Demystifying B2B communication
Explaining Business to Business communication, known simply as communication B2B, can be challenging. There are several assumptions that need to be demystified. The most common one is, most likely, to presume that a B2B brand cannot use the same communication tools as a B2C – aimed at the end consumer.
The large majority of our clients are from the B2B sector, meaning that they are companies who communicate to other companies. However, that does not have to imply a corporate communication in the traditional sense. It all depends on the brand’s positioning, culture and openness to explore new paths.
Thus, it is important to get to know the client as best as possible, become a part of their team and search for those unique details that are rarely included in the press dossier or fact sheets. Sometimes, it’s in those details that you will find opportunities to build an unique campaign, or even find a relevant and unexplored topic of conversation with the media. We can say as a communication agency that it is actually crucial to know the client, its team and ecosystem since a big portion of what we do as PR specialists is precisely to identify opportunities that are not seen by the naked eye.
These opportunities can be materialised in various ways: press releases, by-line articles, interviews, branded content, press kits, collaborations with content creators, or even events. In this blogpost, we will focus our attention on the last three.
Press kits can also exist in B2B communication
It’s easy for one to assume that press kits only make sense for B2C brands. Nevertheless, the development of these materials can be an interesting brand awareness tool to, for instance, create a communication channel with the local press. Besides, the kit doesn’t necessarily have to include a press release or other written content, as it could only act as a “Happy Summer” or “Happy Holidays” wishing. As actor Humphrey Bogart once said “this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
Content creators and not influencers
“Influencers and B2B brands don’t work” is also a clear example of a wrong assumption. It can be partially true, but first it is important to make the distinction between influencers and digital content creators. Despite seeming presented as synonyms, they might not be. Providing a practical example, we don’t see Pedro Caramez – LinkedIn Portuguese specialist – as an influencer, do we? Pedro is a clear example of a B2B content creator.
Although the line that separates them is fine and has plenty of ramifications, for the present illustration, we can consider an influencer someone who works mostly in exchange for paid partnerships with B2C brands, on social networks where the end consumer is, such as Twitter or Instagram. Content creators in the B2B arena, on the other hand, can be a little more versatile, as the materials they develop can be either about brands or companies, and their target audience is usually on LinkedIn. Bottomline, the important thing to keep in mind is that B2B companies are made of people, who just like everyone else also consume social media content. Therefore, as with any other strategy, we need to shape our message well and who do we want to retain it.
Events, a powerful ally
The word event takes on different materializations. Going from the traditional press conference, to the webinars, the important thing is hosting them with some periodicity. The opening of new offices, the launch of a new product or tool, the visit from a C-level executive, are all good examples of an excuse to organise one. Similar to press kits, this is also a key tool to position the brand by keeping it on the media’s, partners and potential clients top-of-mind.
Likewise, we can continue to take advantage of the best practices brought by the pandemic and keep the events on their digital format to streamline agendas – both the attendees, and the press -, or even enable the presence of guest spokespeople that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.
These are just a few examples that show that in B2B Communication a wide variety of actions can be carried out, as in B2C Communication. Who said that Business to Business could not be creative?