Social responsibility: A recent survey of PR professionals named social responsibility as the biggest PR trend for 2023, covering DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion), CSR (corporate social responsibility) and ESG (environmental, social and governance). The most important thing for businesses is to make sure this is deep rooted and not seen as a PR stunt. Companies and their executives need to “walk the walk” and not just “talk the talk” when it comes to social responsibility. Customers are increasingly looking to do business with companies that share their brand ethics and values, and we’ve all seen examples of reputation damage when companies make superficial claims without the substance to back them up.
Employer brand: This will be important for many UK businesses again in 2023. A lot of companies continue to face recruitment challenges and standing out from the crowd as an employer of choice will remain an important part of many corporate communication strategies. Businesses with strong values that are lived and breathed throughout their organisation – and well communicated in their PR activity - will be the winners in the fight for talent.
Make movies: Businesses that don’t include video in their B2B content mix in 2023 will be missing a trick. Whether it’s to explain a complex technical product/process or give a peek behind the scenes of your company to show people what it’s really like to work there, video remains one of the most engaging content formats and has an important part to play in PR strategies. And while the B2B world hasn’t yet embraced TikTok in the same way as many B2C brands, short form video is just as engaging when used across your existing social channels.
Twitter: stay or go? It appears to be business as usual on B2B Twitter in the UK since Elon Musk’s takeover, but our advice is to keep an eye on the platform and refine your plans accordingly. LinkedIn is far more widely used than Twitter in the UK for building B2B brand awareness and generating referrals in sectors that rely heavily on relationships and word of mouth recommendation, such as the legal and professional services industries.
Online: As the threat of recession extends B2B buying cycles, companies will need to play the long game and stay visible to people throughout the buying chain from the research phase until a buying decision is made. This means consistently creating and sharing strong, relevant content that will keep your brand visible among the right people and educate prospective customers on the value of buying from you versus the competition.
Impact: In the current economic climate, marketing teams are under pressure to demonstrate value. Using data to understand PR impact in areas such as brand awareness, social media engagement, and driving quality web traffic as a minimum will help refine future strategies and make sure PR partnerships continue to deliver value.