Ultimate Guide to B2B Media Relations

What are B2B media relations?

B2B media relations is the practice of building and maintaining relationships with journalists and other media professionals who cover your industry. The goal is to secure positive media coverage for your B2B company in trade publications, online media outlets, and at industry events.

Here’s a breakdown of the key points:

• Focus: Business-to-business (B2B) companies, targeting other businesses instead of individual consumers
• Goal: Earn positive media coverage to build brand awareness, generate leads, and establish thought leadership

Why is it important?

B2B media relations is a powerful tool for B2B companies because it can help you:

• Increase brand awareness: By getting your company’s name in front of the right people, you can increase brand awareness and establish yourself as a leader in your industry.
• Generate leads: Media coverage can generate leads by driving traffic to your website or landing pages.
• Build trust and credibility: Positive media coverage can help you build trust and credibility with potential customers.
• Establish thought leadership: By sharing your expertise with the media, you can position yourself as a thought leader in your industry.

B2B vs. B2C media relations

There are some key differences between B2B and B2C media relations:

• Target audience: B2B media relations targets a smaller, more niche audience of decision-makers at other businesses. B2C media relations targets a larger, more general audience of individual consumers.
• Messaging: B2B media relations focuses on the benefits of your products or services for businesses. B2C media relations focuses on the emotional benefits of your products or services for individual consumers.
• Media outlets: B2B media relations targets trade publications, online media outlets, and industry events. B2C media relations targets a wider range of media outlets, including general interest publications, social media, and television.

What are the best strategies to build better B2B media relations?

Here are some key strategies to elevate your B2B media relations and cultivate stronger ties with journalists and industry influencers:

Go beyond the pitch:

• Become a valuable source: Don’t just bombard journalists with pitches. Establish yourself as a reliable source of industry insights by offering valuable resources like data reports, research summaries, or connections with your company’s experts for interviews.
• Engage with their content: Follow journalists on social media and engage with their work. Share their articles, offer comments, and participate in discussions to build rapport and demonstrate your interest in their area of focus.

Personalize and target your outreach:

• Tailored pitches: Craft pitches that are specific to the journalist’s beat and audience. Highlight the newsworthiness of your story and how it directly benefits their readers. Avoid generic pitches.
• Understand their needs: Research the journalist’s preferred content formats (articles, interviews, etc.) and tailor your pitch accordingly.

Offer a variety of newsworthy content:

• Move beyond press releases: While press releases have their place, focus on creating newsworthy content that goes beyond basic announcements. This could include:
  • Industry research reports with original data and valuable insights.
  • Customer success stories showcasing real-world applications of your product.
  • Thought leadership pieces with unique perspectives from your company’s experts.

Build relationships over time:

• Patience is key: Building strong media relations takes consistent effort. Don’t expect immediate results. Provide ongoing value and nurture relationships with targeted outreach.
• Be responsive and transparent: Respond promptly to media inquiries and provide accurate, timely information. Transparency builds trust and strengthens relationships.

Utilize social media for amplification:

• Promote positive coverage: Share positive media coverage on your social media channels to amplify its reach and engagement. Tag the journalist and publication to show appreciation.
• Engage industry conversations: Participate in relevant industry discussions on social media to showcase your expertise and connect with potential media contacts.

Continuously measure and refine:

• Track your results: Monitor your B2B media relations efforts using metrics like media mentions, website traffic, and lead generation. This data helps you understand what’s working and identify areas for improvement.
• Adapt your strategies: The media landscape is constantly evolving. Be willing to adjust your tactics based on your results and current industry trends.

By implementing these strategies, you can build stronger relationships with B2B media, secure more positive coverage, and establish your company as a thought leader within your industry. Remember, it’s about offering value, building trust, and fostering long-term partnerships with media professionals.

What are the steps to build B2B media relations?

Here’s a breakdown of the steps to build strong B2B media relations:

1. Define Your Goals and Target Audience:

• Goals: What do you want to achieve with B2B media relations? Increase brand awareness, generate leads, or establish thought leadership?
• Target Audience: Who are the ideal customers you want to reach? Identify the publications, websites, and journalists they trust and follow.

2. Research and Build Your Media List:

• Compile a targeted media list of journalists, editors, and influencers in your industry.
• Use media databases, industry publications, and social media to find relevant contacts.
• Research their areas of expertise, preferred content formats (articles, interviews, etc.), and publication guidelines.

3. Craft Compelling Messaging and Develop Newsworthy Content:

• Messaging: Develop clear, concise messaging that highlights the value proposition of your B2B offering and resonates with your target audience’s pain points.
• Content: Go beyond press releases. Create newsworthy stories that provide value to journalists and their readers. This could include:
  • Industry research reports with valuable data and insights.
  • Customer success stories showcasing the positive impact of your product/service.
  • Insights and thought leadership pieces from your company’s experts.

4. Build Relationships with Journalists (It’s not all about pitching!):

• Don’t bombard journalists with constant pitches.
• Provide them with valuable resources: industry updates, research reports, or connect them with your internal experts for interviews.
• Follow them on social media and engage with their content to build rapport.

5. Craft Targeted Pitches and Follow Up:

• Targeted Pitches: Personalize your pitches based on the journalist’s interests and audience. Highlight the newsworthiness of your story and how it benefits their readers. Keep it concise and focus on the value you offer.
• Follow Up: Follow up with journalists if you don’t hear back within a reasonable timeframe (usually a week). Be polite and persistent, but not pushy.

6. Leverage Social Media and Track Your Results:

• Promote positive media coverage on social media channels to amplify its reach and engagement.
• Track your B2B media relations efforts using metrics like media mentions, website traffic, and lead generation to measure success and refine your strategies.

Additional Tips:

• Be patient! Building relationships with journalists takes time and consistent effort.
• Be transparent and honest in your communication with media professionals.
• Be responsive to media inquiries and provide timely information.
• Offer to be a resource for journalists on your area of expertise.

By following these steps, you can build strong B2B media relations that help you achieve your communication goals and establish your company as a thought leader in your industry.

What are examples of B2B media relations?

Here are a couple of examples of successful B2B news media relations campaigns that showcase different approaches:

1. IBM’s “Every Second Counts” Campaign with The Economist

• Goal: Promote IBM’s cloud computing solutions and their ability to help businesses improve efficiency and speed.
• Strategy: IBM partnered with The Economist to create a multi-channel campaign that included interactive data visualizations, insightful articles, and social media engagement. The content focused on the increasing importance of speed and real-time data analysis in today’s business world.
• Success: The campaign generated significant media coverage in top-tier publications, increased brand awareness for IBM’s cloud solutions, and positioned them as a thought leader in the field of data-driven business decisions.

2. HubSpot and Forbes

• The Story: HubSpot, a marketing and sales software company, has built a successful relationship with Forbes, a prominent business magazine.
• Strategy: HubSpot doesn’t just rely on traditional press releases. They focus on creating high-quality content relevant to Forbes’ audience, like in-depth industry reports or articles on inbound marketing strategies. They also contribute thought leadership pieces by their executives, establishing them as authorities in the field.
• Success: Forbes gains access to valuable content that resonates with their readers and strengthens their editorial offering. HubSpot receives significant brand exposure to a targeted audience of potential B2B customers. The association with a trusted publication like Forbes adds credibility and positions them as a leader in the inbound marketing space.

3. Adobe Creative Cloud Launch with TechCrunch

• The Product: In 2013, Adobe launched Creative Cloud, a subscription-based platform offering access to their entire suite of creative software. This was a significant shift from their traditional perpetual licensing model.
• The Strategy: Adobe nurtured relationships with key tech journalists, including those at TechCrunch, a well-respected publication in the technology space. They didn’t just announce the launch through a press release.
• The Collaboration: Prior to launch, Adobe offered TechCrunch exclusive access to in-depth briefings on Creative Cloud, allowing the journalist to experience the platform firsthand. This resulted in a detailed TechCrunch article highlighting the benefits and features of Creative Cloud before its official release.
• The Impact: The TechCrunch article generated significant buzz and positive press coverage for the launch. It helped educate potential customers about the new model and its advantages. This positive media portrayal, along with other marketing efforts, is considered a key factor in the successful adoption of Creative Cloud.

4. Zoom Meetings Launch with The New York Times

• The Product: In 2011, Zoom launched its video conferencing platform, Zoom Meetings. At the time, the market was crowded with established players.
• The Strategy: Zoom implemented a strategic B2B media relations campaign, targeting journalists who covered communication technologies. They focused on building relationships and offering unique insights.
• The Placement: Through these efforts, Zoom secured a coveted feature article in The New York Times, a publication with undeniable influence in the business world. The article discussed the rise of video conferencing solutions and highlighted Zoom’s innovative features and user-friendly interface.
• The Outcome: The New York Times article provided Zoom with immense credibility and brand awareness. It helped them stand out in a competitive market and reach a wider audience of potential B2B customers. This media coverage is considered a significant contributor to Zoom’s rapid growth trajectory.

These examples illustrate the importance of tailoring your B2B media relations strategy to your specific goals and target audience. By providing valuable content, building relationships with journalists, and focusing on the bigger picture of industry trends, you can achieve successful B2B media relations that benefit your company.