Finding a B2B PR agency that fits your business and your team isn’t easy – but it’s well worth the effort to get it right. After all, the most productive relationships will last many years.
A good agency is more than a supplier. They are custodians of your reputation and experts in turning complex ideas into impactful messaging. At their best, they operate strategically – shaping stories that cut across multiple channels – and tactically – delivering campaigns that land with impact. In B2B, you need a team that can flex to do both.
In short:
- Choose an agency that challenges you with smart questions and fresh perspectives.
- Prioritise sector fluency and creative range over being too niche or too broad.
- Shortlist carefully, do due diligence, and provide a strong written brief with budget.
Start with clarity
Clear objectives are the foundation of an effective PR partnership. Decide whether your priority is to:
- Raise visibility and drive preference in a crowded market
- Position your leadership team as industry experts
- Build trust with investors or stakeholders
- Support talent attraction and retention
- Drive web traffic and SEO performance
Specific goals enable tailored strategies and make it easier to measure success.
Research backs this up: according to AMEC (the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication), organisations that set clear objectives are far more likely to see measurable business outcomes from PR. By linking outputs (coverage, reach) to outcomes (brand preference, leads, sales), businesses can focus on meaningful impact.
Sector fluency
The right agency understands your industry and can quickly grasp its challenges and opportunities. In B2B, that means translating complexity into clarity, spotting topical story angles in technical subjects and knowing which journalists, platforms and influencers matter.
The sweet spot is an agency with enough specialism to understand your world, and enough breadth to bring fresh ideas from outside it.
B2B PR strategy as standard
Effective agencies start with strategy and use it to guide execution. They ask intelligent questions, push your thinking and design campaigns that align with your wider business goals.
Look for teams that explain how they plan activity, connect it to KPIs and collaborate with your sales and marketing colleagues, and other agency partners.
The PRCA’s most recent industry research shows that more than 70% of clients cite strategic input as the single most valuable attribute in a PR agency. Too often, agencies are chosen for their creativity alone, but without strategy, even the best ideas risk fizzling out.
As Carol Rhead, Marketing & Insight Director at Compass Group UK & I (Business & Industry), explains:
“Agencies tend to either be strategic or great at dealing with reactive needs and it’s quite rare to find an agency that can excel at both. But Midnight finds that balance, getting their hands around the big strategic issues, while having the agility and result-driven mindset to land the reactive pieces too.
“Midnight are very accountable too, with a clear focus on KPIs and results, and regular and transparent reporting.”
Digital and commercial mindset
PR works across channels and contributes to commercial outcomes. Strong agencies show how media coverage connects to:
- SEO performance and backlinks
- Website traffic and branded search
- LinkedIn visibility
- Wider commercial outcomes
Expect them to use tools like GA4, backlink analysis and share-of-voice reporting, and to align closely with your content teams.
Team fit and trust
Cultural fit is as important as capability. You’ll work closely with your agency, often on sensitive matters, so trust and chemistry matter.
Meet the people who will run your account, not just the pitch team. Look for proactive, thoughtful communicators who handle pressure well. Pay attention to agency culture too – motivated, cohesive teams deliver better work – you’ll spot the team chemistry.
Matt Ward, Executive Director of Marketing at Howden, sums this up well:
“We have worked with Midnight for several years and they have become an invaluable extension of our in-house marketing team.
“Midnight has many strings to their bow, not only as a first class PR agency but as a team that brings energy, creativity and strategic thinking to all aspects of marketing. Without exception, everyone at Midnight is a delight to work with. They are friendly, responsive and deliver great results, always with a smile on their faces.”
Where to find B2B PR agencies
- Word of mouth: trusted recommendations from peers carry real weight.
- Industry visibility: credible agencies share thought leadership, comment on sector issues and stay current with trends, reporting and tools.
Shortlisting and briefing
Three agencies are enough for a shortlist. Prioritise due diligence over beauty parades:
- Do their values align with yours (e.g. B Corp, employee-owned or minority-owned)?
- Do they hold relevant accreditations?
- Will they bring fresh thinking where you need it most?
Provide a clear brief with objectives, context and budget (or a range as a minimum). Strong input from you allows meaningful ideas from them, pitched at a level that works for you.
Breadth of services and collaboration
Choose an agency that can grow with you. The best partners offer a range of services, from thought leadership to digital campaigns, and work seamlessly with in-house teams and other agencies.
Look for collaboration as a default. Good agencies share ideas, assets and reporting openly and prioritise collective success over silos.
What good looks like
Midnight helped Arch Insurance position itself as a leader in cyber insurance.
Midnight supported Arch’s leadership positioning, campaign strategy and media relations during a period of integration and product expansion, resulting in tier-one media coverage and significant growth in digital visibility.
Related B2B PR services
Final thought
In B2B, the stakes are high. You’re selling expertise, credibility and often complex services with long buying cycles. A strong PR partner can be the difference between building authority and eroding trust.
Choose an agency that understands your market, works like part of your team and delivers impact you can measure.
Get in touch
Need a PR partner who understands your market – and your goals? Let’s talk.
Want to know where you’re at in terms of digital reputation? Take our 2-minute Score Card quiz to find out: click here.
