PR Industry: Year in review and what’s to come in 2023
Public Relations has always worked better when combined with other B2B marketing efforts, but in 2023 this will be vital. PR is one of the cogs that make the marketing machine work smoothly — mixed with a robust content strategy — creating the perfect ecosystem for the brand to communicate its key messages.
In 2022, we saw the events industry come back in full swing post the lull caused by the pandemic, the importance of brand-owned channels, executive profiling and more. Brands need to be loud and proud of their mission and vision. Let’s look at a year in review for the PR industry in 2022 and how brands can leverage this to amplify their PR strategy in 2023.
1- Events are in
The event industry is back with full force and a lot of businesses have benefited from on-ground PR support at exhibitions, conferences, and other such events. Showcasing your company’s solutions at a relevant exhibition can prove to be integral in your publicity and brand awareness strategy while also generating several promising leads. Such a tactic can help with a higher Return on Investment (ROI) while quality publicity can also be secured for the brand at the same time. Being a B2B focused PR agency, we represented our clients at some of the biggest shows in the region including The Big 5 and GITEX, which proved to be an amazing pedestal from both PR and sales perspectives, especially for brands in the B2B space.
2- Importance of content marketing
Earned media is not the only thing that is part of a comprehensive PR strategy, more companies understand the importance of developing strong online visibility for their brand via owned media. This includes blog articles, newsletters, and social media posts on a brand’s platforms. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, B2B buyers are spending, on average, 33% more time researching products than they did before. Striking a balance between earned and owned media is essential for a PR strategy in 2023. This will in turn boost the company’s B2B Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and brand visibility across multiple channels. PR agency’s support with a well-thought-out content marketing strategy for owned media is invaluable as we go into 2023.
3- Strong executive profiling
More founders and top executives understand the importance of a strong public profile. At the end of the day, humans need other humans. Building up the profile of your executives makes your brand more credible and provides a tangible human connection point. Every external communication initiated by the brand also provides another channel of communication for its vision and mission. Executive profiling is key to connecting with your target audience as whether you’re a B2B or B2C company, people always connect with those who showcase strong business acumen and market expertise.
4- Spread news faster through social media
This isn’t a new one, it’s a PR trend that’s been ongoing for years now. Twitter is one of the quickest ways to convey timely information or breaking news about your brand to the press at large. Engage a PR agency to help you develop an effective strategy, define your target audience and develop powerful content for the right social media platforms. For B2B players it’s a must to be present on Twitter and LinkedIn, while for B2C companies it’s better to connect with their audience via Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Facebook. From announcing the joining of a new or securing new funding to product launches and other developments in the organization, news can be shared in a few words and a click of a button. It’s also the perfect way to position a company as an expert — whenever there is relevant breaking news, the business can comment on it and share it with a wide audience in a matter of seconds. HubSpot found that 51% of marketers who leverage social media plan to increase their investment in 2022.
5- Influencer marketing strategies for B2B firms
It is widely believed that social media campaigns and online awareness campaigns involving influencers will dominate the PR Agency industry in the UAE for the next five years. When it comes to B2B companies, influencers are an untapped resource and media outlets are no longer the sole source of exposure. Trends and information are spread by relevant experts, who have built a strong professional network who trust them. Influencer campaign can also work very well in B2C space. A report by eMarketer found that 72.5% of the US marketers from companies with 100+ employees expect to use influencer marketing in 2022. Influencers bring authenticity and personalization to any brand — they won’t just announce the launch of a new product, they have to be part of a bigger story so that the promotion seems organic.
If you need advice on which PR tactics would best suit your company in helping you achieve your business goals while building the online reputation, just drop us an email on [email protected]
