Public relations is a continuously growing industry with over 230,000 people working as public relations specialists. Why is this field so vast?
Developing a successful PR campaign isn’t a simple or speedy process. It requires careful planning, research, and investments. More and more companies are choosing to outsource their PR work to the experts to make sure that everything goes off without a hitch.
Do you need to hire a specialist to develop a successful PR campaign from start to finish? Not at all. Instead, you just need to take the time to learn a thing or two before you begin.
Read on to learn the 7 most important factors of developing a PR campaign that will boost your brand and carry your company into the future.
1. Know Your Goals
If you don’t know the objective of your PR campaign, it’s too soon to start putting one together. Begin with a broad goal. For example, are you hoping to boost sales or are you trying to build brand recognition and trust?
From there, dive even deeper. If you’re hoping to build brand recognition and trust, what avenues will you take to do so? What image of your brand are you trying to put forward and what message do you want to send that will make consumers trust you?
2. Know Your Audience
Once you narrow in on a specific goal, it’s time to think about the audience. If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to create a consumer persona. Who is your ideal customer, what do they like, what do they look for in a brand or product, and where do they look for it?
Understanding who your consumers are will help you speak directly to them. For example, if your products appeal to families, you can generate a message that is family-focused. However, if your products appeal to working women, a family-first message won’t hit your target.
3. Choose an Appropriate Platform
Now, it’s time to find out where your ideal customer spends their time. That way, you can ensure that any platforms you invest in to disseminate your message are worth the money.
Whether or not you choose to advertise on TV or on the radio, it’s always a good idea to think about print and digital advertising. Why?
These forms of media tend to have a wide reach because their content is appropriate not only for their website or printed media but for social media, too. Whether or not your audience is watching TV or listening to the radio, they’re almost certainly online. In fact, 81% of Americans head to the internet at least once a day.
4. Understand What Interests
Every PR campaign centers around a specific announcement. You can inform your audience of anything from a product release date to a recently won award. The question is, how do you make sure that it’s interesting?
No matter what you’re announcing, there’s always a hook. Perhaps your new product is extremely innovative or the award sets your business apart from the competition. No matter what, you need to find a reason for consumers to take interest and seek out more information about your brand.
5. Put Together a Killer Press Release
Crafting a killer press release is no simple task. A good press release is short but informative and prioritizes all of the most important information in the beginning. It includes an attention-capturing headline and an easy-to-skim body that tells the reader everything they need to know.
One thing that is important to remember is that some outlets won’t take your press release and craft their own article from it. Instead, they’ll release your writing almost verbatim, cutting from the bottom anything that goes beyond their word limit. Whatever you send out should be ready to publish, which can feel a bit intimidating.
If you don’t have the time or the writing savvy to put together a press release, don’t sweat it. We’re here to take care of your PR writing for you.
6. Distribute, Distribute, Distribute
Once your press release is publication-ready, it’s time to distribute it. The more hands you can your press release in, the better. However, it’s important to make strategic choices.
Ideally, your press release should be relevant to the publications you send it to. Media outlets know what their audience is looking for and will only want to publish something they know that audience will read, watch, or listen to. Researching your options takes time and effort, which is why we’re also happy to handle all press release distribution in addition to writing.
7. Bring It Home
Once your PR campaign is off the ground and various outlets are sharing your press release, it’s time to keep the momentum going.
Check in with the journalists and other media reps who have shared your press release. If they haven’t done so already, suggest that they link their article about your business back to your business’s website. That way, consumers have quick, easy access to more information about your business.
Finally, put together a blog post for your own website on the same topic as your press release. Use that opportunity to increase your SEO and go into greater detail about your most recent announcement. The more you can encourage traffic to your own website, the better.
You Build the PR Campaign, We Tackle the Writing
Building a quality PR campaign is crucial for any business and you don’t need to fork over big bucks to outsource every step. Instead, take stock of these 7 important factors and check each one off your list. By taking things one step at a time, you’re bound to develop a strong, impactful PR campaign.
Some steps take a little more time and effort and can distract you from the bigger picture. Let us take the writing and distribution off your hands so that you can stay focused on what matters: your business. Contact us today to find out more about our services and pricing.