new. A publication isn’t going to run the same story or comment from ten different spokespeople – so it’s all about finding the right angle.

However, when looking for this novel point of view, keep in mind this needs to remain authentic. Trying to shoehorn a story or comment from someone who isn’t authoritative in a topic or sector is a huge mistake. It’s imperative that any content is built on expertise, insight and data.

It’s all about hooking up to the wider news agenda too, and this is what a comms team should really be focusing on – connecting relevant experts to the newscycle. This takes real skill and passion though, so it’s imperative that whoever looks after your PR is truly invested in wider news and current affairs.  

CLOSING THE LOOP

Ultimately, PR should work as a tool for not only shaping your voice externally, but also help to drive through business-critical goals. Therefore, planning is key. By being clear about your wider business objectives from the get-go, businesses can work with comms/PR teams (both internal and external) to create PR campaigns that aren’t just about grabbing attention, but are truly meaningful.