How To Use Public Relations To Advance Your Business Goals

Public relations is an essential marketing tool for any business big or small. From launching a product, announcing company news, broadening brand awareness, debunking negative misconceptions, shaping consumer perception, the list is endless and too often the power of public relations is underestimated.

A team of skilled and savvy publicists goes a long way. That notion was doubly confirmed after having to sit through a cringe worthy panel discussion with inexperienced “PR experts” “educating” small business owners on how to do PR. If anyone ever tries to sell you that all you need to do is a write a press release and blast to a database of reporters, you will know then you need to move on and find yourself a qualified team that knows the business. keep shopping for a qualified team.

There is no one-size-fits all approach to drafting a PR plan, but there are common components including communications goals, objectives, strategies, tactics and measurements. Your plan may be for a single project or a long-term campaign and the depth, scope, length and presentation can vary accordingly.

Three essential steps to follow before you begin media outreach:

Strategize: A public relations plan is a vital roadmap that allows a brand to help chart the course to success. Clearly define the objective and desired outcome in your initial draft to ensure execution is targeted.

Strong storytelling: A key component of media outreach is the ability to tell a concise story and be able to create a timely and impactful pitch to media that’s newsworthy. Not everything you do as a brand is necessarily going to garner national press attention. Perhaps trade or local, but even then it’s important to understand how to vet so you don’t continuously inundate a reporters inbox and voicemail (yes, we still use the phone).

Search and scroll: Before pitching media, familiarize yourself with the content and the journalist you are trying to make a connection with. It seems simple enough yet is often overlooked. Read their stories and check out the feed on their social media pages. By familiarizing yourself with the types of stories they write you’ll be able to better position the angle of the news you are pitching and brand in a way that grabs their attention.

If you want to learn more about how you can advance your goals with public relations and marketing communications, feel free to reach out and we will surely help you in finding a tailored solution to meet your specific goals. www.premierimpacts.com/contact-us