Every industry has its jargon and public relations is no exception. As a leading B2B PR agency, we feel it’s our job to help demystify the PR tactics you’ve heard of, explain what they are, and how they should be used. After all, a PR strategy is one of the cornerstones of your business plan, and clear understanding of the methods and tactics used, as well as best practice, is the route to success. Here’s an explanation of the most common PR deliverables, and how best to use them as part of your company’s PR strategy.
Making the leap from inbox to page
Everyone knows the humble media release – also commonly called a press release. A media release is a brief announcement of the who, what, when, where, and why of the story, along with a little background info, maybe a picture or two, and quotes from your client. A media release is how you get your story under the nose of every journalist in town – if done right.
The problem with media releases is that all your competitors are using them to do the same thing, which means that every journalist’s inbox is stuffed with them. And you don’t just want to be in their inbox, you want to be one of the few that make it into their publications or broadcasts. To do this, you need to make sure your release includes real news – by which we mean a story that will leap out at journalists as being of interest to their readers/listeners/viewers. Before you draft a media release, ask yourself “Is it newsworthy?” If the answer is “no”, hold your horses. If it’s “yes”, draft a media release.
Putting your expert in the spotlight
Getting your business seen, heard and noticed is about more than just sending out media releases – you need to make your spokespeople visible too. Scheduling interviews with journalists, analysts and other stakeholders that might be interested in your business, news stories or key messages is an important element of any B2B PR strategy or integrated marketing campaign.
The best thing about interviews is that they put you on a journalist’s radar, and help you to forge strong relationships with your top target media. Eventually, they won’t just be receptive to pitches from you, they’ll automatically ask you for comment when they’re covering your industry. This won’t happen overnight – it takes time and effort to become a thought leader,
but it’s worth it.
Let your track record speak for you
Case studies are invaluable, and often form part of a solid PR strategy. Your customer explaining how your widget helped them save millions is the best PR you can get. These stories resonate with editors – they have a readership to satisfy that will be experiencing similar challenges. They’re inclined to publish case studies that will answer the questions of these readers, as long as they’re not blatant sales pushes.
However, case studies don’t necessarily have to be part of your PR strategy – they’re also fantastic marketing collateral. If you have happy customers who are willing to share the great experience they’ve had working with you, make the most of it. Invite them to a video shoot, catch them on camera, and showcase it on your website – an explainer film or a video case study can be an excellent way of attracting new business.
Be outspoken
A byline is an article authored to you (or someone in your company) and published in a newspaper, magazine or on a blog. Bylines aren’t about pushing your product – they’re about sharing your perspective on a topical issue, positioning you as a thought leader and building your authority in your industry.
Raise your profile
Is your business a success story? Make sure you let the media know. If the story of your business is surprising, innovative or unorthodox in some way, journalists will want to cover it. Business profiles are the closest thing to advertorial you’re going to get and as such are a much sought-after PR result.
Don’t forget to be reactive
Often, PR teams focus on making news – but don’t forget to respond to it. Letters to publications or comments on blogs are a great way to let people know you are right at the heart of industry issues. A well-crafted, succinct, interesting and prompt response will always have an excellent chance of being published. Responding quickly to online articles allows you to steer the debate, exposing your business to anyone who reads the article in future.
As a B2B PR agency, we’re experts in making these PR tactics work for our clients. If you’re interested in using them as part of your marketing mix, get in touch to find out more about the difference we can make to your business.