The B2B World Presents Unique Media Relations Opportunities

As we’ve said in a few recent posts, we believe the lines are beginning to blur between B2B and B2C marketing. Still, as similar as the two worlds may become, B2B media relations will always present unique opportunities and challenges that do not exist in the B2C world. Let’s take a look at a few of those opportunities and think about how we might be able to leverage them to get more publicity for the B2B companies we work for.

• Trade publications are receptive to pitches. Consumer companies often face the daunting task of pitching their stories to mainstream publications that get thousands of pitches a day and don’t have any real tie to their particular product or service. As B2B marketers, we’re much more likely to pitch to a very targeted, niche group of trade publications. The journalists at these publications likely already have a good understanding of our industries, and they might even be familiar with our brands. Needless to say, this makes securing a pitch easier.

• The media habits of your target audience are clear. In B2C marketing, it can be tough to pinpoint the publications that your target audience is most likely to read. However, in the B2B world, there is at least one trade publication devoted to almost every imaginable industry on earth, from packaging to nanotechnology. These publications are narrowly tailored to meet the needs of the specific industries they serve, so your message will fit right in.

• B2B industry bloggers are professional and trusted. Both B2B and B2C marketers can benefit from pitching their stories to bloggers, but the benefits of doing so may be greater in the B2B world than in B2C. While some consumer marketing-friendly bloggers carry immense clout, many have very small readerships and care more about receiving free product samples than they do about creating great content. This is rarely the case in the B2B world. B2B bloggers tend to be better established in their niches and run their blogs like businesses. As a result, you can expect them to give you great coverage whether you provide a free product for them to try or not. 

What are some other opportunities you’ve found in B2B media relations? What unique challenges have you encountered?

Featured image via PR In Pink.