Marijane Funess
July 10, 2015 | 11:44:44
Few strategic PR campaigns exist today without a robust social media component. Staying “social” is such a powerful part of B2B PR success that we felt it was time for a fresh look at some tricks of the trade. The key is to start with solid content based on in-depth knowledge of your target audience.
B2B PR need not be dull! You can take niche subject matter and enliven it with fresh descriptions, links to pop culture and a wink-wink self-awareness that will help connect with receptive prospects. Don’t just do a survey. Turn the results into a data visualization, consider posts on visual platforms like Pinterest or Flickr, share it on Twitter and in your next email blast. Initiate a trade contest with user-generated content – and leverage the results for other relevant posts.
A B2B audience is smaller than a B2C brand’s following, so go deep. Study what content prospective customers and partners consume, how they want to interact and which social communities they frequent. Some will advocate solely for LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube (and newer video channels) while others insist even the seemingly more consumer-oriented sites such as Pinterest can boost B2B efforts. Consider pinning company infographics, creating boards featuring products and services, even a board of email newsletters.
Have a team in place who can respond in an instant to a news event – do you have expertise in reputation management and can weigh in on the Greek fiscal crisis, America’s World Cup triumph, or Donald Trump’s latest comment? Swift action on a relevant issue or topic can result in strategic earned media coverage, but shared social media content can be just as powerful.
See what other companies are doing, check new studies, and talk to your peers to get ideas. Mine your own business sector, other divisions within your company and partner organizations for nuggets that can make news. An inexpensive web survey or a quick data analysis can pay large dividends when it comes to social sharing.
See that event on LinkedIn or that panel discussion invite from a MeetUp group? Attend or send someone! Socialize and engage in the real world for productive conversations, to see and be seen, and for shareable content that’s relevant to prospective customers.