We’re in the New Year and that’s high time for discussing what kinds of changes your organization may make to its B2B PR priorities and strategy. Oftentimes, however, your agency partner may paper over the need for bigger changes by making softball recommendations that don’t move the needle but appear to convey progress.

Here’s the thing: PR needs to be a bit of a mash-up. There should be a few different irons in the fire. The challenge - particularly with B2B PR services - is agencies oftentimes feel there’s no room for negotiation when a client asks for more.
When our agency was asked to submit a proposal recently, the initial ask from the client was for media exposure. It made sense: this organization felt visibility was lacking, and therefore engagement among members (both current and prospective) was slipping. While we could have sent a proposal along that provided a basic PR plan and a corresponding fee, it would have set both our team and theirs up for failure.
Like so many other industries, there are baked-in attitudes when it comes to PR about what should suffice for services. While understanding media engagement is critical to any brand interested in growing its visibility, it really is just one leg on the stool. So, as you embark on a new year and begin assessing your PR needs, here are some questions to ask - and if your current agency isn’t making recommendations like these, it may be time for a change:
Pedigree PR’s top 5 strategies for a B2B agency:
Identify your evangelists: Who are the people - both within your organization and outside of it (clients, partners, etc.) who will sing your praises the loudest? Get them involved often and early in PR planning discussions. Ask clients to join with you on a contributed article to help editors see the value of working with your organization - you bring multiple stakeholders to the table, all of whom could be future sources.
Engage your boundary partners: Boundary partners are those entities outside of your organization that can assist with your PR efforts. Bringing elected officials, nonprofit leaders, apprenticeship programs, volunteer partners (orgs your employees volunteer at), and others are all ways to bolster your initiatives and encourage social sharing of key events and milestones.
Proactively pitch new trends: Oftentimes, a brand can feel tired because…well, it is. Relying on the same messaging or core tenets leads to media fatigue. Why do we keep talking to you? Your firm hasn’t identified any new trends or issues that would cause a reporter to call you versus someone else. And guess what? You have competitors that are actively doing this - and they’ll be the ones your preferred media contact starts calling instead.
Start generating your own data: B2B companies, especially those in construction, real estate, and adjacent industries, can create data sets based on their sales and transaction volume. It’s not easy and you may need to hire an outside consultant who can crunch numbers, but once you have a reputation for providing interesting data sets that can support broader topics, reporters will be calling on you regularly.
Develop the moonshot pitch: Every company should have the goal of landing in the most prestigious media outlet possible. While most B2B firms need to have a local ground-game above all else, your agency should always have a moonshot pitch that combines readily available resources with a little bit of aspirational thought mixed in. Why can’t your firm be in the Wall Street Journal? It absolutely can be with the right PR agency partner.
If your B2B organization would benefit from some of the solutions provided above, contact Pedigree PR today for a consultation and strategy session on how public relations leadership can work for you.
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