Three Key Strategies to Improve Your PR and Marketing in 2022
By Anna Scordos-Brooke
Director of Public Relations
“Hands. Face. Space.” This was the COVID-19 slogan launched and persistently publicized by the UK Government in autumn 2020 to emphasize the main elements of the guidance it wanted everybody to remember: to wash their hands regularly, use a face covering whenever possible and try to keep their distance from others.
In spring 2021, the government updated its COVID-19 slogan to the slightly less catchy: “Hands. Face. Space. Fresh Air.” The addition of “Fresh Air” marked a significant step in the government acknowledging the importance of aerosol transmission of COVID-19.
Now, a year on from the initial launch of the publicity campaign, the advice is (mostly) well ingrained in the public’s psyche, despite (or maybe because of) the large amount of amusing, satirical and downright rude memes it spawned across social media. The slogan was part of one of the UK Government’s biggest promotional drives of all time and, arguably, a successful one.
Those of us with an interest in B2B marketing are probably not looking to directly influence the 65 million people that the UK Government was looking to impact with their slogan. But we are looking to reach and influence a target audience that has lived through a recent history of fundamental change in how we contact and relate to one another. What are the new normal rules for effective B2B PR as we tentatively move into the recovery side of the pandemic?
GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY
Turn your thought leaders into online influencers: In short, social media influencers are people who have built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a specific topic and have generated a significant online following of people who are interested in their opinions. They achieve this position by creating regular posts and videos about topics that interest them and share them on their preferred social media channels.
The truth is, you don’t need to be the next Kim Kardashian to garner the type of influence that will positively affect your business and brand perception. If your company is successful, you will have a good selection of innovative, thoughtful and personable employees within your midst – just the type of people who will reflect favorably on your company.
Nowadays, it’s important to let the world see them. Whether through online blogs, newsletters, vlogs or social media posts, let them get involved in creating PR for the wider company. Encourage them to tell anecdotes about how your company solved a tricky problem for a customer. Creating emotional connections in B2B is now just as important as in B2C. Let a good personality shine through and give your target audience a glimpse of the people that make your company so special.
SHOW YOUR FACE
Connect with your audience: In the age of Instagram and YouTube, your customers expect to see your face. This means getting as many of your management team and valued staff to show their faces in promotional videos, webinars and in-person events. But it also means cultivating an authentic company personality to present to the world.
Remember that these days, the adjective “corporate” carries increasingly negative connotations. If your company were a person, how would people describe him or her? Staid? Secretive? Slapdash? Silly? The life and soul of the party? Think hard about how you would like your company to be characterized in an ideal world. Imaginative? Creative? Remarkable? Intelligent?
Once you have a solid grasp on the type of face you want to show the world, all of your PR initiatives, right down to the type of words used in your social media posts, should point back to and underline that persona.
CREATE SPACE
Make room for high-level messaging: It’s all too easy to get focused on the nuts and bolts of your company’s daily operations and to lose sight of the amazing services and technologies you bring to the world. Remember to regularly take time to stand back, give yourself some space from your day-to-day perspective and appreciate the bigger picture of what value your company really offers to the industry and its customers.
Your target market doesn’t know your company like you do. Consider what your company may look like from the outside looking in. Is it an accurate (and complimentary) perception? Your PR efforts are tools by which you can hone this perception into a more authentic and positive one.
BRING FRESH AIR INTO YOUR PR EFFORTS
Today, we don’t just market “to” customers, we also market “through” customers. This means the marketing process continues throughout the entire customer lifecycle and is heavily reliant on maintaining positive reputation at all times. In an age saturated by the clutter of ever-changing virtual information, it can be difficult to both manage your reputation and also stand out from the crowd.
Once you have all your bases covered with traditional PR, don’t be afraid to try new approaches. Working with an experienced marketing communications firm like Foster Marketing, we help define your company attributes and develop plans that give your best personnel a truly hands-on role in communicating the unique value you deliver to your industry. Call us today to get started!
We’re here to help. Call us at 281-448-3435, contact us online or connect with us on LinkedIn.