Public Relations 101:
Get a good handle on the basics
The term “public relations” is used for a variety of communication tasks. Many PR practitioners find they do so many different tasks, it’s often hard to define exactly what PR is. Basically, PR is a discipline designed to manage reputations, influence audiences and build brand awareness.
Public relations can be a valuable tool for companies. More than event planning and media relations, PR helps to maintain the way an audience views a company or organization. |
Developing a plan
The plan is the first step to implementing a solid public relations initiative. This will be the framework and should be so well developed that it can be implemented by anyone.
The plan consists of:
• A solid mission statement that establishes the brand and purpose.
• A goal the plan should achieve.
• A solid strategy to reach those goals and align the company with credible third-party endorsements.
• A plan for issues management.
• A media relations plan including media training.
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Begin the strategy by defining the audience. Know the “publics” you want to reach and consider each person who can be affected by the company’s product or service. From this point, a solid audience can be determined.
The objective then becomes how to reach this audience. For business-to-business clients, phone calls and direct-mail pieces often are effective. However, for others, and a large majority of consumer businesses, media relations is an excellent strategy to reach the intended audiences.
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