Many companies have grabbed onto the idea of a public relations—as they should—but haven’t quite been able to make a go of it. So, what’s going wrong? Breaking down the steps of a public relations campaign can help clarify what areas need improvement and how a public relations agency can help overcome some of those challenges.
Before anything else, plan ahead. Public relations is all about anticipating, so the best way to get a campaign off the ground is to cover all the bases and have a clear path set. Unexpected problems and opportunities will inevitable arise. With a map of the campaign’s direction, it’s easy to react and stay in step with the campaign’s goals. This concept can be summed up with four E’s:
• Examination: Identify and establish your goals and objectives, and determine key, relevant audiences. Expressing mission and vision (goals) in measurable statements (objectives) ensures that the campaign is on the right track from the get-go and aimed at the right audience.
• Exploration: Craft messages to build relationships and engage audiences. Don’t settle for a generalized message; consider the target audience (i.e. demographics and psychographics) and create messages that reach them.
• Execution: Put the objectives to work through specific strategies that bring the plan to life. This can include corporate counseling, media relations, publicity, employee/member relations, community relations, reputation management, social media, awards, marketing communications, etc.
• Evaluation: Evaluate the campaign and report on the campaign’s reach and results. Don’t finish a campaign and move on without a backward glance. Use qualitative and quantitative data to examine what worked well and not so well in the public relations campaign. To have a successful evaluation, it is vital to gather relevant data throughout the campaign, so plan ahead for what data will be needed in the evaluation.
By understanding and implementing these four concepts, a public relations campaign can become a practical reality that boosts communication and strengthens a business. Above all, plan ahead!
For more information on public relations or for help with a public relations campaign, make sure to ASK CAROL! Contact East Coast Carol (Carol Morgan) at www.CarolMorgan.net or www.mRELEVANCE.com, and West Coast Carol (Carol Ruiz) at www.newgroundco.com. Thanks for reading!