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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.

ABM and PR might seem like two distinct strategies, but, in fact, when combined, they create a powerful approach to engaging high-value accounts. PR builds a credibility and awareness for a brand, while ABM ensures your efforts are laser-focused on a key audience.

We recently hosted a webinar, “The Marriage of ABM and PR”, exploring how these two strategies work together to drive stronger results. If you missed it, you can now watch the full webinar on-demand. But first, here are some key takeaways to whet your appetite.

PR lays the groundwork for ABM success

ABM is all about precision – targeting high-value accounts with personalised campaigns. But before you can engage decision-makers, they need to know who you are and trust your brand. That’s where PR comes in.

A strong PR strategy builds brand awareness and credibility, and helps to shape your reputation. This ensures that when your ABM campaigns reach key accounts, they’re already familiar with your business and ideally have a favourable perception.

Aligning sales, marketing and PR improves targeting

ABM requires close collaboration between sales and marketing to identify and engage the right accounts.

PR adds another layer of intelligence by helping to map audience personas, understand industry conversations and position your brand as a thought leader.

Together, these elements create a more informed and strategic approach to account targeting – helping every activity to be more impactful.

You don’t have to start from scratch

Effective Performance PR campaigns generate valuable content, whether that’s thought leadership articles, case studies or reports, that can be repurposed to support ABM initiatives.

Rather than starting from scratch, you can tailor existing PR assets to appeal to specific accounts and what you know about them. This ensures consistency in messaging while also maximising the impact of your content and the initial outlay of time and resource to create those pieces.

Data sharing strengthens both strategies

PR provides a broad view of industry trends, audience sentiment and brand perception – valuable insights that can sharpen ABM strategies. Understanding how your brand is positioned in the market helps refine messaging and outreach for high-value accounts.

At the same time, ABM generates detailed data on target accounts, from engagement patterns to key pain points. Feeding this intelligence back into PR efforts ensures media outreach and thought leadership align with what truly resonates with decision-makers, making both strategies more effective.

Want to learn more about how to make ABM and PR work together for your business?

Watch our webinar on-demand and get in touch to find out more!

Pressure to grow, lack of visibility and the relentless chase for leads – these are the challenges every B2B tech brand knows all too well. But, how can they be resolved?

Throughout this article, you’ll see common themes emerge, showing how Performance PR addresses these issues with a measurable, results-driven approach to achieving your business goals. Here’s how it tackles some of the most pressing challenges. 

Challenge one: We are under pressure to grow quickly

Growth is tough – especially for the people responsible for making it happen. Leaders want results fast and everything is under scrutiny. Every move, every decision, every outcome is tracked – but that’s where Performance PR can make a real impact.

Growth comes down to two things – visibility and credibility. If your brand isn’t being seen, then you’re invisible to customers and opportunities.

But visibility alone isn’t enough. Without credibility, visibility doesn’t stick.

Credibility turns attention into trust and trust into loyalty. That’s why positioning your brand as a thought leader is a tool we frequently employ in our strategies – it’s how we get B2B tech brands from being noticed to being respected.

As Performance PR is measurable, it means you can show exactly how every campaign, building visibility and credibility, supports your growth goals. No fluff, no guesswork – just clear evidence to get senior stakeholders on board and give them continued confidence in what you’re doing.

Challenge two: We lack brand visibility and awareness

In such a competitive field as B2B tech, increasing your brand’s visibility, expanding its reach and therefore attracting potential customers can be really difficult.

The focus should be on getting your brand featured in the industry publications and spaces which matter most to your target audience – the places that capture the attention of your potential customers.

This can be achieved through campaigns comprising of deliverables including:

Press releases

Articles

Case studies

Videos

Award entries

Social campaigns

Sharing your expertise in a variety of ways and across a diverse set of channels will capture your audience’s various segments and ultimately help position your brand as a trusted authority.

You can measure the direct impact of these efforts using metrics such as:

Coverage numbers

Audience reach

Key message penetration

Challenge three: We are launching a new product and need to cut through the noise 

Launching a new product successfully hinges on three elements: driving awareness, building excitement and encouraging adoption.

We’ve already talked about ways to boost visibility and brand awareness but to connect with your audience effectively, your messaging needs to consist of compelling narratives which resonate and inspire action. Achieving this requires a deep understanding of what motivates them, what challenges they face and what they value. With this insight, our team here at Whiteoaks can develop narratives to position your product as a ground-breaking solution.

Connecting with the right audiences means using the most effective channels to tell your story – another reason why Performance PR and its integrated approach works well – using content, social media and creative helps to ensure your narratives reach and engage your audience. This will amplify your message and also drive meaningful engagement with your product.

Challenge four: We are not seen as thought leaders   

As we’ve discussed, establishing yourself as a thought leader builds trust and credibility – and the integrated approach of Performance PR is key to making it happen. Alongside securing coverage in relevant publications, creating and publishing supporting content to demonstrate your expertise is equally important for establishing thought leadership. Content might include:

Articles

Blogs

Whitepapers

Podcasts

LinkedIn can also be a powerful tool to showcase your team as a credible voice. People connect better with other people, rather than with brands, so having employees share content, comment on posts and start real conversations can make a big difference.

Challenge five: We’re not driving enough leads into the business

To acquire a lead, you need to offer something they want at the right price – and be trusted to deliver. So the process of generating more involves focusing on increasing your brand’s visibility and building a trustworthy, credible and authentic reputation.

One way to achieve this is by addressing your audience’s challenges directly. Use articles, whitepapers, account-based marketing (ABM) and creative and paid social campaigns to provide them with real solutions, and prove you know what you’re talking about and are equipped to help.

 

If you need some help in overcoming these challenges and you’re keen to learn more about how Performance PR can help you, then get in touch.

Many think likes, shares and follower counts are vanity metrics. Some think content is there to fill up space on your website or social channels – but don’t be fooled! Social media and content are essential elements for amplifying stories and brand messages and driving business goals in a way traditional media coverage, on its own, cannot.

When strategically combined, content and social media can work together in Performance PR campaigns to have an even greater impact – here’s how.

1. Transform technical topics

Effective B2B tech content should simplify complex, technical topics and transform them into engaging, digestible pieces which resonate with your target audience.

Content supports and enhances the campaigns for Liberata, a company supplying business process services and software, and one that we’ve worked with historically.

Russell Faulkner, then Liberata’s Marketing and Propositions Manager, said: “The fact you have dedicated writers who can sit with one of our product specialists for half an hour and create a piece of content that captures the essence of what we do, using language that is easily understood, really makes a massive difference to us.”

It’s also worth considering how your audience consumes information – some may prefer reading a PDF at their own pace, while others are open to joining a 30-minute webinar during their lunch break. Offering content in diverse formats can help you reach broader segments of your audience.

Formats like whitepapers, technical blogs, expert webinars, research reports and eBooks can effectively convey key messages, educate, inform and dive deeper into topics.

For example, we are currently managing a social media campaign titled ‘Did You Know?’ for one of our clients, highlighting key product features through concise, engaging LinkedIn carousels. Feedback from the client’s sales team indicates that these posts frequently spark discussions with potential customers, demonstrating how a well-executed content strategy can have a direct influence on business outcomes.

2. Target audiences with precision

With the ability to target specific job titles, industries and interests, LinkedIn’s advanced targeting capabilities allow for creating highly-relevant and impactful sponsored posts. These can amplify media coverage to ensure it appears directly in front of key decision-makers, thereby helping your brand reach the right people, with the right message, at the right time.

At Whiteoaks, we’ve seen clients successfully promote research reports and eBooks on LinkedIn and X, turning posts into impressive download rates and high-quality leads.

Social media has the ability to elevate PR content from being read once into a story which takes a life of its own; it’s shared, engaged with and drives tangible results.

3. Establish credibility through thought leadership

By positioning your company and employees as industry experts, you can turn fleeting media mentions into long-term PR wins. In B2B tech, thought leadership is the building block of credibility and trust.

Social media – and especially LinkedIn – is the ideal platform to showcase your employees as credible voices, while also amplifying these efforts. Regularly sharing expert insights, case studies and innovations helps brands – either directly, or by association with their employees – establish themselves as thought leaders, driving awareness and unlocking new business opportunities. People have the power to build more personal connections than brands by sharing content, engaging with others’ posts and initiating meaningful conversations through direct messaging.

Driving results for B2B tech audiences

B2B tech audiences are discerning. They’re highly educated, data-driven and laser-focused on technical accuracy. Fluff simply won’t cut it. PR content must be sharp, detailed and packed with genuine value. Whitepapers, technical blogs, webinars and case studies can dive deep into industry challenges and deliver thought-provoking insights.

Measuring social media and content

Ultimately, what really counts is being able to measure the performance of your content and social media efforts within your PR campaign to understand its impact on your bottom line. Thankfully, social media platforms and their third-party integrations offer detailed metrics to allow you to assess success and also optimise and refine.

When campaigns are aligned with business goals and the right KPIs are set, you can benchmark your metrics against them and clearly demonstrate the ROI of your PR efforts.

If social media and content aren’t pulling their weight in your current PR campaigns, it’s time for a change. Get in touch with us today, and let’s discover how we can amplify your message and drive tangible results.

Are you sceptical of anyone who claims they can guarantee results? It often sounds too good to be true.

But that’s what Performance PR is all about; guaranteed results or your money back.

Our ‘fixed fees for fixed outcomes’ model, bolstered by robust KPIs and offer of a formal service level agreement, means if we don’t hit the targets we’ve agreed with you, you don’t pay for them. It sounds bold, wild, and perhaps even a little risky (on our part) but the truth is it offers transparency and accountability, a return on investment for you, and success for us; because your wins are also ours.

You’re waiting for a ‘but’…

Well, there is no ‘but’. There is, however, an important discussion about how we set those agreed targets; the process, working out what is achievable and understanding how they relate to your overall business objectives. But how do we go about doing that?

Working with you and for you

We specialise in collaborating with B2B tech brands, so we already have a comprehensive grasp of the tech PR landscape. The more intricate process of devising campaigns and setting outcomes goes a little like this:

  • We forge an intimate understanding of your business; your positioning and your commitment to your customers.
  • We extensively analyse your target audience; what are your customer pain points and their aspirations? Which communities do they congregate in – where can we target them?
  • We understand your overarching business objectives; are you interested in building brand awareness or generating brand loyalty, for example?
  • We look at your timelines – what do you need to achieve and by when?

All this informs the strategy and helps us craft the narratives underpinning the campaign; we want them to cut through the noise and drive meaningful results.

Why agree on outcomes?

Results can only be reported objectively and quantified if measured, which lies at the heart of Performance PR. We’ve written comprehensively on our approach to measurement.

We use KPIs to measure performance against a business goal. KPIs can include traditional media coverage volume, website traffic, social media engagement, and more. We recommend tracking just a few important KPIs, and only those that are relevant to what you’re trying to achieve.

Agreeing on the campaign’s targets or its outcomes is important because it provides clarity for all parties, it defines the scope of a campaign and is important for managing expectations.

And when those KPI targets are hit – and they’ve been aligned with business objectives – demonstrating ROI becomes straightforward and makes justifying the investment in performance PR to your senior management team a piece of cake.

Deciding and reporting on targets

So how do we set KPIs targets? The slightly annoying answer is “it depends” because the truth is, of course, every client and their goals are unique.

Setting targets in PR requires a delicate balance between ambition and realism. Budget constraints and timing play significant roles in determining what is feasible within a given campaign. And it’s essential to establish clear milestones and delivery stages, allowing for iterative adjustments along the way.

For a business seeking to enhance brand awareness, our reporting would likely highlight metrics such as the volume of media coverage, total media impressions garnered by the campaign, and the audience’s association with key messages (message penetration). We could compare these statistics before and after the campaign to illustrate the impact and changes achieved.

For a business working to build brand loyalty, trust, and credibility, we’d report on metrics showing the content’s effectiveness at engaging your audience and sentiment. Agreed KPIs would include ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ on social media platforms, or clicks through to a webpage, comments, messages, and enquiries.

For a business aiming to enhance brand consideration, we could focus on measuring the percentage change in brand perception before and after a PR campaign.

Fixed fees for fixed outcomes

By understanding the nuances of each client’s business, setting realistic targets, and maintaining accountability through robust reporting, we can help tech brands cut through the noise in an increasingly competitive landscape.

At Whiteoaks, we devise campaigns aligned with those goals right from the outset. Our Performance PR model is designed to deliver tangible outcomes that directly support your business objectives and deliver ROI.

We guarantee results, for a guaranteed return on investment – it’s as simple as that.

If you’re interested in finding out how investing in Performance PR can help your brand get results, reach out to us today.

By Hayley Goff, CEO                    

If the answer to the above question is a yes (or even a maybe) you’re most likely a CEO or business leader laser focused on creating stability and driving growth. You know the value of marketing and communications in building your business – from boosting your brand awareness to supporting your sales team – but do you have the right support in place?

If you’re still reading, then I’m guessing the answer is no. That’s okay. We hear a lot of feedback from our clients and prospects when it comes to properly resourcing the marketing function. There are myriad factors that come into play here, from the struggle to recruit the right level of seniority to lacking the right expertise in the right place at the right time, to not being able to trust recommendations being made because of a lack of confidence in the marketing function. Linked to that, of course, is the challenge of not getting the (right) leads or traction in the market that you were expecting, or being pulled into tactical discussions which takes away from that laser focus.

In many companies (particularly those with a start-up mentality) employees are required to wear many hats – including the CEO. While that’s expected for a period, it’s not a long-term solution and can cause even more issues as time goes on.

It’s not all doom and gloom, and this blog is certainly not just a rant. I wanted to provide some insights and suggestions around those challenges, because they are not insurmountable.

Here goes:

Align to business objectives – marketing needs to be in the loop when it comes to the overall business goals so that they can ensure all of their plans are created with reaching those goals in mind.

Focus on your role – it’s easy to fall into the trap of getting involved in tactical discussions (I’ve done it!) but you need to maintain focus on building your business. Rather, ensure the marketing team is clear on their roles and responsibilities, and is held accountable or measured against their plan.

Be clear on your brand purpose – brands need to move away from the hard sell approaches that have characterised the B2B space for the last decades. Rather, create authentic and consistent narratives that articulate your brand’s purpose and address the needs of your audiences. These help cultivate trust and in turn create positive perceptions and change behaviours. This doesn’t need to be tackled alone – an agency can support and take on the heavy lifting of articulating your brand purpose.

Think about PR – as a PR professional, I believe it has a key role to play within the marketing function. It’s about creating positive perceptions of your brand amongst your target audiences with the ultimate goal of driving behaviour change. Leading with an earned strategy, for example, again helps create trust and has the potential to reach a much wider audience than marketing alone. Yes, sometimes it’s seen as a dark art, but if you use an agency, be clear on the KPIs they are working to.

Don’t skimp on measurement – marketing needs to be measuring performance across campaigns and reporting back against the agreed objectives. This is how success becomes standard; learn from failures and don’t keep doing the same things if they aren’t working.

Work with a partner – there will always be gaps in your marketing skill set. You can’t know everything about everything. That’s a fact. But working with an agency partner can have a quick and positive impact. Thinking about an agency like Whiteoaks, there’s speed of delivery, access to senior strategic consultancy, and specialists across different disciplines. Again, make sure you’re getting clarity on what you’re getting and what you’re measuring them against.

Of course this list isn’t the be all and end all – but we are always happy to chat. Get in touch if you’d like to find out more, or subscribe to keeping receiving our content.