Strategic PR Strategy: How to Drive B2B Growth & Trust

Most companies think of public relations as the art of writing a good press release or landing a quote in a trade publication. But what if PR could be your most powerful strategic weapon, not just for visibility, but for market dominance?

In a recent episode of our podcast, Karla Jo Helms, Founder and CEO of JOTO PR Disruptors, pulled back the curtain on how PR can be wielded to shape public opinion, defend against competitive attacks and accelerate growth. Below, we discuss her insights on how businesses can flip traditional PR on its head and use it proactively to win.

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1. A New Era: Why Strategic PR Matters in Today’s Business Landscape

This PR philosophy didn't begin in fluffy brand storytelling. It was born in the trenches of crisis communications, where companies fought to survive public opinion firestorms. Early in Karla’s career, she witnessed how larger competitors could weaponize media to derail smaller, faster-growing innovators who lacked protective publicity.

The takeaway? The modern business battlefield isn't fought with bullets: it's fought with headlines.

“It’s not the Wild West where you shoot them out. You print them out.”

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2. Calculating Market Mindshare: The Formula Behind PR Success

Forget Ouija boards and obscure media impressions. There’s a scientific formula to calculate how much exposure a brand needs to dominate public perception.

It starts with understanding:

• Total Addressable Market (TAM)
• Emotional sentiment and the urgency of the audience
• Barriers to entry, like lawsuits or bad press
• Message saturation, or how many times the message must be seen to shift minds (usually 20–50 times)

From there, you reverse-engineer:

• Which publications and platforms reach your audience
• How frequently you need to appear there
• What narratives will displace your competitors

Think of it like filling a vacuum — one article, podcast or quote at a time — until your narrative becomes the dominant story.

3. Want More Leads? From Exposure to Revenue: How PR Fuels the Sales Funnel

One of the biggest disconnects between PR and revenue teams is measurability. Bridging this gap requires a clear chain of influence:

• PR exposure raises awareness and trust
• Marketing engages educated, warmed-up prospects
• Sales convert those prospects with less resistance
• Revenue increases as a result of faster cycles and higher close rates

Done right, PR doesn't just support the funnel: it fills it.

PR vs Marketing Strategy: How Each Drives Growth Differently

PR and marketing are often lumped together, but they play different — and complementary — roles:

• PR shapes perception. It builds presence, credibility, authority and trust in the marketplace by controlling the narrative and establishing expertise.
• Marketing drives demand. It creates targeted campaigns to generate interest, capture leads and nurture prospects.
• Together, they multiply impact. Strategic PR ensures the market sees you as credible. Marketing ensures that credibility turns into qualified opportunities.

In other words, marketing may win attention, but PR ensures that attention means something.

4. Brand Storytelling: Turning PR into Purpose-Driven Messaging

According to Karla's research, 80% of fast-growing tech CEOs use PR not just to tell stories, but to stay visible and communicate their purpose. But not the fluffy, generic kind pasted on the “About Us” page. Here’s an example:

A company that helps small businesses fight fraudulent chargebacks. Their true purpose? Leveling the playing field. So every PR story should reflect that mission, whether they're commenting on legislation, technology or customer wins.

This alignment between purpose, press and product builds means brand resilience: the ability to withstand hits and still stand strong in the market.

5. How to Get the Media to Call You Back — Media Relations Made Simple

Don't have big media connections? No problem. This framework is all about value creation, not name-dropping.

The secret: Stop begging for coverage and start offering insights.

• Share data or trends that haven't hit the mainstream yet
• Offer expert POV on legislation or industry shifts impacting your audience
• Be a resource, not a press release

This consistent, value-first strategy snowballs. One trade article leads to a podcast. That podcast gets picked up by mainstream outlets, and just like that, your brand is everywhere.

6. Crisis Communication: PR Tactics for Weathering a Firestorm

Even with the best strategy, the storm can hit. And when it does, here’s some clear advice:

• Don't go silent: You must fill the vacuum with your narrative.
• Don't repeat the enemy line: Never say, "I didn't cheat." Instead, say, "Here's a certificate proving our compliance."
• Don't defend; attack strategically: Show receipts. Show confidence.

And please, for the love of your brand, hire a pro. Most companies instinctively do the wrong thing and make it worse.

On social media, the same rules apply. Amplify your message, control the tone and never let the trolls hijack your narrative.

7. Real-World Examples of PR Strategies That Drive Growth

Strategic PR goes beyond mere theory; it’s a proven practice. Consider these examples that encapsulate an effective PR strategy in action: 

• Purpose-Driven Campaigns: When PR is tied to a bigger mission, it resonates on a deeper level. Dove’s marketing “Campaign for Real Beauty” challenged traditional beauty standards and sought to spark conversations around self-esteem. The campaign and discussion surrounding it received widespread media coverage, and, according to Ad Age, sales of Dove soap increased from $2 billion to $4 billion over the following three years. Purpose-driven campaigns build trust, earn emotional buy-in and give brands a platform that extends well beyond products. 

• Strategic Brand Positioning: Mergers, rebrands or new categories all benefit from PR that carefully positions leadership and narrative. Calian IT & Cyber Solutions successfully merged two brands under one roof by elevating executives as industry experts through targeted PR, fueling double-digit revenue growth and significant U.S. media coverage.

• Personalization and User Engagement: Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign swapped the iconic logo for consumer names, turning products into personalized experiences. The campaign drove a more than 2% increase in U.S. sales and sparked more than 500,000 social media posts. By inviting customers to be part of the story, Coca-Cola created a wave of organic engagement that traditional advertising couldn’t replicate.

PR is great for protecting a company’s reputation, but proactive PR, grounded in value and purpose, is also an invaluable tool for creating brand moments, shifting perceptions and driving measurable growth.

8. Building a PR Strategy for Startups and Emerging Brands

Startups often assume PR is a “big company” play. In reality, it’s one of the fastest ways to build credibility and win early market share.

Emerging brands stepping into the PR sphere should consider these key steps:

1. Define your purpose. Anchor every story in why your company exists and the problem you solve.

2. Target niche media first. Industry publications and podcasts create credibility before mainstream outlets follow.

3. Leverage founders as voices. Investors, partners and prospects want to hear from the visionaries behind the business.

4. Use PR to recruit. Early media coverage helps attract top talent who want to join a company making headlines.

5. Measure impact. Track inbound leads, website traffic spikes and deal velocity tied to media coverage.

PR isn’t a vanity move. Really, it’s about ensuring survival in an increasingly crowded and competitive marketplace. A well-crafted strategy levels the playing field, giving emerging players the visibility and credibility to compete with established giants.

Don’t Tell a Story — Own It

If you've been thinking of PR as a press release machine, it's time to change the game. Whether you're defending your brand, launching a new category or simply trying to ensure your narrative is the one that sticks, you have the roadmap.

Get a running start out of the gate, do the math, speak with purpose, fill the vacuum and never, ever leave your story in someone else's hands.

This article was based on an episode of The B2B Revenue Executive Experience podcast — listen to the full episode here.