Build a Successful B2B PR Strategy for 2024

As we look ahead to 2024, one thing is clear: the PR world will continue to evolve at a breakneck pace, shaped by technological advancements and shifting market trends. Therefore, it’s essential that businesses adapt and innovate to remain visible and competitive in this dynamic landscape. This is particularly crucial for B2B organisations, where robust strategies can mean the difference between business growth and stagnation.

As one of London’s leading digital marketing agencies, we’ve witnessed first-hand the transformative power of a solid B2B PR strategy. We continue to guide our clients through the changing tides, helping them navigate the digital PR landscape and maximise their online presence. 

At Semetrical, we also believe in the power of sharing knowledge and are dedicated to helping you do the same, so that’s why we have put together this insightful guide where we aim to equip you with practical tips and expert advice on building a successful B2B PR strategy for 2024. We’ll delve into the amazing potential that digital PR holds for your business, discuss the importance of setting clear objectives, and share tips on creating compelling content that always resonates with your audience.

Whether you’ve been in the game for a while or are new to the world of PR, this blog has something for everyone. Read on to find out how to shape your B2B PR strategy for 2024.

Contents

1. What is B2B PR?
2. Reviewing the current PR landscape
3. How to set clear, measurable objectives for a B2B PR strategy
4. Tips for creating compelling PR content and best practices for distributing it
5. How to use data analysis and metrics to inform strategy and measure success
6. Potential obstacles (and effective solutions) in executing a successful B2B PR strategy
7. Conclusion

What is B2B PR?

B2B stands for “Business-to-Business”, and refers to transactions, interactions, or strategic relationships between businesses, as opposed to those between businesses and consumers (B2C). In a B2B model, a company provides goods, services, or information to other businesses. This could include anything from software solutions to consultation services.

So, in a nutshell, B2B PR and B2B digital PR involve managing and improving the communication between a company and its business customers or partners. It’s about strategically shaping the narrative, building strong relationships, and enhancing the reputation of a company in the eyes of its business stakeholders, clients, and customers. 

B2B PR strategies often involve promoting products or services, sharing company news, managing crises, or positioning a business as an expert in its field. While similar to B2C PR in many ways, B2B PR typically involves more complex products or services and longer sales cycles, making relationship building and thought leadership particularly crucial.

Reviewing the current PR landscape

Over the last decade or so, PR’s focus has shifted heavily towards online platforms. Now, PR strategies are more than just traditional press releases; they encompass content marketing, social media, SEO, influencer outreach, link building, and more! Businesses are utilising these tools to build brand authority, improve their online presence, and foster strong relationships with their target audience – whether that be other businesses or consumers.

Over the last few years, multimedia content has also started to take centre stage with video content and podcasts becoming crucial elements of a robust PR strategy. This can also be seen in the way businesses are continuing to leverage social media platforms to support their PR strategies, with LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook being the leading channels for B2B communications.

Anticipated trends for 2024

With all that being said, as we look towards the future and the unfolding landscape of 2024, certain trends begin to surface. Amongst these is greater integration of PR and SEO, as optimising content for search engines remains critical for enhancing online visibility and reach. This is why digital PR is such a flourishing service at the moment. 

Another anticipated trend is the use of AI and Machine Learning in PR strategies. These technologies could play a pivotal role in areas such as analysing PR data, predicting market trends, and personalising content. 

The rise of influencer marketing is also expected to continue unabated. Traditional advertising methods are becoming less effective and people don’t always trust the messaging they receive through adverts. In fact, the most recent Edelman Trust Barometer shows that only 8% of respondents say they automatically assume the information in advertising is true.  As a result, businesses will have to continue to leverage industry influencers to amplify their message and connect with wider audiences in a more organic and trustworthy way. 

Alongside these trends, the focus on thought leadership will likely intensify, with companies having to focus on the production of high-quality, authoritative content in a bid to position themselves as thought leaders in their respective fields, and in crowded markets. These trends will shape the future of B2B digital PR, requiring businesses to adopt a flexible and forward-thinking approach.

How to set clear, measurable objectives for a B2B PR strategy

Like any well-rounded strategy plan, it’s crucial to begin with well-defined objectives. Clear goals not only guide your strategy and keep your team aligned but also allow you to measure success and make necessary adjustments.

Firstly, align your PR objectives with your overall business goals. Whether you aim to increase brand awareness, generate leads, boost website traffic, or position your company as an industry leader, your digital PR goals should contribute to your business’s broader plans and overall vision.

Your B2B PR objectives should be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound:

• Specific: Avoid vague goals. Instead of “Increase brand visibility,” opt for a tangible aim, like “Increase website traffic by 30% over the next quarter.”

• Measurable: To track progress and assess effectiveness, your goals should be quantifiable. Using metrics like links and organic traffic generated, social media engagement, or leads generated can provide tangible measures for success.

• Achievable: While it’s important to aim high, unrealistic goals can demoralise your team and set your strategy up for failure. Ensure your goals are ambitious, yet attainable.

• Relevant: Your goals should align with your business’s overall strategy and be relevant to your target audience’s needs and interests.

• Time-bound: Deadlines create urgency, help prioritise tasks, and enable you to review your strategy at regular intervals.

Once established, your objectives should inform every aspect of your PR strategy, from choosing relevant platforms and developing messaging, to deciding on the types of content to create and topics to cover. Remember, while setting objectives is crucial, they aren’t set in stone. Regularly reviewing and adjusting your goals in response to changing market trends or business needs can keep your strategy relevant and effective.

Tips for creating compelling PR content and best practices for distributing it

In the digital age, content is king. However, creating compelling content that resonates with your audience and aligns with your B2B PR objectives is just half the battle. The other half lies in distributing it effectively to ensure it reaches the right people at the right time.

Creating Compelling Content:

Understanding your audience is crucial for crafting content that resonates. Spend time researching their interests, pain points, and the types of content they engage with in order to create your ideal audience and buyer personas. Here are a few tips:

• Value-driven: Ensure your content provides value to your audience. This could be in the form of insights, solutions to problems, or industry trends.

• Storytelling: People connect with stories. Instead of focusing solely on facts and figures, weave a narrative that engages your audience emotionally.

• Visually engaging: Use infographics, images, and videos to complement your text, making your content more engaging and easier to digest.

• Consistency: Ensure your content is consistent in terms of tone, style, and quality. You should also maintain a regular posting schedule to keep your audience engaged.

Distributing your content

Once you have compelling content, it’s time to get it in front of your audience.

• Leverage multiple channels: Use a mix of channels for distribution – social media, email newsletters, press releases, your company blog, etc. The right mix will depend on where your audience spends their time. For your press releases and media relations, media databases like Vuelio and Roxhill will help you start to find appropriate contacts and build distribution lists. 

• SEO: Incorporating SEO into your PR distribution strategy ensures that your content is not just distributed, but also found, consumed, and shared by your target audience, which amplifies the impact of your campaigns. You should aim to optimise your content for search engines to increase its visibility. Use relevant keywords and incorporate linked anchor text in PR stories and press releases, and for any campaigns that you’re also using on your blogs, don’t forget to use meta tags and internal links.

• Collaborations and partnerships: You could try to collaborate with influencers or industry leaders to widen the reach of your campaigns, where possible. 

• Paid promotions: If you have the budget available, you may want to consider sponsored content or paid promotions on platforms where your audience is particularly active. Advertorials are one option, which are forms of advertisement designed to mimic the appearance and style of an editorial piece. These are typically written by the brand or PR person, but formatted and presented like a regular article by the magazine staff. It’s not recommended to solely rely on this tactic, but advertorials can be effective in a PR strategy if you have specific brand messaging to communicate, or are very keen to hit a particular news outlet.

Remember, effective content creation and distribution starts with a clear understanding of your audience and a well-defined B2B PR strategy. Knowing what your audience values, where they find their information, and how they like to consume it will guide you in crafting and sharing content that truly engages.

How to use data analysis and metrics to inform strategy and measure success

In the world of B2B PR, data is your best friend. It informs your strategy, helps you understand your audience better, and provides tangible evidence of your success. 

Here’s how to leverage data in your B2B digital PR strategy:

Remember, data is not just about numbers, it’s about translating those numbers into meaningful insights to guide your strategy and measure your success. With tools and software becoming increasingly sophisticated, leveraging data in your B2B PR strategy has never been easier. Embrace data analysis to stay informed, make data-driven decisions, and prove the value of your PR efforts.

Potential obstacles (and effective solutions) in executing a successful B2B PR strategy

Like any strategic endeavour, executing a B2B PR strategy can come with its set of challenges. However, with a proactive approach and the right solutions, these obstacles can be effectively managed.

Here are some of the potential obstacles you might encounter, and tips on how to overcome them:

Difficulty measuring PR impact:

Measuring the impact of PR campaigns can be challenging due to often intangible results like brand awareness or reputation.

Solution: Set clear, measurable objectives from the outset. Utilise a variety of tools and metrics to track data key to your goals, such as web analytics, social media engagement, and media coverage reports.

Rapid digital evolution:

With technologies and trends evolving rapidly, keeping pace can be daunting.

Solution: Aim to continually update your knowledge and skills. Attend webinars, follow industry influencers, and use tools that can help streamline processes and provide valuable insights. Be adaptable and ready to change and grow with the digital landscape.

Creating engaging content:

With the abundant information available online, getting your content noticed and engaged can be challenging.

Solution: Make your content valuable, original, and engaging. Utilise SEO strategies and distribute your content across channels where your audience is active. Use data to understand what content resonates with your audience and adapt accordingly.

Building relationships:

Building relationships in the digital space, especially with media and influencers, can be time-consuming and challenging.

Solution: Be genuine and offer value. Regularly engage with relevant influencers and media by sharing their content, providing unique insights, or collaborating on projects. Remember, relationship-building is a two-way street.

Conclusion

From setting clear, measurable objectives to creating compelling content, leveraging data, and overcoming potential obstacles, the journey to creating a successful B2B digital PR strategy for 2024 requires a thoughtful and integrated approach. 

Remember, the goal here isn’t just to keep up with the trends, but to anticipate them. With careful planning and a focus on continuous learning, you can ensure that your business stays at the forefront of your customers’ minds.

Learn more about our PR services or get in touch if you’d like to know more!