Tag: Thought leadership

For B2B tech brands, staying relevant and front-of-mind with your audience is critical. While innovative products and services set the foundation for success, it’s consistent and well-crafted content that keeps your brand in the spotlight and drives meaningful engagement. A steady flow of PR and marketing content helps maintain visibility, build credibility and reinforce your authority in the industry.

But, as many B2B tech companies know, creating this consistent stream of content can be a challenge, especially when internal teams are pulled in multiple directions. Here’s why consistency in content matters, and how PR agencies can step in to ensure your business keeps up with the demand.

The power of content

Content is the backbone of any PR strategy. It’s not just about getting your brand out there – it’s about telling your story in a way that resonates with your target audience. High-quality content serves multiple purposes: it positions your company as a thought leader, showcases product innovations and provides valuable insights that decision-makers look for when considering partnerships or purchases.

For B2B tech brands, where buying cycles are long and decision-makers are often meticulous, this type of content is critical. It reassures prospects that your company is credible, knowledgeable and capable of delivering on its promises. Whether it’s an industry report, a blog post on emerging trends or a case study showcasing a recent success, well-placed content can significantly impact how your business is perceived.

Why consistency matters

One well-crafted piece of content is great, but it won’t keep your brand top-of-mind. To build lasting relationships with prospects and customers, you need a steady stream of PR and marketing content across different channels. This consistency creates multiple touchpoints, increasing the likelihood that potential customers will engage with your brand at the right time in their buying journey.

However, consistency isn’t just about frequency. It’s also about the quality and messaging within the content. Each blog post, press release or social media update should reinforce the same core messages and align with your overall business goals. Inconsistent quality or off-brand messaging can confuse prospects and damage your credibility, making it harder to build trust.

The role of PR

For many B2B tech companies, maintaining this drumbeat of high-quality content is easier said than done. Internal marketing teams are often stretched thin, juggling product launches, sales support and various other responsibilities. This is where a Performance PR agency can become an invaluable partner.

PR agencies bring a fresh perspective and have the resources to ensure that content creation remains on track. By working closely with your team, they can craft content that aligns with your brand’s tone and messaging while keeping the output steady and focused. They also have the media connections to strategically place your content in front of the right audience, whether that’s through thought leadership articles, press coverage or industry-specific blogs.

In short, a PR agency can help you maintain the balance between quantity and quality, ensuring that your content continually reinforces your brand’s authority and drives engagement without putting additional strain on your internal resources.

Consistency drives growth

At its core, sharing consistent PR and marketing content is about building relationships. Each piece of content serves as a touchpoint with your audience, nurturing leads and building trust over time. This trust is especially important in the B2B tech space, where buying decisions are high-stakes and involve multiple stakeholders.

A well-executed, consistent PR strategy creates a virtuous cycle: the more valuable content you produce, the more visibility you gain, which in turn leads to more opportunities to showcase your expertise. Over time, this positions your brand as a leader in the industry and drives long-term growth.

Remaining at the forefront

For B2B tech businesses, the challenge is clear: without a steady stream of high-quality, consistent content, your brand risks being overshadowed in a competitive market. But with the right PR partner, you can keep your brand at the forefront, ensuring that decision-makers consistently see your expertise, innovation and thought leadership.

The drumbeat of content is not just noise – it’s the rhythm that drives engagement, trust and, ultimately, growth.

Get in touch with our Head of Content to learn how we can support your content needs.

When people think of PR, they’ll undoubtedly mention securing media coverage. So let’s indulge that old PR archetype for one second: securing coverage, being quoted in the press, having a feature written about your brand – that’s media relations, or the process of taking a story about your brand and delivering it to the media outlets which matter most to your organisation.

While that’s certainly one aspect, as you’ll recall, we’ve explored how modern PR is much more – encompassing social media, creative and content.

We asked our Senior Account Director and media relations expert, Alex Kent, what he was looking to achieve with media relations as part of an integrated PR campaign.

“The aim is a campaign that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Each piece of activity should work together to maximise impact and achieve the goal for that campaign in a measurable way,” he says.

So as Alex suggests, even though media coverage is still vital – it’s not just about getting mentioned. It’s about getting mentioned and making sure that coverage works hard across all channels to drive measurable impact.

Multichannel amplification

How can other channels help maximise the impact of our coverage? Multichannel amplification, as we call it, is one of the most effective strategies. This involves repurposing published content across various platforms to boost its visibility and extend its lifespan. For instance, a feature article in a major publication can be shared on social media, included in an email newsletter and highlighted on your website.

As each channel captures a different segment of your audience, repurposing content across them allows you to reach those who might have missed the original published piece, thus ensuring broader and more targeted engagement.

Employee advocacy

Consider this: if each employee in your organisation has an average of 500 LinkedIn followers – a network of professionals and peers they’ve connected with throughout their careers in your sector – imagine the impact if even half of your employees shared that coverage. The reach of that piece would dramatically increase. 

Beyond the expanded reach, employee shares add a layer of authenticity; coverage becomes more relatable and trustworthy, which is particularly valuable in B2B contexts.

The credibility factor

Coverage gained through media relations – earned media – is one of the most credible forms of brand visibility. Unlike advertorials or paid advertisements, which are very much viewed with scepticism, earned media is seen as authentic and unbiased. Being featured in a reputable publication signals trustworthiness and conveys that your brand is to be taken seriously. This distinction is especially crucial for B2B buyers, who heavily rely on peer reviews and credible sources when making purchasing decisions.

Consistency breeds credibility

If your brand is consistently appearing – favourably – in media coverage of reputable publications, over time it’s going to increase your brand’s visibility. If prospects are seeing your brand mentioned time and time again in the publications they respect, you’re also going to start building trust with them. Positioning your brand as a credible leader in your industry will make it easier to convert them into customers.

The importance of strong media relationships

Every successful media campaign needs a compelling narrative – because let’s face it, in a world drowning in content, it’s the stories that make us ‘feel’ which are memorable and impactful. But without knowing the right people to tell it to, it’s difficult to get a story out of the gate. Therefore if you want to land coverage in the right outlets where a story is going to resonate with your target audience, strong media relationships are a must. 

At Whiteoaks, our 30-year heritage means we’ve built a roster of media relationships based on trust, compelling, verified stories and human connections. It means we have choice and scope to target the publications and outlets which align with your audience and business goals. 

These relationships are built on a keen understanding of the individual preferences and focus areas of journalists and editors. As a result, our pitches are more likely to be prioritised, leading to consistent and favourable coverage – an essential component for maintaining your brand’s visibility and credibility.

Measuring media relations

Every piece of media coverage should be strategically designed to support broader business objectives, such as lead generation, brand awareness or thought leadership. It should never be viewed in isolation but as an integral part of your overall PR and marketing strategy.

In previous blog posts, we’ve discussed how KPIs can gauge the success of PR efforts, and the same principles apply to measuring coverage. When coverage is effectively amplified using the methods mentioned above, its impact becomes quantifiable. Engagement rates on shared articles, website traffic driven by media placements and conversions linked to media mentions can all be attributed to your efforts. This is central to our Performance PR approach, ensuring that every piece of coverage contributes meaningfully to your business goals.

Integrating media relations into broader PR strategies

Media relations is just one piece of the integrated jigsaw that is Performance PR – it is no longer a standalone entity; a clipping in a newspaper; a link to an article. It should be seen as the catalyst to seek new opportunities to achieve expanded reach, visibility and new audiences through integration with its sisterly disciplines of content, social media and creative. By doing so, you can ensure that your efforts not only generate coverage but also drive measurable business outcomes.

If your media coverage isn’t driving your business objectives or loses momentum after the initial buzz, it might be time to reconsider whether you’re maximising its potential. Why not drop us a message? Let’s explore how we can help make your media coverage work harder for your business.

 

Marketing emails, online adverts, cold calling. As consumers we can often feel bombarded by direct marketing and sales techniques. In the world of B2B tech, traditional strategies that push products and services might seem enough to establish a brand and drive sales, but they sometimes fall short of establishing a meaningful connection with the target audience. Why? Because prospects can feel alienated by tactics that only aim to create conversions.

This is where thought leadership comes into play; a strategy that enhances direct promotion by building credibility and fostering trust to drive long-term business growth.

The power of thought leadership

Thought leadership offers a tangible alternative to the traditional, product-focused marketing approach. In essence, it’s about positioning a brand as an expert organisation in a chosen field by sharing valuable insights, predictions and commentary on industry trends and technological advancements.

When a company is seen as a thought leader, it gains credibility and trust. This trust can significantly influence the perception of a company, making prospects more likely to consider its products or services when they are ready to make a purchase. In fact, as many as 73% of B2B decision-makers think that thought leadership content is more trustworthy for evaluating a company’s capabilities than marketing materials.

Where a B2B tech brand consistently produces high-quality thought leadership content, expertise is demonstrated to readers. Prospects gain added value via educational content, helping them to make informed decisions.

Integrating thought-led content into performance-led campaigns

Thought leadership content can take many forms. Articles and blogs can focus on relevant topics, issues or challenges and offer insights or predictions from individual thought leaders. Research reports and whitepapers can delve deeper into complex topics, using stats to back up the narrative. Key spokespeople can even participate in podcasts or webinars to share their thoughts on a key topic or talking point, all without any pushy sales tactics.

To maximise thought leadership efforts, brands should consider adopting an performance-driven PR approach. This involves strategically promoting thought leadership content across various channels to ensure it reaches the right audience.

Whiteoaks has experts in media relations, design, social media and content creation who come together to deliver

Sharing thought leadership content on social media platforms also allows brands to directly engage with audiences without the big sales push. Content syndication on platforms like LinkedIn or X can increase visibility and drive more traffic to a brand’s website, enabling the conversation to reach as many potential prospects as possible.

A performance-driven approach also means continuously measuring the impact of thought leadership efforts. By analysing metrics such as engagement, click through rate and conversion rates, it’s possible to identify what’s working and what needs improvement to drive results.

A balanced approach for sustainable growth

By integrating thought leadership content into an overall marketing strategy, brands can not only enhance their direct promotion efforts, but also build a foundation of credibility and trust that drives long-term growth.

As B2B decision-makers increasingly turn to thought leadership content to evaluate companies, those who invest in this strategy will be better positioned to win both their trust and business.

Learn more about integrated B2B tech PR campaigns here.

Maximising event attendance to become a thought leader

Establishing thought leadership in your industry is essential for gaining recognition and credibility. For emerging and growing B2B tech businesses, being seen as a thought leader can make the difference between being an industry frontrunner, or an also-ran.

Despite having innovative ideas and a unique value proposition, many B2B tech companies struggle to position themselves as thought leaders. This can be particularly frustrating when significant efforts have been made in product development and securing speaking slots at key events, yet prospects and partners still gravitate towards competitors perceived as more knowledgeable.

Getting your voice heard

Becoming a thought leader involves more than just having good ideas. It requires consistent and strategic efforts to communicate your insights and expertise to the right audience.

Many companies face the challenge of getting noticed in a crowded market where numerous voices are vying for attention. In tandem with your PR and marketing campaigns, the key is to leverage every opportunity to showcase your expertise, and one of the most effective ways to do this is by maximising your event attendance.

Events offer a unique platform to connect with industry peers, potential clients and partners and become part of a meaningful conversation. However, simply attending events is not enough. To truly stand out and be recognised as a thought leader, you need to strategically use these opportunities to create and share valuable content.

Leveraging event insights

By partnering with a performance-driven PR agency, you can turn event attendance into a powerful tool for building your thought leadership credentials. PR agencies can identify events that align with your business goals, appeal to your target audiences and offer the best opportunities for exposure. They can support your attendance by providing expert team members to join you at events, or even on your behalf, to gather valuable information and perspectives.

PR professionals are adept at identifying key themes and trends at events. They can capture the most important discussions, keynote speeches and panel debates, which can form the basis of or spark ideas for you own unique, compelling content. This content not only highlights your expertise within the industry but also positions your business and key stakeholders as forward-thinking leaders who are ahead of the curve.

Content developed from event insights can take various forms, including whitepapers, articles and blog posts. These pieces should not only reflect the key themes of the event but also relate to your business and the broader industry. By making this connection, you demonstrate your ability to connect industry trends and hot topics with practical applications, showcasing your thought leadership.

Whitepapers can delve deep into the topics discussed at the event, offering detailed analysis and your unique perspective. Commentary articles can provide a more immediate response to the event, highlighting your thoughts on the key takeaways and their implications for the industry, while blog posts offer a more personal touch, sharing your experiences and insights from the event and can be supplemented with your photos from the event.

Amplifying your content

Once you have created this content, it is essential to leverage it. For instance, your sales and marketing teams can use these materials as powerful handouts at future events or meetings with prospects to reinforce your expertise and credibility. Sharing this content on your website and social media channels can also help reach a broader audience and position you as a thought leader in the digital space.

A Performance PR agency can be invaluable in this process. Our team of experts can help identify the most relevant events for your industry and business goals. They can also assist in developing a strategic plan for attending and leveraging these events and the information gathered to maximise your thought leadership potential. By working with a Performance PR agency, you can ensure that your efforts to be seen as a thought leaders are strategic, consistent and, importantly, effective.

Want to find out more about how to maximise event attendance for thought leadership? Talk to one of our experts today.