Now that we’ve discussed what B2B public relations and thought leadership actually is, the next step is to determine whether or not it’s right for your brand. The aim of B2B PR is to elevate the reputation of your organisation within its own sector, and at Agent99, before we commence any B2B campaigns, we like to ask all of our clients a series of deep questions to determine what type of PR strategy would suit them best.
Do you want to be a thought leader?
Thought leadership is closely related to some of the most powerful and impactful B2B PR campaigns. The key to good thought leadership is having a ‘macro-perspective’- it’s about positioning your brand (or yourself) as an expert in your chosen field and showing that you have a voice worth listening to. These days, the market is overcrowded with competition, and thought leadership can be an excellent way to achieve meaningful results, as well as get cut-through with your target audiences. So, you need to ask yourself, do you have a vision for the future of your industry, where it’s going to be in ten or twenty years’ time? Does your brand have a vision for how it wants to help the environment, or make the world a more ethical and sustainable place? Or do you simply want to be known as the go-to experts in your field? If this sounds like you, then a thought leadership strategy and a B2B PR campaign might be right for your brand.
For example, imagine you are an Australian organic wine brand and your goal is to raise your profile in the wine industry, with your pesticide-free, environmentally sustainable winemaking processes. You could simply pay for an ad to say that you are “pesticide-free and environmentally friendly” OR you could undertake a thought leadership strategy where you publish a Whitepaper on the future of sustainable industries in Australia- including winemaking, agriculture, energy, and fashion. Now, you’ve positioned yourself not only as an expert in organic winemaking, but as a thought leader for the future of sustainable industries a whole. You’ve positioned your brand as the go-to resource for trade (and mainstream) media interested in covering all-things sustainability, thereby increasing your share of voice and elevating your brand’s platform as an educator and industry-leader in sustainable agriculture. Much more effective than placing the single ad, right?
What sort of reputation do you want to earn?
It has been said that the way to earn a good (or outstanding) reputation is by “doing hard things well”- and it’s true. Take a second to think about someone you really respect and admire, someone you aspire to be like. Maybe they’re a successful CEO or entrepreneur, or a multi-gold medal winning Olympic athlete- whatever the case, the reason why you respect and admire them can be summed up simply as they managed to achieve something hard (e.g. winning a Olympic gold medal). And it’s the same in business- the way you establish and elevate the reputation of your brand is through proving that you can ‘do hard things well’ – and a B2B PR campaign or thought leadership campaign can help you do this. Has your brand managed to fill a gap in the market that had been lacking for years? Have you managed to triple your growth in a short timeframe? Or are your products more innovative and cutting-edge than your competitors? All those things are fantastic, but if you don’t make enough noise about them, you’ll never truly earn the sort of industry-leading respect and reputation you deserve.
Is B2B marketing a key part of your business strategy?
It may sound obvious, but not every business’ target audience is consumers. If your business primarily functions in the B2B space, then a B2B PR campaign is something you should definitely be considering to enhance your overall B2B marketing strategy. For example, let’s say your brand is a raw ingredient in the complementary medicines sector, and one of your business development goals is to get more brand holders to include your ingredient in their products. You could try to contact each of the NPD (new product development) departments individually, telling them about your raw ingredient and trying to persuade them invest in it, or you could use a targeted B2B PR campaign to elevate the profile of your brand in carefully chosen trade media outlets. Once everyone in your sector is reading about your product in their favourite trade news outlets, they’ll be knocking on your door instead!
Even if your brand is more consumer facing than B2B, raising the profile of your brand within its own sector can have a flow-on effect that influences the wider mainstream media and trickles down to consumers- something to definitely consider for long-term thought leadership and brand building.
To conclude, an excellent, razor sharp B2B PR strategy is essential for raising the profile of your brand within your own industry, positioning your brand as an industry thought leader, building a credible reputation, and generating cut-through in any B2B marketing campaign. If that sounds like something you’re interested in, please contact us at info@agent99pr.com.
Agent Kath
