B2B PR – what’s in it for me?

Businesses need sales, sales mean revenue, revenue means profit (and profit means a nice trip to the spa). To utilise every avenue possible and make your business the best option for customers in your market is simply a no-brainer. You need public relations (PR) and communications experts to make sure your name, brand, solution, service, and personality are what people immediately think of.

But how will PR make my business thrive?

Leads
This one is simple: the greater the amount of people that know your business exists, the more leads you will generate. However, this is not just a numbers game. For example, if you give a speech to 500,000 people wanting to buy ironing boards and you’re selling AI technology for warehouse logistics, you probably won’t get many sales (you might get one or two sales out of awkwardness, but that won’t keep the lights on). Nevertheless, if you utilise PR and get company featured across specific targeted media, it becomes more visible to customers and prospects that need your solutions. If you give your speech on AI technology for warehouse logistics to 50 warehouse operators, you’re going to have far greater success with leads and getting your name out to the right audiences.

Storytelling
Stories are memorable – particularly one where the B2B specialist rides off into the sunset with their true love and the knowledge that the real treasure was the friends they made along the way. Everyone has a story they tell about a business or individual they have dealt with, so make sure the next story being told is your story. By working with an expert PR/communications team you can target the main people you want your story told to and highlight that you are the person to speak to about certain topics.

Thought leadership
Unlike other big fancy buzzwords, thought leadership has genuine substance to it (I’m looking at you, ‘synergy’…). If you showcase your talent, passion, expertise, and forward-thinking aspirations for your industry community, you will be seen as the next thought leader among your peers and stand out. As a thought leader you will be the one people want to hear from at conferences, your trends and ideas will be seen as the new way, and people will ask you for input on questions within your industry and target audiences.

Sector expertise
When people have a question, they want to find an answer. Not only that, they want an answer they can trust (my apologies to Wikipedia). If you embrace PR, you can become the go-to person people want to hear from. Why do people always ask Bob Iger, Tim Cook, Jack Ma, or Reshma Saujani for their opinions? It’s because they are known as leading experts in their sectors. They may not necessarily be the best-placed people to answer specific questions, but their names are always the first that come to mind for their sectors. You have built a business that sells a specific service, so you can be the person your sector turns to for answers.

Clarity
People want to know what they’re buying and the services they’re receiving; use PR to ensure your message, values, and brand identity are as clear as possible. By working with a PR consultancy, you can ensure positive content is received by your target audience that demonstrates your company’s values, expertise, and products without becoming spammy or paying for ineffective advertising space.

PR is more than just a quick press release: it is about strategy, targeted goals, reputation development, listening and embracing your audience, and demonstrating the person behind the business.