Here are my preferred public relations strategies for B2B.
As a B2B organisation, having a successful public relations (PR) strategy is essential for reaching your target audience and achieving growth. Knowing which strategies to employ can be the difference between success and failure.
In this article, I’ll outline the best public relations strategies for B2B and how each can help you reach your goals.
Here we go:
Why Public Relations Matters for B2B
In a world where attention is fleeting, and loyalty is hard to come by, small businesses need every advantage. That’s where public relations comes in.
“There’s only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” — Oscar Wilde
At its core, PR is all about building trust with your audience through strategic communication. It can help you capture attention, earn loyalty, and scale your business for long-term success.
One of the most significant advantages of PR for B2B is to build trust.
By crafting a consistent narrative that speaks directly to your audience’s needs and desires, you’ll create a sense of connection that can be tough to achieve through other marketing channels. This builds trust over time and makes customers more likely to stick around even when they have other options.
Public Relations Challenges for B2B
All organisations face the challenge of creating awareness, especially the B2B industry.
An organisation, starved of attention, trust, and loyalty, is compelled to wage a perpetual struggle for its continued existence.
B2B organisations face a set of standard challenges when it comes to public relations:
Recognition. One of the most prominent obstacles is obscurity. The media and potential customers often overlook B2B organisations. This can make it difficult for them to gain exposure and build recognition in their industry. Unlike B2C companies, they may not have the same recognition that allows them to quickly get their message out there. As such, building solid relationships over time becomes crucial for gaining media coverage and endorsements from those who matter most.
Reputation. Reputation plays a huge role in public relations for B2B. A negative review or comment online can quickly spread and damage their hard-earned reputation within their community or industry.
Resources. Building fundamental relationships with stakeholders, influencers, and publics takes time, effort and resources that few — if any! — B2B organisations have in abundance.
Public Relations Benefits for B2B
When implemented effectively, PR can have numerous benefits for B2B:
Increased brand awareness. One of the most significant advantages of PR is increased brand awareness. By creating a positive image in the eyes of the public, B2B organisations can attract more customers and generate more leads. With the help of effective PR strategies, B2B organisations can create a strong reputation for themselves in their industry and stand out from their competitors.
Better customer relationships. PR campaigns can help B2B organisations communicate more effectively with their customers and build a stronger bond with them. By sharing stories, insights, and industry news with their customers through press releases, social media posts, and other PR tactics, B2B organisations can foster trust and loyalty among their customers. This, in turn, can lead to repeat business, positive word-of-mouth, and referrals.
Improved crisis management. A solid PR strategy canhelp a B2B organisation manage crises more effectively. When a crisis occurs, B2B organisations that have established a positive reputation through PR can more easily weather the storm. They can use their existing relationships with customers, media outlets, and other stakeholders to mitigate the damage caused by the crisis and recover more quickly.
Increase revenue and profitability. PR can contribute to increased revenue or profitability for B2B organisations. By generating positive press coverage, B2B organisations can attract more customers and create more opportunities for sales. Effective PR can also help B2B organisations establish themselves as industry leaders, leading to increased demand for their products or services.
Firmer stakeholder support. PR can help B2B organisations attract the attention of potential investors, partners, and collaborators. B2B organisations can create interest and enthusiasm among potential investors and partners by showcasing their accomplishments and sharing their vision with the world. This can open up new avenues for growth and expansion and help B2B organisations achieve their long-term goals.
Public Relations Strategies for B2B
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Public Relations Strategies for B2B
Here are my preferred public relations strategies for B2B organisations:
Content Themes. Be the best in your industry or niche at organising and publishing content in well-researched and strategically chosen themes. — Learn more about the content themes PR strategy.
Deep Content. Be the best in your industry or niche at organising and publishing your content in many layers, allowing browsers to dig deeper and deeper and thus get more value than anywhere else. — Learn more about the deep content PR strategy.
Surround Message. Be the best in your industry or niche at conveying one specific thing only. This will require the discipline needed to filter out everything else. — Learn more about the surround message PR strategy.
Hidden Arena. Be the best in your industry or niche at connecting activists by supplying them with an invite-only platform for exchanging ideas and coördinating their efforts. Provide them with resources if needed. — Learn more about the hidden arena PR strategy.
Thought Leadership. Be the best in your industry or niche at providing expert content and opinions that cannot be found anywhere else online. — Learn more about the thought leadership PR strategy.
Easy Street. Be the best in your industry or niche at executing activities and campaigns that come easily and naturally to your organisation. “Do more of what works.” — Learn more about the easy street PR strategy.
Stupid Majority. Be the best in your industry or niche at taking a stance against the majority. Just ensure this majority is fundamentally flawed and long-term due for destruction. — Learn more about the stupid majority PR strategy.
Superhero Solution. Be the best in your industry or niche at offering a plug-and-play solution for a small but widespread problem. The solution must have an easy-to-remember name and be free. — Learn more about the superhero solution PR strategy.
Iceberg Publishing. Be the best in your industry or niche at creating high-converting landing pages with solid search intents while keeping every page on your site minimal. — Learn more about the iceberg publishing PR strategy.
Extra Mile. Be the best in your industry or niche at doing something that doesn’t scale — like going above and beyond to provide customer service. To be able to scale, we must sometimes do things that don’t. — Learn more about the extra mile PR strategy.
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” — Albert Einstein
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How to Write a 1‑Page PR Strategy
My inspiration for writing “no-bullshit” strategies comes from the classic “Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters” by Richard Rumelt. The 1‑Page PR Strategy focuses on how to win. 1Rumelt, R. P. (2011). Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters. Crown Business.
“The most basic idea of strategy is the application of strength against weakness. Or, if you prefer, strength applied to the most promising opportunity.” Source: Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters 2Rumelt, R. P. (2011). Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters. Crown Business.
Here’s how you can write a 1‑Page PR Strategy that fits one page — using the mythical battle between David and Goliath as an analogy:
1. Analysis
David can’t beat Goliath using his size or raw strength, but he has an advantage in speed and accuracy from a distance.
2. Guiding Principle
David shouldn’t engage in close combat but rather use tools that will allow him to strike from a distance.
3. Coherent Actions
David shouldn’t use any heavy armour because that would slow him down.
David should use a slingshot, a weapon he is familiar with and can strike from a distance.
David should leverage the surprise element and not advertise his advantage beforehand.
If you write 1 – 2 clear sentences per bullet, your strategy should fit nicely on one page.
Your PR strategy should answer one simple question:
Does this strategy provide a guiding principle for how your organisation should defeat competitors in the battle for attention, trust, and support?
Whenever your PR strategy fails to answer this question, it also fails to provide a roadmap to success.
“Competitiveness is derived from permanent infrastructural characteristics of organizational design, rather than just relying on temporary strategic assets.” Source: Strategic Change3Connor, T. (2007). A consideration of strategic assets and the organizational sources of competitiveness. Strategic Change, 16, 127 – 136. https://doi.org/10.1002/JSC.789
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Rumelt, R. P. (2011). Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters. Crown Business.
3
Connor, T. (2007). A consideration of strategic assets and the organizational sources of competitiveness. Strategic Change, 16, 127 – 136. https://doi.org/10.1002/JSC.789
Jerry Silfwer, alias Doctor Spin, is an awarded senior adviser specialising in public relations and digital strategy. Currently CEO at Spin Factory and KIX Communication Index. Before that, he worked at Kaufmann, Whispr Group, Springtime PR, and Spotlight PR. Based in Stockholm, Sweden.
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