Every business can benefit from some form of public relations when it comes to growing and maintaining their visibility.
Photo credit: Kaboompics.com
When you want to launch a new product or capitalize on the existing opportunities, having good public relations is necessary. Every business can benefit from some form of public relations when it comes to growing and maintaining their visibility. According to the World PR Report 2020, there has been an increase in the importance of reputation and contribution of public relations in the corporate field. This shows there is still plenty of room for growth when it comes to corporate reputation. But where do you start?
1. Objectives
This is being self-aware about the current state of your company’s image. The questions to focus on are; what are your mission and vision? What makes your business stand out? How do you want consumers to perceive your company? Being knowledgeable and confident on all these essential details gives you an idea of what to highlight in your PR campaign. You prepare for any questions asked while you interact with the public.
2. Target audience
Who are you trying to reach with your message? Be detailed on your audiences’ geographic locations such as local or international and demographic features like gender, age, culture etc. Understanding the characteristics of your target audience allows you to personalize messages they can relate to.
3. Goals
Build a plan by using SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic & Time-bound); be specific on what exactly you are looking to get out of the campaign. Measurable with how you plan to track the progress. Attainable by choosing goals that you can attain. Realistic on the goals you want to achieve. Give yourself a timeline on when you want to see visible results.
4. Plan of action
Develop which communication vehicles you will use to send key messages of the campaign to the target audience. Using different media outlets to reach a wider audience is recommended. An example is the Ice Bucket Challenge campaign went viral using the social media as a platform and more than 17 million people worldwide participated in the challenge. It promoted awareness of ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease and the funds raised helped fund the research.
5. Evaluate the campaign
Now that you have everything in order, you can begin the campaign. Monitor it to determine if it is effective. The evaluation of the data provides you with information to know if you are on track in meeting your goals.
