As flatlining economic growth and higher interest rates took hold in 2023, employers put the brakes on hiring and instead looked for ways to maximise their existing resources. The onus shifted onto achieving more for less: as our survey last year showed, 63% of marketers are now expected to deliver just this. This is where we stand as we kick off 2024.
But while many may profess to get ‘more for less’, business leaders might be uncertain on how they can really squeeze more juice out of a smaller carton. Can they generate more results without adding to their teams’ stress levels? Or will it become a strategy devoid of any real substance?
When it comes to formulating a B2B tech PR and marketing strategy for 2024, there is a sea of opportunities for optimising awareness, leveraging cost-effective support and ramping up lead generation. So, how can you make sure your more for less strategy has substance?
Focus your PR strategy but broaden your range
You should pinpoint the areas where you can – or need to – have the greatest impact. For example, for B2B communities, focusing efforts on LinkedIn can deliver greater traction than X. Yet with an increasingly packed media agenda, a modern PR strategy should encompass a wider remit of services, such as lead gen, digital strategy and events, as well as securing traditional coverage. Exploring platforms like TikTok, for example, could spring up surprise outcomes.
It’s a case of broadening what you do but honing in on which avenues will bring you the most impact.
Choose your moments
Global, national and macro events will continue to shape the news agenda and your PR strategy needs to work around them and for them. It can be a waste of energy churning out content when it’s not going to see the light of day, but there can also be massive missed opportunities by failing to preempt or latch onto a relevant – and trending – story.
A streamlined and agile approach chooses what and when to launch effectively, when to jump on opportunities, and when to keep things building in the background. It’s all in the timing.
And finally, we would say this, but…
Consider a specialist B2B tech PR agency
A good agency is built upon the foundation of getting more for less. If you’re struggling to build an in-house team, or simply want to be more cost-effective, using one can give you access to a whole team of experts and creatives for the same cost as one or two employees.
If you decide to go for an agency, then it’s worth considering a specialist agency who aligns with your industry and stage of company development. Some larger agencies, for instance, cover a broad range of sectors and company sizes and will carry out both B2B and B2C PR services, whereas an agency like ourselves focuses on B2B tech challenger brands. A specialist agency is usually designed to understand how to appeal to your target audience and media base.
2024 is primed for areas of both economic improvement and continued challenges. But it’s likely that getting more bang for your buck will remain high on the list of priorities. These are general actions that can be taken to get more out of your B2B tech PR. But there’s no blanket rule; each strategy requires tailored planning, expertise and execution.
The year ahead could be another rocky road, but a fine-tuned approach means you really can get more for less.
Want to find out more? Get in touch with the CommsCo team.
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