Category: News

In this blog we discuss:

  • How AI-powered search is changing visibility
  • Why GEO complements SEO, and how PR builds the credibility, authority and consistency AI systems rely on
  • Practical ways to measure AI visibility using citations, quality coverage, sentiment and domain authority

“Search engines are dead!” 

It’s the kind of bold claim marketers love to throw around whenever something new comes along and shakes things up. But this time, there’s almost certainly a real shift. Since Google’s global rollout of AI Overviews in 2024, users are now getting more instant answers – created by artificial intelligence – in the SERPS than lists of links. 

And it’s not just Google’s AI Overviews, other AI-powered engines are also being adopted more widely; ChatGPT now sees around 700 million weekly users, up from 350 million at the start of the year. Google’s AI Overview reaches two billion monthly users and Microsoft Copilot has surpassed 100 million monthly activities.

This matters because AI is changing how people search, discover and make decisions. Instead of browsing pages, users are now increasingly relying on AI-generated answers that pull together information for them. That means fewer clicks through to websites and less visibility for brands focused only on traditional search. To stay visible, brands need to make sure their content and reputation feed the information AI tools use to create those answers.

What determines visibility in AI search?

In the past, the goal was to get your web pages to rank for key phrases. Now, the goal has shifted from ranking to inclusion: being cited or referenced within AI-generated responses. To achieve that, your brand needs to be recognised as a reliable source the AI can draw from when forming its answers. That’s what we call AI visibility – how often your brand, products or content are mentioned or referenced in AI-powered tools like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT or Perplexity.

SEO vs. GEO

As AI changes how people discover information, the race for rankings is giving way to a new goal – inclusion. Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is emerging as the way to help content appear in AI-generated answers and summaries. If you’re a B2B tech brand, you might be thinking: we’ve spent years on SEO – creating content, earning backlinks and targeting keywords – and now we need to learn GEO too? The short answer is yes, but if you’re already investing in PR, especially digital PR, you’re ahead of the curve.

AI systems are trained to identify credible voices and surface reliable sources. Brands featured in reputable publications, backed by expert commentary and linked to by authoritative domains are more likely to be included in AI-generated results. And those are exactly the outcomes strong PR delivers.

Why PR and GEO belong together

So if PR can shape the datasets which AI uses to define authority, then really we shouldn’t be thinking about them as two separate disciplines at all. They’re two parts of the same engine driving how your brand gets seen and trusted online. As we’ve been exploring through the Silo Series, we need to start breaking down barriers between how we think of PR and other channels. In the series we’ve already talked about how PR fuels pipelines and now it’s obvious that we should also be thinking of AI-powered search in the same way. 

How your PR engine can power AI visibility 

  • It creates the credible content AI wants to feature: Authoritative, well-placed PR stories make your brand more likely to be cited as a trusted source because AI systems look for these kinds of voices when generating answers. Thought leadership, expert commentary and original research from PR offers that credibility.
  • PR builds the digital signals AI recognises as authority: Media coverage, podcasts and interviews across respected outlets create the consistent signals AI models use to decide who to trust. The more visible your brand, the more likely AI is to include it.
  • PR helps your brand’s long-term visibility: As AI search favours evergreen, informative content over fleeting news, any PR which focuses on analysis, advice and insight will be more likely to be included in AI summaries.
  • Good PR builds trust: Accuracy and transparency are core to PR and essential to AI visibility. Fact-checked stories, reliable messaging and credible coverage help ensure your brand is surfaced in AI results. 

The above fundamentals – credibility, authority, consistency and sentiment – sit at the heart of everything PR already does. They also happen to be the same signals AI uses to decide which brands to feature and trust. That means if you’re already investing in PR, you’re going to be in a good position for AI visibility. And as we’ve said throughout the Silo Series, that’s proof that PR, SEO and AI visibility aren’t separate disciplines.

These factors also align closely with Google’s E-E-A-T model – experience, expertise, authority and trust – which still shapes how brands are recognised and represented online. And, just to add, it is thought that backlinks from respected domains remain one of the strongest signals of reliability. So all that SEO work that you’ve done over the years wasn’t in vain!

Measuring AI visibility 

So, how do you track and measure your AI visibility in LLMs in a world of endless prompts and AI-generated responses?

Third-party AI visibility platforms are starting to make this possible, promising to help brands track and improve their presence. Most are still in their early stages, and some perform better than others.

Even without these tools, you can measure the signals that build AI visibility. Track where your brand is mentioned, the quality of coverage and the backlinks it earns. Monitor sentiment, message pull-through and domain authority to gauge credibility and trust. Share of voice and engagement show how visible and relevant your brand is across channels. These are the same indicators AI uses to assess authority, so strengthening them through PR already improves your standing in AI search.

If you want your brand to appear where your audiences are searching – in AI-generated overviews and search engines – talk to us about Visibility+. It’s our integrated PR and GEO service for B2B tech brands, designed to align your content with what AI tools and search engines prioritise.

In this blog, Richard Peters, Senior Content Creator at Whiteoaks, explores:

  • How to run B2B tech PR internationally without losing clarity or control
  • The roles, cadence and enablement that keep multi-country teams in sync
  • How Performance PR makes outcomes comparable and decisions faster

Global communications programmes often struggle when regions move at different speeds. Messaging built for one country gets copied elsewhere, timings drift and partner delivery is uneven. Different approval paths, media cycles and KPIs add to the problem, making it difficult to see what’s working, where and why. The result is patchy coverage, diluted narratives and spend that is hard to defend when leaders compare markets.

In Europe, the complexity increases. Research shows buying groups often involve nine to ten stakeholders and decisions can take around ten months. That means programmes must build momentum steadily rather than rely on short bursts around launches.

Common hurdles

Clarity
A master story that reads well in one market can lose shape as local teams tweak for tone or legal nuance and rush to hit news windows. After multiple handovers, language is flatter and proof points feel generic.

Pace
Every country runs to a different clock. Some are comment-led with short lead times, others demand depth and analyst context. If you try to run at one speed everywhere, activity won’t fit local needs, announcements will land unevenly and teams may default to fast-but-familiar channels over slower, higher-value ones.

Reporting
When regions count different things or define the same thing differently, comparison becomes guesswork. It’s harder to see which countries are building awareness, influencing pipeline or need support. Results become harder to prove and budget harder to justify.

Local relevance
Buyers want insight that matches their market reality, phrased in terms they use, from people who understand their sector. Studies show buyers prefer information in their own language, which is a clear signal to build localisation into the plan rather than bolt it on near the deadline. Without that, media interest fades and sales teams are left with content that does not help them progress conversations and ultimately seal deals.

Governance
International programmes need a clear owner of the narrative and sensible division of roles. Without that, global approvals become bottlenecks, centrally produced content needs heavy rework in-market and friction grows, slowing delivery and reducing chances to join key conversations.

A practical way forward

A lead-agency model offers a solution. One central agency coordinates strategy, messaging and execution across regions or partner agencies, setting the plan and guidelines while local teams tailor for their markets. This gives B2B tech firms a consistent global “look and feel” plus in-country expertise where it counts.

The lead agency sits at the centre, delivering performance-based PR principles, ensuring consistent processes, effective practices and clear and consistent brand positioning across the network. Common outcomes and comparable reporting give leaders one view of progress while local teams shape angles and cadence to fit their media environment.

Through region-specific reporting, business leaders get clarity on results, enabling them to see impact and make faster, better-founded decisions.

Making content resonate

In some countries analyst context and long-form explainers work best; elsewhere short video and sector case studies resonate more. But while the core stays intact across markets, the delivery flexes.

Success depends on alignment with local conditions and media expectations: local spokespeople and proof points, practitioners who understand cultural norms and preferred channels, and awareness of what journalists want. Is that data-led reports, short commentary, news-jacking or creative assets? High-quality translation ensures copy reads naturally, producing coverage that belongs in-market and content sales can actually use.

Benefits that scale

Over time, a lead-agency approach scales with the business. Centralised coordination plus local expertise builds brand consistency, streamlines communication and deepens relationships with media and stakeholders. Together, this approach creates cumulative benefits that support sustainable growth and reputation across markets.

If you are looking to enter a new overseas market but lack the local knowledge you need for expansion, explore international PR for B2B tech brands and get in touch with the Whiteoaks team today.

In this blog we discuss:

  • How silos between PR, content marketing and sales cost leads and revenue
  • How PR sparks angles which fuel integrated campaigns and drive prospects through the funnel
  • How to measure PR’s value in engagement, leads and deals

Imagine you are a B2B buyer. You spot a headline that grabs your attention – wow! It really speaks to the challenges you’re facing right now and makes you want to find out more. A sales rep follows up, but the message feels different and it’s thrown you off. By the time an email arrives, it has shifted again.

Each touchpoint is well-intentioned, but instead of reinforcing your interest, the inconsistencies make you wonder: do they really understand my problem? Can I trust what they’re saying? At that point, your attention drifts and you’re already considering another supplier.

This might sound like an extreme example, but it reflects a wider reality. Data shows 52% of sales professionals say misalignment costs revenue, yet only 23% believe their sales and marketing are strongly aligned.

The PR, content and sales silo

But how can PR help with sales? Surely PR is PR, and sales is just sales? It’s going to take more than a headline to nurture interest and bring a lead closer to conversion. The problem is that we tend to think of PR, content marketing and sales as three separate functions, each working in its own silo.

Joining the dots with Performance PR

This is where Performance PR comes in. Unlike traditional PR, Performance PR encompasses not only media relations, but also social media, creative and content marketing. And that’s really interesting because it is often content which is crucial for connecting the spark of a story with the detail of a sales conversation.

In Performance PR, content marketing is built in. The stories created through PR are developed into content, which explore topics in greater depth, then shared through the right channels so it reaches the right people. And rather than being judged solely on coverage as a traditional PR campaign would be, the impact is measured by what really matters to the business: engagement, qualified leads and deals moving through the pipeline.

PR as the spark

PR is often where many of the best ideas begin. The angles and stories it generates can be fed into wider marketing and lead generation campaigns, providing the material which can help engage buyers.

Take our work with cyber security company Bridewell. Together, we spotted a gap in the market; there was no authoritative research into the state of cyber security across critical national infrastructure. So we commissioned and developed their annual report which became a credible, newsworthy story which our media team placed in top-tier media. But it did much more than win headlines. It became a barometer for the industry which could be repurposed, quoted and shared, extending its value far beyond launch day. The report also provided the foundation for a whole range of content, such as blogs and articles, social campaigns and sales materials.

Subsequent to the campaign with Bridewell, research among 600 UK cyber security leaders showed the company had risen from ninth place in 2023 to the top five for unprompted consideration. In plain terms, more buyers thought of the company first, as a result of our work.

How PR helps feed the funnel

In Performance PR, content marketing and campaigns work as one connected effort to move prospects through the funnel, with the angles from media stories as the spark which starts it all.

Top of the funnel: PR creates awareness

A strong piece of research, a news angle or thought leadership in the media puts your brand in front of new audiences. When it appears in respected outlets or speaks to a genuine gap in the conversation, it carries more weight than marketing copy, because the credibility is earned rather than manufactured.

Middle of the funnel: PR themes fuel content marketing

The stories PR generates give marketing teams a foundation to create material which goes deeper into the topics. Imagine the media team commissions research which shows, for example, that ‘70% of finance leaders feel unprepared for upcoming regulatory changes’. That headline lands in the trade press and gets significant eyeballs as well as people talking.

From there, the marketing team can build the topics out into their campaigns. The research becomes a blog post which explains the specific challenges finance leaders face. It develops into a practical guide which explores the implications of non-compliance and eventually into a case study showing how one of your clients successfully navigated the same issue with your support.

This is the middle of the funnel at work. Prospects who were curious when they saw the headline now have the chance to dig deeper, test your expertise and understand more about what you do and why it matters to them.

Across the funnel: PR stories carried through campaigns

The value of that initial PR grows even more when it’s repurposed and delivered directly to target audiences. Coverage and research insights can be turned into nurture emails, promoted LinkedIn posts or the hook for an event. We often support clients in doing exactly this, ensuring each reuse keeps the authority of the original PR story while reinforcing the message through different channels. All the while, it helps prospects move closer to a decision.

By the time a sales conversation starts, the prospect has seen the story in the media, engaged with explanatory content and received campaigns which connect directly to their challenges.

Alignment drives stronger leads and engagement

When there’s alignment between PR, content marketing and sales, prospects already understand the issues you solve and have engaged with credible content along the way.

That depth of interaction shows up in the numbers: longer time spent on your site, higher click-through rates, more relevant email responses. When it comes to onboarding new business, it translates into fewer dead-end conversations and more prospects who are genuinely interested. It also shortens the sales cycle; the groundwork has already been laid, so sales can focus on building the relationship and closing the deal.

Measuring PR’s impact on pipeline

Traditional PR measurement has often stopped at coverage volume or impressions – how many articles appeared and how many people might have seen them. But of course with Performance PR, it’s all connected back to business outcomes, and therein the value lies. So when we want to know how PR and the resulting content has made an impact, helped move prospects down the pipeline and been a contributing factor to sales, this is what we measure:

  • How much traffic has PR-inspired blogs, guides or case studies driven to websites? How much engagement and action have they inspired on social media?
  • How many downloads or sign-ups has content generated? That could be from whitepapers, guides, webinars or events.
  • How many marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) interacted with those assets along their journey?

Where did PR-driven content or coverage play a role in moving a prospect closer to becoming a customer?

The results speak for themselves when you can show the direct link between an earned story and a measurable outcome – a form filled in, a guide downloaded, a meeting booked or a deal closed. Performance PR can help you achieve this, but only if you stop thinking of it, along with content marketing and sales, in a silo. When all work as one, that’s what really feeds the pipeline.

If driving new business is a challenge for your B2B tech brand, learn how we can support your lead generation efforts. Speak to one of our team, or find out more.

In this blog, Richard Peters, Senior Content Creator at Whiteoaks, explores:,

  • How B2B tech firms can take a braver, more strategic approach to communications, even in a cautious economic climate
  • How generic content is eroding trust and engagement
  • How thought leadership delivered as part of a Performance PR approach can build visibility and credibility for the brand

Many B2B technology businesses today are feeling the pressure of an economy that is both tight and in flux. In the UK, 44% of CFOs rate external uncertainty as high or very high, and the outlook for capital expenditure, discretionary spending and hiring remains subdued.

This economic backdrop is reshaping how decisions are made. With borrowing costs still elevated, organisations are taking longer to commit and every line of spend is under sharper scrutiny. Securing buy-in from senior stakeholders has become more challenging, as proposals must now demonstrate a clear link to visibility, efficiency or commercial impact.

At the same time, competitive intensity is rising. More vendors are targeting the same audiences, and digital channels are increasingly saturated. Exacerbating the challenge, buyers are increasingly time-poor and expectation-rich. They’re looking for content that speaks directly to their challenges, offers genuine insight and helps them make informed decisions.

The cost of playing it safe

When messaging defaults to vague value propositions or recycled industry jargon, it fails to engage and often also ends up actively eroding trust. That’s a growing problem, with 51% of B2B buyers saying content was too generic and irrelevant in 2024, up from 38% in 2023. This signals a growing disconnect between what businesses are putting out and what their audiences actually need.

To address this problem effectively and ensure they ‘stand out’, firms require not just a differentiated offer but a smarter, more strategic approach to engagement. Organisations are beginning to realise that to raise their brand visibility, they will need to be braver in their communications: more targeted, more nuanced and more reflective of the real-world challenges their audiences face.

How firms can be bold and deliver content that cuts through

To achieve the cut through they are looking for, B2B tech firms should lead with expertise and focus on developing thought leadership that earns attention in busy channels and builds authority and trust with buyers and influencers alike.

That means being willing to reflect the nuance of their audience’s world: addressing real issues and offering meaningful perspectives, even if they challenge conventional thinking.

Against this backdrop, bold thought leadership can provide just that. As part of a performance-led approach, bold thought leadership, supported by strong media relations and consistent, engaging,  social builds credibility, sustains depth and allows for measurement against clear KPIs.

As evidence of the impact of bold thought leadership builds through transparent reporting, stakeholder confidence grows and braver positioning becomes easier to back. This approach helps build brand awareness and supports pipeline, helps attract channel and alliance partners and strengthens long-term value.

Being bold doesn’t mean being loud, it means being clear, credible and relevant. For B2B tech firms, that often involves stepping away from generic messaging and leaning into expertise that genuinely helps buyers navigate complexity.

A Performance PR approach can support this shift by tying bold ideas to measurable outcomes, helping build trust and visibility over time.

By reporting transparently and aligning with real audience needs, businesses can gradually build the confidence to communicate with more clarity and conviction, even when budgets are tight.

It helps you win mindshare today and deals tomorrow. Clear, evidence-led stories make it easier for buyers to choose you and for partners to justify joint activity.

Ready to let your expertise do the talking? Speak to the Whiteoaks team today.

 

In this blog, Whiteoaks’ Finance Director, Adam George shares his insights about how to ensure your PR investments keep your CFO happy, including:

  • Ensuring campaigns are built around business objectives
  • Setting out clear performance metrics
  • Finding a consistent partner

Like many services, PR can often have an intangible quality that is difficult to reconcile for finance leaders. The tendency to lean upon paid marketing where results can be measured and return on investment (ROI) established is a tempting alternative to appeal to the CFO mindset. That’s why if you want your CFO to back your PR spend, you need to position it not as a creative expense, but as the strategic, measurable business investment it is.

Here are some of the ways to make your PR investment CFO-friendly:

Fixed fees for fixed deliverables

It sounds obvious, right? Traditionally, PR has used the retainer model, but this promotes uncertainty and often results in mounting costs without a clearly defined return. Why not seek out an agency offering a fixed cost for clearly defined deliverables? By eliminating the budgetary uncertainty, PR can be factored into annual budgets with certainty, helping your finance leader plan with confidence.

Business-aligned planning

It can sometimes feel difficult to cut through the jargon and waffle associated with marketing and PR. CFOs are driven by the commercial results, not lip-service and hot air. The agency you partner with should build its strategies around your commercial goals – market expansion, growth in share-of-voice, talent acquisition or any other outcomes your business desires. By aligning PR with business strategy, you give your CFO the confidence that every pound spent is tied to measurable commercial objectives – not vanity metrics or vague brand goals.

Clear KPIs and performance reporting

This leads us on to measurement. It’s the bread and butter of any senior finance professional. The inability to measure the success of any spend means it becomes more difficult to justify. With clear KPIs agreed up-front, and concise reporting throughout a campaign, your PR spend ceases to be deemed a money pit from which results are difficult to define. Instead, it becomes a clear, measurable service aligned with your business goals.

Whether it’s share of voice, media coverage, engagement metrics or influence on pipeline, everything is benchmarked and tracked.

ROI accountability – even a money-back guarantee

‘Money back’ is a phrase you will rarely encounter in the PR world. But without this guarantee, value for money and, crucially, accountability, can often be diminished. Contrast this with clear ROI that is reinforced by a money-back guarantee. This gives your CFO peace of mind that their commercial goals are matched by the desire of the agency you engage.

Consistency that protects long-term value

Unlike paid media, your PR agency should be your partner when it comes to building and protecting your brand. PR isn’t a tap you turn on and off. Stop-start campaigns waste money and erode brand equity. If your agency adopts an ‘always-on’ approach, it becomes easier for your CFO to calculate the benefits and long-term growth provided by consistent and long-term partnerships.

PR as something finance can believe in

To keep your CFO happy with your investment, treat PR like a long-term, strategic asset – not a discretionary spend. Build your case around cost-certainty, commercial alignment and measurable impact. When you speak the CFO’s language – outcomes, risk-management, and value – you turn PR into something finance can believe in.

Get in touch to learn more about how we deliver PR campaigns that keep your CFO happy.

In this blog, Creative Director, Mark Wilson, discusses:

  • Why low-cost video animation can carry hidden risks
  • How quality animation can strengthen brand credibility and trust
  • What to consider when choosing between short-term savings and long-term value

A quick Google search for “video animation” and you’ll be met with countless offers of fast-turnaround, super-cheap services. The appeal is obvious, a professionally animated video for a fraction of the price of one done by an established creative agency. For B2B tech organisations with limited budgets or looming deadlines, it can certainly feel like a quick win.

In practice, however, cheap animation often comes at a hidden cost. And we’re not talking here about the upfront production costs. The real danger is that it can harm a brand’s reputation. A video that looks generic and fails to resonate with the desired target audience is not a bargain. It’s wasted effort and, in some cases, a big liability.

Why the cheap option can cost you more

Recent reporting from the BBC highlights how damaging poor or misleading visuals can be. An AI-generated fake image, which showed world leaders waiting in the White House, was shared on various social media platforms millions of times in just a few hours. By the time fact-checkers confirmed the image as fake, it had already been used to drive political narratives across the globe.

This is not an isolated incident. Think of the many deepfake videos that have misled audiences on social media, from fabricated celebrity endorsements to manipulated political clips. Content travels fast and perceptions are shaped in seconds. Whether intentional or not, low-quality or misleading visuals can quickly undermine trust and credibility.

The principle is simple. It’s the same one as when you buy food, clothes or technology: you get what you pay for. Low-cost design platforms and freelance marketplaces tend to deliver transactions rather than partnerships.

They ask for a script, plug it into stock templates and return a video animation quickly. That may technically fulfil the task of “producing a video”, but it rarely achieves much beyond that.

So much more than software

Animation done well is not about dropping images into a piece of software. It is about telling a story that aligns with your wider business strategy, brand messages and goals. A strong animated video is a communication tool with a clear purpose. Stripped of brand narrative, authenticity and a single-minded proposition, animation loses its power to persuade.

High-quality animation is rarely the result of one person’s skillset. It combines writing, storyboarding, illustration, animation, sound design and voiceover. Each requires specialist expertise. A freelancer may be a talented animator but may not have the skills to craft a strong script or the sound design to make the video feel complete.

These gaps in capabilities often show up in the final product. A weak script undermines polished visuals, poor sound design makes a video feel unfinished, while generic characters fail to capture the essence of a brand. Instead of helping you stand out, the content blends into the background.

Short-term savings, long-term risks

The upfront fee for a budget service may be small, but the longer-term costs are greater. Low-cost providers often charge extra for revisions, which means that if the first draft misses the mark, the price quickly climbs.

A bland or confusing video can also mean missed opportunities, delivering little engagement and even less return on investment. Perhaps most damaging of all, poorly produced content can harm brand credibility and put off potential customers, rather than attract. In many cases, looking unprofessional is more costly than producing nothing at all.

By contrast, investing in quality animation means investing in a process as much as a product. That process involves a team of specialists who take the time to understand your objectives, shape a narrative tailored to your audience, design visuals that fit your brand and refine the work through structured rounds of feedback.

A collaborative approach like this ensures the animation works harder for you. It becomes memorable, distinctive and aligned with the outcomes that matter, whether the goal is raising awareness, shifting perception or driving action.

Choosing wisely

This does not mean cheap services have no place. If the stakes are low, such as an internal explainer or a simple visualisation, a fast and inexpensive solution may be appropriate. But when the animation launches a new product, supports brand identity, marketing strategy or customer engagement, the calculation is different.

In those cases, cutting corners can be a false economy. The real question is not “how much does animation cost?” but “what is it worth to the business if this video succeeds or fails?”.

Animation is one of the most versatile and impactful forms of communication available to organisations today. It can enhance credibility, spark engagement and carry messages across borders and industries. But it only delivers when it’s done well.

When it comes to your brand, is a cheap solution really worth the risk or is it time to invest in animation that works? If you’re ready to find out, watch our creative showreel and get in touch.

 

 

Passing the ‘So What?’ test – why a bit of journalistic rigour is vital in B2B tech PR

In this blog, Hugh Cadman, Senior Content Writer, discusses:

  • How his journalism background prepared him for life as a B2B tech writer
  • The importance of answering journalists’ “So What?” questions
  • The unlikely connection between all this and a punk record seized by the police

 

From reporting on TV licence-dodgers to writing about enterprise database management via the odd health furore. There is a common thread that connects my two decades as a journalist with my current role at Whiteoaks and a profane punk record seized by the police.

It’s the “So What?” test. This is the basic threshold that any idea for a piece of content must cross if it is to get into a publication worth reading. Reporters tend to be among the most sceptical people on earth – and if you can’t answer their “So What?” questions, your hopes of coverage are doomed.

It’s a mindset I still share – accepting little at face value and being prepared to unpick the details and ask a few questions. So often that’s all it takes to either destroy a story idea or stand it up.

Journalists want dramatic front-page exclusives, but they may also be eager to fulfil their story quota and keep the website numbers up. Whichever it is, they will apply the “So What?” test to everything – because they know if they don’t, their newsdesk will.

And this is the part that sales and marketing executives sometimes find difficult – it’s not enough to be fired up, making bold claims about being game-changing or disruptive. Journalists have low boredom thresholds and can spot spin a mile off. You have to give them reasons to treat your press release as news, and any article must tell a good story, be accurate and make a convincing case. Journalistic weariness is why research has to generate eye-catching headlines.

Get your ducks in a row

In B2B tech PR, as in news journalism, however, you must always get your ducks in a row before you unleash any kind of content. For me, it is the simple but mildly impertinent questions that get to the point with clients when we initially find we don’t have what the content requires. “Why should a potential customer choose your solution over XYZ when on the surface they seem quite similar?”

It’s where a little journalistic technique comes in handy. Some people need coaxing; others have to forget the hype and plant their feet back on the ground before they can answer.

The three horsemen – jargon, waffle and repetition

Convincing journalists, though, is only part of the job in B2B tech PR. The real audience out there is also asking its own “So What?” questions. Persuading them takes more than a deluge of clichés about “empowering” and “disrupting”, whether in a press release or a 1,500-word article.

In articles especially, language and structure are important. My journalism training and my experience going through other reporters’ articles when I was a news editor made me allergic to jargon, waffle and repetition. I can also spot where there may a copyright infringement or a potential libel, or where a claim could lead to a letter from a rival’s legal department. The obsession with accuracy leads me to double-check the spellings of just about everything, and to be clear about any terminology I use. You have to know the limits of your own knowledge.

What did this technology do for us?

As a reporter, I learned to extract the news nuggets from two-inch-thick NHS or local government policy documents for a broad audience that was only interested in what it would all mean for them and their community. This is not so different from writing for many tech titles, where it is essentially the business outcomes that matter.

Understanding the audience is critical. I’m no longer writing for people of all ages who are skimming between the front page and the property section. My audience usually comprises senior executives who may also have substantial technical knowledge. Anything I write must address what matters to the right segment of this audience and convince them we know what we’re talking about.

Accuracy is essential but so is momentum – the ability to carry forward a story in a way that makes it immediately relevant. Whether on a news website or in a B2B tech title, audiences must want to carry on reading right the way down to a captivating conclusion.

The Anti-Nowhere League

As always, it’s the “So What?” question that we must constantly answer. This is where I defer to the Anti-Nowhere League – a very profane cartoon punk outfit I saw at a gig long ago. They produced a 7” single called So What? that was seized by the police under the Obscene Publications Act. This foul-mouthed ditty was allegedly inspired by two men in a pub trying to outdo one another with their stories. The point is that if B2B tech companies want to avoid going nowhere with their PR they must answer the “So What?” questions that journalists and their audiences ask – and they need to use the right language. Otherwise, they may as well be two sweary men in a pub.

Want help answering the “So What?” questions? Get in touch.

 

 

In this blog, Hugh Cadman, Senior Content Creator, shares his thoughts on:

  • The role of case studies in establishing a brand’s credibility
  • Why they’re the gift that keeps on giving
  • The different formats case studies can take

 

Few pieces of content have the electro-magnetic power of a case study. If expertly written, case studies bring solutions to life and establish credibility, describing how a tech business solved a significant challenge for a customer, achieving real, measurable results.

In the B2B tech market, a single case study published on a website or in a top-tier publication can have the power equivalent to hundreds of five-star customer reviews in the consumer sector. For companies that need to grow fast, a case study gives substance to the claims on their website or their marketing materials.

By detailing first-hand the challenges customers or clients were facing, and providing stats and proof-points, a case study strikes an immediate chord with the right audience segment. Potential customers get a clear picture of how a solution or service works and the ROI it provides.

It’s worth the effort – case studies have a long shelf-life

It is true that for many companies, persuading clients to take part in case studies can be tortuous. For tech companies scaling up, their big-name customers carry huge value but are often reluctant. Much can hang on personal relationships.

It is, however, worth investing time in case studies because they have multiple uses and a long shelf-life. They feed into many other types of public relations and marketing content. Reshaped and reworked, the information and endorsements flourish in social media posts, in blogs, as well as in articles in respected target publications.

They can provide the rocket-fuel for award entries and give an eye-catching focus to discussions or round-table events with journalists and analysts. At conferences and events, a snappy presentation based on a case study has genuine impact.

Podcasts and videos

A case study is also ideal material for podcasts and videos. Short-form videos hosted on a company’s website can act as quick introductions to the challenge, how the company solved it and the results achieved.

A podcast can explore the topic at greater length in a conversational manner. This is engaging, easily-digested content that matches the different needs of audiences.

Shout about your customer success stories

In many sectors, such as cyber security, case studies are not so much gold dust as solid nuggets. Quite understandably, major companies are sometimes uneasy talking about their cyber security set-ups and how a solution has transformed their protection.

But if any tech business struggling to get noticed has a customer willing to endorse it in a case study, it should be ready to shout about it as loud as possible. In areas like data management, analytics, AI and managed services, a tech company’s customers can often see the value to their own reputations in a case study. It will demonstrate their commitment to superior service, greater efficiency or customer-focused innovation. It tells investors they are committed to expansion or greater profitability or have made an important strategic shift.

Writing case studies is an art

It is essential, however, that any case study is drafted by people with experience. In some industries, such as telecommunications, lengthy and technical case studies are highly valued. Prospects always want to see the detail. But many audiences now want to get to the point very quickly before making a decision about whether to invest more time exploring the detail to see if it applies to their own business.

Case studies are truly evergreen content, reaching new audiences across numerous channels to establish a business as an expert in its field. Any opportunity to create one should be seized with both hands.

To find out more about how we can support you to develop attention-grabbing case studies, contact the Whiteoaks team today.

In this blog, Hannah Buckley, Head of Content and Service Development, explores:

  • The role of leadership visibility in building credibility for businesses
  • The growing influence and reach of personal LinkedIn profiles
  • How executive visibility programmes help extend the reach of B2B PR campaigns

“People buy from people” is something we hear a lot in B2B, and it definitely rings true. Today, people don’t just buy from companies, they buy from the people behind the brand. Whether it’s a prospect checking LinkedIn before a meeting, a journalist looking for an expert source or a potential hire deciding where to work, they want to see the people behind the brand.

All this makes it even more important that business leaders and executives are visible. For brands to cut through the noise and make an impression with decision-makers, they must ensure the human voices behind the business are seen, heard and trusted.

When senior figures are visible, they bring authority and authenticity that brand channels alone can’t replicate. They become trusted sources of industry insight, ambassadors for company culture and better able to forge stronger connections. This visibility is what turns awareness into trust and, ultimately, it’s that trust that will drive action.

Trust becomes a competitive advantage

In markets crowded with similar products, services and claims, trust is often the deciding factor. Decision-makers want reassurance that the people they’ll be working with are credible, informed and engaged. When leaders share their expertise and perspective publicly, whether on LinkedIn or in the media, they make that trust easier to build and it then becomes harder for competitors to undermine.

Opportunities start to find you

Media interviews, panel invitations, industry awards, even judging awards are all opportunities that don’t just happen by chance. They’re often the result of being visible and active in the right places. Journalists and event organisers look for experts who are already demonstrating thought leadership and authority in their field

Visibility strengthens your talent pipeline

Top talent wants to work for leaders they admire. When executives are known for their expertise and values, they naturally attract candidates who share those values. This not only helps to improve the quality of new hires, but also reinforces your company culture from the top down.

It amplifies the brand work you’re already doing

Brand PR, marketing campaigns and corporate messaging are vital in building visibility, but are even more effective when they’re supported by strong personal voices from within the business. Leadership visibility adds a human layer that helps brand messages resonate and inspire action.

Why Now?

The digital landscape is noisier than ever as AI-generated content continues to flood feeds, making it harder for generic corporate messages to stand out. Meanwhile, LinkedIn’s algorithms continue to give individual profiles more organic reach than company pages and as has long been the case, journalists look for credible individuals to quote rather than anonymous brand statements.

For B2B organisations, this has created a window of opportunity. Companies with visible, trusted leaders will set themselves apart in every possible way: awareness, influence and impact.

Taking the Next Step

Consistent, strategic leadership visibility doesn’t happen by accident. It requires a plan, the right positioning and content that’s authentic to the individual while aligned with the business.

That’s why we offer the Executive Visibility Programme – a structured, fully managed way to help leaders and executives strengthen their presence on LinkedIn, in the media and in the market, without adding to their already overloaded schedules.

If you’d like to understand how visible your leadership team is right now and where the opportunities lie for both them and your brand, get in touch.

In this blog, Richard Peters, Senior Content Creator at Whiteoaks, discusses:

  • How Performance PR powers inbound lead generation by building visibility and trust
  • Tactics for earning influence through media coverage, peer advocacy and search-optimised content
  • Practical steps to turn thought leadership, case studies and employee-generated social posts into qualified leads

 

Outbound methods of driving leads are under the spotlight. Smarter spam filters and the influx of AI-generated sales emails are pushing cold email strategies to become irrelevant, and even encouraging organisations to go back to cold calling in some cases.

The ongoing expansion of privacy regulations means that buying lists now carries genuine legal and reputational risk, while with today’s tougher email authentication rules, just a few spam complaints can cause every message from a domain to land in recipients’ junk folders.

As outbound strategies face an uncertain future, inbound strategies are coming to the fore. It is an approach that makes perfect sense when you consider that potential future customers often encounter a brand or visit its website before that business proactively contacts them.

In fact, according to 6sense, 69% of the purchase process happens before B2B buyers engage with sellers. So, it is imperative that businesses can draw these prospects in by ensuring that when they get in touch they get a good impression of the organisation and what it does.

The inbound methodology focuses partly on attracting potential customers with relevant content, but it is also, more broadly, about building reputation and influence. Performance PR plays a crucial role across all these areas by building trust with target audiences.

The inbound advantage

Part of this is via secured media engagements. Dedicated teams of B2B media relations specialists leverage their relationships with key journalists, analysts and influencers to secure content placements and opportunities.

Experienced and expert content creators profile executives within an organisation and elevate brands in industry leading publications, through in-depth thought leadership articles, client case studies and whitepapers.

However, inbound lead generation extends beyond media relations and the formal press environment. It’s about finding ways to shape a business’s reputation. At its root, reputation is a collective perception that is made up from a combination of image and reality.

Businesses that want to create a positive impression need to score highly on several key criteria: being seen and understood, establishing points of differentiation, and perhaps most important of all, being well trusted.

Over the past few years, trust has migrated away from institutions and towards a wide range of other audience groups: customers, colleagues, analysts, niche influencers and user communities.

These peer groups play an increasingly important role in inbound lead generation.

Trust-building tactics that work

There are a wide range of PR tactics that could be deployed to harness these groups to help businesses improve their reputation and begin to exert more influence over prospects.

They include everything from encouraging staff to generate their own content on product launches or industry trends on platforms like LinkedIn and Stack; to building video or written case studies for social right through to encouraging users to deliver positive feedback on review platforms.

Performance PR campaigns also focus on enhancing content for search engines with keyword optimised content and relevant backlinks to boost domain authority.

This makes it more likely for target audiences to see expert articles, bold commentary and informative case studies from the brand when searching for a topic or solution online.

Woven together, these elements create a cycle of visibility and trust that guides potential customers from first glance to genuine interest, often before the sales team is aware of them, or even before they first reach the company website.

Ready to let your expertise do the talking? Speak to the Whiteoaks team today.