Since that’s public relations’ strongest suit, shouldn’t you be getting that first, THEN incremental publicity exposure? Especially when persuading those important outside folks to your way of thinking can move many of them to take actions that help you achieve your department, division or subsidiary objectives?

Bounce this notion off the public relations team assigned to your unit: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired- action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

If they buy into it, you’ll have a simple blueprint that gets everyone working towards the same external audience behaviors insuring that your public relations effort stays on track.

Consider the possible payoffs: customers starting to make repeat purchases; community leaders beginning to seek you out; welcome bounces in show room visits; membership applications on the rise; prospects starting to do business with you; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; higher employee retention rates, capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look your way, and even politicians and legislators starting to view you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities

But, like everything else, there’s no free lunch in PR either, and the work looks like this. You need to find out who among your important outside audiences is behaving in ways that help or hinder the achievement of your objectives. And then, list them according to how severely their behaviors affect your organization.

Of course it’s unlikely that you have the facts and figures you need to pull this off because you aren’t real certain just how most members of that key outside audience perceive your organization.

There’s also a good chance you don’t have the budget to accommodate expensive professional survey work. So you and your PR colleagues (they should be quite familiar with perception and behavior matters) must monitor those perceptions yourself.

Meet with members of that outside audience and ask questions like “Are you familiar with our services or products?” “Have you ever had contact with anyone from our organization? Was it a satisfactory experience?” Stay alert to negative statements, especially evasive or hesitant replies. Watch carefully for false assumptions, untruths, misconceptions, inaccuracies and potentially damaging rumors. Any of which will need to be corrected, because experience shows they usually lead to negative behaviors.

So, because the obvious objective here is to correct those same untruths, inaccuracies, misconceptions and false assumptions, you now select the specific perception to be altered, and that becomes your public relations goal.

But a PR goal without a strategy to show you how to get there, is like champagne without the peaches. That’s why you must select one of three strategies especially designed to create perception or opinion where there may be none, or change existing perception, or reinforce it. The challenge here (albeit small) is to insure that the goal and its strategy match each other. You wouldn’t want to select “change existing perception” when current perception is just right suggesting a “reinforce” strategy.

Your writers step forward here to create a compelling message carefully designed to alter your key target audience’s perception, as called for by your public relations goal.

Stay flexible as to message delivery because combining your corrective message with another presentation or newsworthy announcement of a new product, service or employee may lend more credibility by not overemphasizing the need for such a correction.

The new message must be very clear about what perception needs clarification or correction, and why. Your facts must be truthful and your position must be logically explained and believable if it is to hold the attention of members of that target audience, and actually move perception in your direction. It’s clear that your message must be compelling.

I call the communications tactics you will use to move your message to the attention of that key external audience “beasts of burden” because they must carry your persuasive new thoughts to the eyes and ears of those important outside people.

You’re in luck here because the list of tactics is a long one. It includes letters-to-the-editor, brochures, press releases and speeches. Or, you might select radio and newspaper interviews, personal contacts, facility tours or customer briefings. There are dozens in waiting and the only selection requirement is that those tactics you choose have a record of reaching people just like the members of your key target audience.

Your associates will soon want to know if any progress is being made. Of course you’ll already be hard at work remonitoring perceptions among your target audience members. Using questions similar to those used during your earlier monitoring session, you’ll now be on the lookout for indications that audience perceptions are beginning to move the way you want them to move.

Things can always be moved along at a faster clip by adding more communications tactics, AND by increasing their frequencies.

The only way to be certain you are buying full-bodied public relations results and not the “Lite” version, is to undertake an aggressive public relations plan that targets the kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your department, division or subsidiary objectives.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations. Visit his website.

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Tags: definition of public relations, public relations defintion, PR, public relations

As that manager, it also helps if you accept the fact that you need the kind of external stakeholder behavior change that helps you reach your business, non-profit or association objectives.

And it’s also helpful if you believe it’s a good idea to try and persuade those important outside folks to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that help your department, division or subsidiary succeed.

Given all of that, if it now appears that you need to do something positive about the behaviors of those outside audiences that most affect your operations, yes, you really need public relations!

I mean, look at the sort of results you could be getting: politicians and legislators starting to view you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities; prospects starting to do business with you; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; membership applications on the rise; customers starting to make repeat purchases; community leaders beginning to seek you out; welcome bounces in show room visits; higher employee retention rates; and even capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look your way.

So we agree that, yes, you really need public relations. But here’s what’s got to happen.

From the get-go, assure yourself that the public relations people assigned to your department, division or subsidiary know you’re determined to find out what your most important outside audiences actually think about your organization. Reason being that target audience perceptions usually lead to behaviors that can help or hinder you in achieving your operating objectives.

Pin down which audiences are really key to your success then build and prioritize your list of important outside groups of people whose actions most affect your unit. And begin work on that top external audience.

Your new public relations effort will depend for its success on how efficient you are in gathering the perceptions of your organization held by your key target audiences.

Put your public relations team to work interacting with members of that #1 outside audience. Or, if you can tap a good sized budget, you can ask a professional survey firm to do the job for you. However, because your PR folks are already in the perception and behavior business, my choice would be to use them for this assignment.

Either way, someone must interact with members of that prime audience and ask questions like “What do you know about our operation? Are you familiar with our services or products? Have you had any negotiations with us? If so, were they satisfactory?”

Keep a careful eye on responses. Notice any evasive or hesitant comments about your organization? Be especially alert for misconceptions or untruths. Are there false assumptions or inaccuracies you need to remedy in light of experience that shows negative perceptions inevitably lead to negative behaviors – the kind you must correct to protect your unit’s operations.

All this work prepares you to set your public relations goal. For instance, clarify a hurtful inaccuracy, fix that misconception or flatten that rumor once and for all.

As with just about any goal you pursue, you don’t reach it without the right strategy to show you how to get there. Fact is, with matters of perception and opinion, you have three strategic options: change an offending opinion/perception, create it where there isn’t any, or reinforce an existing perception.

Here, perhaps the hardest work connected to a public relations program rears its ugly head — preparing the persuasive message you will use to carry your corrective facts and figures to members of your key target audience.

Several characteristics are required in such a message. It must be clearly written as to why that misconception, inaccuracy or false assumption should be corrected or clarified. Supporting facts must be truthful so that they lead to a finished message that is persuasive, believable and compelling.

How would you plan to move your message to your audience? This is the least complex step in the sequence because there are so many communications tactics ready to do the message delivery job for you. They range from op-eds in local newspapers, radio and TV interviews, speeches, consumer briefings and brochures to newsletters, special events, emails, personal meetings and many, many others. Only caution: be sure the tactics you assign to the job have a good record of reaching people just like the members of your target audience.

Can we point to progress? Only way to know for certain if offending perceptions have been altered, is to interact out there once again with those audience members asking the same questions as before. But this time, you and your PR team will be watching carefully for indications that the troublesome perception really is correcting in your direction.

That IS where “the public relations rubber meets the road,” isn’t it? Business, non-profit or association managers use mission-critical public relations to alter an offending perception, leading directly to the predictable behavior…which helps them reach their department, division or subsidiary objectives.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations. Visit his website.

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Tags: crucial public relations, public relations programs, PR

As a business, non-profit or association manager, you simply cannot avoid such consequences when you allow external target audiences to hold negative perceptions about you which lead inevitably to those hurtful behaviors.

If this describes your operation, why not do something about it now?

Spend some time with the public relations people assigned to your department, division or subsidiary. Review together the fundamental premise of public relations which contains the answer to the challenges outlined above.

It goes this way: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

Consider the kinds of results such a blueprint can produce. Prospects prowling about; new joint venture and strategic alliance proposals; local thoughtleaders beginning to seek

you out; customers making repeat purchases; fresh contacts by capital givers and specifying sources; unexpected sales floor activity; and welcome recognition of you and your operation as key members of the business, non-profit or association communities.

Make certain your PR team accepts the fact that inaccurate perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can hinder your operation. And that they may be called upon to assist the key target audience perception monitoring effort.

Now, because they are already in the perception and behavior business, they really should be directly involved in the initial opinion monitoring project. You can always hire a professional survey firm, but that can cost a lot of money. At any rate, those who ask the questions of members of your target audience want to identify inaccuracies, false assumptions, untruths, unfounded rumors, misconceptions and similar problems.

Interviewers will query members of that important outside audience asking them “Do you know anything about our organization? Are you aware at all of our products or services? Have you ever had contact with us? Or have you ever had a problem with our people or procedures?”

Here, you decide which newly discovered negative becomes your equally new, top priority, public relations goal.

Possibilities include: is that misconception a clear and present danger? Does that inaccuracy represent a very dangerous potential? Or does that unfounded rumor you turned up look like it could turn into the hottest fire of all?

With your public relations goal in hand, you’ll need a strategy showing how to reach that goal. Fortunately, where perception and opinion are concerned, you have just three strategic choices. Change existing perception, create perception where there isn’t any, or reinforce that existing perception.

Whatever you do, be sure that the strategy you choose is a neat fit with your new PR goal.

As you might suspect, the most difficult challenge is preparing the corrective message to be communicated to your key stakeholder audience in a manner that will help persuade them to your way of thinking.

Professional writing is the key requirement — corrective language, if you will. And this language must be not merely compelling and persuasive, but clear, factual and believable if it is to move perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the change in behaviors you have in mind.

At this point, things get easier because, now, you identify the means for communicating your message to your target audience, making certain the tactics you select are on record as to reaching the same people as those that make up your particular audience. There are scores of communications tactics available ranging from consumer meetings; facility tours, speeches, emails and brochures to media interviews, newsletters, personal contacts and special events. One caution, HOW you communicate can affect the message’s credibility. Consider that it may be more effective to deliver it at small meetings or events rather than through high-profile media announcements.

It won’t be long before your colleagues and clients will look for signs that progress is being made. Which means a second perception monitoring go-around with members of that external audience. You’ll again use many of the same questions used in your initial benchmark perception monitoring session. Difference now is that you will be on the alert and watching closely for signs that the offending perception is being altered in your direction.

Happily for all concerned, the campaign can always be accelerated by the addition of more communications tactics and/or, of course, by increasing their frequencies.

Thus the question, Mr/Ms manager, why NOT PR like this? After all, persuading you external target audiences to your way of thinking, then moving them to take actions that help your department, division or subsidiary succeed, means, in all likelihood, that you have a public relations success to celebrate.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations. Visit his website.

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Tags: importance of public relations, public relations roles, public relations, PR

But among such managers are those who fail to do anything about the behaviors of those outside audiences that most affect their business, non-profit or association.

On top of that omission, they risk their careers by choosing to pursue their operating objectives without using the fundamental premise of public relations. Thus, they fail to produce external stakeholder behavior change leading directly to achieving those very same managerial objectives.

Then, despite the wonder of it all, they end up failing to persuade those important outside folks to their way of thinking and, finally, fail to move them to take actions that help their department, division or subsidiary succeed.

Wow! Why would any clear thinking manager operate that way? I don’t know why. What I DO know is that they can start turning things around in a New York minute!

Best advice? Start with that fundamental premise of public relations mentioned above, because it’s the action blueprint you need to reach your objectives. People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired- action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

There’s no end to the number and variety of results this process can achieve — politicians and legislators starting to view you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities; prospects starting to do business with you; community leaders beginning to seek you out; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; growing numbers of membership applications; customers starting to make repeat purchases; a welcome jump in sales floor visits; and even capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look your way.

Enlist the PR folks assigned to your unit and spend some time with them nailing down those outside audiences whose behaviors help or hurt you in achieving your objectives. Then list them according to how severely they impact your operation. For starters, select the audience in first place on your list.

I would guess that you have very little current input as to how most members of that key outside audience perceive your organization. Of course, these data would be available to you if you had been regularly sampling those perceptions.

If the budget isn’t there to defray the cost of professional survey work, your PR team will have to monitor those perceptions by interacting with members of that outside audience. Ask questions like “Have you ever had contact with anyone from our organization?” And, “Was it a satisfactory experience?” And, “Are you familiar with our services or products?”

Your team must watch closely for negative statements, especially evasive or hesitant replies. Stay alert for false assumptions, untruths, misconceptions, inaccuracies and potentially hurtful rumors. When you find such damaging perceptions, they will need to be corrected, because experience shows they usually lead to negative behaviors.

The trick is to do something about such negativity before it morphs into injurious behavior. Which means you now pick the specific perception to be altered. Not surprisingly, that becomes your public relations goal.

Now, the reality is that a PR goal without a strategy to show you how to get there is like a meatball without a cheesy center. That’s why you must select one of three strategies especially designed to create perception or opinion where there may be none, or change existing perception, or reinforce it. The challenge here is to insure that the goal and its strategy match each other. You wouldn’t want to select “change existing perception” when current perception is just right, suggesting a “reinforce” strategy.

Good writing required here. Somebody has to prepare a really compelling message carefully designed to alter your key target audience’s perception, as required by your public relations goal.

Be careful here. Combine your corrective message with another newsworthy announcement of a new product, service or employee, which may lend credibility by not giving too much emphasis to the correction.

As you might suspect, the message also must have several values. For example, clarity. Also, your facts must be truthful and your position on the inaccuracy must be persuasive, logically explained and believable if it is to hold the attention of members of that target audience, and actually move perception your way.

Now things get more relaxing. Namely, choosing the actual tactics you will use to carry your persuasive new thoughts to the attention of that external audience.

And there is no shortage of such tactics. For instance, radio and newspaper interviews, personal contacts, newsletters, letters-to-the-editor, brochures, press releases and speeches. Or, you might settle on group briefings, special events or facility tours, always making sure those tactics you select have a record of reaching the same audiences as those that make up your target stakeholders.

Sorry, but you will be queried about progress and will have to once again monitor perceptions among your target audience members. And with a line of questioning similar to that used during your earlier monitoring session. The difference now is that you must stay on the lookout for indications that audience perceptions are beginning to move in your direction.

But this is our lucky day. We can always expedite matters and speed up the process by employing additional communications tactics, AND by increasing their frequencies.

My experience has been that business, non-profit and association managers survive very nicely, thank you, when they sharpen their focus on the very groups of outside people who play a major role in just how successful a manager they will be – their key external stakeholders.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

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Tags: public relations manager, public relations, PR

To succeed, your public relations effort needs to do something really positive about the behaviors of those outside audiences that most affect your operation.

It needs to deliver external stakeholder behavior change – the kind that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives.

And it needs to do so by persuading those important outside folks to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that help your department, division or subsidiary succeed.

All three, hopefully long before anybody worries about theater tickets or radio plugs!

But how do you get to the point where all three of those dynamics actually contribute to your success as a manager?

I believe the fundamental premise of public relations is a good place to start, herewith: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

Get organized around that premise and you could get behavior changes like more membership applications; customers making repeat purchases; new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; community leaders beginning to seek you out; welcome bounces in show room visits; prospects starting to sniff around; capital givers or specifying sources beginning to think about you, and even politicians and lawmakers who view you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities.

May sound painfully obvious, but you need the entire PR team assigned to your unit on board for this ride. They need to accept that fundamental premise of public relations.

A not so obvious first step? Make certain the whole team agrees – really agrees — why it’s so important to know how your outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Be deep-down-sure they accept the reality that perceptions almost always lead to destructive behaviors that can damage your unit.

Carefully go over just how you plan to monitor and gather perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

Your PR people can be of real use for this opinion monitoring project since they already labor in the perception and behavior vineyard. Yes, you can always bring in a professional survey firm, but that can be hard on the wallet. Whether it’s your people or a survey firm who asks the questions, the objective stands: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other potentially hurtful perception and prepare to deal with it.

Then you must carefully select which of the above becomes your top priority, yet corrective public relations goal – is it the need to clarify that misconception, or spike that rumor or correct the false assumption or inaccuracy? ! Success is just around the corner when you pick the right strategy from the three choices available to you. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. And be certain your new strategy is a good fit with your new public relations goal.

So, just what will you say when you have the opportunity to address your key stakeholder audience? In other words, what will you say to help persuade them to your way of thinking?

Your best writer must be tasked with preparing such a message because you’ll obviously need some very special, corrective language. Not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if the language is to shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the planned behaviors.

At this point, you select communications tactics to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. But carefully insuring that the tactics you select have a record of reaching folks like your audience members. Fortunately, there are dozens that are available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others.

As the credibility of your message is always at stake, you may wish to deliver it in small meetings or presentations rather than through higher-visibility media announcements.

In due course, you’ll f eel pressure for indications of progress. Which translates into another perception monitoring session with members of your key target audience. Using some of the same questions used in the original benchmark session, you will now be especially alert for signs that the questionable perception is being altered in your direction.

Here, you’re in luck because matters can always be expedited by adding more communications tactics, AND increasing their frequencies.

Thus, what should come first in any manager’s public relations effort is prompt and effective action in dealing with key, target audience perceptions by doing what is necessary to reach and move those key external audiences to actions you desire.

In the proverbial nutshell, use an action plan that helps you influence your most important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to behave in a way that leads to the success of your department, division or subsidiary.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

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Tags: functions of public relations, public relations, PR

2) Do you have the internal staff and expertise to commit the internal
resources to your PR efforts?

If you have the internal staff, and they understand Guerrilla PR principles, then
there may be no reason to hire an outside agency.

Paradoxically, the busier you get, the easier it is to parlay, or “set aside”
consistant, important PR activities. Don’t get caught in that trap!

3) Finally, Public Relations is a craft that requires PASSION. You may need PR,
and you may even have the people to conduct your PR campaigns, however,
that’s not enough.

In order to be truly effective, it’s important that your PR campaigns are
conducted with PASSIONATE CONSISTENCY.

Here’s a quick “checklist” you can use to “size up” any PR firm you are
considering to hire:

• Do you get along with the members of the firm? Hiring a PR agency is a
collaboration that you can benefit from, month after month, year after year.
Quality rapport is an essential ingredient.

• Are they realistic, in terms of managing your expectations, or do they
promise you “pie in the sky”? It’s one thing for a PR firm to promise you results.
It’s another thing for them to promise you “specific” results. Maybe you’d like
to get on Oprah Winfrey from the start…so would everyone else.

Be prepared to take advantage of several secondary media opportunities before
you get to the top tier.

Several base hits can score you more runs than going for grand slams every
time.

• Is the PR firm creative? Creative PR people will be more likely to come up with
more “angles” to test.

• Do they understand how to pitch your story? A progressive PR firm will be
effective AND efficient at telling your story…thus, yielding you more media
coverage.

• Do they listen to what you say? Let’s face it…your PR needs are constantly
evolving. Your PR firm should listen…and respond to your unique, evolving
needs.

• Are they using a “hard sell” to get you to sign? A good PR firm is a busy PR
firm. They don’t need to sell you. Their track record will allow you to decide
based on the evidence.

• Do they have local AND regional AND national media contacts? When you go
to a great PR firm, they have cultivated several strategic media relationships,
over many years of time. Are you confident that they have the necessary
Rolodex® to place your story in front of the appropriate media?

• Did they outline a campaign game plan for you? You can predict the
effectiveness of a PR firm by the soundness of their overall strategic approach.

• Have you seen samples of their work? Track record comes in the form of
QUALITY of exposure, in addition to the QUANTITY of exposure.

• Do you believe they undersand your needs and goals?

• Do you feel that they will carry out your PR campaign with consistant
PASSION?

Finally, • Do you should feel comfortable with the fee and the contract?
Getting good PR is a process. It requires well thought out plans, implemented
with passion, and a focus on results in the form of getting your story told to
the world.

So, whether you conduct your PR efforts from within your company, or whether
you hire an outside PR firm…

If media exposure is valuable to you, then you will commit to PR as an ongoing,
systematic part of your overall marketing mix.

Joe Nicassio designs marketing campaigns, and coaches entrepreneurs to improve their bottom-line profits. His website is http://RapidResultsMarketing.com.

To get your free CD “Joe Nicassio Reveals Marketing Philosophies And Secrets That Advertiser Don’t Want You To Know”.

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Tags: outsourcing public relations, public relations, financial public relations, PR

Ultimately, I do believe the time comes when a company needs professional guidance from a PR agency — be it a large or small one — to secure media coverage. But I also believe that a really media savvy small-business owner, or a two-person marketing team can do a fantastic job in promoting an organization. Here’s how I know it can work.

A few years ago during the dot.com boom, I worked for a small online publishing company. We had a terrific technical team and staff, two great products, but no one knew the company existed. As a start-up, it was crucial for the company to gain awareness through media exposure because advertising was too expensive.

Since our marketing department only consisted of two people — the marketing director and myself, there was a bit of concern within the organization as to whether we had enough in-house resources available to successfully get the company much-needed ink. So the company’s executive team hatched an interesting plan. They offered our in-house marketing team the chance to bid on the company’s PR project as if we were an outside agency.

My experience had always been in public relations, rather than product marketing. My boss’ experience had always been the opposite. We seized the opportunity to combine our knowledge, skills and research.

Our tiny two-person team matched PR wits squarely against four established pros – including one former White House aide. Guess what? Our ideas prevailed, and the company decided to ditch the notion of hiring a big PR firm in favor of keeping the in-house team.

Before long we were generating some memorable press for our company. Over a two-year period we placed stories on our company in more than 100 media outlets – from MSNBC and Forbes to the Wall Street Journal and Wired News online. We did it by studying what the big PR agencies did well, and also by using our department’s “smallness” to our advantage. Here’s how you can do it, too.

Research your company.

Forget that you own or work within the organization. Really invest the time in understanding your company’s structure, the executives and their backgrounds, the products and technology, the industry in which your company belongs, competitors and experts, and most of all the target audience — the people who stand to benefit most from your product or service. If you know all of this information, then you’ll be in a better position to brainstorm ideas on how to get the media’s attention. Doing this also helps in flushing out your overall marketing plan — which PR is only a part.

Research the reporters who cover your company’s industry and study the types of stories that they like to write.

Learn their deadlines and how they prefer to be contacted. Introduce yourself by phone and make it a point to speak with them regularly — not just to talk about your company, but also about the industry in general. Use those conversations to offer up source materials that will help reporters write terrific stories. If you are able to do this successfully, you will become a trusted source that reporters return to repeatedly, and you will significantly increase your chances of gaining coverage for your company.

Always Return Media Phone Calls Immediately.

Keep yourself and your organization at the ready to receive phone calls from the press. Make sure that reporters know how to reach you in a 24-hour cycle. This means they should have your office, cell, home, and pager numbers, as well as a contact e-mail address. If you still happen to miss the call, return it ASAP. Always prepare yourself or members from your organization to conduct interviews from anywhere, at any time.

Conduct proper follow up after the interview.

This is not a call to find out when a story will be published, but rather a call to make sure that the reporters have everything they need in order to write a favorable story on your organization.

Whenever our company executives were interviewed by reporters, one team member would always accompany them to the interview to take careful notes. Alternately, the other team member would remain in the office on standby. If, during the interview, the reporter indicated a need for specific information, an urgent message would be relayed back to the office so that the team member had time to gather the information. Without fail, we always had the requested information waiting in the reporter’s e-mail inbox before they arrived back to the office. This may seem like a small task, but getting it right could really decide whether or not a reporter selects your story, or moves on to a new one.

The important point to remember here is this. Never underestimate the power and dedication of your in-house staff. Before you make the investment in retaining a PR agency, look at your internal talent first. What you find just might surprise you, and their drive to succeed will become contagious throughout your entire organization. And when the time comes to hire a PR firm, you will have a ready-made collaborative team in place to work with your outside agency. Your in-house team knows your company better than anyone and that’s where you, as a small-business owner, have an advantage over the “big boys” at the large PR agencies in getting the media’s attention.

About The Author

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondave Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC.

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Tags: in-house public relations, public relations firms, public relations, PR

FINDING YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS

The first step to securing some good free publicity is hooking up with the right people. Sending information to a generic address at every major media outlet in your area is almost always a waste of time. You need to find someone who is ready, willing, and able to get your story covered. You should be able to purchase a “MEDIA GUIDE” from local PR firm — choose a large one with a good reputation. This will provide you with the names and addresses of editors, staff writers, producers, and other key contacts for print, radio, and TV.

WHO SHOULD GET YOUR PRESS RELEASE?

Make sure you send your press release to the APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT at whichever media outlets you select. So if you are writing an article about organizing a business, send it to the business editor — for cleaning out a closet, direct your release to a staff writer in the home and garden department. But don’t limit yourself to publications that specialize in your field of expertise — you never who will see your story as something unique and worth covering.

AVOIDING THE TRASH BIN

Editors and publishers are bombarded by tons of publicity requests each day — and unfortunately, many press releases get tossed before they are ever read. But you can improve your odds by PERSONALIZING your package. It’s usually best, at small offices, to send your piece to the editor or producer. However, at larger newspapers, magazines, and radio stations, you may have better luck getting a staff writer or columnist to review your proposal. Always VERIFY your contact’s name (check the spelling!) and department. If you send a press release addressed simply to “editor” or “producer,” your package will probably go straight into the trash! No matter how much time or energy it takes, it’s always better to target a specific individual.

MAKING YOUR COMPANY ATTRACTIVE

It’s not going to do you any good to send out a press release if no one looks at it! Your job is to make your company as attractive to your media contacts as possible. A great way to stand out from the crowd is to include SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS to entice your readers. Include tips related to your area of expertise, quote relevant statistics, share hero stories about clients you have helped, and throw in a few fliers about your business. Slip in a few photos of your products or your work — or better yet, a demo tape. You might propose a SPECIAL OFFER (“call in and mention this article to receive $25 off!) to be run in conjunction with the story.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Reporters are most easily impressed with PREPARATION. Call first to let your contact know that you are sending a press release — this alerts them to your presence even before they get your submission. Always double check your facts and figures before submitting your press release. Be sure to call all for the organization’s submission procedures — don’t expect to send in a press release about spring cleaning in April if your target magazine has a deadline three months before publication! And practice your INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES before hand — you have to learn to think on your feet and articulate your thoughts clearly and concisely. Think in terms of sound bites and easily-quoted phrases.

IT’S ALL ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Working with media contacts is like working with clients — it’s never a one-shot deal. You have to STAY IN TOUCH with your media contacts and build lasting relationships before they will feel comfortable handling your story. Rather than simply mailing your press release, take the reporter to lunch to discuss how you can help them find a good story. Send your media contacts tidbits about possible stories that you think might interest them. Offer to make introductions. And always follow up with a PERSONAL NOTE. You are no longer a “grabber” — you are now part of a symbiotic and mutually beneficial professional relationship.

PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF

You aren’t going to get bowled over with publicity right away. Accept that fact from the beginning, and you won’t get disappointed. Publicity is a “NUMBERS GAME” — the more people you contact, the more press releases you send out, and the more often you send them, the better your chances of getting some good press. So let people know of every interesting move you make with your business — they will become familiar with your company and eventually find a way to include your story.

Ramona Creel is a Professional Organizer and the founder of OnlineOrganizing . com — a web-based one-stop shop offering everything that you need to get organized at home or at work. Please visit their website.

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Tags: public relations strategy, PR, positive media relations, public relations