10 great tips to follow on the road to good PR
Pin down your objectives clearly, whether it’s building awareness, generating new business or building brand reputation. What you want to achieve will determine who you want to reach and how you do it.
Define your audience – customers, prospects, potential employees or the local community. Identify how to reach them via broadcast channels, offline media, social media or face-to-face events.
Establish timescales and budget. Consider alternatives (advertorial or advertising, for example), particularly for short-term objectives.
Agree spokespeople – who is responsible for PR and who the key stakeholders in the process are.
Organise media training for anyone likely to speak to editors and journalists. A confident spokesperson gets more airtime.
Research your media to identify the key journalists and researchers, the types of stories they cover, their style, and their deadlines.
Plan a relationship-building programme with editors not known to you, inviting them to lunch or events you are holding, and providing useful industry information.
Plan a six-month programme of activity to include news, interviews, thought leadership and commentary.
Always be proactive and look out for hidden news stories or off-schedule editorial opportunities within your company or in the industry.
Consider creating bespoke PR opportunities: for example, holding an open day, commissioning a survey, running a competition or sponsoring an event.
