Data Driven Strategy: They Key to Successful PR CampaignsEver wonder why some PR strategies seem to take off while others flounder and fail? Well there are many reasons for this including incongruence between the strategy and the target market and failure to detect the signs of failure early. But how can this be prevented? One word offers the answer- Data. A data driven approach can spare PR professionals and their organizations the stress that comes with a failed or failing PR strategy. This approach requires that the PR professional or team gathers certain types of data and uses them to guide PR strategy. Data on the Target Market Data on the target market can be gathered through several methods. The most efficient methods though are the digital ones outlined below. • Online surveys Online surveys are an essential part of any type of data collection in our modern world. With the ease of access to the internet by a vast majority of the global population it has become extremely easy to reach out to individuals whether they are current or prospective customers. Online surveys also aid the difficulty that would come along with analyzing paper-based data. The ability to search for key words and to do automatic counts of positive or negative responses facilitates the processing of more data in less time. Within little to no time you can find out what market suits your business best or how you could adjust your product and messages to become a better fit for your intended target. • Data collected from customer service messages and phone calls Customer Service Messages and Phone call surveys are also very powerful sources of data for target market information. It more or less focuses on individuals who are already customers. This in itself is a huge plus for any business because through these already paying customers PR experts get information on how to improve your service for their specific demography. In addition to that your current customers have the pleasure of acknowledging the businesses care for feedback and in turn may even recommend the establishment. Data on the Performance of Your PR Strategy Undoubtedly, you want to monitor your PR strategy for performance. You need to keep a steady eye on the strategy’s metrics (brand mentions, social sharing, followers etc.) so that you can detect changes, especially negative ones. Detecting a downward trend early, means you can intervene early and get back on track before it is too late. • Brand Mentions The response that your business gets from influential organizations and people, greatly impacts your brand’s performance. If it’s a case where your business is endorsed by influential people or organizations, then the followers of those endorsers may very well attach themselves to your business as well. Equally, it is very important that the particular brand endorsing your business has its own positive aura. After all, there’s no point in joining a big ship if it’s sinking and it may reduce brand impact and reach. Regardless, the pros far outweigh the cons where brand mentions are considered • Social sharing Social sharing is fairly close to brand mentions in two senses. One is that the information that is shared by your company creates an impression as to the type of individuals you stand by as an organization and creates an opportunity for positive feedbacks, even if its shares on a minor post you created the publicity will always be good for your businesses reputation. Sharing or posting on social media aligns you with different individuals. When your posts are shared by more people and organizations, it indicates that your brand’s image is resonating with these social sharers. • Followers Amassing followers is a great way of monitoring the social status of your business. It is a simple indicator of progress because it gives an idea of the amount of people who see your business products or details online and find it interesting enough to stick around for more. The more followers there are the more people will want to join. “The Bandwagon Effect” is a theory which dictates that the more the people are in a collective, the more people will join and show interest as well. When data guides your PR strategy you are more likely to remain on a trajectory to creating a brand that has a strong and positive presence in your industry. Read Now Ever wonder why some PR strategies seem to take off while others flounder and fail? Well there are many reasons for this including incongruence between the strategy and the target market and failure to detect the signs of failure early. But how can this be prevented? One word offers the answer- Data. A data driven approach can spare PR professionals and their organizations the stress that comes with a failed or failing PR strategy. This approach requires that the PR professional or team gathers certain types of data and uses them to guide PR strategy. Data on the Target Market Data on the target market can be gathered through several methods. The most efficient methods though are the digital ones outlined below. • Online surveys Online surveys are an essential part of any type of data collection in our modern world. With the ease of access to the internet by a vast majority of the global population it has become extremely easy to reach out to individuals whether they are current or prospective customers. Online surveys also aid the difficulty that would come along with analyzing paper-based data. The ability to search for key words and to do automatic counts of positive or negative responses facilitates the processing of more data in less time. Within little to no time you can find out what market suits your business best or how you could adjust your product and messages to become a better fit for your intended target. • Data collected from customer service messages and phone calls Customer Service Messages and Phone call surveys are also very powerful sources of data for target market information. It more or less focuses on individuals who are already customers. This in itself is a huge plus for any business because through these already paying customers PR experts get information on how to improve your service for their specific demography. In addition to that your current customers have the pleasure of acknowledging the businesses care for feedback and in turn may even recommend the establishment. Data on the Performance of Your PR Strategy Undoubtedly, you want to monitor your PR strategy for performance. You need to keep a steady eye on the strategy’s metrics (brand mentions, social sharing, followers etc.) so that you can detect changes, especially negative ones. Detecting a downward trend early, means you can intervene early and get back on track before it is too late. • Brand Mentions The response that your business gets from influential organizations and people, greatly impacts your brand’s performance. If it’s a case where your business is endorsed by influential people or organizations, then the followers of those endorsers may very well attach themselves to your business as well. Equally, it is very important that the particular brand endorsing your business has its own positive aura. After all, there’s no point in joining a big ship if it’s sinking and it may reduce brand impact and reach. Regardless, the pros far outweigh the cons where brand mentions are considered • Social sharing Social sharing is fairly close to brand mentions in two senses. One is that the information that is shared by your company creates an impression as to the type of individuals you stand by as an organization and creates an opportunity for positive feedbacks, even if its shares on a minor post you created the publicity will always be good for your businesses reputation. Sharing or posting on social media aligns you with different individuals. When your posts are shared by more people and organizations, it indicates that your brand’s image is resonating with these social sharers. • Followers Amassing followers is a great way of monitoring the social status of your business. It is a simple indicator of progress because it gives an idea of the amount of people who see your business products or details online and find it interesting enough to stick around for more. The more followers there are the more people will want to join. “The Bandwagon Effect” is a theory which dictates that the more the people are in a collective, the more people will join and show interest as well. When data guides your PR strategy you are more likely to remain on a trajectory to creating a brand that has a strong and positive presence in your industry. PR’s Place in the Business PlanA business plan is the most basic and crucial of prerequisites for any business. Even the most informal of businesses starts with a plan even though it may be an undocumented concept. Traditionally, the business plan covers the long and short term goals, the target market, the required resources among other elements. Sadly though, many CEOs and business planners blunder by leaving out an important element when planning- public relations. Because public relations form the foundation for much of what the business does, it should be included in the planning stages. PR’s Value A brand’s PR strategy is designed to create and maintain a brand personality- encompassing the core values, principles and ethos of the brand. This is what guides the marketing plan, the communications policies and actions involved in the daily running of the business. Another way to put it is to say that PR is the glue that holds the brand together. And of course a stable brand personality that resonates well with the target market is often synonymous with the proverbial ‘Midas Touch’ as it secures the brand’s success. Business Launch and PR No CEO or entrepreneur wants to launch a business and watch it flounder. They want the market to know about the brand and be enticed by it. In other words, they want a powerful and positive brand presence from the outset. They want to see growth in sales, which is something that a powerful brand presence triggers. That powerful brand presence is established and maintained through PR. The business launch itself is most effectively executed through a carefully planned PR event. In fact, the launch itself sets the tone for the brand’s future PR as it tells the public what to expect. Essentially, the business will rely heavily on PR in those critical early stages that begin with the launch. A successful launch can position the business well and set it on a trajectory for success while an unsuccessful one, well, it could spell failure or disaster. In the conceptualizing stages, business planners and CEOs contemplate the image or personality that they want for their brand. Whether they realize it or not, this sets the tone for all PR strategies that the brand will employ in the future (unless some adjustments in vision are made). In light of this, PR needs to be included in the initial planning stages. PR and the Conceptualizing of Business Elements Many of the factors that are traditionally included in business planning are linked to PR and in some cases the link is so great that they are inseparable. Business elements that focus on communication, for example, have strong links with PR. When business planners explore elements such as marketing and advertising, they are in fact, also determining the direction of their PR. In fact, starting off with a solid PR foundation makes the planning of these other elements far simpler. Personnel recruitment is another business element that will be impacted by (and have an impact on) and therefore should be guided by the PR strategy. The staff recruited should be the right fit for the brand. To determine if they are the right fit, the overarching elements that guide PR should guide recruitment. These include the brand’s vision, mission and personality. Recruitment should be planned strategically to ensure that the staff hired, especially those who engage the public (sales agents and customer service agents for example) reflect the brand’s PR approach. Without a doubt, PR belongs in the foundation stages of business planning and it should remain at the forefront of additional strategy and planning sessions that happen after the business has been established. Failure to ensure this could lead to costly setbacks. Read Now A business plan is the most basic and crucial of prerequisites for any business. Even the most informal of businesses starts with a plan even though it may be an undocumented concept. Traditionally, the business plan covers the long and short term goals, the target market, the required resources among other elements. Sadly though, many CEOs and business planners blunder by leaving out an important element when planning- public relations. Because public relations form the foundation for much of what the business does, it should be included in the planning stages. PR’s Value A brand’s PR strategy is designed to create and maintain a brand personality- encompassing the core values, principles and ethos of the brand. This is what guides the marketing plan, the communications policies and actions involved in the daily running of the business. Another way to put it is to say that PR is the glue that holds the brand together. And of course a stable brand personality that resonates well with the target market is often synonymous with the proverbial ‘Midas Touch’ as it secures the brand’s success. Business Launch and PR No CEO or entrepreneur wants to launch a business and watch it flounder. They want the market to know about the brand and be enticed by it. In other words, they want a powerful and positive brand presence from the outset. They want to see growth in sales, which is something that a powerful brand presence triggers. That powerful brand presence is established and maintained through PR. The business launch itself is most effectively executed through a carefully planned PR event. In fact, the launch itself sets the tone for the brand’s future PR as it tells the public what to expect. Essentially, the business will rely heavily on PR in those critical early stages that begin with the launch. A successful launch can position the business well and set it on a trajectory for success while an unsuccessful one, well, it could spell failure or disaster. In the conceptualizing stages, business planners and CEOs contemplate the image or personality that they want for their brand. Whether they realize it or not, this sets the tone for all PR strategies that the brand will employ in the future (unless some adjustments in vision are made). In light of this, PR needs to be included in the initial planning stages. PR and the Conceptualizing of Business Elements Many of the factors that are traditionally included in business planning are linked to PR and in some cases the link is so great that they are inseparable. Business elements that focus on communication, for example, have strong links with PR. When business planners explore elements such as marketing and advertising, they are in fact, also determining the direction of their PR. In fact, starting off with a solid PR foundation makes the planning of these other elements far simpler. Personnel recruitment is another business element that will be impacted by (and have an impact on) and therefore should be guided by the PR strategy. The staff recruited should be the right fit for the brand. To determine if they are the right fit, the overarching elements that guide PR should guide recruitment. These include the brand’s vision, mission and personality. Recruitment should be planned strategically to ensure that the staff hired, especially those who engage the public (sales agents and customer service agents for example) reflect the brand’s PR approach. Without a doubt, PR belongs in the foundation stages of business planning and it should remain at the forefront of additional strategy and planning sessions that happen after the business has been established. Failure to ensure this could lead to costly setbacks. Should You Pay Attention to your Rivals’ PR Strategies?If you’re in business, no matter the industry, chances are, you’ve thought about your competition from time to time. After all, if you are to succeed then you must know what the competition is doing so you can outperform them right? For many in the corporate world the answer to this question is a resounding yes- an answer that is, of course, backed by research and data supporting. In board and strategy meetings around the world, it is commonplace to find business executives and corporate strategists pondering this question. This is why many resort to underhanded tactics such as corporate espionage. But do you really need to pay attention to your rival’s PR strategies. Here are a few thoughts on this. When Your Rival’s PR Strategy is Relevant It is not always necessary or even worthwhile to look at the PR strategies being used by the competition, but some situations do call for it. If you are losing customers to the competition, you might want to evaluate your business to see what may be going wrong. It could be the quality of the product or service you offer, customer service, price and yes, the failure of your PR strategy to stand up in the face of your competitions’ strategy. In a situation like this it makes perfect sense to do a comparative analysis of your PR strategy and that of the competition with a view to making improvements to yours. It may be, for instance, that your strategy is stuck in the traditional world of paper and real- time physical engagements, while the competition has marched on ahead with the times, you have some catching up to do and should definitely pay some attention to what the competition is doing. If you choose to explore your competition’s PR strategy, remember to use ethical and legal methods like reaching out to the target market itself and asking for comparisons (questions that require that respondents say what they like about each brand, for instance). And of course, you can always use web searches and spend some time looking at their social media pages. When You Can Ignore The Competitions’ PR Regardless of how successful or unsuccessful your rivals’ PR strategies are, once the strategy you use is the right fit for your brand, then you have won half your PR battle. When you are confident that your PR strategy is informed by the best data and is designed to deliver the end results your brand aims for, you don’t need to pay attention to the competition’s PR. In general, stay away from acts that may seem underhanded or count as corporate espionage. Sometimes it is really unproductive to spend time exploring the competition’s PR strategies. This is because each business has its unique features and the PR approach that works company for one may not work for another, even when they operate in the same industry. If you operate on a small scale, for example, and only target people in the local community, your PR strategy will look very different from a multinational company with international target markets. Additionally, if the demography you target also differs significantly from your competition, then it would be fruitless to spend time trying to understand their PR approach. In a nutshell therefore, you shouldn’t ignore the competition. Knowing why the competition is outperforming you may offer insights into what you need to do to keep your footing in the market. Or conversely knowing why they seem to be failing may offer lessons in moves to avoid. But ultimately, the success or failure of your PR campaigns really depend on the work you and your team put in through all the stages from conceptualization to implementation. Read Now If you’re in business, no matter the industry, chances are, you’ve thought about your competition from time to time. After all, if you are to succeed then you must know what the competition is doing so you can outperform them right? For many in the corporate world the answer to this question is a resounding yes- an answer that is, of course, backed by research and data supporting. In board and strategy meetings around the world, it is commonplace to find business executives and corporate strategists pondering this question. This is why many resort to underhanded tactics such as corporate espionage. But do you really need to pay attention to your rival’s PR strategies. Here are a few thoughts on this. When Your Rival’s PR Strategy is Relevant It is not always necessary or even worthwhile to look at the PR strategies being used by the competition, but some situations do call for it. If you are losing customers to the competition, you might want to evaluate your business to see what may be going wrong. It could be the quality of the product or service you offer, customer service, price and yes, the failure of your PR strategy to stand up in the face of your competitions’ strategy. In a situation like this it makes perfect sense to do a comparative analysis of your PR strategy and that of the competition with a view to making improvements to yours. It may be, for instance, that your strategy is stuck in the traditional world of paper and real- time physical engagements, while the competition has marched on ahead with the times, you have some catching up to do and should definitely pay some attention to what the competition is doing. If you choose to explore your competition’s PR strategy, remember to use ethical and legal methods like reaching out to the target market itself and asking for comparisons (questions that require that respondents say what they like about each brand, for instance). And of course, you can always use web searches and spend some time looking at their social media pages. When You Can Ignore The Competitions’ PR Regardless of how successful or unsuccessful your rivals’ PR strategies are, once the strategy you use is the right fit for your brand, then you have won half your PR battle. When you are confident that your PR strategy is informed by the best data and is designed to deliver the end results your brand aims for, you don’t need to pay attention to the competition’s PR. In general, stay away from acts that may seem underhanded or count as corporate espionage. Sometimes it is really unproductive to spend time exploring the competition’s PR strategies. This is because each business has its unique features and the PR approach that works company for one may not work for another, even when they operate in the same industry. If you operate on a small scale, for example, and only target people in the local community, your PR strategy will look very different from a multinational company with international target markets. Additionally, if the demography you target also differs significantly from your competition, then it would be fruitless to spend time trying to understand their PR approach. In a nutshell therefore, you shouldn’t ignore the competition. Knowing why the competition is outperforming you may offer insights into what you need to do to keep your footing in the market. Or conversely knowing why they seem to be failing may offer lessons in moves to avoid. But ultimately, the success or failure of your PR campaigns really depend on the work you and your team put in through all the stages from conceptualization to implementation. Let Your PR Influence Business Performance Positively With these Three Powerful Moves.PR drives business success, but alas all PR campaigns are not equal. Some are powerful and impactful, driving market presence and sales, but others are either ineffective or worse harbingers of doom for the business. Is your PR strategy delivering the outcomes you envisioned during conception? If you are unsatisfied with the results you’re seeing so far or if you think there is room for improvement, consider these three powerful moves that could potentially propel your PR strategy towards success. Find and Use the Right PR Strategies The ultimate key to PR success is strategy. The strategies that bring one brand success might lead to failure for another. To find the right strategy you need to be informed and guided by the right information. This includes information on the brand’s general attainment targets as well as the nature of the market you are aiming to tap into. The brand’s long term and short term attainment targets will play a significant role in the caliber and type of strategies and tools that you include in your PR strategy. For ambitious targets, you’ll need the more powerful tools available. Additionally, strategies like social media outreach are designed to meet both long and short term goals. Other tools and strategies may be more skewed towards longer or shorter term targets so choose accordingly. The reality is the perfect PR strategy for each brand is the one that resonates with the target market and brand goals. If the profile of your target market indicates a liking or preference for influencers, for example, your PR strategy needs to include some collaboration with influencers. On the other hand, if the target market is averse to influencers you should ensure that they are not included in the strategy. Follow this approach for all other strategies and tools you intend to integrate into your PR strategy. Additionally, you should ensure that consumer touch points are fully addressed in the PR content you produce. Of course all of this means you must know your target market very well. Integrate PR Into Other Business Elements All aspects of your business should operate in harmony with your PR strategy. This means the strategy must be the product of a collaborative and consultative approach and the final strategy must be shared with all staff. Importantly, staff should buy-in to the brand image that the strategy seeks to establish and maintain. When a clear ethos and personality is maintained throughout the brand’s operations, people in the target market are more likely to be impressed and make the transition to loyal customers. Keep Tabs on the Key Indicators of PR Success If you are able to keep your finger of your PR strategy’s pulse you’ll be able to know when the impact is waning or climbing. This is important because you can then decide when to rethink, retool or refresh your strategy. To do this you need to collect feedback from your target market and also retrieve data on the performance of your online presence. Surveys and feedback forms, which, of course, can be conveniently delivered through digital methods are very useful when you want to get a good picture of how your PR strategy is impacting the target market. Online traffic figures, brand mentions, conversion rates and the general health of your online presence also help to show how well PR is working. The number of active backlinks, and forward shares associated with your posts are also great indicators of an effective PR campaign. With this data at your fingertips you can make the changes that may be necessary, including a complete overhaul if it comes to it, to ensure that your PR campaign does what you want it to do. Read Now PR drives business success, but alas all PR campaigns are not equal. Some are powerful and impactful, driving market presence and sales, but others are either ineffective or worse harbingers of doom for the business. Is your PR strategy delivering the outcomes you envisioned during conception? If you are unsatisfied with the results you’re seeing so far or if you think there is room for improvement, consider these three powerful moves that could potentially propel your PR strategy towards success. Find and Use the Right PR Strategies The ultimate key to PR success is strategy. The strategies that bring one brand success might lead to failure for another. To find the right strategy you need to be informed and guided by the right information. This includes information on the brand’s general attainment targets as well as the nature of the market you are aiming to tap into. The brand’s long term and short term attainment targets will play a significant role in the caliber and type of strategies and tools that you include in your PR strategy. For ambitious targets, you’ll need the more powerful tools available. Additionally, strategies like social media outreach are designed to meet both long and short term goals. Other tools and strategies may be more skewed towards longer or shorter term targets so choose accordingly. The reality is the perfect PR strategy for each brand is the one that resonates with the target market and brand goals. If the profile of your target market indicates a liking or preference for influencers, for example, your PR strategy needs to include some collaboration with influencers. On the other hand, if the target market is averse to influencers you should ensure that they are not included in the strategy. Follow this approach for all other strategies and tools you intend to integrate into your PR strategy. Additionally, you should ensure that consumer touch points are fully addressed in the PR content you produce. Of course all of this means you must know your target market very well. Integrate PR Into Other Business Elements All aspects of your business should operate in harmony with your PR strategy. This means the strategy must be the product of a collaborative and consultative approach and the final strategy must be shared with all staff. Importantly, staff should buy-in to the brand image that the strategy seeks to establish and maintain. When a clear ethos and personality is maintained throughout the brand’s operations, people in the target market are more likely to be impressed and make the transition to loyal customers. Keep Tabs on the Key Indicators of PR Success If you are able to keep your finger of your PR strategy’s pulse you’ll be able to know when the impact is waning or climbing. This is important because you can then decide when to rethink, retool or refresh your strategy. To do this you need to collect feedback from your target market and also retrieve data on the performance of your online presence. Surveys and feedback forms, which, of course, can be conveniently delivered through digital methods are very useful when you want to get a good picture of how your PR strategy is impacting the target market. Online traffic figures, brand mentions, conversion rates and the general health of your online presence also help to show how well PR is working. The number of active backlinks, and forward shares associated with your posts are also great indicators of an effective PR campaign. With this data at your fingertips you can make the changes that may be necessary, including a complete overhaul if it comes to it, to ensure that your PR campaign does what you want it to do. Four PR Strategies That Have Lasting ImpactsPublic relations refer to activities that organizations use to build a relationship between a brand and its customers. To make your PR strategies work you must be ahead of competitors, and constantly influence public opinion. Here are four (4) PR strategies that have lasting impacts in creating brand image and reaching high brand visibility: Engage in conversations Communication is an integral part of a business. It can make or break your brand, and by extension, the business. Engaging in genuine conversations with your audience fosters positive customer experiences. Additionally, engaging in customers with your audience encourages customer loyalty and customer retention. With high customer loyalty, the more purchases they will make from you. Therefore, a remarkable experience is important to make them want to continue doing business with you and grow your brand awareness. Engaging with your audience shows that you appreciate your target audience more so than you care about your following. Crisis Management A solid PR campaign helps your company to recover from bad publicity. If a crisis is not addressed correctly and within a timely manner, the lasting image negative image your customer will have been the negative event that occurred. There are different types of crises that need crisis management such as Lawsuits and legal actions as well as Product recalls for defective and unsafe goods. To successfully navigate a crisis, preparation is key so that everyone knows what actions are going to be taken and who’s going to take them. You should have the right team in place. Decide who will lead the team and have a clear communication plan and then take responsibility. Don’t try to cover the problem up in hopes it just goes away. There are the main elements are common to a crisis: a threat to the organization, the element of surprise, and a short decision time Choose the right media for your brand While Public Relations professionals use various types of media and platforms to engage with their audience, detailed research must be done. Doing detailed research allows PR professionals to determine the most cost-effective method of reaching your target audience. People use different platforms for varying reasons, so it is important to understand the different platforms and their uses. There are a few steps to take to ensure you choose the best platform for lasting positive effects.
Writing content for your brand can boost online visibility. To ensure PR strategies have long lasting effects, content posted must be engaging. The attention span of consumers is on the decline, so how do you intend to keep them interested? One way to do this is by creating content that readers find relevant and entertaining content that will attract your target audience. Making your content riddled with strong new angle should be avoided as this will come off overly promotional. Include relevant endorsements from influencers or industry leaders to drive your brand awareness. PR professions can help creating interactive and actionable content. Interactive content prompts the reader to respond through action. This fosters two-way communication in the form of shares and likes or registering for newsletters. On the other hand actionable content instructs the reader on what to achieve and how to achieve it. Actionable content can generate more leads and growth of revenue but this varies from niche to niche. These four strategies, if applied effectively, will continue to yield positive results many years after they are put into action. Read Now Public relations refer to activities that organizations use to build a relationship between a brand and its customers. To make your PR strategies work you must be ahead of competitors, and constantly influence public opinion. Here are four (4) PR strategies that have lasting impacts in creating brand image and reaching high brand visibility: Engage in conversations Communication is an integral part of a business. It can make or break your brand, and by extension, the business. Engaging in genuine conversations with your audience fosters positive customer experiences. Additionally, engaging in customers with your audience encourages customer loyalty and customer retention. With high customer loyalty, the more purchases they will make from you. Therefore, a remarkable experience is important to make them want to continue doing business with you and grow your brand awareness. Engaging with your audience shows that you appreciate your target audience more so than you care about your following. Crisis Management A solid PR campaign helps your company to recover from bad publicity. If a crisis is not addressed correctly and within a timely manner, the lasting image negative image your customer will have been the negative event that occurred. There are different types of crises that need crisis management such as Lawsuits and legal actions as well as Product recalls for defective and unsafe goods. To successfully navigate a crisis, preparation is key so that everyone knows what actions are going to be taken and who’s going to take them. You should have the right team in place. Decide who will lead the team and have a clear communication plan and then take responsibility. Don’t try to cover the problem up in hopes it just goes away. There are the main elements are common to a crisis: a threat to the organization, the element of surprise, and a short decision time Choose the right media for your brand While Public Relations professionals use various types of media and platforms to engage with their audience, detailed research must be done. Doing detailed research allows PR professionals to determine the most cost-effective method of reaching your target audience. People use different platforms for varying reasons, so it is important to understand the different platforms and their uses. There are a few steps to take to ensure you choose the best platform for lasting positive effects.
Writing content for your brand can boost online visibility. To ensure PR strategies have long lasting effects, content posted must be engaging. The attention span of consumers is on the decline, so how do you intend to keep them interested? One way to do this is by creating content that readers find relevant and entertaining content that will attract your target audience. Making your content riddled with strong new angle should be avoided as this will come off overly promotional. Include relevant endorsements from influencers or industry leaders to drive your brand awareness. PR professions can help creating interactive and actionable content. Interactive content prompts the reader to respond through action. This fosters two-way communication in the form of shares and likes or registering for newsletters. On the other hand actionable content instructs the reader on what to achieve and how to achieve it. Actionable content can generate more leads and growth of revenue but this varies from niche to niche. These four strategies, if applied effectively, will continue to yield positive results many years after they are put into action. Integrating PR into Your Business ElementsPR is a crucial element in any business regardless of size or industry. It is through PR that a brand’s persona is developed and maintained. Naturally then, successful PR results in a favourable brand perception, and by extension, improved sales and profit margins. And because PR plays such a powerful role in business success it should be integrated into other business elements, especially those elements that focus on communication. PR and Marketing Experts have, at least within the last decade, acknowledged and emphasized the need for PR and marketing departments to collaborate or merge. This is because the functions of the two areas are so interconnected that the only way for both to truly succeed is for some integration to take place. Because PR establishes the brand’s persona, it also sets the tone for all communication that will come from the company, including the messages delivered by the marketing department. PR and Communication It is easy to see the link between PR and marketing, which is why many brands already have strategies in place to integrate the two. But PR should also be integrated into other elements of your business. One such element is communications. Your business’ communications should be en sync with its PR. Why? Because the image you want to establish and maintain is best created and developed through your communications with the public. This means that all written and spoken messages that you share with existing and potential customers and the general public should adhere to the concept you developed for your brand’s persona. PR and Advertising Like marketing and communication, advertising shares some similarities with PR that makes integration not only logical but also essential. The brand’s advertisements should reflect the personality created by the PR team. This means the tone, voice, images and message need to be in line with what the brand’s PR has been promoting. Clearly then the advertising department need to work closely with the public relations department. Clearly, marketing, advertising, public relations and communications focus on similar business needs. This is one of the reasons many smaller companies find it convenient and logical to merge these functions. And even those companies that can afford multiple departments are fast adopting an approach known as the Integrated Marketing Communication (or IMC), which in a nutshell, combines the communication arms of the organization. Ultimately, the goal of IMC is to ensure that all the company’s communications reflect one voice, one standard or one persona regardless of the department of origin. Operations Management When it comes to integration with PR, this aspect of the business doesn’t really spring to mind immediately. But the truth is some amount of integration between PR and operations management is important. Here’s why. Operations management covers the daily activities that form the core of the business. In other words all those activities that must take place in order for the deliverables to reach the customer. At some point in the operations, the public is engaged and at this stage it is crucial that the ethos established by PR is maintained. This is especially critical in the sales and customer service departments. Although the level and nature of the integration may vary by element, PR should, without a doubt, be blended into most if not all business elements. Naturally those departments with a heavy focus on communicating with the public should demonstrate the highest level of integration with PR than those that don’t. But, the experts all agree that when this approach is taken, the brand is more likely to successfully navigate what can be a noisy and competitive scene and establish itself in a dominant (and positive way) in the minds of the target audience. Read Now PR is a crucial element in any business regardless of size or industry. It is through PR that a brand’s persona is developed and maintained. Naturally then, successful PR results in a favourable brand perception, and by extension, improved sales and profit margins. And because PR plays such a powerful role in business success it should be integrated into other business elements, especially those elements that focus on communication. PR and Marketing Experts have, at least within the last decade, acknowledged and emphasized the need for PR and marketing departments to collaborate or merge. This is because the functions of the two areas are so interconnected that the only way for both to truly succeed is for some integration to take place. Because PR establishes the brand’s persona, it also sets the tone for all communication that will come from the company, including the messages delivered by the marketing department. PR and Communication It is easy to see the link between PR and marketing, which is why many brands already have strategies in place to integrate the two. But PR should also be integrated into other elements of your business. One such element is communications. Your business’ communications should be en sync with its PR. Why? Because the image you want to establish and maintain is best created and developed through your communications with the public. This means that all written and spoken messages that you share with existing and potential customers and the general public should adhere to the concept you developed for your brand’s persona. PR and Advertising Like marketing and communication, advertising shares some similarities with PR that makes integration not only logical but also essential. The brand’s advertisements should reflect the personality created by the PR team. This means the tone, voice, images and message need to be in line with what the brand’s PR has been promoting. Clearly then the advertising department need to work closely with the public relations department. Clearly, marketing, advertising, public relations and communications focus on similar business needs. This is one of the reasons many smaller companies find it convenient and logical to merge these functions. And even those companies that can afford multiple departments are fast adopting an approach known as the Integrated Marketing Communication (or IMC), which in a nutshell, combines the communication arms of the organization. Ultimately, the goal of IMC is to ensure that all the company’s communications reflect one voice, one standard or one persona regardless of the department of origin. Operations Management When it comes to integration with PR, this aspect of the business doesn’t really spring to mind immediately. But the truth is some amount of integration between PR and operations management is important. Here’s why. Operations management covers the daily activities that form the core of the business. In other words all those activities that must take place in order for the deliverables to reach the customer. At some point in the operations, the public is engaged and at this stage it is crucial that the ethos established by PR is maintained. This is especially critical in the sales and customer service departments. Although the level and nature of the integration may vary by element, PR should, without a doubt, be blended into most if not all business elements. Naturally those departments with a heavy focus on communicating with the public should demonstrate the highest level of integration with PR than those that don’t. But, the experts all agree that when this approach is taken, the brand is more likely to successfully navigate what can be a noisy and competitive scene and establish itself in a dominant (and positive way) in the minds of the target audience. What Should PR Look Like During a Pandemic?If nothing else, the COVID19 pandemic has taught (or reminded) us that flexibility, adaptability and change are powerful tools for all aspects of life. Undoubtedly, the COVID19 pandemic has caused the world to rethink many things- the way we socialize, learn and work among others. For PR professionals a similar shift in thinking has occurred. PR professionals operating in the industry today must rethink the way they deliver. In short, we have been able to see first-hand what PR should look like during a pandemic. Greater Emphasis on the Virtual ICTs One of the most impactful lessons we’ve learnt from this experience is that a greater reliance on virtual means of communication is crucial during a pandemic. Since a reduction, and in some cases extreme elimination of face to face interactions is required to curtail the spread of the disease, many PR professionals have had to rely more heavily on digital communication. Of course, this shift may not have had as significant an impact on those PR experts who had already embraced digital information and communication tools (ICTs) and successfully integrated them into their operations as it did on those who didn’t (which, in itself, is a lesson on keeping pace with technology and industry trends). PR activities during a pandemic therefore shift from the physical space to the virtual one. Reliance on platforms such as social media pages and streaming sites increases as brands seek to maintain meaningful connections with their target markets. In order to maintain these connections, PR experts leverage the power of social sharing to deliver press releases, position themselves as contributors on some pages and post content that will resonate with their brand’s target market and capitalize on the power of hashtags to enhance PR campaigns among other things. Op-Eds are Gold In a phase characterized by missed deadlines for the publishing of articles as many pieces get passed over in the presence of more pressing pandemic-related news stories, difficulty reaching people via the telephone and reduced (or even eliminated) physical press briefings, op-eds prove quite useful when PR experts need to get the word out there. There are numerous online publications to which these can be submitted, allowing PR departments to deliver their message to millions of subscribers. The great thing about op-eds that are posted online is the fact that they can be delivered asynchronously, unlike face to face communication methods such as press briefings, for example. More Strategically Planned and Managed Face to Face Engagements In cases where face to face engagements are absolutely necessary, PR experts today have to consider and apply stricter hygiene policies for these events. These include thorough sanitization, ample space for physical distancing among participants and the wearing and provision or distribution of protective gear such as face shields and masks. Non- touch tools such as microphones and sanitizer dispensers are also important features of today’s face to face PR event. Sensitivity to Pandemic-Related Issues Like marketing, PR content needs to reflect the new realities that are brought about by the pandemic. A PR campaign that demonstrates a brand’s ability to relate to or understand the challenges people face during the pandemic is more likely to be successful than one that doesn’t. This includes language and images that demonstrate empathy and encouragement for those who are frustrated by lockdowns, those who are anxious about the pandemic and those who have lost loved ones during the pandemic. As PR experts (and the rest of the world) adjust to a world stricken by a pandemic, we are certainly learning lessons and developing competencies that should equip us for the future Read Now If nothing else, the COVID19 pandemic has taught (or reminded) us that flexibility, adaptability and change are powerful tools for all aspects of life. Undoubtedly, the COVID19 pandemic has caused the world to rethink many things- the way we socialize, learn and work among others. For PR professionals a similar shift in thinking has occurred. PR professionals operating in the industry today must rethink the way they deliver. In short, we have been able to see first-hand what PR should look like during a pandemic. Greater Emphasis on the Virtual ICTs One of the most impactful lessons we’ve learnt from this experience is that a greater reliance on virtual means of communication is crucial during a pandemic. Since a reduction, and in some cases extreme elimination of face to face interactions is required to curtail the spread of the disease, many PR professionals have had to rely more heavily on digital communication. Of course, this shift may not have had as significant an impact on those PR experts who had already embraced digital information and communication tools (ICTs) and successfully integrated them into their operations as it did on those who didn’t (which, in itself, is a lesson on keeping pace with technology and industry trends). PR activities during a pandemic therefore shift from the physical space to the virtual one. Reliance on platforms such as social media pages and streaming sites increases as brands seek to maintain meaningful connections with their target markets. In order to maintain these connections, PR experts leverage the power of social sharing to deliver press releases, position themselves as contributors on some pages and post content that will resonate with their brand’s target market and capitalize on the power of hashtags to enhance PR campaigns among other things. Op-Eds are Gold In a phase characterized by missed deadlines for the publishing of articles as many pieces get passed over in the presence of more pressing pandemic-related news stories, difficulty reaching people via the telephone and reduced (or even eliminated) physical press briefings, op-eds prove quite useful when PR experts need to get the word out there. There are numerous online publications to which these can be submitted, allowing PR departments to deliver their message to millions of subscribers. The great thing about op-eds that are posted online is the fact that they can be delivered asynchronously, unlike face to face communication methods such as press briefings, for example. More Strategically Planned and Managed Face to Face Engagements In cases where face to face engagements are absolutely necessary, PR experts today have to consider and apply stricter hygiene policies for these events. These include thorough sanitization, ample space for physical distancing among participants and the wearing and provision or distribution of protective gear such as face shields and masks. Non- touch tools such as microphones and sanitizer dispensers are also important features of today’s face to face PR event. Sensitivity to Pandemic-Related Issues Like marketing, PR content needs to reflect the new realities that are brought about by the pandemic. A PR campaign that demonstrates a brand’s ability to relate to or understand the challenges people face during the pandemic is more likely to be successful than one that doesn’t. This includes language and images that demonstrate empathy and encouragement for those who are frustrated by lockdowns, those who are anxious about the pandemic and those who have lost loved ones during the pandemic. As PR experts (and the rest of the world) adjust to a world stricken by a pandemic, we are certainly learning lessons and developing competencies that should equip us for the future The Five Key PR Success Metrics You Need to Keep Track ofCreating or managing a business can be great and offers a wonderful sense of ownership and pride. Regardless of the size of the entity, the product or service your company is involved with, communicating is a key component in its direction. Developing a brand does take time but no CEO or manager can afford to wait blindly as time progresses. It is important to measure performance so that informed predictions and projections can be produced and strategic decisions can be made to secure success. But how do you measure PR success? The answer is metrics. Below we’ll explore five key PR success metrics that are important to keep track of in order to listen to the crowd and give them what they ask for. Returning Visitors Every store (digital or physical) loves a returning customer and good PR can allow for that to happen naturally. It also says a lot about the product you’re delivering and helps with free marketing. For businesses, return visits are key indicators especially if the old customers have a high return rate. If the return rate is low then you may consider changing a few things in relation to the product or concept around it. If the business is virtual rather that “brick and mortar”, deliberately assessing the online returnees traffic through algorithms could give a clear overview with time specific periods as to the possible highs or lows of the business. Engagement Pay attention to engagements as these are all potential clients. These are persons and possible clients who for some reason or the other visit your business regardless of what the motivation is. Once you’ve managed to spark the interest of the potential client, then comes a reason for them to be interacting with the product. Data on social media engagements is also valuable as a vast majority of the target markets today are online. Digital data extraction can show you how many people interact with the content you post on a daily basis. New Unique Visitors The effectiveness of your PR team will show if there is an uptick or reduction in your new customer base, depending on the type or strategy they use to present the business or its product to the general public. It is good to have a constant flow of committed regular customers but a deliberate effort should be made to increase that baseline of clients to show real growth in the business. Referrals A Referral is essentially a means of routing potential clients to products and services. Referrals don’t have to be done from person to person but also through online platforms. A click on a YouTube video may come with a “pop-up” of your product and a steer in that direction. This stimulates the interest of the potential customer who would normally not have an initial curiosity in the item for consumption. A person sharing the advertisement is also good as a means of referral for business as it widens the net for a larger group of possible client. Mentions It is important for PR teams to keep constant tabs on mentions. What is being spoken about by the general population who are the receivers of the product can either make or break a business. The product that is being highlighted can be identified easier and make the company more product strategic which will determine pace and priority. Mentions that highlight product limitations are also important as this will also assist in the company’s direction with a particular item. Once you have collected the data on these PR metrics it is time for strategic analysis. Look for patterns that indicate progress or the opposite and use the data to help you decide whether to keep your current PR campaign as is or make adjustments. Read Now Creating or managing a business can be great and offers a wonderful sense of ownership and pride. Regardless of the size of the entity, the product or service your company is involved with, communicating is a key component in its direction. Developing a brand does take time but no CEO or manager can afford to wait blindly as time progresses. It is important to measure performance so that informed predictions and projections can be produced and strategic decisions can be made to secure success. But how do you measure PR success? The answer is metrics. Below we’ll explore five key PR success metrics that are important to keep track of in order to listen to the crowd and give them what they ask for. Returning Visitors Every store (digital or physical) loves a returning customer and good PR can allow for that to happen naturally. It also says a lot about the product you’re delivering and helps with free marketing. For businesses, return visits are key indicators especially if the old customers have a high return rate. If the return rate is low then you may consider changing a few things in relation to the product or concept around it. If the business is virtual rather that “brick and mortar”, deliberately assessing the online returnees traffic through algorithms could give a clear overview with time specific periods as to the possible highs or lows of the business. Engagement Pay attention to engagements as these are all potential clients. These are persons and possible clients who for some reason or the other visit your business regardless of what the motivation is. Once you’ve managed to spark the interest of the potential client, then comes a reason for them to be interacting with the product. Data on social media engagements is also valuable as a vast majority of the target markets today are online. Digital data extraction can show you how many people interact with the content you post on a daily basis. New Unique Visitors The effectiveness of your PR team will show if there is an uptick or reduction in your new customer base, depending on the type or strategy they use to present the business or its product to the general public. It is good to have a constant flow of committed regular customers but a deliberate effort should be made to increase that baseline of clients to show real growth in the business. Referrals A Referral is essentially a means of routing potential clients to products and services. Referrals don’t have to be done from person to person but also through online platforms. A click on a YouTube video may come with a “pop-up” of your product and a steer in that direction. This stimulates the interest of the potential customer who would normally not have an initial curiosity in the item for consumption. A person sharing the advertisement is also good as a means of referral for business as it widens the net for a larger group of possible client. Mentions It is important for PR teams to keep constant tabs on mentions. What is being spoken about by the general population who are the receivers of the product can either make or break a business. The product that is being highlighted can be identified easier and make the company more product strategic which will determine pace and priority. Mentions that highlight product limitations are also important as this will also assist in the company’s direction with a particular item. Once you have collected the data on these PR metrics it is time for strategic analysis. Look for patterns that indicate progress or the opposite and use the data to help you decide whether to keep your current PR campaign as is or make adjustments. How 21st Century PR Pros Use TechnologyThe Public Relations community is ever-evolving, especially as it relates to technology. Technology has been a key component in our daily lives and no doubt has transitioned into the business world as well. Technology has completely shaped how we do business and provides many benefits to companies using the resources that are available to them. While technology improves the daily aspects of business, the most common advantage is the cost-benefit. Below we discuss a few technologies and how they have changed the face of PR forever. Video Facebook, Instagram Video,YouTube, and Snapchat are some of the most resourceful online tools that brands use to communicate their message, especially to younger audiences. Millennials would rather watch a video rather than read a newsletter. Social media platforms like Instagram have acknowledged this and taken steps such as prioritizing video. Consequently, companies have had success presenting their brand through video, particularly by producing video news releases. Thanks to evolving features like development of 360-degree videos, live streaming and virtual reality, video is here to stay and will only continue to become a more important tool in public relations. Companies use 360 videos so you can watch videos from whatever perspective you like. Media monitoring is about scanning the media for information about your brand, your industry or even your competitor. Media monitoring is moving away from solely print media and has extended to online and social media. While essentially the same since its technological advancements: media monitoring has become more refined. What was once a job where you cut articles and paste them into scrapbooks has now been digitized. Algorithms and machine learning is used to gather and track brand mentions across the media. Media monitoring allows companies to understand your target audience, which allows PR experts to better relate to and communicate with them. Working with Influencers A few years ago, this concept would have sounded strange to PR firms. But since the wide emergence of social media platforms, the concept of “influencer marketing” arose. Influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing that uses endorsements from “influencers”. This works because of the trust influencers have built up with their followers and their recommendations serve as poof of your brand’s potential. PR companies work closely with these influencers to improve brand awareness and reputation. Crisis control As technology evolves there is a greater risk of exposing your brand to threats. There is no longer the opportunity for companies to respond to a crisis in hours, now it must be swift and ideally- instantaneous. Brands need to constantly monitor and respond to crises as they arise. With the increase in technology, threats have become more sophisticated which means crisis management plans should be regularly assessed and updated periodically. Responding to a crisis slowly may trigger outrage and negative impressions may be long lasting. Research In the past with PR, if you wanted to put together a media list or provide your client with sound advice about where and how an announcement should be made, you’d go to the library and do your research. Now, there are many ways to research at your fingertips. Research helps a PR firm to strategies. Extensive research can help you identify your key audiences or determine the most cost-effective budget. With immediately accessible ways to research, you can provide your client with a more timely response and a better time frame for implementing your campaign, Finding gigs Technology helps PR professionals to find more work. There are online platforms that connect PR freelancers with clients. Interviews can be done from anywhere. Traditionally this usually means you’d have to travel sometimes miles away for an interview, technology advances like video calls have made communicating more convenient. Read Now The Public Relations community is ever-evolving, especially as it relates to technology. Technology has been a key component in our daily lives and no doubt has transitioned into the business world as well. Technology has completely shaped how we do business and provides many benefits to companies using the resources that are available to them. While technology improves the daily aspects of business, the most common advantage is the cost-benefit. Below we discuss a few technologies and how they have changed the face of PR forever. Video Facebook, Instagram Video,YouTube, and Snapchat are some of the most resourceful online tools that brands use to communicate their message, especially to younger audiences. Millennials would rather watch a video rather than read a newsletter. Social media platforms like Instagram have acknowledged this and taken steps such as prioritizing video. Consequently, companies have had success presenting their brand through video, particularly by producing video news releases. Thanks to evolving features like development of 360-degree videos, live streaming and virtual reality, video is here to stay and will only continue to become a more important tool in public relations. Companies use 360 videos so you can watch videos from whatever perspective you like. Media monitoring is about scanning the media for information about your brand, your industry or even your competitor. Media monitoring is moving away from solely print media and has extended to online and social media. While essentially the same since its technological advancements: media monitoring has become more refined. What was once a job where you cut articles and paste them into scrapbooks has now been digitized. Algorithms and machine learning is used to gather and track brand mentions across the media. Media monitoring allows companies to understand your target audience, which allows PR experts to better relate to and communicate with them. Working with Influencers A few years ago, this concept would have sounded strange to PR firms. But since the wide emergence of social media platforms, the concept of “influencer marketing” arose. Influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing that uses endorsements from “influencers”. This works because of the trust influencers have built up with their followers and their recommendations serve as poof of your brand’s potential. PR companies work closely with these influencers to improve brand awareness and reputation. Crisis control As technology evolves there is a greater risk of exposing your brand to threats. There is no longer the opportunity for companies to respond to a crisis in hours, now it must be swift and ideally- instantaneous. Brands need to constantly monitor and respond to crises as they arise. With the increase in technology, threats have become more sophisticated which means crisis management plans should be regularly assessed and updated periodically. Responding to a crisis slowly may trigger outrage and negative impressions may be long lasting. Research In the past with PR, if you wanted to put together a media list or provide your client with sound advice about where and how an announcement should be made, you’d go to the library and do your research. Now, there are many ways to research at your fingertips. Research helps a PR firm to strategies. Extensive research can help you identify your key audiences or determine the most cost-effective budget. With immediately accessible ways to research, you can provide your client with a more timely response and a better time frame for implementing your campaign, Finding gigs Technology helps PR professionals to find more work. There are online platforms that connect PR freelancers with clients. Interviews can be done from anywhere. Traditionally this usually means you’d have to travel sometimes miles away for an interview, technology advances like video calls have made communicating more convenient. Key Elements of an Effective PR CampaignGood Public Relations campaigns are developed through well thought out planning and research. The objective of a public relations campaign is to raise brand awareness of a product and foster a long-lasting brand reputation, but what makes a PR campaign effective? Here are some key points to consider in your next campaign. Establish focused objectives You will need to set clear objectives to help you stay on track. Your goals should be attainable but don’t shy away from being ambitious. Defining your goals allows your brand to focus on what they want the PR campaign to achieve so you can then define your audience, determine the appropriate campaign to achieve these objectives. A key tip is to have measurable goals to evaluate success. A good way to keep on track is to create S.M.A.R.T objectives. Know your target audience When executing a PR campaign, brands must consider their target audience and tailor the campaign to appeal to them. Your target audience is the group of people who are likely to be interested in your products, services, and ideas. Take adequate time to understand who your audience is, what they want or need and their spending potential. Knowing your target audience is critical to ensure your plan is effective. Choose the appropriate platform Choosing the ideal platform has less to do with your business and more about where your ideal customers are. Your goals and target audience will define the type of content you want to make public and the media that is most effective for your brand. Brands need to be aware of this before investing in a platform since all are not created equal. Small businesses cannot afford a large advertising budget so their advertising budget must be working for them. When you narrow down your target demographics you will be able to narrow down the best avenue to reach them. Make sure it’s measurable Having specific goals allows you to measure your campaign’s success and evaluate whether the activities created are achieving the desired impact. Depending on the desired outcome, whether an increase in sales or followers, having specific aims will help you determine whether you have succeeded. Collecting and analyzing campaign metrics is essential in keeping track of performance and becoming adaptable to obstacles. Implementing measurable metrics throughout the length of the campaigns means that you can adjust your strategies as you go along so you do not waste your time and budget on activities that will not give you the results that you want. Establish a timeline Now that you have decided on what you want to do and how you want to do it, it’s important to attach a realistic timeline. Assign attainable dates to the PR strategy and stick to them. This way, you won’t end up two weeks behind your schedule. Know your competition One way to stay ahead of the competition is to know who they are. Take note of what your biggest threat is doing. Assess their PR activities and make a note of their successes and mistakes. While you won’t directly copy your competitor’s PR strategy if a strategy seems to be working for them, see if you can incorporate something similar into your campaign. However, if you see them lacking in a certain area, you can know what not to do or how to tweak it to your advantage. Budget for the campaign Additionally, another step will be to prepare a budget for the plan. This helps to determine costs and opportunity for potential scale back. Knowing the investments needed ahead of time so that you best understand what you can and cannot accomplish. Read Now Good Public Relations campaigns are developed through well thought out planning and research. The objective of a public relations campaign is to raise brand awareness of a product and foster a long-lasting brand reputation, but what makes a PR campaign effective? Here are some key points to consider in your next campaign. Establish focused objectives You will need to set clear objectives to help you stay on track. Your goals should be attainable but don’t shy away from being ambitious. Defining your goals allows your brand to focus on what they want the PR campaign to achieve so you can then define your audience, determine the appropriate campaign to achieve these objectives. A key tip is to have measurable goals to evaluate success. A good way to keep on track is to create S.M.A.R.T objectives. Know your target audience When executing a PR campaign, brands must consider their target audience and tailor the campaign to appeal to them. Your target audience is the group of people who are likely to be interested in your products, services, and ideas. Take adequate time to understand who your audience is, what they want or need and their spending potential. Knowing your target audience is critical to ensure your plan is effective. Choose the appropriate platform Choosing the ideal platform has less to do with your business and more about where your ideal customers are. Your goals and target audience will define the type of content you want to make public and the media that is most effective for your brand. Brands need to be aware of this before investing in a platform since all are not created equal. Small businesses cannot afford a large advertising budget so their advertising budget must be working for them. When you narrow down your target demographics you will be able to narrow down the best avenue to reach them. Make sure it’s measurable Having specific goals allows you to measure your campaign’s success and evaluate whether the activities created are achieving the desired impact. Depending on the desired outcome, whether an increase in sales or followers, having specific aims will help you determine whether you have succeeded. Collecting and analyzing campaign metrics is essential in keeping track of performance and becoming adaptable to obstacles. Implementing measurable metrics throughout the length of the campaigns means that you can adjust your strategies as you go along so you do not waste your time and budget on activities that will not give you the results that you want. Establish a timeline Now that you have decided on what you want to do and how you want to do it, it’s important to attach a realistic timeline. Assign attainable dates to the PR strategy and stick to them. This way, you won’t end up two weeks behind your schedule. Know your competition One way to stay ahead of the competition is to know who they are. Take note of what your biggest threat is doing. Assess their PR activities and make a note of their successes and mistakes. While you won’t directly copy your competitor’s PR strategy if a strategy seems to be working for them, see if you can incorporate something similar into your campaign. However, if you see them lacking in a certain area, you can know what not to do or how to tweak it to your advantage. Budget for the campaign Additionally, another step will be to prepare a budget for the plan. This helps to determine costs and opportunity for potential scale back. Knowing the investments needed ahead of time so that you best understand what you can and cannot accomplish. |