I joined the Alliance of Independent Agencies’ New Business Roundtable Summit in London to host five rotating sessions on PR and content strategy for growth. Across the morning, I spoke to 35 agency leaders about how a joined-up approach to storytelling, earned media and content can support business development.
One of the key takeaways from the session was the importance of building trust before you try to sell. Think of it like this: if someone knocks on your door offering to clean your windows, you’re likely to say no. But if your neighbour told you the day before how great their window cleaner was, and that same person knocked the next day, you’d be far more likely to listen.
PR and content play the same role in new business. They help you show up warm, not cold. That means creating visibility, familiarity and credibility long before a prospect is asked to buy anything.
Good content doesn’t start with your services; it starts with relevance. If your content leads with challenges your audience is facing – like “65% of brands struggle to engage Gen Z” – you’ve already made it more relatable. From there, you can build trust by sharing how a client overcame that problem (ideally through their voice, not yours). Case studies, testimonials and even awards help prospects understand your value without having to sit through a sales pitch.
That said, awards and events need to be done well to be worthwhile. Think beyond campaign entries – highlight your team, your values and your agency’s momentum. When shared properly, even a shortlist can become a powerful trust signal.
Events are just as valuable, especially when you run your own fringe moments like breakfasts or roundtables. These smaller, more intimate settings create space for real conversations. Bring your clients, bring journalists – and make sure you’re capturing first-party data so you can follow up in a meaningful way.
Celebrating internal success is also important. If someone’s grown from intern to practice lead, that’s not just a promotion — it’s a powerful signal of your culture, your values, and your ability to nurture talent. Don’t keep that quiet.
Promotions like these show real growth. For your team and your business. So if you’ve made a senior hire from within, say it loud. And if you’ve won a new client or launched something new? Share that too. Momentum builds momentum.
These “titbits” may not close a deal on their own, but it all adds up to a consistent narrative that builds trust. These stories can feed into your blog, newsletters, CRM sequences and sales decks – all part of a wider content pipeline that nurtures prospects from awareness to conversion.
Measurement matters too. If you want to show that PR and content deliver ROI, you need to track it. Start with share of voice. Use tools to benchmark your coverage against competitors, strip out the paid-for stuff and focus on what’s earned. Layer that with CRM data and track where leads come from. If a prospect first heard of you via a blog, or a panel you spoke on, make sure that gets recorded. This all helps justify spend and align marketing with growth.
When all of this is working together – your PR, your content, your events and your data – it becomes more than just marketing. It becomes a new business engine. And that’s the point. You’re not selling your services. You’re building a story that people want to be part of.
If you'd like to learn more about how Propeller Group helps agencies and tech businesses build visibility, credibility and engagement across every stage of the funnel, drop me a message. I'd love to keep the conversation going.