Marketing and PR budgets are often the first to be reduced when times get tough, but what doesn’t usually decrease is the expectation on marketing managers to generate results. Pressure is applied just as resources are depleted, making growth feel like an almost impossible objective to meet.
Squeezed budgets in B2B technology companies can lead to marketing campaigns that fail to resonate with target audiences, with ramifications also for PR. In the worst case scenario, leaders may remove investment completely from the agenda. But a PR strategy is essential to drive brand visibility and credibility and importantly communicate the value a tech business offers to its clients, and it is entirely possible to deliver impactful campaigns cost-effectively.
The viable alternative to PR success
An in-house PR strategy requires a significant outlay to build the relevant experience, media contacts and capacity. The alternative is looking externally towards a trusted agency to deliver PR campaigns. On the surface, this might seem equally expensive, but there’s a key difference.
Working with the right strategic partner, made up of talented individuals with specialised skills and providing seamless access to trusted advisors, gives companies a better return on investment. B2B tech agencies can work closely with marketing teams or other key stakeholders to understand the wider business goals, identify the target audience that needs to be engaged and develop a campaign that is aligned to those goals from the very beginning.
With an inherent expectation to develop an intimate knowledge of the business in question, they then act as an extension of the team. This level of support and a clear performance-led strategy provides a basis for marketing teams to walk into the board room and convince decision-makers that budget needs to be made available for PR activities.
But even if this initial conversation goes well, there’s every chance that the next demand from leaders will be tangible proof of ROI.
Justifying the investment
An important part of the initial conversation around a campaign’s aims is defining KPIs and commitments that will need to be delivered from the investment. This could include coverage numbers, social engagement targets or website referrals. Our set fees for set outcomes model brings complete transparency to an up-front investment and guarantees results. There are no hidden costs associated with time spent on content creation, for example.
This ensures marketing managers know the exact costs involved in delivering the desired results, ideally placing them to present a compelling case for PR investment to the board and get the buy-in they need.
Developing a strategic partnership
Marketers have little control over a board’s intention to trim the marketing and PR budget. But what they can present to leaders is a strategic and performance-led PR plan with set outcomes and tangible ROI, giving them the best chance of achieving that all important buy-in. Rather than have PR fall by the wayside, clever investment can help B2B technology marketers to form strategic partnerships with PR agencies that have their best interests at heart. With side-by-side support, growth will no longer feel like a pipe dream and instead become much more attainable.
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