Guest post by Beatrice McGraw: Good PR creates trusted relationships, educates and offers cogency.  As the average b2b transaction is generally of higher value and far longer sales cycle longer than in B2C, and the sales process involves multiple decision-makers with varied informational needs, B2B communications messages tend to be more advanced and complex. And with complicated products to promote, it’s easy to lose focus on what matters most: Here are some pointers on going back to basics to deliver successful B2B PR campaigns.

• Segmentation Matters

To make sure your creative output is targeted at the right audience, consider carrying out research: PR expert Ben Veal argues that “the key to successful B2B public relations is accurately identifying your audience and their drivers, and then developing tailored content that is specifically designed to engage and resonate. This content needs to be released at the right time, and in the right format, to ensure that the decision-makers you are targeting are reached and understand the message.”

Kim Harrison, the famous author of ‘Dead Witch Walking’ has described the B2B segmentation strategy like this:

“The ideal audience size is one person. Tailoring our communication to the needs of each individual is the ideal. However, it is not practicable to do this – too costly and time-consuming.” Therefore, you need to segment your audience into groups that share the same informational needs and media consumption habits.

• Content Matters

B2B PR campaigns used to be all about new product launches. Today, b2b PR managers focus on communicating their client’ knowledge and industry expertise. Similarly, the Council of Public Relations Firms states, “ The role of PR firms within B2B organizations has shifted from simply disseminating news to sharing insight relevant to core constituencies.”

It has been estimated that nearly sixty percent of B2B customers depend on content to make their purchasing decision. At the same time, Joe Pulizzi from the Content Marketing Institute found that up to fifty-six percent of B2B marketers do not have an appropriate content strategy in place. Therefore, PR managers and B2B content marketing managers need to work together to create content that will not only grab the attention of B2B customers, but will also enhance the value of their PR campaigns.

In Conclusion
The above-mentioned PR strategies present a back-to-basics approach for B2B PR practitioners. But if you know your customer and deliver valued insights to the right target group at the right time, via the right media, your B2B PR campaign can’t go wrong.

About the author:
Beatrice McGraw is a content marketer who works for ExportHub – A Business to Business Marketplace. A writer by day and a reader by night; she is striving to make the most of the new opportunities that come her way and excel in everything she does. Find her on Twitter here: @McgrawBeatrice.