About this article

Read time:

4 minutes

Category:

Content we like, Opinion

National Storytelling Week – No business is too small to make a difference

 

If you have been keeping up-to-date with our Skout social feeds, you may have realised that we have been sharing our favourite books in-keeping with the theme of National Storytelling Week. And, with World Book Day just around the corner, we’ve decided to carry on the fun by writing a trilogy of blogs all devoted to…you guessed it – our best reads.

Greta Thunberg has been making headlines across the globe with her powerful speeches around the impact of climate change. This begs the question, why is one teenage girl able to highlight more about this issue than some of the world’s most powerful institutions?

In August 2018, Greta and a few of her classmates decided to go on school strike to protest outside the Swedish Parliament about the disastrous effects of greenhouse-gas emissions. This ignited a fire which swept the planet. Suddenly, and quite out of nowhere, millions of people from every country were standing up for the cause. Since then the climate crisis has been breaking headlines like never before, and Thunberg has been in high demand.

In a short space of time she has addressed world leaders at the UN climate change conference, become the youngest Time Person of the Year and replaced Kim Jong-un as Donald Trump’s arch nemesis. This teenager has certainly proven you can be small but mighty. Reading her collection of speeches in ‘No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference’ has got me pondering how this ethos can be used within the B2B world. Here are some of my key takeaways:

Don’t be put off by the size of your business

As an SME, it can be a little intimidating sometimes trying to get your voice heard, especially when there are many big businesses doing a lot of shouting – don’t be discouraged.

When it comes to the media, there are many publications that are interested in the expertise of spokespeople from smaller enterprises and, what’s more,  these media outlets normally get circulated to the audiences you wish to target. For example, if your business sits in the  procurement industry there are a wealth of publications such as Procurement Leaders, Supply Chain Digital and IT Supply Chain who are always looking for blogs, tips and articles.

Alternatively, if your business wants to make a wave in the bigger publications such as national news sites or renowned business titles, this is also within reach. There are a few ways to achieve this:

  • Actively look for opportunities: This could include responding to journalist requests or keeping an eye on market trends – if there is a hot topic in the news right now, can your business add value to the conversation?
  • Produce quality content: It goes without saying that the better the content the more likely it will get picked up by publications. However, this can be tricky sometimes as it also needs to be friendly for the media; this can be done through careful selection and adaptation.
  • Building relationships with key journalists: Trying to establish rapport with journalists can go a long way. They’ll recognise and/or become familiar with your name, story and business and will be more likely to publish your content.

 

Be persuasive and have a strong message

If you have had the chance to read Greta Thunberg’s book, you may have noticed the type of language she uses to influence her audience: “Our lives are in your hands”, “we can still fix this”, “I want you to act like your house is on fire”. These are all powerful, emotive words and statements that grab people’s attention. They are also consistent with the message that she wants to deliver i.e. humans need to act now to combat climate change, while also providing readers with a call to action – an important step when trying to influence your audience to do something important.

To establish your business’ spokespeople as relevant thought leaders within their respective industries, these skills need to be translated into the content produced for the media. For example, blogs should use sector experience and expertise to inform, advice and persuade readers. Tell them something that they need to know! While this may not need to be as drastic as “our house is on fire”, you can deliver your own call to action on the topic you are talking about.

While it may not be conventional to take tips from a teenage activist, there are many lessons businesses can learn from Greta, especially if you’re an SME wanting to make a big impact.

If you’re interested in the Skout story collection (which is a one-off special) then check out Fiona and Alex’s blogs.

About this article

Read time:

4 minutes

Category:

Content we like, Opinion

Five tech trends B2B marketers need to be aware of in 2025

The top five FinTech publications your business should know about

Browse more blog posts

A visual image showcases tech trends for B2B marketers. The graphic displays icons signaling tech trends such as AI.
Posted on
byJames Weaver
Things change quickly in the world of B2B marketing. With every ‘eureka!’ moment for new and disruptive technologies that herald to change the game, staying ahead of the curve is vitally important. Although artificial intelligence (AI) has been used by businesses for decades, today the technology is plastered across the news agenda. There’s also a swathe of other transformative technologies...
An image of a woman reading a business, financial and fintech newspaper
Posted on
byIsobelle Yoxall
It’s a new year for your FinTech business, and there’s big news on the horizon: a new product launch, exciting partnerships, or innovative features to announce. This makes for the perfect time to share your story with the media. Or perhaps you are just seeking fresh opportunities to make a new impact. Whatever the reason, there’s no better time to...
Fintech megatrends featured image - 2025
Posted on
byRob Skinner
Woah fintech, slow down! Of course, that is never really going to happen – so PR and marketing professionals, how are you going to keep up? The fintech landscape is evolving at lightning speed, driven by groundbreaking innovations and shifting consumer expectations. Projections show that the market could reach a size of £1.2 trillion by 2030. To put that into...
A graphic displaying five stars with a finger pointing to the brightest star, reflecting the ambition to be a premium brand
Posted on
byClaire Lamb
Building a premium brand doesn’t require a limitless marketing budget. In fact, some of the world’s most respected B2B brands have built their reputations through strategic, cost-effective marketing and PR, rather than block busting spend.   What do I mean by quality brand? I’m referring to brands that position themselves as delivering a high quality product or service, which is often...
An image of the Skout team at the 2024 Christmas party
Posted on
byRob Skinner
It’s common to hear people say, “Hasn’t this year gone quickly?” But this time, when I reached into the loft, it seemed like the fairy lights were still warm in their box! 2024 has been a busy year for me personally, so it’s perhaps no surprise that it has flown by. Between my wife and me becoming empty nesters, moving to...
A collection of headlines showing influential people who influenced the news agenda throughout 2024
Posted on
byRebecca Brown
2024 has certainly been a big year for the news agenda. From a change of government in the UK to the US presidential election race. CrowdStrike causing a mass IT outage due to a faulty update. Climate disasters such as Hurricane Milton and the flooding in Valencia. The return of Celine Dion at the opening ceremony of the Olympics. And...
Measuring tool being used by person to measure words on image
Posted on
byClaire James
Have you ever been asked to demonstrate the value of your marketing budget to leaders within your business? You’re not alone. According to LinkedIn’s B2B Benchmark report, 76% of B2B marketers feel under pressure to prove return-on-investment in the short term while nearly half cite ROI as the most important metric when reporting to the CEO, CFO and other board...
A laptop showing imagery associated with market trends reports
Posted on
byHonor Williamson
Staying ahead of trends and understanding which stories are resonating with target audiences is integral to great PR. Given the volume of noise in today’s media, making use of tools can help reveal patterns, highlight relevant topics, and guide your content strategy. This is where the market trends report can be a real game-changer. Market trends reports provide insights into...
X The Guardian
Posted on
byClaire Lamb
The Guardian announced last week that it will stop posting on X. According to the newspaper, the “benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives.” It went onto say that “this is something we have been considering for a while given the often-disturbing content promoted or found on the platform.”  It’s clear that X has become a...
Tape / measurement visual
Posted on
byJack Snell
In today’s fast-paced business environment, every penny counts, especially whilst businesses are under immense pressure to justify every line of their balance sheets. This is where the important of measuring your PR activities comes into play. At Skout, we believe that effective measurement is the key to demonstrating a tangible return on investment in your PR efforts. We recently launched...

Get in touch

Skout
11 Market Place
Macclesfield
Cheshire
SK10 1EB
Send us a message
Name(Required)

Send us a message