B2B Public Relations: Definition, Tips, & Strategies

This specialized form of communication focuses on the relationships between organizations and their stakeholders, such as customers, suppliers, vendors, and other businesses.

What Does a B2B PR Strategy Focus On?

Public relations (PR) helps promote a company's brand and products or services to its audience through strategic messaging across multiple channels. A B2B company focuses on other businesses as its target audience, so the communication and tactics employed by PR teams are tailored to meet their specific needs. A B2B PR strategy focuses on communicating with other businesses, seeking to strengthen relationships, and build trust between organizations. This can be achieved through a combination of activities such as content marketing, communication campaigns, strategic partnerships, and media outreach.

Do B2B Brands Need PR?

Yes, B2B brands absolutely need public relations. A strong PR strategy can help B2B organizations differentiate themselves in the market, build trust and credibility with potential customers, generate leads for sales teams and stay top-of-mind when customers are ready to purchase.

When a B2B company works with a PR firm, their strategy would generally focus on the following main goals:

Boosting credibility and brand image in a positive way. A seasoned publicist can help you shape public perceptions of your company and reputation in the marketplace. Additionally, a carefully crafted PR strategy provides clarity about your business’s identity and key messages.
Developing relationships with potential customers. A PR team can position you within the specific media outlets that you need in order to reach your ideal customers and target audience. They can also help craft content that will resonate with your audience, or help hone your on-camera skills through expert media training to ensure you are hitting the mark and telling the right story for the audience.
Establishing and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders and thought leaders. B2B PR can help to build new relationships with industry experts and strengthen existing relationships with stakeholders in your company, such as investors, business partners, suppliers and vendors.

What Does a PR Company Do for B2B Brands?

A B2B PR firm can help you create and implement a strategic plan that will bring your company’s vision and goals to life. Many people are under the assumption that all a public relations firm does is craft press releases or promote their clients through social media. This couldn't be further from the truth.

A top public relations agency can help with the following strategies:

Crisis communications (prevention, management, and response)
Thought leadership strategies
Media training for successful on-air delivery
Media exposure and placements in TV, print, radio, and web
Competitor analysis
Ghostwriting services
Social media strategy and management
Public speaking training
OpEd development and placements
Video editing

Tips & Strategies for B2B Public Relations

You should always craft your PR strategy to your specific sector or industry. In the case of B2B brands, we recommend the following top three strategies:

1. Know who your target audience and key stakeholders are. Don't try to target everyone, but rather narrow it down and focus on the nuanced audience that you need and want to reach in order to hit your business goals. Keep the key stakeholders in your industry at top of mind, such as thought leaders, experts, or decision makers. Building relationships with such ones is key to long-term success for your brand.

2. Know the media outlets that matter to your industry. Research which media outlets have a strong presence for companies like yours and what topics they typically cover. Make sure you tailor your press releases, pitches, and content to the specific outlet that you are targeting in order to ensure the best chance of success.

3. Use storytelling to highlight your brand. Storytelling can be a powerful tool in PR, as it helps to draw people in and capture their attention while keeping them engaged. Identify stories that are relevant to your audience and focus on the benefits you provide, how you solve problems and what makes you unique.

How Are B2B PR & Thought Leadership Related?

Thought leadership is an essential component of any successful B2B PR strategy. It allows you to position your company as the go-to expert in a given space and shape public perception about your brand.

The goal of thought leadership isn’t just to showcase your knowledge, but also build trust and authority in the eyes of your customers. For example, you can create content that demonstrates your expertise on a particular topic and then use PR to get it in front of the right people. This can be done through media placements, speaking engagements, webinars, events and more.

In Conclusion

B2B public relations firms can help to shape your brand’s reputation, create relationships with stakeholders, establish your company as a trusted brand, and ensure that you are reaching the right audiences with the right content. By leveraging the power of storytelling, media training, and thought leadership strategies, you can ensure that your PR efforts will translate into tangible results for your business.

If you are a B2B company in need of PR efforts, reach out to Cleary Strategies today. We have the experience and expertise necessary to give your brand a competitive edge.

B2B PR Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between B2B PR and B2C PR?

B2B PR is focused on communicating and marketing with other businesses, while B2C PR focuses on consumers. B2B also has a key component of developing and earning media coverage for thought leadership. Each type of public relations has its own set of strategies and tactics, so it’s important to know the goals and objectives of your PR efforts before deciding which approach is best for you.

Is B2B PR the same as B2B advertisements?

No, B2B PR and advertising are two very different things. Advertising focuses on selling a product or service by utilizing paid media channels, while public relations is focused on building relationships through earned media exposure. Both can be effective parts of a comprehensive marketing plan, but the goals and tactics used will differ depending on your objectives.

What is B2B marketing and how does PR come into play?

B2B marketing is a type of business-to-business marketing that focuses on connecting two businesses in order to facilitate an exchange of goods or services. Public relations plays an important role in B2B marketing, as it helps create awareness and perception of the brand among potential customers, while also providing credibility and trust. PR can also help build relationships with key stakeholders, as well as provide critical media placements to reach the right audience.