Category: News

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

  • What digital PR is and how it differs from traditional PR
  • The fundamentals of digital PR strategy
  • How digital PR helps B2B tech businesses become discoverable, including in AI-generated search results

 

What is digital PR?

Digital PR has become a core part of how B2B tech brands build visibility and credibility online. But what exactly is it, and how does it differ from traditional PR?

In short, digital PR is the practice of gaining online coverage, backlinks and engagement through content, media relations and digital-first outreach strategies. It combines the goals of traditional PR, including building brand reputation, trust and awareness, with the tactics of SEO and digital marketing like keyword research, search intent and earned media that doubles as authoritative backlinks.

The result is campaigns that not only increase brand awareness but also improve search performance and drive relevant traffic to your website. Along the way, digital PR naturally builds up the entities search engines associate with your brand: domain authority, earned media and topical relevance in your sector.

Ultimately, digital PR is an essential part of creating sustainable online growth while ensuring your expertise is visible where your audience is actively searching.

What does digital PR involve?

An effective digital PR strategy combines content marketing, media relations and SEO tactics to maximise online visibility. As with traditional PR, the focus of digital PR is on quality, relevance and outcomes rather than volume alone.

Typical activities include:

  • Creating thought leadership content that appeals to your desired target audience
  • Developing blogs and website content to target high-value keywords
  • Pitching stories and insights to online media outlets and journalists
  • Securing media coverage with backlinks on high-authority websites
  • Engaging with relevant online communities and industry influencers. In a B2B context, this means analysts, journalists and association leaders, not consumer social media personalities
  • Amplifying earned media through digital channels, including social media and email campaigns

Digital PR vs traditional PR

At this point, you may be wondering how digital PR differs from traditional PR. While traditional PR spans print, broadcast and online media, digital PR is entirely geared towards online platforms.

The tactics behind traditional and digital PR are similar and must include strong storytelling, relevant outreach and a clear understanding of your target audience.

At Whiteoaks, we see digital PR as part of an integrated PR programme, not competing with it. What differs is intent, methodology and measurement.

  • Primary goal: Traditional PR centres on improving brand awareness and strengthening brand reputation. Digital PR focuses on improving search visibility and referral traffic.
  • Channels: Traditional PR works across print, television, radio and online media. Digital PR works across online publications, backlinks and digital channels like blogs, email and social media.
  • Approach: Traditional PR is underpinned by compelling storytelling and strong media relationships. Digital PR is built on keyword research and gap analysis.
  • How it’s measured: Traditional PR is often measured by coverage volume, sentiment and publications’ reach. Digital PR is measured by backlink quality, increases in search engine rankings and web traffic.

Why is digital PR important for B2B technology companies?

B2B buyers often begin their purchasing journey through search engines, and, increasingly, through AI-powered search experiences. Research from Forrester has found that B2B buyers complete a majority of their research independently before ever speaking to a salesperson, and that share has grown as self-serve and AI-assisted research have become the norm.

For B2B tech brands, digital PR plays a key role in building trust and authority in that self-directed research phase. At the heart of it is ensuring that when your audience searches for solutions, your brand is both discoverable and credible.

While integrated PR programmes do a lot of the groundwork in building reputation and credibility, digital PR is what makes that reputation discoverable.

By creating keyword-optimised content and earning domain-authority-boosting backlinks, digital PR strategies improve online visibility and direct potential customers to your site, connecting your expertise with the people actively looking for it.

How digital PR supports SEO

Digital PR strengthens SEO in a few concrete ways, including earning high-quality backlinks, increasing domain authority, generating referral traffic and creating content aligned with what your audience is actually searching for.

Backlinks remain one of the clearest, most researched ranking signals.

Backlinko and Ahrefs’ analysis of 11.8 million Google search results found that the number one organic search result carries an average of 3.8 times more backlinks than pages in positions two to ten, and that a site’s overall link authority (domain rating) correlates strongly with higher rankings.

The same study also found that around 95% of pages have zero backlinks at all, which is exactly why the rare, high-authority ones earned through digital PR carry so much weight. Most content never earns a single link, so the pieces that do, stand out disproportionately.

Investing in digital PR is also increasingly the most effective way to earn those links.

Editorial.Link’s 2025 survey of 518 SEO professionals found digital PR was rated the most effective link-building tactic by 48.6% of respondents. That’s exactly where a strong digital PR programme earns its keep: newsworthy, research-led content that journalists and publications want to cover, and link to, on its own merits.

Digital PR and AI search visibility

As AI-powered search engines increasingly summarise content from authoritative sources, digital PR plays an important role in building the credibility and topical authority needed for AI visibility.

Behind every AI-generated answer sits a set of inputs the model is drawing on, and for B2B brands, those are usually exactly what a good digital PR programme already produces: press releases, thought leadership articles, owned research and clearly structured content.

That’s not a coincidence, and it’s not really a new discipline either. GEO and AEO get talked about as if they’re a separate skill B2B brands now need to bolt on. In practice, they reward the same fundamentals PR has always been built on: credible third-party coverage, consistent messaging and content that spells out what a business does and who it’s for.

The brands showing up well in AI-generated answers tend to be the ones already doing this properly, not the ones chasing a new set of tactics.

The stakes are higher than they were even a year ago, simply because so much research now happens inside an AI conversation rather than on a search results page.

If your brand isn’t part of what those tools have learned to draw on, or worse, if what’s out there about you is insufficient or inconsistent, you’re not just missing a ranking opportunity. You’re missing a say in how you get described to a buyer who may never visit your site at all.

We’ve written about this shift in more depth in the blog titled Why your next PR strategy needs to account for AI-generated brand visibility, which looks at exactly what AI platforms weigh most heavily and what that means for how B2B tech brands should be investing their PR effort.

Why choose Whiteoaks for digital PR

When combined with our Performance PR approach, digital PR extends your reach, reinforces your messaging and delivers measurable results across platforms, making it an effective, integrated B2B PR programme.

Whiteoaks combines digital PR, Performance PR and SEO-aware content to deliver measurable business outcomes. Our deliberately different approach, backed by 30+ years of B2B tech PR experience and a fixed fee for fixed outcomes with a money-back guaranteed model, helps technology companies increase online visibility, improve search performance, build authority and generate meaningful commercial results. You can see the approach in action across our client case studies.

Want to start seeing improvements in rankings and referral traffic to your website? Get in touch to find out how our digital PR services can help or explore how it fits alongside Performance PR for a fully integrated approach.

 

FAQs

What is digital PR?

Digital PR is the practice of improving online visibility through content marketing, media outreach, backlinks and digital-first PR strategies that support both brand awareness and SEO.

How does digital PR improve SEO?

Digital PR improves SEO by earning authoritative backlinks, increasing domain authority, generating referral traffic and creating content aligned with search intent, helping websites rank higher and appear more often in relevant search results.

What is the difference between digital PR and traditional PR?

Traditional PR focuses primarily on brand awareness through media coverage across print, broadcast and online. Digital PR aims to improve online discoverability, search rankings and website performance using SEO-focused strategies and backlink acquisition.

Why is digital PR important for B2B businesses?

Digital PR helps B2B businesses build trust, increase online visibility, generate qualified website traffic and establish authority within competitive markets where buyers do most of their research online before ever contacting a vendor.

Can digital PR improve AI search visibility?

Yes. High-quality content, authoritative backlinks and trusted media coverage help build the expertise and credibility that AI-powered search engines use when selecting reliable sources for AI-generated answers and overviews.

In this blog by Hayley Goff, CEO, and Sophie King, Associate Director, Whiteoaks, we talk about the key takeways from our recent webinar, including:

  • The importance of tying PR to business objectives
  • How integrated campaigns deliver stronger impact
  • Why measurement should focus on outcomes, not just outputs

 

PR often gets tarnished with the “fluffy” brush. 61% of PR professionals struggle to link PR to business goals, driving the perception that campaigns fail to demonstrate clear, measurable value.

And it’s unfortunately been a very real past experience for some of our clients. We hear of experiences with previous agencies where contracted hours have been used up halfway through a month with little to show for it, with activity then put on pause until the following month. This serves to not only create questions about an agency’s accountability, but about such models themselves.

With mounting pressure on B2B tech brands to prove the impact of every marketing investment, PR needs to connect the dots between activity and outcomes.

In our recent webinar, “If it’s not measurable, it’s meaningless: How to use PR for B2B tech”, Whiteoaks CEO Hayley Goff and Associate Director Sophie King explained how businesses can turn PR into a strategic, measurable asset. Here are some of the key takeaways:

PR with purpose

PR isn’t just how many times the name of a company or spokesperson appears in different media; it has a much greater purpose.

Coverage views on an article are great, but they don’t tell businesses if they’re making any measurable progress towards real outcomes. For example, if the objective of PR activity is to drive consideration for a product launch, supporting content needs to encourage engagement from potential buyers.

Effective measurement begins with clear objectives, whether that’s driving brand awareness, breaking into a new market or even supporting recruitment efforts. And different objectives may have different target audiences, such as customers, investors, analysts or future hires.

That’s why when we embark on a project with a new client, one of the first things we do is connect PR to these business priorities. We then show how our strategy links to those objectives and report back against them, proving our accountability to our clients.

Reaching audiences in different ways

So, what does a measurable campaign look like? Today’s best ones aren’t run in siloes. Whiteoaks’ Performance PR model brings together media relations, content, social and creative in one package.

A B2B tech brand might have a strong news story to share with the press, but it could actually be more impactful if it’s also repurposed on LinkedIn, for example. Shared on a social media platform, it can be backed by a visual campaign, supported by thought leadership content and amplified by colleagues on their personal profiles.

It’s about creating the opportunities for audiences to engage in different ways via a mix of touchpoints.

Audience-centric measurement

Audience-centric measurement is vital to gauge the effectiveness of campaigns, this can include metrics that align with visibility, engagement and impact.

Impact is often considered the holy grail of audience measurement, as it reflects how PR activity has influenced an audience’s perceptions or actions. Impact can be seen in a few different ways, such as changes in brand consideration, reputation, lead generation or new partnerships.

The old perceptions of PR as being based on vanity metrics or impossible to measure are outdated. Proving the business value of PR is entirely possible, with the right strategy behind it. By setting clear objectives from the outset, aligning activity to strategic priorities and measuring what really matters, PR can become a critical part of a brand’s growth story.

When campaigns are integrated, purposeful and designed with impact in mind, they deliver far more than coverage stats. They deliver tangible outcomes.

Want to find out more about how to turn PR into a strategic, measurable asset for your business? Download the full webinar to hear more from Hayley and Sophie.

In this blog by Hannah Buckley, Head of Content and Service Development, we talk about:

  • How to create lasting visibility by combining PR and SEO efforts
  • The importance of SEO strategy
  • The efficiency and measurement gains of integrated strategies

 

For many B2B tech brands, SEO and PR often operate in silos – each delivering their own set of outcomes, but rarely aligning for maximum impact. That separation can be a missed opportunity.

When these two disciplines work hand-in-hand, they amplify each other’s strengths in a way that delivers lasting visibility, stronger performance and measurable results.

PR isn’t just for headlines

Traditionally, PR has been associated with reputation-building, thought leadership and securing coverage in the media outlets that matter to your audience. These goals remain essential.

But when aligned with SEO best practice, PR also plays a role in shaping how your brand appears in search. Media coverage on respected websites can improve how search engines perceive your site, contributing to greater credibility and discoverability.

This shift isn’t about reinventing PR, it’s about extending its value. A well-placed article doesn’t just influence perception; it can also influence where and how a potential buyer finds you in the first place. That’s especially important in B2B, where long buying cycles often start with an online search.

Keywords and credibility

Effective SEO starts with understanding what your audience is searching for. Creating content that targets those terms is crucial, but visibility isn’t just about the right keywords – it’s also about who’s talking about you and where that content lives.

That’s why combining SEO with digital PR adds real value. Strategic content that’s both keyword-optimised and published in the right places supports stronger search rankings and puts your brand in front of the right audiences, at the right time.

Search intent also matters. When PR content aligns with high-intent keywords (those that indicate someone is actively looking for solutions) it becomes a powerful tool for lead generation. You’re not just being seen more; you’re being seen by people who are ready to act.

Integrated strategy, measurable results

Blending SEO and PR creates space for a more joined-up measurement approach. Instead of tracking siloed metrics, you can evaluate progress across keyword rankings, referral traffic, media coverage and search performance – seeing a clearer picture of impact.

It also makes delivery more efficient. One team, one strategy, aligned around a common goal: increasing your visibility in the media and in search results, where prospects are actively looking for solutions.

Measurement also becomes more meaningful when SEO and PR are viewed together.

A spike in referral traffic from a media hit doesn’t just signal PR success, it can also impact metrics like bounce rates, time on page, and even conversion rates if supported by well-structured landing pages. Similarly, improvements in keyword rankings can often be traced back to the credibility gained through external coverage.

Understanding these touchpoints helps demonstrate the cumulative impact of your communications strategy with tangible business outcomes.

Turning powerful stories into lasting digital visibility

Want to ensure your PR and SEO efforts are joined up?

Get in touch to set up a call and find out how Visibility+, our new digital PR service, helps B2B tech brands turn powerful stories into lasting digital visibility, backed by SEO strategy.

We’re one team, delivering two outcomes: visibility in the media and visibility in search.

In this blog, Natalia Kaczmarek, Digital Content Manager at Whiteoaks, discusses:

  • How AI is being used in B2B tech PR
  • Why AI is a tool and not a replacement for human judgement, creativity and relationships
  • The importance of responsible use and transparency


How many times have you heard about artificial intelligence (AI) this week?

A quick scroll on LinkedIn, a news headline, or even a passing reference in a Netflix drama, conversations about AI are becoming impossible to ignore.

AI may have started in the tech world, but it’s now influencing how B2B businesses across all industries communicate, compete and grow – and public relations (PR) is no exception.

AI in PR is making a measurable impact. However, as PR agencies and in-house PR teams rush to adopt new tools, there’s an important balance to strike.

In B2B tech PR, the value of AI lies in how it supports professionals, not replaces them.

Yes, it can improve efficiency. Yes, it can make data analysis easier.

But strategy, creativity and relationship-building still sit firmly in human hands.

The use cases for AI in public relations

Here are some examples of where AI tools can add value to PR professionals:

#1 In-depth, faster desk research
Research is one of the most common applications of AI in B2B tech PR. In fact, a recent study conducted by PR Week highlighted that three out of four agencies already use AI for this purpose.

By scanning news coverage, summarising long reports and spotting emerging themes across multiple sources, AI helps PR teams get up to speed on new topics quickly and in more depth. It can surface stats, pull quotes from thought leaders and highlight common narratives, saving hours of manual research.

For PR consultants working on complex subjects like cyber security, data analytics or cloud infrastructure, tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity can also breakdown technical concepts or compare industry viewpoints. This means teams can spend less time gathering information and more time applying it strategically.

#2 Overcoming writer’s block
We’ve all been there – staring at a blank page, and no matter how hard we try, the ideas just won’t come. This is where AI tools can really help. Whether writers need ideas for a headline or a structure for a blog, AI can help generate outlines or suggest different angles, helping them get unstuck.

AI can be a helpful starting point, but the content still needs to be shaped, checked and edited by a human content specialist. Tone of voice and context still matter, and that’s something AI can’t fully replicate. But when used thoughtfully, AI can help nurture the seed of an idea into something more structured, giving writers a solid base to build on.

#3 Global campaign support
Another common use of AI across PR is transcription and translation. For teams managing multiple interviews, international clients or content that needs to land in more than one language, AI can be a huge time-saver.

Let’s be honest, no one speaks every language. AI tools can help transcribe interviews quickly and provide initial translations of press releases, articles or social posts. These translations aren’t final, but they offer a solid starting point for creating accurate, local-language versions that reflect cultural nuance and tone.

This means faster turnaround across time zones, greater consistency in messaging and more time spent on tailoring content to local relevance, not just getting it out the door.

#4 Media monitoring and reporting
Finally, AI can help PR teams stay on top of coverage, conduct real-time media monitoring and streamline admin tasks.

With tools like Google Alerts often falling short, AI can fill the gap for things like real-time monitoring, competitor tracking and sentiment analysis, scanning the web in real time to show how people are actually talking about a company or issue.

By tracking keywords, coverage patterns and industry conversations, AI helps B2B tech PR teams respond quickly when stories break or sentiment starts to shift.

Where AI won’t replace human PR professionals

There’s no doubt that AI tools in PR are useful. Otherwise, PR professionals wouldn’t be investing in them.

However, not everything in PR can, or should, be handed over to AI algorithms.

For a start, PR is rooted in trust and relationships, and even an AI system running the Matrix wouldn’t be able to replicate human awareness, sensitivity, good judgment and ethics.

Building strong connections with journalists, navigating tough stakeholder conversations, handling a crisis with sensitivity, developing content that balances thought leadership with brand awareness, all of these require judgement, context and emotional intelligence.

The same applies to strategy.

Understanding the correlation between clients’ business and PR goals, interpreting nuance and making informed decisions based on years of experience is where human PR teams still matter most. AI can support the work, but it can’t set the direction.

Creativity too has its limits with AI.

While tools can generate ideas or scan past campaigns for inspiration, they lack the insight to craft a pitch that lands with a specific journalist, or an angle that differentiates a client in a crowded market. After all, AI and ML learn from existing data sets, so originality can be limited.

In B2B tech PR, where technical accuracy and positioning are key, relying too heavily on AI risks eroding credibility.

The real opportunity: support, not substitution

The real opportunity for AI in B2B tech PR lies in its ability to support teams, helping them work faster, smarter and with greater precision.

Used well, AI can automate the heavy lifting, but it needs clear boundaries.

Research still needs validating.

Media outreach still needs the human touch.

Thought leadership content and social media posts need skilled writers to avoid rinse and repeat-style content (please remove that rocket emoji and any mention of a cornerstone…). With LinkedIn as the main platform for B2B tech companies, it’s worth remembering that it prioritises content with originality and authenticity, and penalises anything that feels generic or AI-generated.

AI’s role will grow in PR

AI in B2B tech PR has a clear and growing role, but it’s not a replacement for people, and it shouldn’t be treated as one.

The PR teams seeing the most value are those using AI to strengthen what they already do well.

They’re not automating creativity.

They’re not outsourcing judgement.

They’re applying AI where it makes sense, and keeping people where they matter most.

As AI tools evolve, so will the opportunities. But the foundation of impactful and measurable PR and strong, long-lasting client relationships will remain very much in human hands.

And as AI becomes more embedded in agency workflows, transparency will matter more than ever, helping clients understand how it’s being used and the value it brings to their campaigns.

Find out about the team of experts (not bots!) behind our PR campaigns and get in touch to learn how we can support your business.

 

In this blog, we discuss:

  • the visibility challenges digital infrastructure brands face
  • why traditional PR often falls short in this sector
  • how a performance-focused approach can help

 

There’s a certain irony in working in digital infrastructure.

You’re the engine room of the internet – powering websites, platforms and content; keeping storage, cloud services, networks and data flowing.

You make the digital world work, keeping everyone else online, connected and visible.

And yet… generating visibility for your own brand? That’s more of a challenge.

The digital infrastructure market is crowded. Buyers are sceptical. Sales cycles are long. And your competition are behemoths like AWS, Microsoft and Google.

So how do you cut through?

How do you prove you’re not just another “cloud solution”?

How can you prove – categorically – that PR spend is worth the investment?

Common challenges for digital infrastructure brands 

Do any of these challenges sound familiar? If so, read on. Digital infrastructure brands are among the hundreds of B2B tech brands we’ve worked with for the last 30 years and these are the problems we see most often. 

Struggling to generate visibility and differentiate: Being seen is one thing. Getting noticed is another. Visibility puts you on the radar, but standing out is what makes people pay attention. Your tech might be smarter, faster, more secure but if your message sounds like everyone else’s, it’ll get lost. Buyers are under pressure and short on time so your PR needs to grab attention, outshine the competition and be remembered.

Your buyers have complex buying cycles: Selling into a buying committee is like trying to convince a table full of people to agree on where to eat: the IT lead wants performance; the finance lead wants savings; the compliance officer wants a stress-free audit.

Infrastructure deals take time; they’re high value, involve multiple decision-makers and often drag on for months. With all the internal discussions, questions and delays you need to keep one foot in the room the whole way through. So how do you stay relevant and helpful without being pushy or annoying?

Performance PR can help digital infrastructure brands

It increases visibility through:

  • Press releases which get your news in front of the right journalists.
  • Articles which give your take on the issues your buyers care about.
  • Case studies which prove you can deliver.
  • Videos which bring what you do to life in a way that’s quick, clear and shareable.
  • Award entries show you’re recognised for your solutions and work.
  • Social campaigns which put your message in front of decision-makers where they’re already scrolling.

It can aid complex buying cycles:

PR must support and nurture journeys, not just bring in the leads initially. Therefore there needs to be a drip of communication, with messages delivered clearly, confidently and consistently.

  • PR can keep you visible across a long decision-making process period so you’re not forgotten.
  • It can deliver a steady flow of interviews, thought leadership and media features which can educate and reassure your buyers throughout the process.
  • It can help to secure third-party endorsements e.g. via customer testimonials or mentions in analyst reports which make it easier for buyers to justify their decision internally.

All these PR activities can position your brand as a trustworthy, forward-thinking choice. And earning trust is key, because when buyers are comparing options, the brand they’ve seen offering consistent, valuable insight is the one they’re more likely to pick. And when you tailor messaging to your buyers’ different roles, your sales team can use PR’s useful content and coverage to keep conversations warm – and crucially – moving.

How Performance PR can secure internal buy in

Even if you do, not everyone in your organisation is likely to get what PR does.

To non-marketing teams and senior management, things like “brand awareness” or “engagement” sound fluffy. Instead they’re focused on: leads, deals and revenue. So when you talk about top-of-funnel activity or PR coverage, the first question is often: “What’s the ROI?”

A fair question, but it puts a lot of pressure on professionals like you to prove the value of work which doesn’t always result in conversion overnight.

Have you ever had to justify questions like: 

“How many leads did that article bring in?”

“What’s the value of that podcast appearance?”

“Do we really need to be on that panel?”

Well this is where Performance PR comes in. 

Performance PR is built on measurable KPIs, ensuring every campaign is aligned with your business objectives. By directly linking actions to outcomes, it delivers clear evidence of impact. It ditches vanity metrics and speaks the language the boardroom wants to hear.

It arms you with proof so when leadership asks what PR is doing for the business, you can confidently say: “Let me show you.”

Measuring PR’s impact for digital infrastructure brands

So just what might those numbers and outcomes look like in a Performance PR campaign designed to target these challenges?

Visibility: If PR is helping you to become more visible, you’ll see increased media coverage, search interest, social mentions, website traffic and backlinks.

Complex buying cycles: To measure whether your PR efforts are supporting complex buying cycles, you want to track metrics which show how PR is influencing awareness, trust, education and conversion over time. Are more people searching for your brand, visiting your site or downloading your content after a campaign? Are leads engaging with thought leadership, mentioning articles in sales calls or moving through the funnel faster?

If you’re in digital infrastructure and battling to stand out, drive your pipeline and prove ROI, it’s time for a partner who gets it. That’s where we come in. Find out more about Performance PR and how we do it here at Whiteoaks. Ready when you are.

In this blog, Whiteoaks discusses:

  • Why B2B tech brands should invest in their own research
  • How to turn a single research report into long-term content marketing strategy

 

Research projects are increasingly becoming a strategy of choice for B2B tech brands looking to position themselves as thought leaders. The media continues to have an appetite for the insights these industry surveys can deliver.

By investing in research, brands like yours can generate credible insights that serve to differentiate themselves from the competition and leverage for the media coverage to reach their target audiences and strengthen their market position.

Whether conducted in-house or outsourced to a specialist research company, however, surveys take time and resources to complete. B2B tech brands may also have concerns about the outcomes, with fears that results will fail to challenge the status quo and therefore won’t be newsworthy.

But research surveys with carefully crafted questions and responses can generate useful insights from target audiences.

Here are the three key reasons why it’s worth the investment:

One: Data-backed thought leadership

By collecting and owning data from their own surveys, businesses like yours don’t have to rely on external data to deliver industry insights.

Instead, you have your own IP, which enables you to differentiate your commentary, repurpose the data for marketing and strategic planning, and build credibility among clients, prospects and industry peers alike.

Successful research projects may even spur on yearly revisits, allowing you to compare and contrast data over a period of time, thereby enabling you to build insights into market trends and momentum and truly own a niche. 

Two: The opportunity to become a market trailblazer

Commissioning research enables a brand to shape industry conversations, rather than just reacting to them. By uncovering new trends, challenges or opportunities, businesses can be positioned as forward-thinking leaders.

These insights can also be used to inform strategy internally – giving a business unique market intelligence into its audiences that can shape product launches etc.

Three: Fuel for long-term marketing and content

Insights gained from research can fuel far more than a single report; they can provide a foundation for ongoing marketing efforts.

Key findings can be repurposed across PR campaigns in thought leadership articles, news releases, eBooks and industry whitepapers, as well as assets that can be shared on social media, such as infographics, social media tiles and videos.

They can even be leveraged for sales presentations. By selecting relevant results, and inserting them into their pitch slides, your teams can build a more persuasive case for a product, or service offering; address buyer pain points or validate the need for a solution.

In addition, you can revisit the data to comment or add context to breaking news stories, or to deliver insightful and timely commentary pieces.

If you want help in bringing these benefits to life but aren’t sure where to begin, we can offer guidance.

To kick-start your research journey, get in touch with us today.

In this blog, Whiteoaks’ CEO, Hayley Goff, discusses:

  • What Performance PR is and how it differs from traditional PR
  • How Performance PR is measured
  • Why accountability matters more than ever for B2B tech brands investing in PR

What is Performance PR?

Performance PR is a results-driven approach to public relations that connects PR activity to clear business objectives and measurable outcomes. At Whiteoaks, accountability is built into our Performance PR model. We offer ‘fixed fees for fixed outcomes’ with agreed targets backed by a formal service level agreement and money-back guarantee.

But to understand more about the Performance PR approach, it helps to consider a familiar situation.

You’re a successful tech brand eager to attract new clients and establish industry credibility.

You decide to invest in PR, and enlist a top-tier agency on a monthly retainer, which promises coverage in leading industry publications. The campaign has some success, but it’s not what you’d hoped for, especially considering your investment.

There’s a distinct lack of tangible results, the phones have remained eerily quiet and the promised influx of engagement and referrals fails to materialise. Frustrated, you abandon the PR element of your marketing and communications campaign.

All you have to show are several large holes in your budget, and a boss piling on the pressure for results.

This is a frequent scenario we hear from marketing and senior leadership teams within technology businesses, who come to us deflated and disappointed with their incumbent PR agency.

After poor performance, insufficient results and a lack of accountability, the high cost is the final nail in the coffin. Expensive retainers, missed targets and a lack of transparency, which leaves brands with zero recourse, is a model that has given PR a bad name.

But there is an alternative – Performance PR – and it’s something we have preached and practised at Whiteoaks for over 30 years. This approach offers peace of mind for the client and accountability for us. 

How does Performance PR differ from traditional PR?

The main difference between Performance PR and traditional PR is how the agency relationship is structured and how campaign success is defined.

Under a traditional retainer model, a client will often pay for an agreed amount of agency time or activity each month. That might include media outreach, content development, press releases and reporting.

Success can then become focused on what the agency produced, such as the number of journalists contacted or pieces of coverage secured.

These outputs can be valuable, but they do not necessarily explain whether the campaign reached the right people, communicated the right messages or supported the client’s wider objectives.

Performance PR starts with the result the business needs.

The Performance PR agency and their client agree the objective, activity, deliverables and targets at the outset. Reporting is then based on progress against those commitments rather than a record of how agency time was spent.

Media coverage still matters, but it is considered in context. A piece of coverage is more valuable when it appears in a publication trusted by the target audience, includes the messages the brand needs to communicate and encourages further engagement.

This creates a clearer connection between the PR activity and what the business is trying to achieve.

Why Performance PR matters to B2B tech brands

Marketing leaders are under growing pressure to prove that their budgets are being used effectively.

According to Gartner’s 2025 CMO Spend Survey, 39% of CMOs planned to reduce agency budgets, with eliminating unproductive agency relationships among the main actions being taken.

In that environment, a monthly PR report listing completed activity is unlikely to be enough. Marketing teams need to explain who the campaign reached and how it contributed to the business objective.

Performance PR creates that connection by agreeing relevant targets before campaign delivery begins.

Setting those targets requires a proper understanding of the business, its audience, priorities and  timelines. The measures should reflect what the campaign is genuinely expected to influence, rather than applying the same set of metrics to every client.

Our approach to target setting for Performance PR explains how we turn these considerations into meaningful campaign KPIs.

This focus is also consistent with the AMEC Barcelona Principles, which state that measuring communications outcomes should be preferred to measuring outputs alone.

The purpose is not to claim PR was solely responsible for every lead or sale. It is to provide credible evidence of the role communications played in supporting the organisation’s goals.

How the Performance PR model improves the agency relationship

In practice, the Performance PR model gives clients greater clarity from the start. The campaign objectives, activity, targets and costs are agreed upfront, so both sides understand what success looks like and how progress will be assessed.

This creates:

Greater accountability: The agency is held accountable for delivering the agreed targets. At Whiteoaks, that commitment is written into a formal service level agreement and backed by a money-back guarantee.

Clearer costs: Fixed fees for fixed outcomes give clients clarity about their investment from the beginning. There are no vague promises about how a bank of retainer hours might be used.

More meaningful reporting: Campaign reporting is connected to the business and PR objectives. This helps teams explain the value of PR to senior leaders and demonstrate progress using relevant evidence.

Better campaign decisions: Regular measurement helps identify which messages, channels and activities are having the strongest impact. That insight can be used to improve the campaign rather than waiting until the end to discover what worked.

Stronger alignment with the business: Performance PR begins with the actual needs of the organisation. Campaigns are designed to build reputation, change perceptions, strengthen authority or support growth rather than generate coverage for its own sake.

What are the benefits of Performance PR?

The results will depend on what the campaign is designed to achieve, but Performance PR can help brands:

Increase brand awareness: Consistent, well-targeted coverage across the channels your audience actually pays attention to keeps your brand front of mind as they start researching a solution.

Attract more relevant leads: Campaigns designed around your actual buyers, rather than broad reach alone, tend to attract enquiries from people who are a genuine fit rather than a high volume of the wrong audience.

Strengthen credibility: Positioning your business and its experts as trusted voices, through media coverage, thought leadership and third-party endorsement, builds a kind of credibility that advertising alone cannot buy.

Demonstrate clear return on investment: Because targets are agreed upfront and tracked throughout, you can show, in commercial terms, what your PR investment has actually delivered.

How Performance PR is measured

Measurement against business objectives and absolute accountability sit at the heart of Performance PR.

There is no single set of KPIs that applies to every campaign. Every client’s goals are different, so a programme designed to raise awareness should not be measured in exactly the same way as one focused on executive visibility, thought leadership or audience engagement.

The KPIs should always reflect the purpose of the Performance PR campaign.

For awareness-led activity, they could include coverage in priority publications, audience reach, key message penetration, share of voice against competitors or visibility around key industry topics.

For a campaign focused on building credibility, they might include quality of thought leadership opportunities, executive commentary in relevant media, engagement with expert content, invitations to contribute to industry discussions or changes in how the brand is represented.

Where the objective is to encourage an audience to take action, the campaign might track website referrals, content downloads, event registrations, social engagement, enquiries or other meaningful responses

Coverage volume can form part of the Performance PR measurement framework, but it should not be viewed in isolation. A high number of articles in publications that do not reach the target audience may have less value than one detailed feature in a title that buyers know and trust. Effective measurement considers the quality, relevance and impact of the result.

These KPIs are tracked across the different channels of an integrated campaign, from media relations to content and social media to creative work, all pulling in the same direction toward the agreed targets.

Why choose Whiteoaks for Performance PR

Performance PR isn’t just another marketing tactic at Whiteoaks. It’s ingrained in our approach, because it embodies our values and behaviours as a B2B tech PR agency.

Our values – quality, teamwork, integrity and commerciality – underpin our performance-led approach. In our employee-owned business, every member of staff is personally invested, so your results are our success too. That alignment translates into better outcomes for clients.

Performance PR allows us to be one hundred per cent accountable to our clients, and to continually improve and evolve our services.

Over our 30-year heritage, that’s helped us become a trusted partner to many. You can see the approach in action across our client work.

Want greater clarity and accountability from your PR investment? Talk to our team about a Performance PR campaign built around your business objectives.

 

FAQ

What is Performance PR?

Performance PR is a results-driven approach to public relations that connects PR activity to clear business objectives and measurable outcomes. At Whiteoaks, accountability is built into our Performance PR model. We offer ‘fixed fees for fixed outcomes’ with agreed targets backed by a formal service level agreement and money-back guarantee.

How is Performance PR measured?

Performance PR is measured using metrics including media coverage quality, website traffic, organic search performance, lead generation, conversions and engagement.

How is Performance PR different from traditional PR?

Traditional PR relationships are typically based on a monthly retainer and a set amount of agency activity. Performance PR instead focuses on agreed campaign outcomes, with defined targets linked to business goals and agency accountability for delivering them.

Why is measuring PR performance important?

Measuring the performance of PR campaigns enables B2B businesses to understand campaign effectiveness, optimise future strategies and demonstrate return on investment.

Hook, Hampshire, 11 May 2022: Whiteoaks International has been awarded the PRCA Gold Communications Management Standard (CMS) accreditation. This is the fifth consecutive year the agency has achieved CMS accreditation.

The award is the result of a successful audit and moderation session that examined areas including business planning, business development and benchmarking.

Renna Markson MPRCA, Deputy Director General and Engagement Director, says:

“Congratulations to Whiteoaks International for achieving the Gold CMS Award for demonstrating best practices in PR over the past five years. The quality assurance report commended the agency for their detailed and comprehensive response, especially their benchmarking evidence, which demonstrates their strong position in the marketplace. The report also noted that they have a collaborative approach to business planning and a strong track record in new business development. Clients are offered transparent and detailed contracts, which is testament to the Whiteoaks International’s commitment to quality service.”

The accreditation is based on the ISO9001 standard for quality and Investors in People, and is unique to the PR and communications industry.

“As an employee-owned business on an ambitious growth path and dedicated to delivering on our mission of guaranteeing better results from integrated B2B PR and communications campaigns for our clients, we are delighted with our Gold CMS accreditation,” says Whiteoaks MD Suzanne Griffiths.

“Our passionate team of specialists is committed to giving our clients exactly what they need – results, proactivity and impact so being recognised for that is a great motivator for the team and great acknowledgement of their commitment.”

Whiteoaks International has named Hayley Goff as its new CEO. Goff steps into the role from the position of chief operating officer and will strive to strengthen Whiteoaks’ position in the market and drive the business towards furthering its mission of guaranteeing better results from integrated B2B PR and communications campaigns for its clients.

Goff takes the reins from current CEO James Kelliher who is moving into an advisory role as non-executive director on the Whiteoaks board.

“This is another huge step forward for Whiteoaks and as CEO, I look forward to leading our dedicated team of specialists along our growth journey. I am passionate about our deliberately different approach which offers a flexible engagement model and guarantees results, return on investment and above all, happy clients,” says Goff.

“As a proudly employee-owned business we all have an even bigger stake in our clients’ success and we are committed to giving them exactly what they need in terms of results, proactivity and market impact.”

The make up of the Whiteoaks executive board of directors remains mostly unchanged with Suzanne Griffiths (managing director) and John Broy (chief client officer) supporting Goff in her new role. Current non-executive director Andrew Marsden has stepped down.

Goff joined Whiteoaks in 2004, moving up through the ranks holding a number of senior roles and working on key international accounts across the business. Goff joined the Whiteoaks board in 2013 following a management buy-out before moving into the role of chief operating officer, where she provided strategic and creative consultancy across the client portfolio.

“Hayley is a tremendous asset to the business in terms of how she helps shape clients’ strategy, the strong relationships she’s built over the years, and her inspiring leadership. As I move into my new role as non-executive director, I have the utmost confidence that Hayley will continue to drive Whiteoaks forward and lead the team to success in pursuit of our ambitious objectives,” says James Kelliher, outgoing CEO.

The appointment is effective from 01 May 2023.

Whiteoaks International, the UK’s leading B2B tech PR agency, has been appointed by AccountsIQ, the award-winning accountancy SaaS provider, to deliver an integrated campaign across the UK and Ireland. The targeted campaign will run over 12 months and is aimed at elevating the AccountsIQ brand and building its corporate profile.

Following a period of exceptional growth, AccountsIQ identified the need to increase its visibility within its target market. AccountsIQ’s decision to select Whiteoaks is testament to the company’s unparalleled experience in delivering results for fast-growing technology businesses, and its reputation for targeted campaigns that elevate brands, and speak to the right audiences, with the right content, through the right channels to deliver behavioural change.

“In a competitive pitch process, Whiteoaks’ professional approach, deep domain experience and commitment to delivering measurable results impressed us. We look forward to working with the team to further our business goals over the coming year,” says Sara Laccone, head of marketing, AccountsIQ.

Whiteoaks will be delivering an integrated, creative brand awareness campaign, encompassing media relations, thought leadership and corporate profiling to elevate awareness of AccountsIQ’s products and services amongst fast-growth businesses.

Founded in Dublin in 2004, AccountsIQ provides a suite of financial management software that enables businesses to use financial data more strategically, empowering informed decision-making and raising the finance function to a strategic hub. AccountsIQ is a well-established vendor in the accountancy software field, designed for fast-growth and multi-entity businesses. More than 6,000 entities worldwide currently use AccountsIQ software.

Hayley Goff, COO of Whiteoaks International says: “Our ability to deliver an integrated campaign across media, social, creative, and content puts us in an elevated position within the UK technology PR sector and means we can manage the end-to-end process delivering return on investment and consistency of message across channels while ensuring an excellent level of service. We are delighted to be working with AccountsIQ to further accelerate their business growth in the UK and Ireland.”