In B2B PR, it’s one thing to be visible, but it’s another to be valuable.
Whether its influencing buying decisions, shaping industry conversations or helping to drive commercial outcomes, PR has the potential to do far more than raise brand awareness.
Strategically directed PR warms up future buyers and tilts the market in your direction by building credibility, creating demand and placing the brand where it matters most at the point of conversion.
And, in an age where attention is currency and trust drives buying decisions, playing it safe no longer cuts it. The B2B brands gaining traction aren’t necessarily the biggest or the loudest – they’re the ones using PR to achieve something specific, like earning attention, building authority or shifting perception. And, they’re backing it up with metrics that prove it.
What we’re really talking about here is avoiding getting lost in the ocean of B2B sameness. Without a clear purpose, your message risks drifting aimlessly, swallowed by the noise. To cut through, your PR needs direction, distinction and a reason to be heard.
Standing out starts with a story, is shaped by strategy, and ends with measurement.
Start with your story
A strong story gives your PR purpose. It’s the emotional hook, the human angle, the reason audiences connect.The campaigns that make headlines and stick in buyers’ minds are the ones that tell a compelling story. Whether you’re launching a new product or repositioning your brand, the question isn’t ‘what does it do?’ but ‘why should anyone care?’
Successful, stand-out campaigns humanise the brand, challenge the status quo and tap into emotion. That might mean spotlighting a customer success story, exploring a surprising statistic in more depth, or crafting a bold campaign angle that breaks conventions. Audiences are drawn to stories that make them feel something – be it curiosity, urgency, or even delight.
But creativity without clarity is just noise. Your story needs to be authentic, relevant and tailored to the right audience. That means segmenting your buyers, understanding what motivates them, and crafting messaging that resonates. Your PR must do more than promote; it has to persuade.
Use story to drive your strategy
Your story is the ‘why’ behind your PR. It’s the reason your brand exists, the belief that drives your message, and the thread that connects everything you say and do.
In a market flooded with similar-sounding solutions and recycled messaging, PR is one of the few tools that can genuinely shift perception and build authority. But a strong story alone isn’t enough – it needs direction.
To deliver real value, you need a clear, outcomes-driven strategy that connects your message to the right people, in the right places, at the right time. That starts with defining:
Who – Who are you trying to reach, and why? Future buyers, current customers, influencers, employees, your local community – each audience needs a different approach.
What – What do they care about? What messages resonate? What formats do they engage with? This shapes how you bring your story to life, whether that’s through thought leadership, data-led content or creative campaigns.
Where – Where do they go for information, inspiration or advice? That could be trade media, LinkedIn, podcasts, events or awards. Your story needs to show up where your audience already is.
Measure what matters
Your PR strategy will define the metrics that matter. And to prove value – and refine that strategy over time – you need to know exactly what you’re measuring, and why. Without the strategic direction, measurement loses focus.
To build a purposeful B2B PR strategy, you need to be selective. There’s no shortage of metrics to choose from, but the ones that matter most are those that reflect the outcomes you’re aiming for. It’s about clarity – knowing what success looks like, and which indicators will help you track it.
Share of voice reveals how often your brand is mentioned compared to competitors. Mentions of brand keywords across online coverage provide a direct measure of visibility for each service area – but volume alone won’t paint the full picture.
Key message penetration tells you whether your core messages are landing. Are journalists and influencers picking them up? Do they ring true across coverage? If not, it’s time to revisit your messaging strategy and sharpen the narrative.
Then there’s attention earned – a more meaningful metric than impressions. It reflects how long readers are engaging with your content, based on article length, reading behaviour and coverage views. These metrics show how long readers are engaging with your content and what that attention would cost if bought through paid media. It’s a powerful way to quantify PR’s commercial value.
Consider brand recall and perception. Are readers remembering your brand? Are they associating it with the right attributes? These metrics can help you understand how your coverage is landing – and whether it’s reinforcing your brand positioning.
PR with purpose
Standing out in B2B PR isn’t about shouting louder. It’s about saying something worth hearing and making sure the right people hear it.
The B2B brands that lead their markets are those that invest in creativity, commit to consistency and back it all up with meaningful metrics. But none of that works without a clear strategy to tie it all together.
Start by identifying the stories only your brand can tell. Then build a strategy that connects those stories to your audience – and proves their value.
At Skout, we help B2B brands turn PR into measurable impact. From messaging development to media outreach and measurement, we deliver campaigns that earn attention, build trust and drive results.
Ready to stand out? Get in touch.
