Public relations (PR) can be a challenge to some B2B marketers who get caught up in the mainstream of typical media relations and interactions with the public. But in today’s landscape, PR isn’t all about writing press releases and interacting with the media to pick up your latest news or to promote your product, service or solution. While this is still important, B2B public relations tactics have slightly shifted focus to include things beyond sales-focused intentions. So, what are creative ways to change up and elevate your B2B public relations tactics? We look at three examples to consider that can help inspire your team’s public relations efforts.
1. Submit a Nomination for a Business or Project-Related Award
There are many industry awards that you can nominate your business or a project you have recently worked on. For example, there are B2B Marketing Award groups out there where you can enter client or internal deliverables and receive recognition on a tiered level. You could also enter your company in awards such as city Business Journal Best Places to Work, some large publications (Forbes, Fast Company, etc.) “Most Innovative Companies” and so on. You can find awards in many different categories including personnel spotlight, company culture, new technology, outstanding service and marketing campaign. A majority of the awards you come across are paid awards, so be sure to evaluate if all the paid awards are worth it. Consider if you should find a few free awards to enter. Regardless of cost, awards are a creative PR tactic that many B2B marketing teams can start and continue in the future.
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2. Incorporate Customer Success Stories and Results
Today’s buyers are more often seeking peer advice when making purchasing decisions. 93% of buyers account for online reviews and feedback when evaluating a product, service or solution to purchase. Catering to this new buyer demand puts pressure on B2B companies and marketers to deliver. To do this, it can be worthwhile to consider crafting and implementing more customer success stories throughout the buyer’s journey. Customers will likely give feedback if you ask, so make sure to seek it because not only does marketing benefit from customer insights, but so does sales, the product team and the business overall. Plus, creating customer success stories can be useful to show prospects what they can expect from your offerings. Leveraging these in PR activities is a creative way to highlight your customers and their results without putting a pure focus on just your service offerings.
3. Give Back to Your Community
Most companies conduct team-building activities throughout the year. Whether it be having a team picnic on a Friday or going to do a fun activity together, this can be something that you incorporate into your PR tactics. If you haven’t considered doing a volunteer activity or involving yourself in the community, it is well worth the try. Some examples of groups that are always in need of local volunteers from time to time are Habitat for Humanity and United Way. These can go half-day or full-day and be something that your team does together. If these do not exactly fit what you’re looking for, there are plenty of other options to consider including volunteering with local nonprofits or the food bank. However, you decide to go about it, ensure you are giving back to your community. Incorporating announcements and outcomes of the volunteer activity is a win-win for your business and the charity.
Public Relations Is Not Just Press Releases
While press releases are a key part of public relations tactics, they are not the end all be all. Including some of the creative tactics mentioned above can help diversify and elevate your PR content and overall results. While these examples are not the only ways to get creative, we hope they inspire you and your team to get creative and find ways to amplify your team to the community around you.
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