Education
The POWER of Public Relations to Build Your Business!
Public relations is the use of information to influence public opinion. Public relations will help you:
* Educate and Inform
* Strengthen your Credibility
* Promote Understanding
* Heighten Awareness and Increase Visibility
* Create a Positive Selling Environment
It is imperative to create a Communications Plan, which serves as a road map for your outreach strategies. Just as you can take a turn when traveling, you can change the plan as you go if your goals change. But it is best to take some time to map out your strategy before you begin.
To start your plan, answer the following questions:
* What is your objective?
* Who is the target audience?
* How are these audiences to be contacted?
* Who/what is your competition?
* What is different/unique about your product/service?
* Develop three to five message points
* Develop a time line
* How should the plan be evaluated/measured?
Take some time in answering these questions. The answers may not be as obvious as you believe at first glance. Schedule at least a half-day work session to debate these answers, and put them into a form so you truly have a guideline that you can utilize on an on-going basis.
Although publicity in the general media is the goal of many public relations campaigns, don’t stop there.
One of the best tools to use for outreach are other group’s or company’s newsletters. Does the Chamber of Commerce, your NAWBO chapter, the city or other groups have newsletters? Send them your news—this is often a free membership benefit.
There is a myriad of publications on the Internet. Do an Internet search to find out which ones may be applicable to you. Definitely include this outreach as you expand your media relations program, as the Internet is becoming more and more popular as a source for the public’s news gathering and information.
Virtually every industry has its own set of publications. Do not ignore this specialty media. Stories in these magazines often can be reproduced for your press kit (see below), or as distribution to your customer and prospect lists. Be creative about what industries might be interested in your news—it can expand beyond your own professional industry to industries that are buying your product/service or are related in other ways.
Have a press kit that includes a fact sheet on your business. Include bios of your key staff. Put in your latest press releases. This is an easy way for reporters to have all the background information in one neat bundle.
Create brochures, newsletters or relevant collateral material. Put them in your press kit and put the media on your distribution list.
Offer seminars or special events that are open to the community. All of these things make you more open and more accessible to local reporters.
In today’s world, your web site may be the first form of contact with your organization. Your web site also is important for media relations. Set up a special area where the media can go (call it Media Center or Press Center) to quickly get the information they are looking for. Put your press kit on your web site. Post all of your news releases and articles. You may even want to post an area for story ideas.
In closing, remember these tips to enhance your public relations efforts:
* be patient and consistent;
* make information relevant and timely;
* use a good spokesperson from your organization,
* be persistent,
* and most importantly, HAVE FUN!
Mary Schnack has more than 25 years of experience in journalism, public relations and public affairs, crisis communications, writing, and marketing communications.
