For CEOs, it can be frustrating to see your competitors receiving more media recognition than you. I have spoken with a number of CEOs who were outperforming their peers in sales, revenue, and just about every metric you could think of only to see those other companies’ CEOs getting more attention in the press. This is no accident. It’s simply a lack of good public relations. In this blog, we discuss how to get more media recognition and why B2Bs need PR.
Media Recognition: Why B2Bs Need PR
If you or your company is not generating 30-40 published articles per year in the press, then you are missing out on opportunities. These articles not only increase awareness for your company but also deliver credibility and establish you as an industry expert.
That’s just the beginning. Let’s quickly run through some of the things that can come from a sustainable B2B publicity program.
- A person’s perception is their reality. You get to help influence what people think of when they think of you, the company, and its products.
- Lead generation. When you create insightful, educational, and often disruptive content, you will have people coming to you to solve their problems.
- Got talent? Good PR not only attracts talented employees, but it will keep the talent you have in place because everyone wants to be close to a rising star.
- And the award goes to… Not only can you begin to make lists like the “Inc. 5000 list of the Fastest Growing Companies” or “Entrepreneur of the Year,” but there are a lot of “Product of the Year” awards you can now be in the running for.
- Inspiration. It’s great to make a buck, but we feel there is also a need to be lifting others up. When you have the stage, you can propel people to reach new heights, dream bigger dreams, and make changes that impact future generations.
Creating a reputation
Let’s start with creating a reputation. Imagine walking into an industry conference, and people knowing who you are. They have read the articles about you and your company. They know that you’re able to solve pressing problems for your customers. Maybe some of them have the same problems, or something similar, that they are looking to resolve. Now, these people are seeking you out to discuss an opportunity.
Sounds good right? This is the power of public relations.
This type of thought leadership plays a critical role in the B2B sales funnel by helping CEOs and salespeople explain the “why”. Why should they meet with you? Why should they consider working with your company? Why should they believe in your solution?
After all, your prospects must be certain of 3 things before they’ll do business with you: they must trust you, your product, and your company. Public relations establishes this trust before you even make contact.
Lead Generation
You probably see how this can increase leads, but let’s take it one step further. When you create content that offers a fresh perspective, points out a coming trend, or is just simply informative, educational, and even disruptive, you’re going to see a higher engagement with your target audience.
Your potential customers want solutions to their problems. They want to know that you can solve those challenges and that you actually want to know what you can do that others cannot – your key differentiators. By creating this type of thought leadership content, you are providing those answers in a great story.
NOTE: You have to find a balance between saying “hey, look at our company” or “we have the greatest product in the world!” and actually providing valuable insights and tangible takeaways for your audience.
Instead, focus on aligning the company’s values and mission with how you lead, motivate, and empower your employees and what you stand for as a CEO. This approach gives you the chance to align your messaging with broader industry themes and views. Prospects want to know how you’re contributing to addressing overarching concerns versus just another sales pitch.
Elevating your executive team’s visibility through PR helps build trust and rapport among your current clients and prospects, positions your company as empowering, inspiring, and forward-thinking; and above all an expert in providing solutions for industry problems.
If you need any additional information, feel free to contact Rankin PR. We will be more than happy to assist you with any inquiries or questions you may have.