Want to give your media relations strategy a boost in 2023? 

As 2022 comes to a close, B2B PR teams are reconsidering their strategies to ensure a prosperous new year. Capturing audience attention and improving brand awareness are always top priorities for public relations specialists. However, to save time and money, knowing which media relations strategies work and which ones you need to avoid is essential.  

Here are four areas B2B PR teams and organizations can focus on to best navigate the ever-evolving media landscape in 2023.    

1. It’s All About Trust  

Consumers feel unsettled. Whether it’s economic uncertainty at home or conflicts abroad, people crave credible and trustworthy leadership to help them weather the storm. It’s vital for organizations to adopt a position of social awareness and empathy toward their audience in this time of uncertainty. A recent Salesforce survey found 68% of consumers said they trust companies that act with society’s best interests in mind. Thought leadership content allows businesses to establish authority in their industry and demonstrate how they are part of the solution. In contrast, self-promotional messaging can be perceived as tone-deaf and turn prospects away. How organizations react to today’s headlines leaves a lasting impression long after they’ve passed.  

2. Embrace New Media  

Public relations experts have many channels to choose from when distributing content and building brand awareness for their company. Social media, podcasts and videos are the most important for 2023. These mediums allow PR teams to share content directly with their intended audience with the bonus effect of likes and shares that increase the visibility of the message.   

No digital medium keeps the finger on the pulse of a target audience better than social media. With access to immediate audience feedback and public conversation, PR teams can hone their messaging and content to be more effective. Further, the strategic use of hashtags helps intended audiences easily find content and comment, expanding the social posts’ reach beyond immediate followers.  

Video continues to be a top tool for PR pros. From enhancing press releases to increasing audience engagement, video grabs attention and conveys a message faster than text. And it’s not only B2C audiences who are consuming video. According to a Forbes Insights Survey, 59% of executives responded that they prefer to watch a video over reading text.      

Podcasts offer a variety of ways for organizations to share their thought leadership. Whether it’s long-form storytelling, interviews or collaborations with industry experts, executives have leeway to explain their message and answer questions from the host or audience. What’s more, podcasts help turn dry topics into insightful discussions, which can further establish expertise with a targeted audience who have opted-in for the show. As a rapidly growing medium, expect more B2B companies to produce their own podcasts to connect with their intended audience.  

3. Ready-to-Publish Content  

Since 2008, news media employment in the U.S. has fallen 26%, according to Pew Research Center, meaning news outlets have fewer full-time writers and reporters. This trend has increased the value of high-quality, contributed content that is ready to publish. 86% of editors said they plan to increase the amount of contributed content on their news sites, according to a national survey of editors conducted by Influence & Co. Editors increasingly want to supply their readers with insights from people who can share their real-world experiences. By definition, contributed articles should offer explanations, how-to steps or clear takeaways and use anecdotes and personal experiences to illustrate the main ideas.   

The content must be non-promotional, focused on educating readers and professionally edited — the less work your article requires to prepare it for publication, the more likely editors are to accept a guest submission. For some businesses, starting with smaller or local news sites may make sense. Still, there are also plenty of top-tier publications — including Entrepreneur, Harvard Business Review, Inc., Forbes and Fast Company, to name just a few — that welcome contributed articles from experts. This kind of thought leadership is not just highly effective with B2B audiences. It can also drive organic and SEO traffic back to your website, increasing your overall brand authority.  

4. B2B PR Thrives on Data  

B2B PR teams are commonly asked by their company leadership if the campaigns are working, and rightfully so. Quantifying the ROI on PR efforts can be challenging, but it is necessary. Organizations need to justify the investment in public relations strategies that often take time to produce results. Metrics around media coverage, the share of voice, social media shares and more can be collected and analyzed to see how well a media relations strategy is performing and where to adjust.  

A PR team that has analytic tools in place and knows how to use them to improve campaign performance should be a high priority in 2023. With the enormous amount of information to collect, implementing the findings takes an experienced team. The proper use of analytics tools lets marketing and PR professionals efficiently develop tailored content and provide better consumer value. It’s a win-win for the company and the audience. If data helps you do a better job, what’s not to love?  

While we can’t predict what will happen in 2023, one thing is for sure, at GMG our B2B PR pros are on the cutting edge of trends and tools like these so you can reach your target audience and create a positive impact in the new year and beyond.