Public relations is one of the most cost-effective and powerful ways to grow a brand or business, but so often, because it is an intangible thing that is isn’t physical and comes down to the views and perceptions of a specific audience, some business owners and brands overlook the power of PR.
PR ultimately has the power to change people’s opinions, behaviors and buying power. Look at great businesses and they usually have a loyal fan or customer base who buys or supports them because of their company values and personal stories and connections. This can be done via a strategic PR campaign. When you work with a PR agency, they will first start out with five key points that will ultimately be the foundation of your PR campaign.
The 4 W’s and 1 H
- Who is your target audience? What are their demographics? What media do they read? What social media platforms do they visit daily?
- What are you trying to achieve? Is there a call to action? What are your goals for this PR campaign?
- When will the campaign launch and how long will it run? It’s important to look at the news landscape, upcoming holidays and pick a strategic timeline to launch any PR campaign.
- Where do you want to launch the PR campaign? Traditional print press? Digital press? Will social media support the PR campaign? Do you want to incorporate paid social media ads?
- How are you going to launch this campaign and disseminate these stories and information? What content is going to be used to share the information from your PR campaign? Infographics? Digital flyers? Press releases? Fact sheets? Media Kits?
Once you have these five points identified, it’s time to establish some solid and measurable goals.
Realistic goals & objectives – Everything you do from marketing or PR angle should always tie back to the goals. You can work with a PR agency or consultant to identify realistic and measurable goals and objectives that tie back into your bottom line and brand values.
Key messages and stories – When working with a new client, we like to work with them to review what is considered newsworthy and what’s not according to who it matters– media professionals! Then it is important to identify the key attributes of your product or service and the stories you want to articulate and then make sure they are written well and with AP style in a variety of press materials. From press releases to blog posts, media alerts or customized pitch letters, a PR agency will identify the best PR format to tell your stories and messages in.
Media contacts – It’s important to identify the media outlets you want to achieve positive press and that also makes sense for your business and overall company goals. You can work with verticles that matter for your business. From national print newspapers to online tech blogs, fashion blogs or top-tier business outlets like the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. A PR agency generally has personal relationships with journalists at these media outlets and has access to media databases that have all of their contact information.
Media relations strategy – Once you have your messages clearly defined and media contacts, it’s time to figure out how you are going to work with the media to pitch them your stories and messages. From Twitter engagement to a drip email campaign, there are a variety of tactics that savvy PR agencies can use to ultimately get the media’s attention and earn your business positive media placement.
Conduct a competitive analysis – If you and your PR teammate are having problems stirring up your creativity for an upcoming PR campaign, don’t fret. One great way to get the creative juices flowing is by conducting a competitive analysis and essentially seeing what others in your niche industry are doing and putting out via PR, social media and digital marketing. Perhaps this will help you discover an exciting and interesting PR concept that you can remix and do even better!
Finally, it’s important to remember that while your PR campaign should be creative, don’t make it too complex! You know the saying– Keep it simple, stupid! Otherwise, your target audience may get overwhelmed and direct their attention elsewhere. If you are looking for a PR agency in New York City or Miami that fits your budget and work style, let’s connect! Email us today at Samantha@Savory-PR.com to set up a complimentary consultation.
