What’s Your PR Plan for 2010? -- 4 Strategic Planning Tips for the New Year

Don’t start the new year without a plan. Now is the time to review past public relations efforts and set goals for the upcoming year. Below are four strategic planning tips to help you get started.

1) Review Editorial Calendars

Media outlets are now making 2010 advertising media kits available online, many of which include editorial calendars that let you know which topics they plan to cover in the upcoming year. Examine these editorial calendars to see what information and resources you might be able to provide to the media that matches their editorial coverage. Keep in mind that each media outlet will have a different lead time, some requiring story ideas months in advance. Creating a calendar based on upcoming editorial opportunities and lead times will prevent you from missing out on opportunities to gain positive media exposure.

2) Set Goals

Review this year’s public relations successes and missed opportunities and set new goals for 2010. Were you able to successfully increase website traffic this year? How much do you want to see it increase in 2010? How many editors and reporters did you reach out to? How many new media contacts do you want to make in the new year? Be sure that your goals are specific and measureable, and don’t forget to include timelines and deadlines for each goal.

3) Write a Plan

A public relations plan is only effective if it is executable. A plan that is in your mind and not on paper is not easily carried out. Don’t be intimidated by writing a public relations plan. It does not have to be overly formal. Simply list your goals, and under each goal include practical action points that will help you reach the goal. Then create a timeline and determine how much time you will spend each month working toward your goals and divide up the activities.

4) Track Progress

As mentioned, your goals should be measurable, but make sure you are measuring the right thing when you track progress. Don’t measure what you cannot control. Instead of making your goal, “Be on the cover of Time Magazine in 2010,” consider setting goals that allow you to include action points that you can control, and then measure the results. For instance, your goal might be to send two pitches a month to target media outlets. You can then compare your progress to previous month’s efforts.

Happy planning!

3 Ways NOT to Burn Bridges When Working With the Media

When you engage in public relations, your role is to make the job of a journalist as easy as possible by providing them with valuable, accurate, relevant information and being available when they need a source. Below are some tips for working with the media to give them a reason to want to work with you again.

1) Don’t ask to see the article before it is published.

You may be tempted to ask a journalist to send you their article before it is published, but I suggest that you resist this urge unless you have a strong reason to make the request. Having an interviewee review an article before it is published compromises journalistic integrity. Asking a journalist if you can review an article before it is published also indicates that you do not trust their judgment, writing ability, or discernment. While some journalists may freely send you the article to review, most journalists are not at liberty to grant the request due to strict guidelines that prevent soon-to-be-published content from being distributed to sources. However, if you are truly concerned that the article contains false or misleading information, you can request to see your direct quotes.

2) Don’t provide marketing when a journalist is looking for newsworthy content.

If you are fortunate enough to be interviewed by the media, don’t compromise the opportunity by providing an infomercial instead of an interview. The media is not trying to do you a favor by providing you with free exposure. They are attempting to provide valuable information to their readers and viewers so it is important to stick to the facts and leave the self-promotion at home.

3) Respect copyright.

An article or news segment may be about you, but that doesn’t mean you own it. The media outlet retains the copyright for any material it produces unless otherwise specified. This means that you can’t scan or copy the content, throw it in a mass email to all of your contacts or post it on your website without gaining written permission or paying a copyright fee. You can, however, send an email with a link to the article on the media outlet’s website. This not only provides you with great exposure, but it also drives traffic back to the media outlet’s website, proving that you are a valuable source who can attract readers/viewers.

Stay Out of (Social Media) Legal Trouble

The world of social media is still an unruly Wild West, and the legal system is struggling to tame it, or at least decide if and how it should be tamed. Several legal cases involving comments posted on social media sites are gaining national attention, and it is not always positive.

As a small business owner, is the risk of using social media greater than the risk of cutting off one of the most cost-effective, mass marketing tools in existence? There are risks to posting information online, but developing a set of social media guidelines for you and your employees can reduce your risk and liability. Below are a few guidelines to help you get started.

Post only what you would publish in print.
Do not blog, tweet or in any way post information you would not publish in print or broadcast on the evening news. This includes questionable photographs, foul language, hurtful comments, and untruthful statements, even if you are joking. It also includes proprietary information and company news.

Be careful what you post on your private account.
It is also important to realize that private posts do not always remain private. If your account is hacked or if a “friend” decides to pass along something you posted on a private account, you will suffer the consequences. Posting private questionable or unprofessional photographs may also have consequences, and it may even cost you your job, as in the case of the Georgia teacher who was asked to resign after she posted photos of her consuming alcohol. Remember, your words are not erasable. What you say really does matter.

Take the high road. Always.
When someone writes something negative about you or your company, don’t respond online. Posting a retort online will likely hurt your image more than it will help it. If the commenter truly has a valid concern, find a way to address the issue personally offline, if necessary, to restore customer satisfaction, but don’t engage in an online battle. Also beware of what negative comments you post about people or companies or you may end up with a liable suit.

The One PR Secret You Need to Gain Media Exposure

I am going to let you in on a little secret about public relations that is not widely known—a secret that means the difference between gaining media exposure or being ignored by the media. A secret that can completely revolutionize your media outreach efforts. Are you ready?

Public relations is not about you.

Yes, that’s it! That’s the secret sauce of PR. Public relations is not about what you can get out of it, but about what you can give (and I don’t mean gaining coverage just by doing charitable works). Below is "The Write Way" definition of PR:

"Public relations is simply reaching out to your target markets, directly or through the media, solely to provide a resource or fill a need."

Instead of pitching your product or service, try brainstorming for ways that you can use your expertise to provide best practices or tips that will benefit your target markets. But be sure the information is non-promotion. If your content sounds like a commercial, it is not of use to the media and won’t be published. However, if your information is useful, objective, and truly helpful, you have a good chance of gaining coverage.

Want proof? Read the introductory paragraph below from the AJC blogger of “Get Schooled” who published information from a client of mine who is a financial advisor.

“I get a lot of releases on how to pay for college, most of which involve a product. I thought this advice from Josh McWhorter, president of Black Oak Asset Management in Cartersville, was practical so I am posting it here for any parents grappling with college costs.” Click here to read the full entry.

I want you to hold up your right hand and repeat after me: "Public relations is not about me!" And then I want you to point to yourself. Now do this again and again until you remember that public relations is not about you. Now go and brainstorm how you can be a resource and fill a need for your target markets!

Is Your Key Message Out of Date?

Gone are the days when your key message could be, “We have great service!” Today's consumers expect great customer service with every interaction, and anything less will put you out of business. So instead of stating the obvious, today’s companies have to dig deeper to find what truly sets their company apart.

A key message is the overarching point of differentiation that separates your organization from its competitors. A key message should remain consistent at every level of marketing. It lays the foundation for your branding and company identity.

Key messages need to be short. There will be times when you will have to catch your publics’ attention in less than four seconds. Since you won’t always have an opportunity to communicate a message much longer than a sentence when trying to attract the attention of your publics or the media, it is important to have messages that are clear, concise, and specific.

Below are a few questions to help you uncover the key differentiator of your organization. If you see a theme emerge in all of your answers, you may have found your key message. Ask yourself the following questions:

• If I could only communicate one thing to my clients/customers, what would it be?

• What are the ways that my organization meets the needs of its clients/customers? (Don’t write what your organization provides in terms of a product or a service. Instead, write what your clients/customers receive as a benefit from using your products or services.)

• How does my organization serve the greater good of society or further a specific cause? This could be something as simple as, “Reduce operating costs for hospitals" or “Provide families with affordable insurance.”

• When people think of [insert your organization name] or see our logo, what is the first thing I want them to think?

• What misconceptions might exist about my organization?

• What do I want my customers to know about my organization that they do not currently know?

• What does my organization do well that is missing from the service offerings of the competition?

Don't use the word "we" in your messaging. Make sure your key message is focused on your clients/customers.

Publicity and Public Relations: Do you know the difference?

There are two words that I do not like people to use when referring to public relations 1) spin and 2) publicity.

If a company's information is not good enough to send to the media in the first place, then I am not going to “spin” it to try to make it look like something it is not. So please do not ask me to “spin” something.

Second, publicity does not always mean positive media exposure—it just means media exposure. Michael Jackson received publicity when he dangled his child from a balcony, but the worldwide media exposure was not positive. Even if a company receives one-time positive media exposure, the benefits will not last if a long-term, consistent public relations strategy is not put in place.

So the lesson for today? Public relations, true public relations, involves proactively building long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with your target publics. It is about knowing your publics and meeting their needs and creating a dialogue through intentional, strategic communication. It’s not about you; it’s about them—your customers.

How to Build Loyalty with Public Relations

Every company is asking the same question: how do I build client/customer loyalty? But the question underneath the question is really, how can I make a personal connection with my clients/customers?

There is a difference between loyalty and consistency. Your clients may consistently use your product or service, but they may not be loyal. If a competitor comes along with a cheaper, faster, flashier product, your “consistent” customers may jump ship.

Rather than customer swapping, consider how your company can build brand loyalty. Remember that people connect with people, not with companies. Take Papa John’s for example. On August 26, Papa John's gave away a free pizza to Camaro owners who stopped by their local Papa John's. The promotion was held to celebrate John's reunion with the 1971 Z28 Camaro that he sold more than 25 years ago to launch Papa John's. (www.papasroadtrip.com) As a die-hard Camaro fan, this move went a long way in building my loyalty to a restaurant that I did not have a connection to before.

Through our mutual love for Camaros, I actually felt like I had a small connection with "Papa" John Schnatter. If I saw Papa John on the street, we would instantaneously have something to talk about because of our mutual interest (although I prefer the 1969 Yenko Camaro). Do your customers feel this connection with you?

I am not the only one who is loyal to Papa John’s in my household. Years ago my husband was sitting on a school bus after a long hard day in the 7^th grade. The bus was delayed over an hour, the day was hot, and my husband was not a happy camper at the time. He distinctly remembers looking out the window to see a Papa John’s employee standing on the street with a pizza box. The man opened the box of pizza and handed my husband an individually wrapped slice of pizza through the window. To a kid stuck on a hot, noisy school bus, that piece of pizza was a little slice of joy, and to this day, my husband is still fond of Papa John’s for that reason. Do your customer feel this kind of connection with your employees?

There are three ways to build brand loyalty:

1) Connect consumers with the CEO or other leadership of your company.

2) Connect consumers with employees through positive, personal interactions.

3) Connect consumers with other people who share a common interest through events, online communities, etc.

Remember, people connect with people!