How to Maximize the ROI of Your B2B Public Relations

1. Driving Revenue Growth
Through PR Initiatives
SoCal BMA Webinar Wednesday
Aug. 15, 2012
@SoCalBMA @wendymarx
#scbmawebinar

2. Wendy Marx, President, Marx
Communications
 20+ years of marketing and public relations experience
promoting B2B companies from Fortune 500 companies to
startups, along with their executives and products
 Taught business writing: Univ. of Michigan Business School
 Agency: Global reach/high caliber resources through
membership in PR Boutiques International
 Taken clients from “Anonymity to the New York Times”
 Counseled CEOs, expert in personal branding for thought
leadership
 Top 50 Women on Twitter
 Blogs on B2B PR for Fast Company
[ PAGE 2 ]

3. Introduction
The Internet and social media have forever changed the
nature of B2B public relations & marketing. Today’s
session is designed to teach you …
Which PR activities and outputs can best move prospects
through the sales funnel
How social media can supplement and reinforce your
other channels
How to measure what you are doing
The role of events, webinars and other channels
[ PAGE 3 ]

4. Driving Revenue Growth Via PR
[ PAGE 4 ]

5. Driving Revenue Growth Via PR
 Media relations and thought leadership still important but not
IT
[ PAGE 5 ]

6. Driving Revenue Growth Via PR
 Media relations and thought leadership still important but not
IT
 Press releases can do double duty as lead gen devices
[ PAGE 6 ]

7. Driving Revenue Growth Via PR
 Media relations and thought leadership still important but not
IT
 Press releases can do double duty as lead gen devices
 Use a clear, visible call to action in all your press materials
[ PAGE 7 ]

8. Driving Revenue Growth Via PR
 Media relations and thought leadership still important but not
IT
 Press releases can do double duty as lead gen devices
 Use a clear, visible call to action in all your press materials
 Drive traffic to a custom landing page to enhance lead
generation
[ PAGE 8 ]

9. Driving Revenue Growth Via PR
 Media relations and thought leadership still important but not
IT
 Press releases can do double duty as lead gen devices
 Use a clear, visible call to action in all your press materials
 Drive traffic to a custom landing page to enhance lead
generation
 Use keywords to facilitate search engine optimization
(SEO), especially in the headline
[ PAGE 9 ]

10. Content marketing & social media:
Two synergistic elements of modern B2B PR
[ PAGE 10 ]

11. Content marketing & social media:
Two synergistic elements of modern B2B PR
 Content is the currency of lead generation
[ PAGE 11 ]

12. Content marketing & social media:
Two synergistic elements of modern B2B PR
 Content is the currency of lead generation
 Press releases, articles, video, white papers, Google Adwords, organic
search all content drivers
[ PAGE 12 ]

13. Content marketing & social media:
Two synergistic elements of modern B2B PR
 Content is the currency of lead generation
 Press releases, articles, video, white papers, Google Adwords, organic
search all content drivers
 Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.: powerful networking tools helping you
connect w/people who complement your expertise, contacts, etc.
[ PAGE 13 ]

14. Content marketing & social media:
Two synergistic elements of modern B2B PR
 Content is
the
currency of
lead
generation
 Press
releases,
articles,
video,
white
papers,
[ PAGE 14 ] Google

15. Content marketing & social media:
Two synergistic elements of modern B2B PR
 Content is the currency of lead generation
 Press releases, articles, video, white papers, Google Adwords, organic
search all content drivers
 Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.: powerful networking tools helping you
connect w/people who complement your expertise, contacts, etc.
 Content is key for social media; thought leadership, site traffic
 Track and monitor: SocialMention, SproutSocial, Hootsuite, Bit.ly
[ PAGE 15 ]

16. Create a Web of Content
[ PAGE 16 ]

17. Create a Web of Content
 Lead nurturing via landing pages
[ PAGE 17 ]

18. Create a Web of Content
 Lead nurturing via landing pages
 Typically 3 emails work well tied to individual landing pages with more
content
[ PAGE 18 ]

19. Create a Web of Content
 Lead nurturing via landing pages
 Typically 3 emails work well tied to individual landing pages with more
content
 Cross-promote content in social media and drive to landing pages
[ PAGE 19 ]

20. Create a Web of Content
 Lead nurturing via landing pages
 Typically 3 emails work well tied to individual landing pages with more
content
 Cross-promote content in social media and drive to landing pages
 Use Google analytics for metrics
[ PAGE 20 ]

21. Create a Web of Content
 Lead nurturing via landing pages
 Typically 3 emails work well tied to individual landing pages with more
content
 Cross-promote content in social media and drive to landing pages
 Use Google analytics for metrics
 Metrics: total visits, unique visitors, pages viewed per visit, bounce rate, form
completion, source of leads
[ PAGE 21 ]

22. Today's B2B PR pros: strategic partners
[ PAGE 22 ]

23. Today's B2B PR pros: strategic partners
 Helping to shape a firm’s positioning, messaging and overall
strategy
[ PAGE 23 ]

24. Today's B2B PR pros: strategic partners
 Helping to shape a firm’s positioning, messaging and overall
strategy
 Working directly with marketing to develop key message points
[ PAGE 24 ]

25. Today's B2B PR pros: strategic partners
 Helping to shape a firm’s positioning, messaging and overall
strategy
 Working directly with marketing to develop key message points
 Developing and executing an effective PR plan
[ PAGE 25 ]

26. Today's B2B PR pros: strategic partners
 Helping to shape a firm’s positioning, messaging and overall
strategy
 Working directly with marketing to develop key message points
 Developing and executing an effective PR plan
 Synching with the marketing plan to drive synergy and results
[ PAGE 26 ]

27. Press Release Best Practices
[ PAGE 27 ]

28. Press Release Best Practices
 Don’t need earth shattering news
[ PAGE 28 ]

29. Press Release Best Practices
 Don’t need earth shattering news
 Commit to publishing at least monthly
[ PAGE 29 ]

30. Press Release Best Practices
 Don’t need earth shattering news
 Commit to publishing at least monthly
 Send summary of news with link to prospects
[ PAGE 30 ]

31. Press Release Best Practices
 Don’t need earth shattering news
 Commit to publishing at least monthly
 Send summary of news with link to prospects
 Send to a few targeted reporters w/a note quickly hitting highlights
[ PAGE 31 ]

32. Press Release Best Practices
Don’t need earth shattering news
Commit to publishing at least monthly
Send summary of news with link to prospects
Send to a few targeted reporters w/a note quickly hitting highlights
The local angle: send to hometown paper, television and radio
[ PAGE 32 ]

33. Press Release Best Practices
 Don’t need earth shattering news
 Commit to publishing at least monthly
 Send summary of news with link to prospects
 Send to a few targeted reporters w/a note quickly hitting highlights
 The local angle: send to hometown paper, television and radio
stations
 Link to a landing page via call to action
[ PAGE 33 ]

34. Press Release Best Practices
 Don’t need earth shattering news
 Commit to publishing at least monthly
 Send summary of news with link to prospects
 Send to a few targeted reporters w/a note quickly hitting highlights
 The local angle: send to hometown paper, television and radio
stations
 Link to a landing page via call to action
 Talk up the news in social media
[ PAGE 34 ]

35. Press Release Best Practices
 Don’t need earth shattering news
 Commit to publishing at least monthly
 Send summary of news with link to prospects
 Send to a few targeted reporters w/a note quickly hitting highlights
 The local angle: send to hometown paper, television and radio
stations
 Link to a landing page via call to action
 Talk up the news in social media
 Add social sharing icons
[ PAGE 35 ]

36. Press Release Best Practices
 Don’t need earth shattering news
 Commit to publishing at least monthly
 Send summary of news with link to prospects
 Send to a few targeted reporters w/a note quickly hitting highlights
 The local angle: send to hometown paper, television and radio
stations
 Link to a landing page via call to action
 Talk up the news in social media
 Add social sharing icons
 Use multimedia
[ PAGE 36 ]

37. Press Release Best Practices
What Not To Pitch:
Mr. Science Publishes Paper in Elite Journal
Pig’s Knuckle, Ark. - John Q. Science, associate professor in the
Department of Really Boring and Trivial Molecular Knowledge at The
Rheostat Institute of Technology, has recently lead-authored and
published a paper in the Institute of Pseudo-Science’s journal entitled,
“Measuring the Displacement of Milk in Cereal Bowls.”
Note: the information has been changed to protect the guilty
[ PAGE 37 ]

38. Some more helpful PR tools
[ PAGE 38 ]

39. Some more helpful PR tools
 Use release distribution tools like Vocus or Cision to create customized
media lists by client, and search social media
[ PAGE 39 ]

40. Some more helpful PR tools
 Use release distribution tools like Vocus or Cision to create customized
media lists by client, and search social media
 Plus on these is a constantly refreshed database; downside is cost
[ PAGE 40 ]

41. Some more helpful PR tools
 Use release distribution tools like Vocus or Cision to create customized
media lists by client, and search social media
 Plus on these is a constantly refreshed database; downside is cost
 There are several free release distribution services, including PR.com, PR
Urgent, PR Log, CustomerThink, PitchEngine, etc.
[ PAGE 41 ]

42. Some more helpful PR tools
 Use release distribution tools like Vocus or Cision to create customized
media lists by client, and search social media
 Plus on these is a constantly refreshed database; downside is cost
 There are several free release distribution services, including PR.com, PR
Urgent, PR Log, CustomerThink, PitchEngine, etc.
 PR Web can get your release out there for as little as $89, but it doesn’t have
the reach or impact of pricier Businesswire (about $500)
[ PAGE 42 ]

43. Some more helpful PR tools
 Use release distribution tools like Vocus or Cision to create customized
media lists by client, and in some cases search social media
 Plus on these is a constantly refreshed database; downside is cost
 There are several free release distribution services, including PR.com, PR
Urgent, PR Log, CustomerThink, PitchEngine, etc.
 PR Web can get your release out there for as little as $89, but it doesn’t have
the reach or impact of pricier Businesswire (about $500)
 Marketwire and PR Newswire are two other more expensive wire service
options that are similar to Businesswire
[ PAGE 43 ]

44. Some more helpful PR tools
 Use release distribution tools like Vocus or Cision to create customized
media lists by client, and search social media
 Plus on these is a constantly refreshed database; downside is cost
 There are several free release distribution services, including PR.com, PR
Urgent, PR Log, CustomerThink, PitchEngine, etc.
 PR Web can get your release out there for as little as $89, but it doesn’t have
the reach or impact of pricier Businesswire (about $500)
 Marketwire and PR Newswire are two other more expensive wire service
options that are a notch below Businesswire
 Track/follow media on social media; RT/engage
[ PAGE 44 ]

45. Test, test, test!
[ PAGE 45 ]

46. Test, test, test!
Vary your releases by test market
[ PAGE 46 ]

47. Test, test, test!
Vary your releases by test market
Test the:
[ PAGE 47 ]

48. Test, test, test!
Vary your releases by test market
Test the:
> Call to action
[ PAGE 48 ]

49. Test, test, test!
Vary your releases by test market
Test the:
> Call to action
> Offer
[ PAGE 49 ]

50. Test, test, test!
Vary your releases by test market
Test the:
> Call to action
> Offer
> Headlines
[ PAGE 50 ]

51. Test, test, test!
Vary your releases by test market
Test the:
> Call to action
> Offer
> Headlines
> Email subject
[ PAGE 51 ]

52. Techniques for raising your profile
[ PAGE 52 ]

53. Techniques for raising your profile
 Start a new blog or contribute to one; write on relevant topics; bring a fresh
perspective
[ PAGE 53 ]

54. Techniques for raising your profile
 Start a new blog or contribute to one; write on relevant topics; bring a fresh
perspective
 Get listed in as many business directories as possible to elevate your brand
in search results; many are free!
[ PAGE 54 ]

55. Techniques for raising your profile
 Start a new blog or contribute to one; write on relevant topics; bring a fresh
perspective
 Get listed in as many business directories as possible to elevate your brand
in search results; many are free!
 Comment on relevant online articles and blogs that showcase your expertise
and put you in a positive light
[ PAGE 55 ]

56. Techniques for raising your profile
 Start a new blog or contribute to one; write on relevant topics; bring a fresh
perspective
 Get listed in as many business directories as possible to elevate your brand
in search results; many are free!
 Comment on relevant online articles and blogs that showcase your expertise
and put you in a positive light
 Submit your company and executives for industry awards
[ PAGE 56 ]

57. There’s no substitute for face time
[ PAGE 57 ]

58. There’s no substitute for face time
 Diversify your media outreach – mix it up with in-person meetings, briefings
and interviews
[ PAGE 58 ]

59. There’s no substitute for face time
 Diversify your media outreach – mix it up with in-person meetings, briefings
and interviews
 Get your experts out on the speaking circuit
[ PAGE 59 ]

60. There’s no substitute for face time
 Diversify your media outreach – mix it up with in-person meetings, briefings
and interviews
 Get your experts out on the speaking circuit
 Coordinate on-site briefings at media offices
[ PAGE 60 ]

61. There’s no substitute for face time
 Diversify your media outreach – mix it up with in-person meetings, briefings
and interviews
 Get your experts out on the speaking circuit
 Coordinate on-site briefings at media offices
 Event exposure is a multiplier, opening up opportunities at other events &
raising thought leadership profile
[ PAGE 61 ]

62. To sum up:
 Ensure your press materials engage and generate leads
[ PAGE 62 ]

63. To sum up:
 Ensure your press materials engage and generate leads
 Content marketing & social media are key
[ PAGE 63 ]

64. To sum up:
 Ensure your press materials engage and generate leads
 Content marketing & social media are key
 Become a strategic partner of your organization or client, not just a cost
center
[ PAGE 64 ]

65. To sum up:
 Ensure your press materials engage and generate leads
 Content marketing & social media are key
 Become a strategic partner of your client, not just a cost center
 Use a mix of free and paid tools, gaining exposure without breaking the bank
[ PAGE 65 ]

66. To sum up:
 Ensure your press materials engage and generate leads
 Content marketing & social media are key
 Become a strategic partner of your organization or client, not just a cost
center
 Use a mix of free and paid tools, gaining exposure without breaking the bank
 Raise the brand profile through a mixture of events, awards, blogging,
bylines, SEO and good old-fashioned working the phone!
[ PAGE 66 ]

67. Let’s Talk!
 Wendy Marx, President, Marx Communications
> Website: http://www.marxcommunications.com
> Twitter: @wendymarx
> Facebook: http://profile.to/wendymarx
 Business Marketing Association, SoCal Chapter
> Website: http://www.socalbma.org
> Twitter: @SoCalBMA
> Hashtag: #scbmawebinar
[ PAGE 67 ]