At the core of public relations is the collaborative efforts of creating campaigns and strategies that help build and maintain a positive image for businesses, as well as connecting them to their target audience.
Effective and efficient PR strategies are the cornerstone to achieving success. They must be creative in their approach and newsworthy in their messaging. A compelling dialogue will grab an audience’s attention and communicate the overall message, but having topics of interest pertaining to the company or brand is what allows executives to establish themselves, along with their business, as leaders within their industries.
Within PR there are three sets of media channels — owned, paid and earned — that work in tandem in order to have a successful media campaign.
Every day, thousands of small startups and medium-sized companies conduct PR campaigns. To truly be successful in this arena, dedication and commitment, along with having a strong sense of what PR entails, are important. But PR can also be costly, especially for startup companies and businesses running on a lean operation.
For anyone looking to take the reins on their own PR, there are effective strategies you can leverage to help you successfully grow your consumer base, increase sales and guide you to success.
1. Know your audience as well as you know your brand. To make an impact, you need to know and understand your audience because not all of them are the same. You can have an excellent product or service, but if it’s not what your audience is looking for, then it’s not going to be successful. One of the many things PR allows you to do is prioritize specific markets and identify the most resonating messages for that particular area. Whatever content you create should have your audience in mind.
2. Define your goals and objectives. Have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and how you want to accomplish those goals. This will help in determining which audiences you need to reach and the means to get you there.
3. Be organized. Successful PR is achieved through a planned and sustained set of tasks. A smart idea is to keep a calendar documenting your outreach efforts. Begin generating an ongoing list of media contacts, business leaders and customers, along with like-minded companies that you can not only engage with but also possibly collaborate with.
4. Do your research. At the heart of every successful PR campaign is a well-thought-out and researched plan. Research is an essential part of PR because it allows you to be strategic. You want your communication outreach to be targeted to a specific audience — one that wants, needs and cares about the information you’re sharing and/or the product you’re selling.
5. Think like a journalist. Part of an effective PR strategy plan is the press release, so it’s a good idea to make sure whoever is part of your in-house PR team is a great writer. You want your release to be interesting and to the point. It can also include a few insightful quotes and should always include contact details. The goal is to grab the media’s attention. The more you can think like a reporter, the better off you’ll be in making headway with the right people.
6. Think like your audience as well. It’s not enough to think like the journalist whose attention you’re looking to grab; you must also think like the audience you’re trying to reach. When designing your PR campaign, think of it from the public’s point of view, not your own.
7. Establish and maintain relationships with journalists. While it’s important to establish relationships with members of the media, it’s equally as important to maintain them. It does not mean the relationship has wrapped just because your news has been covered. I’ve found things to be just the opposite, in fact: The way in which you engage with a particular journalist or media outlet after the story has been reported can help (or hurt) future outreach. After your story/news has been shared, be sure to follow up with a short thank-you note or email, and share the article across your social media channels.
8. Create compelling content. PR is about sharing the right information in the right places and with the right people. This is where knowing your audience is important. Creating engaging content will help to establish yourself and your brand as a leader in your respective industry. Your written content should also include elements of curiosity, relevancy, value and emotion.
9. Enhance your online presence. We live in a world where having a digital footprint, especially when it comes to business, is not simply important — it’s a necessity. Harnessing the power of social media and using your platforms to engage with your audience allows for the sharing of announcements, making connections, maintaining relationships, and publishing and sharing content. Another great place to start is on your own website. Creating a blog, published on a regular basis, allows for complete control while getting your message out to the public.
Connecting with the public takes time and trust. It involves nurturing relationships and being proactive in the methods used to spread your message. Running your own PR is by no means easy, but with the right tools in place, it can be done.
Source: forbes.com
