What’s the secret to getting your B2B news published?

Business-to-business (B2B) media are also often referred to as “specialized business media.” And that word “specialized” is one of the keys to getting your news noticed by B2B editors. These publications and digital platforms were established to deliver information that is important to a niche audience and their success depends on how well they accomplish this mission. So, it should come as no surprise that news releases and other material that clearly state why it is relevant to that specialized audience are more likely make it into print or online than those that don’t.

The editor is a gatekeeper. A lot of marketers write news releases (or expect them to be written) as if they were addressing potential customers. Obviously they are the ultimate target, but you can’t speak to them directly. You need to convince an editor to tell your story for you and, while you both have the same objective – to inform someone about your product or service – the editor will approach it differently. You want to convince the reader to buy what you’re selling, as you would in a face-to-face meeting. The editor, on the other hand, wants to capture the reader’s attention in crowded media landscape. That usually, although not always, means he or she is looking for something that is of immediate interest to that specialized audience. That usually means the subject matter is actually new and important, or addresses trend or problem that is topical.

A third element is authority. Almost anything that Apple says about digital devices will get picked up because almost everybody is interested, on some level, in the company or its products. Few of us have the good fortune to work for a company with that kind of authority, and so we need to establish our own authority in every news release. We need to convince those editors that what we are saying is real and important in that particular specialized niche. Some of that authority can be developed by providing detailed and unbiased evidence to back up important claims. Or you can ‘borrow’ some credibility from a third party (a customer or an independent organization) that endorses your product or service.

In other words, when it comes to writing something for the B2B press, there’s a lot more to think about than features and benefits. That’s why a competent PR practitioner can be so useful. It’s their business to know which specialized media reach your customers and prospects most effectively, and to know what is going to appeal to editors’ preferences. They know how to write a release so that it “sells” your story at the same time that it “tells” your story. They are experienced in using every resource to give the story credibility and give your company authority. In fact, the best and most experienced PR professionals have developed their own credibility and authority with important editors who expect that “if XYZ Public Relations sent this to me, it’s probably important for me to share it with my readers.”

Want to know more secrets to a successful news release? Let’s talk…