Last year, the cloud-computing company Snowflake achieved the biggest software IPO of all time. Despite its record valuation of $70 billion, most consumers have probably never heard of Snowflake or its services. Why is that? Snowflake is referred to as a B2B (business-to-business) company. These companies tailor and sell their solutions to other businesses instead of the end-consumer. Companies like Coca-Cola, Apple and others market directly to consumers (also called B2C), while companies like ServiceNow, Oracle, Mashgin, Energyworx and Snowflake are typical B2B examples.

Even though companies rely on enterprise solutions for their business processes, these solutions are not as sexy as a shiny new MacBook from a marketing perspective. B2B solutions are often perceived as dry or boring, and many B2B companies struggle to create compelling B2B PR campaigns that draw the attention of their target audience. When creating your PR strategy for a B2B company, keep in mind who your audience is and the best places and ways to reach them. National media coverage is great, but often a well-placed article in a relevant trade publication can be even more valuable.

Need more inspiration? Here are five tips to help you breathe life even into the driest of topics – and make your B2B PR campaign stand out.

1) Use Simple Language: A good B2B solution is based on deep industry knowledge. Often these industries use jargon that may be obvious to insiders, but is incomprehensible to everyone else. Keep your audience in mind when creating PR copy for a B2B business. A story for a trade publication can withstand some industry terms. If you are targeting national media and therefore a broader audience, however, make sure to break down jargon into simple, easily understood language.

2) Avoid Buzzwords: B2B business owners believe their products create value for their clients. They often choose to celebrate this by adding as many attributes as possible to their product descriptions. If you have been on more than one corporate website, chances are you’ve read about agile solutions, innovative products and modern technology. By themselves, attributes like agile add very little value. They are so overused that they have become virtually meaningless. 

3) Make It Concrete: Don’t say that you offer an agile solution, explain why your solution is agile. Does it enable your clients to react faster to market changes by allowing them to scale capacity up or down as needed? Good. Write that instead. Also include images or helpful videos about your solution when contacting a journalist. Any relevant information you can use to bring your solution to life is welcome.  

4) Share Numbers: Another easy way to make your PR campaign relevant is to add numbers that prove your bottom line. Don’t simply state that the company increased revenue, but use the growth percentage or the actual amount. There are also more creative ways to use numbers to push your own news stories.

5) Create Your Own News: You don’t always have a big client announcement or the next acquisition in your PR pipeline. During periods without hard news to share, you must find other ways to create media attention. Most companies collect data about their business that can provide valuable insights. If you are a company that develops logistics real estate, see how much the average price per square footage of logistics space has risen since last year. Take your data and use it for press outreach, social media or a special report or index. Journalists love data that is packaged up for them so that it easily makes a strong story. Make sure to include your own insights and analyses to position your company as a thought leader.

Looking for help with pr strategy, digital pr, or public relations? MGP public relations is a top PR firm. Get in touch with us at hello@wearemgp.com

Last year, the cloud-computing company Snowflake achieved the biggest software IPO of all time. Despite its record valuation of $70 billion, most consumers have probably never heard of Snowflake or its services. Why is that? Snowflake is referred to as a B2B (business-to-business) company. These companies tailor and sell their solutions to other businesses instead of the end-consumer. Companies like Coca-Cola, Apple and others market directly to consumers (also called B2C), while companies like ServiceNow, Oracle, Mashgin, Energyworx and Snowflake are typical B2B examples.

Even though companies rely on enterprise solutions for their business processes, these solutions are not as sexy as a shiny new MacBook from a marketing perspective. B2B solutions are often perceived as dry or boring, and many B2B companies struggle to create compelling B2B PR campaigns that draw the attention of their target audience. When creating your PR strategy for a B2B company, keep in mind who your audience is and the best places and ways to reach them. National media coverage is great, but often a well-placed article in a relevant trade publication can be even more valuable.

Need more inspiration? Here are five tips to help you breathe life even into the driest of topics – and make your B2B PR campaign stand out.

1) Use Simple Language: A good B2B solution is based on deep industry knowledge. Often these industries use jargon that may be obvious to insiders, but is incomprehensible to everyone else. Keep your audience in mind when creating PR copy for a B2B business. A story for a trade publication can withstand some industry terms. If you are targeting national media and therefore a broader audience, however, make sure to break down jargon into simple, easily understood language.

2) Avoid Buzzwords: B2B business owners believe their products create value for their clients. They often choose to celebrate this by adding as many attributes as possible to their product descriptions. If you have been on more than one corporate website, chances are you’ve read about agile solutions, innovative products and modern technology. By themselves, attributes like agile add very little value. They are so overused that they have become virtually meaningless. 

3) Make It Concrete: Don’t say that you offer an agile solution, explain why your solution is agile. Does it enable your clients to react faster to market changes by allowing them to scale capacity up or down as needed? Good. Write that instead. Also include images or helpful videos about your solution when contacting a journalist. Any relevant information you can use to bring your solution to life is welcome.  

4) Share Numbers: Another easy way to make your PR campaign relevant is to add numbers that prove your bottom line. Don’t simply state that the company increased revenue, but use the growth percentage or the actual amount. There are also more creative ways to use numbers to push your own news stories.

5) Create Your Own News: You don’t always have a big client announcement or the next acquisition in your PR pipeline. During periods without hard news to share, you must find other ways to create media attention. Most companies collect data about their business that can provide valuable insights. If you are a company that develops logistics real estate, see how much the average price per square footage of logistics space has risen since last year. Take your data and use it for press outreach, social media or a special report or index. Journalists love data that is packaged up for them so that it easily makes a strong story. Make sure to include your own insights and analyses to position your company as a thought leader.

Looking for help with pr strategy, digital pr, or public relations? MGP public relations is a top PR firm. Get in touch with us at hello@wearemgp.com