What is B2B PR media relations?

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Don’t put all your eggs into one basket.” It’s true in business and investing, but it’s just as true in public relations.

For effective B2B PR, you need to use several techniques that all work together to form a cohesive strategy. One of the most critical techniques to include in your plan is B2B PR media relations.

What goes into a B2B PR media relations strategy?

Media relations isn’t just about making friends with reporters. There are several steps you need to master in order to form and maintain the right relationships.

Identifying the right connections

Not all media personnel will provide the same value for your PR strategy as others. The key is to find those that are most relevant to helping you further engage with your target audience.

Consider the publications and media outlets that are popular among decision-makers in your target industry. Identify the reporters, producers, and other professionals from those outlets that will help you most.

It also helps to focus on the reporters who specialise in your industry rather than generalists. For instance, some media outlets have public safety reporters or healthcare reporters. These would be ideal connections to have if those are the sectors you are targeting.

Knowing how to pitch content

The purpose of building relationships with reporters is to be able to present them with news and insights that are of interest to their readers – this will give you the best possible chance of being featured in a story or article. For that to happen, you also need to know how to pitch to those reporters.

A B2B PR expert knows what types of stories/pitches appeal to reporters. As you get to know the reporters in your network, you can also identify the best ways to appeal to each reporter.

Establishing a reputation

Reporters have one job: to produce content that gets as many views or reads as possible. You need to establish a reputation as someone who can help them accomplish this.

As part of your media relations strategy, you want to pitch truly news-worthy or unique content that will interest the reporters’ followers. If you frequently pitch content that doesn’t fit the bill, the reporters will stop listening and engaging, or worse, block you.

Leveraging a media relations manager

Working with a media relations manager can do all of the above on your behalf. Think of it as a shortcut to learning something new and reaping the reward. Media relations in PR is too important to leave to chance, so working with an experienced media relations manager can give you more for your efforts.