97
Articles Published
4.75M
Impressions Generated
$748,678.00
Earned Media Value
3685
Conversions
B2B PR Delivers Measurable ROI
A Real Time Case Study
Our goal with this real time case study is to demonstrate that B2B PR delivers a measurable ROI and can exceed all KPIs. Below, we are offer a look behind the curtain, a backstage pass, to see how we deliver measurable results. This living case study formed around the KPIs of one of our clients will continually be updated to demonstrate how a single snowflake in the mountains can build toward an avalanche of momentum behind the growth of your business.
We will demonstrate how a client went from zero to 60 MPH in just a matter of months by utilizing the Rankin PR program. We are withholding the client’s name due to the sheer number of details we are divulging. For this case study, we will refer to them as “Xuccess Tech Corp.”
The Journey Begins
Let’s go back to January 2020… Xuccess was just starting out on the public relations track and had no idea what they would soon be up against. This client had done very little in terms of marketing and was essentially surviving off the success it had with its current customer base. It was not growing, but it was surviving, barely.
The client’s goals were to increase awareness among their target audience and the verticals in which they serviced. They also wanted that to translate into leads and conversions. What they found along the way was that their B2B technology PR would deliver way beyond their initial expectations.
Month 1
The goal for Rankin PR in month one is the same for most clients. We begin with a deep dive into discovery and trying to capture the client story. We dig through every detail of the company, their top competitors, their market(s), and their target audience. From this we can glean valuable insight into a strategy that lets us position and promote that client’s differentiators and value proposition.
We then began to craft the first article using the company’s customers to do the talking. What problems were they facing before they met you. What pain was this causing them and what alternatives did they explore before they chose to work with you.
That story then goes directly to the publications that target your ideal customers. Our established relationships with editors allow us to get each story published numerous times; averaging between 9-15 times.
B2B PR Delivers Measurable ROI -
2020 Q1 Results: 300k Impressions
Xuccess’ story delivers early victory, publishing four times and reaching over 300,000 potential customers over the first cycle. This brought in an immediate $27,000 in terms of Earned Media Value (EMV) – a quantitative dollar amount on the value of all exposure you gain from being published within industry trade journals (print and online).
Not a bad start, and the first results are now showing up. They converted 2 leads. To put things into perspective, this was now March of 2020 and every business around the globe was bracing for a pandemic that would put the entire world on hold. The immediate inbound conversions were undoubtedly affected by this, but the client was steadfast on continuing the program seeing that something bigger was happening.
2020 Q2 Results: ROI Reached for Year 1
At this time, the first story is still being pitched to editors, and now we begin writing the second feature story. This is where things started to pick up rather dramatically for Xuccess. Nine more articles were published within this time frame and they reach another 300,000 people. They also received their first cover story in one of the top publications within their target industry. A cover story is priceless because you can’t buy your way onto the cover, but also because it becomes such a huge sales tool. The company passed out copies at their largest trade show (which was virtual at this time), they sent them out in emails, and their sales team passed them out to prospects. It also appeared on the website. They were able to get a lot of mileage out of just that one placement.
The EMV for this term barreled over the $103,000 mark and when you add in the residual content value, they already hit their ROI.
More importantly, the conversions are now coming in red hot. We were still within the grips of a pandemic, but the company was able to count 27 conversions in this time frame. A conversion is simply when a potential customer takes some form of action. Emails, phone calls, website form submissions, RFQs, etc. are all measurable conversions. Conversions are a key indicator for determining whether your marketing and communications are working. As conversion rates go up, profits increase.
2020 Q3 Results: One Story Published 19 Times - B2B PR Reaches ROI
During this next period, we completed the pitching of the first article with a grand total of 19 published articles (print and online). Again, we began working on the next article and continued pitching and placing article number two.
During this term, eight articles published for Xuccess, reaching over 360,000 potential customers. The EMV is nearing $68,000 and again the conversions are on the rise. 47 are recorded by the company and now the B2B PR has delivered an ROI for the year is now crystal clear.
2020 Q4 Results:
Conversions on the Rise
Again, we wrote another article and continued pitching article number three. The first wave of the pandemic was coming to an end and people were looking to return to more normalcy. For those clients that stayed the course and kept marketing through it all they were now seeing the fruits of their labor. During this time, Xuccess sees 10 more articles publish and reaches more than 250,000 people with their stories. The EMV for this month comes in at $77,000 and the conversion break the triple digit marker with 104.
At this time, the company began tracking their backlinks which have been organically populated in online articles. They compiled 15 backlinks in the first year with an average domain authority (DA) score of 77. If you were to pay an outside company to generate backlinks, they would typically fall between 30-50 and cost between 1,000 and 2,000 for each link. The cost of these first 15 “do follow” links would then be worth about $30,000 alone.
B2B PR Delivers ROI
2021 Q1 Results: Earned Media Value Tops $400,000.00
We now are into year two, and during this time the client decided to add our LinkedIn Management onto the program. During the pandemic, LinkedIn usage skyrocketed, increasing usage among business professionals by more than 50%.
The company received their 5th article and previous stories continue in the headlines with 7 more published articles. They reach 170,000 people in their target markets and receive another cover story in a major industry journal. The Earned Media Value for the term is almost $140,000 and the conversions are now at 148 for this period alone.
Meanwhile the LinkedIn program slowly started to build a following. Impressions were just over 200 people and the following has grown steadily.
2021 Q2 Results: Sales Growth Leads to Increased Projections
The client has a really great period reaching almost 300,000 people with the PR articles, with an EMV equal to $46,810. Conversions are way up with 161 for the period. Sales are greatly improving and the company begins projecting huge increases for the fiscal year.
LinkedIn growth has quickly gained momentum as more than 550 impressions are recorded and the number of followers has grown to more than a hundred people in just the first 6 months of posting. As a note: the potential customer for this client is niche, but followers are easily tracked and it turns out the vast majority of the followers match the profile for their ideal customer.
2021 Q3 Results: B2B PR ROI - Shortening Sales Cycle by a 1/3rd
An amazing thing happens during this time period. The company sales cycle – the time it takes the company to go from someone entering their sales funnel to closing – is greatly decreasing. Estimated at about 10 months when the program started, it has been shortened by about 2-3 months. This is directly attributed to the articles, which for starters, are educating prospects and the sales discussions are now beginning much further along in the sales process than previously. Secondly, the articles deliver the credibility, trust, and authority needed for prospects to buy.
The client is published in seven more industry trade journals, reaching almost 600,000 potential prospects. Conversions are up to 237 with the Earned Media Value of just over $50,000.
LinkedIn is now up to more than 1,800 impressions over this time period, and the following has grown to more than 200.
2021 Q4 Results: 250% Increase in Sales
During this period sales have increased by more than 250% since the year prior to starting the program. Six articles have published and the company receives their third cover story, this time in their “dream publication.” The stats show that more than 200,000 people saw their stories over this time period and they recorded over 260 conversions.
Meanwhile, LinkedIn is delivering great returns with just under 8,000 impressions recorded and a following the passes 350 people.
2022 Q1 Results: B2B PR ROI
700,000 Impressions Lead to Increased Market Share
At the start of the 3rd year, the company is generating a huge following and is now overtaking some larger competitors in market share. Nine more articles have published and over 700,000 people have been exposed to their stories. Conversions top 328 for the period and LinkedIn is also exploding as impressions from the social media platform reaches 8,500.
2022 Q2 Results: Conversions Up
Conversion blow past 500 for the period and the company is scaling up to handle the load. They buy a larger facility and begin the move. Hires are also up and the company is looking for at larger orders and turning down opportunities that are less than ideal for the first time in their history.
Six feature articles have published within this time period and over 325,000 impressions are created. The EMV for is over $40,000 for the 3-month cycle.
An additional 9,000 impressions are made on LinkedIn and the following is now over 550 industry professionals.
Organic, high DA backlinks are now at 35 and counting with an average score of 72. A value of almost $60,000.
2022 Q3 Results:
Inc. 5000 Ranking
For the first time, the company is ranked among the fastest-growing and most successful private companies in the country, appearing on the prestigious annual Inc. 5000 list.
We land another cover story!!! Six more articles have published, reaching more than 850,000 potential buyers. The EMV is just under $55,000.
LinkedIn outreach is now averaging more than 9,000 impressions for each period and followers have eclipsed 610. Their top competitor sits at 615 but is growing at a much slower rate, adding just 138 followers in the prior 12 months (Xuccess – has added 386 in the same time period). Their second largest competitor has 555 followers (adding on just 72 in the last year).
2022 Q4 Results: Record Year of Sales Growth
Xuccess closes out another RECORD YEAR of sales growth. The company gets 10 articles published during the fourth quarter alone and reach more than a half million people. Sales for the quarter are up significantly YoY and projections are for another record Q1 in 2023. The end of the year was especially busy and several people cited one of the published articles as the reason for reaching out.
One more bit of amazing news is that the length of each sales cycle has been consistently decreasing over time. What once took more than 10 months for a lead to go from stage 1 of awareness to a closed sales is now less than 3 months on average.