Before you start sending out press releases and media pitches, you need to develop a public relations strategy. A customized PR plan allows you to create a timeline of customized steps to help you reach your business goals for building relationships, growing media contacts, and winning PR coverage. Let’s take a look at how to develop a public relations strategy that aligns with your company’s goals.
1. Define Your Goals
The first step in developing an effective public relations strategy is to identify your goals. Consider the challenges you are hoping to overcome with public relations. Is your goal to be the industry leader? Do you want to build more credibility for your business? Is your goal to ultimately sell more products or services? Although PR can help you reach a variety of goals, it’s crucial that you define what goals are most important for your business before you start reaching out to outlets and journalists.
2. Specify Your Target Audience and Media Outlets
Once you’ve defined your goals and considered which tactics you’d like to pursue, it’s time to identify your target audience. This audience includes both your current readership as well as the writers and outlets you’re hoping to build relationships with. When working to specify who you want to reach, consider these questions about your readership. What demographic does your expertise, services, or product appeal to? Are you trying to connect with a new target audience? Then, identify which outlets and writers align with your goals and objectives. Which outlets are already engaged with your current audience and industry? Which outlets would your business benefit the most from being featured on? Create a list of these reporters and outlets and take note of the topics and beats they cover.
3. Identify Tactics That Will Help You Achieve Your Goals
Next, consider what tactics you would like to use to achieve the goals you defined. Typical PR tactics include pitching article ideas, writing press releases, authoring guest posts for industry publications, media events, and radio and TV spots. The ultimate goal for your business will help determine which PR tactics fit best in your plan.
4. Build a Content Creation Plan
Building a content creation plan involves establishing yourself as an industry expert. This could be writing blogs on your company’s website, creating featured articles for other industry publications, and sharing commentary on industry-related topics via social media groups and posts.
5. Establish Relationships
The next step in your strategy is gaining the attention of your ideal target audience. Do this by networking with the media outlets and journalists you are hoping to build relationships with. Engage with their social media content. Read their articles and share some of these pieces on your own social channels.
6. Pitch Your Content and Ideas
Once you’ve started building these relationships, begin pitching yourself or your business. Pitch outlet-specific pieces like those in our content creation plan, opinions on industry topics, and even big news within your company. Once you’ve landed features or interviews, be sure to continue nurturing the media relationships you’ve been building. This is the key to achieving your long-term goals of being a thought leader in your industry.
As you build your public relations strategy, be sure to consider your goals, who you want to connect with, and how you will reach out.
Experts show that PR is 90% more successful in influencing consumers than traditional advertising.
Our team works as an extension of your team to carefully craft fully developed public relations strategies and expertly written content.
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