Digital PR Tactics

If your goal with B2B PR is driving traffic to your website, you might want to rethink that in 2025. AI is quickly making traditional SEO obsolete - and using web traffic to measure the results of press and social media is no longer as useful (especially if you aren't doing e-commerce). Most people aren't interested in consuming content on your website. It's time to prioritize providing valuable thought leadership content to decision makers directly, on the channels they're already spending time: 👉 In the feed on social channels (asking people to click to get info = losing 99% of the potential audience) 👉 Via influencers whom your target audience already follows 👉 Podcast interviews and sponsorships (many B2B podcasts offer vendor-sponsored interviews at low cost) 👉 Press coverage from outlets that don't block ChatGPT and other AI crawlers (to ensure your brand is considered in responses from AI agents) 👉 Niche industry newsletters 👉 At industry conferences and events 👉 Bylines and paid articles in respected industry trade publications I remember not too long ago when clients adored ✨ PRINT COVERAGE ✨ and considered digital coverage much less valuable. This changed rapidly, and brands who didn't invest in digital PR during the transition period struggled to catch up. We're in another period of transition right now where we still consider coverage on highly-ranked websites the key to success - but we're slowly starting to recognize that people are getting information from more dispersed sources today. Smart brands will start to diversify their PR strategies now to eke out remaining value of SEO while they can, while laying the foundation for the future.

"Think nationally, pitch locally" This transformed our $10k+ digital PR campaign. We created a data-driven piece analyzing profit-per-employee across Fortune 500 companies. We put about $10k into it & came up with a bunch of great original research. We compiled a big list of massive outlets & started letting pitches rip. We DID get SOME responses, but it was lukewarm at best. So we pivoted: → We identified local business journals and news outlets → Customized angles highlighting companies headquartered in their regions → Provided ready-to-use quotes and localized data points → Made journalists' jobs easier by doing the local relevance work for them It worked. Local outlets converted at nearly 4x the rate of national publishers. Why? National media is currently inundated with major stories. Local outlets are hungrier for quality content with a regional hook. This doesn't mean national outreach isn't valuable. But in a crowded media landscape, finding the path of least resistance often yields better results. If you’re running digital PR right now, this is a must-try 👍

I'm tired of hearing PR = traditional media. Most agencies are getting it wrong too. 🙃 It isn’t… The NY Times The WSJ  <Insert any other big-name publication> people get excited about Even if you land in a top-tier publication, chances are people will read about it like you are right now - on their LinkedIn feed - rather than the actual media platform where it was published. These traditional platforms may provide varying degrees of credibility, but they don't provide distribution. Today, EVERYTHING is media. Here’s what that might look like: Targeted Content: - Niche Podcasts: Identify the specific podcast your ideal CIO (Chief Information Officer),  CMO (Chief Marketing Officer), or whoever listens to based on their industry and interests. These podcasts are GOLD for moving prospects from awareness to consideration. - Curated Newsletters: Seek out targeted Substack newsletters relevant to your niche, not just "gems." Think "Bankless" for crypto enthusiasts or "The Information" for tech insiders. - Engaging Collaborations: Partner with influencers who genuinely understand your audience and know how to engage them on platforms like Instagram Live. Look for influencers who spark conversations and promote meaningful interactions. - LinkedIn Fireside Chats: Host live-streamed chats with industry leaders and your CEO, and top clients. This adds credibility and attracts a wider audience. - Leveraging Trends: Create TikTok accounts or tie into those that creatively engage with relevant trends and topics specific to your industry. Interactive & Community-Driven: - Virtual Conferences: Participate in or host virtual conferences that attract your target audience, offering valuable content and networking opportunities. - Twitch Streams: Consider live-streaming on Twitch for real-time interaction, especially if your target market is tech-savvy or in the gaming industry. - Reddit AMAs: Host Reddit AMAs (Ask Me Anything) on relevant subreddits to directly engage with your audience and answer their questions in an informal setting. - Pinterest Boards: Create curated Pinterest boards around themes your target market actively searches for, showcasing your brand's expertise and visual appeal. Content with Reach & Impact: - YouTube Channels: These channels have content optimized for search, and one interview alone can drive targeted traffic. - Data-Driven Insights: Prioritize creating content backed by data and industry insights that your target market craves, like reports, white papers, or infographics. Remember: If you aren't seeing the results you want with PR, it's almost ALWAYS one of two things. Either your definition of media is too narrow (and hence, strategies are outdated and underperforming), and/or you don't have a distribution plan to go with it. #pr #publicrelations #strategiccommunications #marketing #tech #b2b

How we built a Digital PR machine to compete with million-dollar ad budgets → without spending like the big guys Had the pleasure of being a podcast guest w/ Vince Nero at BuzzStream. We broke down exactly how to dominate local search without breaking the bank! Here’s what we covered 👇 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟭: 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗥 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 (𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘄 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵) Year 1 was painful... • Stories nobody wanted • Journalists ghosting us • Questioning if digital PR even worked for local The turning point? → Mark Rofe showed us we were missing the secret: targeted storytelling → Karla Fernandez (ex-Rise at Seven) helped us fix it fast Here’s the new approach: 📰 Reactive PR ↳ Tie into trending news in real time 💡 Expert commentary ↳ Make clients the go-to voices in their niche 📊 Data campaigns ↳ Local stories that journalists can't ignore Wins? • Daylight savings → car crashes → 5 TV segments • Sephora testers → bacteria → NewBeauty feature • “Road Rage Capitals” → 15 links + 200 syndications 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟮: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 Beyond PR → what moves the needle: ✅ Community sponsorships ($250–$2,500) ↳ Youth sports, churches, fire departments ↳ Tax-deductible + trust signals ✅ Charity events that earn press ↳ Turkey drives, backpack giveaways, Uber rides ↳ Perfect for local news coverage ✅ Strategic directory management ↳ Prioritize ones already ranking ↳ Fix citations quarterly ✅ Google Business Profile optimization ↳ Keyword-tagged photos via mobile ↳ Reviews with local images ↳ Fill out every possible field 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 1️⃣ Perfect your GBP → your digital storefront 2️⃣ Clean up citations → obsess over accuracy 3️⃣ Sponsor less competitive nearby areas 4️⃣ Layer in reactive PR as you grow Our philosophy? “If you’re recognized in real life, you’re gonna rank in maps.” – Blake Denman While competitors drop $50K+ a month on billboards... → We’re building the same signals for pennies on the dollar. What’s your biggest local SEO challenge? Let’s solve it together 👇 P.S. - Pod episode in the comments!

Traditional B2B tech PR is dead. Press releases and generic pitches no longer cut through the noise. It's time for a disruptive, results-driven approach: 1. Embrace Disruption: In a saturated market, blending in is invisible. Stand out with unique, insightful content. Gartner (2022) found 72% of B2B buyers engage with disruptive content. Third-party endorsements build crucial credibility. 2. Challenge Conventions: Ditch vanity metrics (impressions, reach). Focus on real metrics: website traffic, leads, conversions. HubSpot reports 61% of marketers prioritize lead generation. Leverage podcasts, social media, and influencers. 3. Prioritize Engagement: Build genuine relationships through authentic conversations and valuable interactions. Edelman's Trust Barometer reveals 81% of consumers consider brand trust a key purchase driver. 4. The Rise of "Anti-PR": Focus on community building and organic conversations over media placements. Think Slack and HubSpot's success. The future of B2B tech PR is about genuine relationships, not just press hits. It's about driving real business outcomes. #AntiPR #B2BTech #PRDisrupted #TraditionalPR

After interviewing hundreds of journalists about how they like to be pitched by PRs, here's what I found actually works: 1. Build genuine relationships first. Journalists can spot mass pitches from a mile away. Follow their work, engage with their newsletters, understand their beat. The best coverage comes from genuine connections. 2. Think like a newsroom. Every story needs a clear angle and immediate relevance. If you wouldn't read it, neither will they. 3. Make it easy to say yes. Provide clear quotes, verified credentials, and quick access to experts. The faster journalists can verify and use your source, the more likely they'll include it. 4. Target strategically. Sometimes the niche trade publication reaches your ideal audience better than a top-tier outlet. Focus on impact, not just name recognition. The most effective digital PR doesn't feel like PR; it is a valuable contribution to an ongoing conversation. What's been your experience with digital PR? Have you found certain approaches work better than others?

Here's a small sample of the Digital PR wins the Fractl team shared on Monday: 🎓 Education client featured on TODAY 🏠 Elder care client in USA Today 💻 Hosting client in TechRadar 🧑💼 Job board client in HR World 🔒 Home security client in Quartz Want to learn how our team turns ideas into headlines? 1️⃣ Tell stories with data. Do you have proprietary data? Could you scrape data? Could you run a survey for data? Anytime you can bring new, newsworthy data to the table, you enable journalists to "break news." 2️⃣ Sync your themes to the news cycle. What cyclical or breaking news can you tie your brand to? By focusing on providing data aligned with the news cycle, you're ensuring your brand can be of value to journalists based on themes they're actively planning for in their editorial pipeline. 3️⃣ Bring SMEs and firsthand experiences. If you read Muck Rack's "2024 State of Journalism" report (along with every Google update), you understand that actionable quotes from SMEs are key to standing out from the droves of AI content in 2025. Build credibility and make your story stand out with firsthand experiences. 4️⃣ Optimize your distribution strategy. Publishers are prime targets for your "exclusive" because they have your target market as a built-in audience while offering the added benefits of their authority and syndication networks. Using audience research tools like SparkToro can help you further refine the publishers and social platforms you repurpose your content for. #DigitalPR #Growth #ContentMarketing #SEO #earnedmedia #mediarelations #casestudy #PR #AI #Marketing