B2B Public Relations - The Real Story

I’ve been in PR for over 10 years now and still to this day, there are still so many misconceptions around the profession. Some believe that PR involves nothing more than canapes, lunches and champagne but the most common misconception, in my opinion, is that PR and advertising are the same. Although there can often be some cross-over, they’re not the same, as advertising involves paid for space whereas PR is completely editorial i.e. free.

This usually leads to the next question - ‘so how do you secure coverage if you don’t pay for it?’ This is a query we get more often in the B2B world. Most likely because it’s often believed that only mainstream, consumer brands can be successful in this. This isn’t the case. Each brand, no matter how niche or small has a market - PR is simply a way of bringing that to the forefront, and to the right people:

Know your audience

The first step is to find out who the ‘right people’ are. Who are you trying to influence? Who do you want to sell your products or services to? Who are the key decision-makers you need to reach in order to start the purchase journey? Once you know this, we can target the media that they consume. 

Establish your business solution

This is where many businesses stumble. Journalists don’t want to know about your new product or service - this reads like an advertisement. Instead, they want to know how your product or service solves a problem. Look at the bigger picture and try to incorporate your business into it. 

Research, research, research

As PRs, we have to keep our ears to the ground. By staying up to date with what’s on the news agenda, what’s topical and what journalists want to hear about, the pitch is more likely to be read by them. 

It’s also vital to read up on what the journalist is interested in and what they write about. The worst thing you can do is use a scattergun approach when it comes to outreach. Sending your news to all and sundry, and most often the wrong journalists who cover something entirely different is a sure-fire way to annoy them. At a time where the media landscape is changing at a rapid pace, with many print titles shutting down or moving to online-only, it’s important to keep abreast of editorial teams - who’s left, who’s moved, who’s been promoted and pitch accordingly.

Build relationships

Now that we’ve established the right journalists and the right message, it’s crucial to build relationships with them. In fact, I’d say that building relationships with the media is the very crux of PR. Think of the journalist as your brand advocate. They decide if your business will be included in their story, and how. By nurturing a good relationship with them, it’ll be more likely that you’ll be included in the article and in a positive light. 

It can sometimes be difficult to do this but remember that building a relationship doesn’t just mean taking the journalist out for lunch while filling them in on the latest news. It also means building trust - journalists often work to tight deadlines and rely on PRs to get the information they need quickly. By meeting tight deadlines, ensuring solid sources and good old fashioned manners is a great first step to ensure that that journalist will remember you favourably, and feel more inclined to work with you again. 

Know when you need help

Building relationships and being close to the news agenda takes time. If you are hoping to benefit from PR in your business but aren’t sure if it will be something you can manage effectively internally then EnquiryLab can help. Why not get in touch for a chat about your objectives?

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Author bio

Having graduated from Birmingham City University with a degree in Marketing, Advertising & PR, Raman has more than 10 years of PR experience working across a number of B2B sectors including technology and marketing. With a strong news sense and an ability to identify the strongest stories as well as solid media relations skills, she excels at driving important press coverage that helps build a positive reputation and awareness for our clients.