For some companies, particularly B2B and technology companies, PR is considered a little frivolous – a ‘would like’ rather than a ‘must have’. We advise anyone who thinks that way to think again. PR should be a key element in any sales and marketing program for companies involved in high-technology, complex B2B sales. Why is it such a big deal? Well, it can be one of the most effective ways to communicate with a target audience – they tend to take greater notice of news and press articles than standard advertising messages. It can also be a relatively low-cost way of raising awareness of your company and what you do. And today PR also plays a key role in improving your online visibility and improving your search ranking.
Given that it’s so important, why aren’t more B2B companies aware of its effectiveness? I think this is partly due to companies deciding that local or regional press coverage won’t provide much value. But PR doesn’t mean trying to get the CEO’s photograph in your local newspaper. It means thinking about who your target audiences are, identifying what they read and where they look for information about their industry and business. Once you know that, your job is to focus your PR activities on the media your customers use in their jobs, both online and offline.
Below is a short 8-page guide to PR which we think business managers will find useful. It discusses the value of PR and its impact on search marketing, before describing how you can develop and execute a PR program, including advice on writing and distributing a press release.