Does your company really need a dedicated B2B public relations strategy? Short answer – yes. Here are a few reasons why:

Building Credibility and Trust

Positive media coverage and transparent communication enhance your company’s reliability and reputation with customers, investors, partners and employees. Training key personnel to serve as subject matter experts for external communications sets up your company as a thought leader in your markets. The trick is to provide useful information without being promotional.  

Enhancing Brand Awareness

Part of your B2B public relations strategy includes raising your company’s visibility in targeted industry publications, social media and events.  By consistently sharing news, insights and expertise you raise awareness of your company and offerings.

Managing Reputation

A B2B public relations strategy will guide you on how to provide fast replies to customer feedback, inquiries, concerns and critiques, especially on social media. This timely communication can foster positive relationships and help to positively manage your company’s reputation. And it is always good to have a PR plan in place to enable effective outreach during a crisis or controversy. 

Generating Leads and Sales Opportunities

A strong B2B public relations program can generate leads and sales opportunities by showcasing your company’s industry expertise. Raising awareness through technical or how-to articles can lead to outreach from prospective customers. Participating in speaking engagements and in industry events can also open doors to new opportunities.

Staying Competitive

We don’t have to tell you that B2B is competitive. Public relations can help you to differentiate your company from your competitors by giving you the opportunity to showcase your company’s unique strengths in the marketplace.

Attracting and Keeping Talent

Of course you want to attract and retain top talent. Communicating your company’s solid reputation and commitment to employees’ well-being and professional development will help you assemble the workforce that you need.

Identifying Key B2B Public Relations Tactics

Here are a few key tactics to help you get your news in front of your target audience at a regular pace:

• Audience Identification: Keep up on your customers’ current needs, pain points and preferred communication channels. This way, your news reaches the right people at the right time.
• Media Relations: Build and maintain relationships with trade journal editors and writers and other important industry influencers. By developing these relationships, you can pitch your company news to trusted sources who will share it with people in your key markets.
• Press Releases: Regularly distribute well-written press releases to announce product launches, partnerships, awards or milestones in key publications and news sites.
• Content Marketing: Create informative, non-promotional content, such as blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, eBooks and infographics. Share your content through email blasts, your website, social media platforms and industry publications to grab your target audience’s attention.
• Thought Leadership: Position your company executives and experts as thought leaders in your industry by participating in speaking engagements, contributing articles to industry publications and joining industry forums and events.
• Social Media Engagement: A good B2B social media plan includes more than just scheduling regular posts. Be sure to actively participate in industry conversations on social media platforms that your customers and prospects like to visit.
• Email Marketing: Email outreach is a great way to update your customers and prospects on your latest news and to share your content pieces. Make sure your contact lists are up to date.
• Industry Events and Trade Shows: Nothing beats a one-on-one conversation with current and prospective customers. Remember to reach out to participating media to generate coverage.

Summing It Up

It’s clear to see that an active B2B PR strategy is essential for your company to build awareness, establish credibility, share your news and expertise and help to drive business growth in a competitive environment.  

Questions on where to start? Our B2B experts would be glad to help out!