Determining the Success of PR Campaign [/b][/b]
Remind them they're essential to overall campaign success
Neither the market nor your industry is likely interested in hearing from a PR pro. Both want engagement and commentary from those running a business—and from experts and others with the appropriate credentials.
Build a weekly slice of time into their schedule
Whether you're arranging standing meetings, conference calls, or a less formal approach (such as a regular Wednesday lunch), make sure that your key management contacts remain consistently engaged. They have other work to do, so make the time that they put into the PR team efficient and valuable. Tell them that's what you intend to do—then deliver on your promise.
Be clear when contact is essential, but don't cry wolf
Contacting management daily about ostensible emergencies will merely irritate others and possibly get you fired. But when action or responses from others is critical, be certain they know what's needed and by when.
Get buy-in ahead of time from those who will approve copy, grant interviews, and provide information that lets you complete tasks.
Control deadline execution
One method of dealing with a lack of response on deadline is this: "If not heard from by (date or time), we're going with what we have."
Some managers, however, cannot accept loss of control; so build in a deadline cushion. Let them know diplomatically that there's potential for execution errors if what's required isn't completed (by them) in time.
Managing up, down, and horizontally within an organization is a normal part of a PR pro's job.
Prepare for execs that go MIA
If key contacts are unavailable, they need backup. Arrange for alternates to stand in when time is tight. For example, when the VP of one of my clients is jammed, my go-to contact is the CTO in engineering.
Such an arrangement must be made ahead of time. Yet if someone is often absent but does not want to relinquish control, explain how the program might suffer as a result.
Nurture team responsibility
It's not your PR program. You're driving it, but a PR campaign is the company's challenge, and everyone has a stake in its success. Bridge the gap to other departments, such as marketing, sales, engineering, HR, or even manufacturing. Any or all parts of a business can play a role in creating campaign success. Let people know they're essential to desired outcomes and what those outcomes are.
Working with other parts of the company will help create broader, more effective programs. Marketing may be the brains behind the PR, but interesting stories reside throughout the business and can be useful. Be inclusive. Treat your company or client like reporters treat their news beat.
Realize you can't win them all
Hire a branding company to bring your image and message under a brand. Develop all collateral and image materials (web, stationery, logo, tagline, mission statement, cards, postcards, brochures, elevator pitch, newsletters, letters, project sheets, resumes, bios, firm description, etc.) to coincide with the brand and your message.
Develop a mission statement that shows your reason for being and the value you provide to your customers.
Develop a memorable tagline that expresses who you are and what you do.
Make a matrix of all those you'd like to reach in the next year and the potential influencers on those people. Develop a timetable and calendar of outreach.
Regularly write and issue press releases to the media.
Regularly write and post press releases to your website.
Regularly write and post press releases directly onto the internet.
Regularly write articles and do all three of the above.
Regularly write and pitch feature story ideas to the media.
Diversify all marketing, PR and media to reach the markets where your clients are to be found (as opposed to marketing within your own service industry).
Participate (attend, speak, host, present, show) in at least two national and local industry conferences.
Create and issue an online or direct mail newsletter.
Get known for niche expertise or specific industry knowledge. (speak, write, present, teach).
Participate in professional internship programs.
Participate and sponsor local charitable efforts; get your name in the program the charitable cause distributes; get your name in the press surrounding the event.
Get to know all potential teaming partners in your new geographic area. Let them know your people, your areas of expertise and potential for cross referrals.
Develop collateral material with a regional bent; think what projects, services, people or elements might be important to this new market and capture this regional tone in all collateral material.
Develop tip sheets as to how your company is different than your competitors and why this makes a difference to teaming partners and to your end users-your potential clients. Include these differentiating tips as the basis for all your branding statements.
Develop a calendar of local and regional events in your locale and make your company visible in the areas most related to your company and your potential clients' interests.
Post your calendar of appearances and participation on your website.
Plan a media release before and after each event.
Hire an industry professional to conduct a survey on your behalf; post the results on your website. Publicize the results most important to your industry.
Update your website to be informational based so that search engines can find you, and clients can read in-depth material demonstrating your expertise.
Add informational website content a minimum of four times per month.
Establish your brand by regularly updating the financial value or potential value associated with your brand. Quantify results achieved and add these results to your brand value. Communicate through all methods, the value of your brand to those associated with it.
Assume a leadership position on a team project. Volunteering to take the lead on a project is a great way for someone who aspires to be in management to showcase their leadership abilities, as well as demonstrate initiative.
Contribute to your company newsletter or website. Do you possess a gift for writing or knowledge that would benefit customers or other employees? If so, offer to share it with your company's employees and customers. Since company publications are frequently read by top executives, you'll be increasing your personal PR while establishing yourself as an expert in your chosen area.
Join an organization-wide committee. Interacting with the same people everyday won't increase your exposure, however, working on a committee with new people gives you an opportunity to make new contacts and show off your talents.
Represent your company by applying to be on the board of directors for a non-profit. Non-profit organizations are always looking for talented people to contribute to their organization. Check with your community relations department for opportunities to get involved.
Don't "sell" your product or service
Pitch a unique story instead, to your industry's particular journals or websites. All media pros know a sales job when they hear one, and many resent the treatment. Come up with an idea (or three) about how your company or product dovetails with a current topic of local or national interest.
Get help if you need it (and most do)
Business plan first, marketing plan second, PR plan third
The goal of the PR plan is to bring attention to your firm. If your website, marketing collateral and overall image is not in first-rate shape, you will be drawing attention to negatives instead of positives. Before your PR plan is developed, your business plan needs to have led to the development and use of a good company logo and corporate image. Following that, your marketing plan needs to have resulted in effective and consistent "brand ID." Working to get press coverage before your marketing plan is firing on all cylinders is a recipe for disaster. Your website and your "marcomm" must be in total harmony with the verbiage and image presented in your press release.
Develop relationships in the media
Take local reporters out to lunch or coffee. Writers and editors can be most interesting people and most enjoy discovering new and different things. If they like what you tell them, and how you do it, you may just have an "in" with their publication.
Be a professional at all times
Effective PR people are already well versed in the rules of the press game, and stay abreast of new technologies and practices in publishing. Be a professional in your primary area, of course, but extend that professionalism to the way you interact with media pros. You will gain tremendous credibility, which always helps when it comes to pitching a new PR story.
PR "Actions"[/b][/b]
Effective PR has many elements that must work together. When you need some new ideas for improving public relations within your industry, you can try the following specific actions, always tailoring them to the tone and personality of your business. Your first efforts, of course, should target the specific publications read by your industry's movers and shakers.
Create and promote a special event[/b][/b]
It may be a company tour, or something related to a local school play - it can be just about anything. Just ensure that any charitable efforts result in your offering the proceeds to the appropriate charities. An event that is tailored to something in your own industry, of course, is ideal.
Use a current news event to frame your release[/b][/b]
If your financial planning firm specializes in tax preparation, use the news about possible new taxes to inform the rest of your industry about your specialty. In any industry there can be multiple focuses and sub-categories, so take every opportunity to let your industry cohorts know exactly what you are doing.
Host a seminar[/b][/b]
In tandem with your press release, announce a free seminar to your industry, particularly if you have a product or service that can be used by other firms. You can prepare take materials that can further leverage this action, by disseminating your marketing message beyond the event itself.
Announce the results of a new, relevant study[/b][/b]
Depending on the specifics, you can range widely in the news section to learn of studies and reports that deal with major or minor aspects of your company's product or service. If you can find a recent study that makes a compelling point about your company's offering, by all means use it.
Depict a story of the first person experiencing it[/b][/b]
From your letters, emails or customer service files identify one or more positive instances of your product or service being used in a new or different way. People enjoy a good story, so don't forget to establish a good narrative with a challenge to overcome for the protagonist. When your product or service is framed as the answer to the challenge, you will generate goodwill as well as interest.