Forget what you think you know about public relations. Competition is stiff, and following the herd is the worst thing you can do when trying to capture your audience’s attention and get the word out.
Here are three tips for creating the perfect PR campaign. We’ll focus on actionable advice anyone in need of a public relations campaign can follow.
Define your goals
What is the purpose of your public relations campaign? Your end goals affect what you should do and what would work best in your campaign. A new business launch should stress social media marketing while established businesses trying to build trust or improve brand recognition need deeper content like white papers and product comparisons.
The best goals are clearly defined and measurable. Are you trying to increase sales? By how much? Are you trying to reach a new audience? How large? Once you’ve set goals, compare this to your budget. From there, you can create a realistic plan to accomplish as much as possible with the resources you have.
Do your research
There is no one size fits all approach to public relations. This means you must do research on customer demographics. In short, know your audience. Understanding your target audience is critical to crafting a message they’ll listen to.
There may be several audiences, different customer demographics for each product or service. Know what media channels would reach them, ideally at the stage before they buy. Find out what platforms will work best for reaching your target audience.
Will they respond better to a press release or press conference? Should your ads be on radio, TV or social media? You could use a site like Zoomthelist.Com to find where ads like yours are being posted and read. Your product or service may be talked about on sites you’ve never heard of, but your PR content needs to be wherever your desired audience is.
If you already have media contacts, sort them into industries and customer base. Then you’ll know who to go to that you already know and trust to reach that market segment. This editor isn’t just in the entertainment industry but focuses on rock and soul. This magazine isn’t just lifestyle but a parents and family magazine.
Follow up, always
When you’re doing a public relations campaign, make it a habit of following up. When you’ve set the schedule, follow up to make sure things are falling into place to make that date or give yourself time to make corrections. Follow up on questions that anyone may have.
Don’t assume that your email made it to someone. They often land in the junk folder or are lost in the inbox; following up ensures that you’re actually on the same page as the other party. Follow up after the campaign starts, too, such as emailing publications after a story goes live asking key people there to share the link to the article. Connect and communicate with people on social media after your content is shared to improve engagement.
Conclusion
A good public relations campaign will generate attention, increase sales, and create positive goodwill. Keep these guidelines in mind, and you’ll be able to create a successful PR campaign no matter what you’re trying to promote.
