How a PR strategy with earned media influences B2B buyers in healthcare, health tech, and life science

How a PR strategy with earned media influences B2B buyers in healthcare, health tech + life science

A strategic mix of PR and earned media builds trust, shapes perception, and influences B2B buyers across the healthcare ecosystem

Josh Birch, Media Relations Manager

B2B competition for healthcare, health tech, life science, and medtech industries has never been greater. Cloud infrastructure, AI toolkits, and faster development cycles have made it easier, and cheaper, for startups to enter markets that were once dominated by a handful of big names. In addition to far more companies in the market, they’re overlapping, moving faster, and competing for the same limited pool of buyers, capital, and credibility. In this SEO- and GEO-led era, the healthcare brands that stand out will be the ones to attract coveted B2B buyers. PR and media relations are critical assets in helping transform a brand from a little-known entity into an industry giant.

Why earned media matters

Earned media isn’t just about mentions and the number of people who read the message. It helps to drive real change, and in doing so, sets your brand apart from the crowded healthcare field. Here are four ways earned media influences B2B buyers:

01. Builds credibility

Let’s face it – healthcare buyers are extremely risk-averse and want to know that what they invest in is legitimate. Earned media provides invaluable third-party validation for your brand, and that credibility is powerful.

When a journalist covers your product, it signals to others that your story was worth telling in the first place. A company can say they have the greatest product in the world, but that doesn’t necessarily make it true. Audiences understand that advertisements are designed to persuade. Earned media, on the other hand, is filtered through editorial standards.

02. Speeds the purchasing decision time.

Healthcare purchases, especially large ones, can take months or even years. A “yes” requires a system-wide commitment with clinical, financial, and operational signoff. There are rounds of scrutiny, validation, and consensus before a decision is made. Earned media coverage can speed this process because it legitimizes your company in the eyes of potential customers. Long sales cycles and high-stakes decisions are a result of buyers looking for evidence, not promises. Earned media helps bridge that gap. It doesn’t replace clinical data or ROI, but it makes those claims more believable.

03. Builds brand awareness

Do you remember the Ice Bucket Challenge back in 2014? It was a viral movement, involving everyone from professional athletes and celebrities to ordinary people. Even if you didn’t personally participate, if you scrolled through the news or looked at social media, it was impossible to miss. The movement became a story in itself.

That’s the power of earned media coverage. These weren’t sponsored ads or posts. The movement was organic, and it spread like wildfire. As a result, the ALS Association became more widely known, and millions of dollars were raised for ALS-related research, which helped scientists identify new genes that cause ALS.

04. Creates thought leadership opportunities

Humanizing the brand can be an important factor in B2B purchases. Earned media provides the opportunity for subject matter experts to establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Just as earned media can establish credibility for the product, it can also help establish credibility for the people behind the product.

Positive earned media in the outlets that are most closely aligned with your main audience goes a long way in building trust among peers, which is why it is important to say yes to the request! If you are trying to reach healthcare executives, a health trade publication with a readership of 10,000 people in your core audience is likely much more valuable than being quoted in The New York Times. It might have millions of readers, but they all have different interests, news needs, and topic comprehension, and few, if any, of them are truly in the market for your product. Getting your message in front of the right audience has a direct influence on key buyers.

Earned media coverage is a catalyst for shaping a company’s narrative and ability to convert sales in the B2B space. With decades of experience in the healthcare industry, KNB Communications has the experience and ability to leverage and share your story through PR and earned media.

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