In an age where information is distributed across the globe in the time it takes to click a button, it’s imperative that you understand and practice public relations. Public relations is the key to developing and maintaining a good front-end appearance and relationship with your clients.
While many people assume that you only need to think about public relations when something goes wrong, the best way to develop good PR for your business is to send out regular press releases and stay on top of your public image.
How do you get on top of the PR game? Keep reading to find out!
What is Public Relations?
Public relations (PR) is all about how organizations communicate with the public to make themselves look good. It is the practice of managing and sharing information from an individual or an organization to the public in order to influence their perception. PR involves creating and maintaining a positive reputation and a strong relationship with target audiences through various forms of media, communication strategies, and messaging. This can include handling press releases, interacting with the media, crisis management, and engaging in activities that enhance visibility and public image.
Thus, public relations is so much more than a solution to a public image problem. Making sure that you have a positive relationship with the public is the best way to promote your brand and to show that you can deliver on your brand promise.
Essentially, public relations is storytelling. You try to convince people who are usually outside of your sphere of brand reach to buy into whatever your brand is selling. It’s a strategic communication process that helps to build relationships between a brand and the public.
Here are 10 rules you should follow to practice the art and science of public relations in the best way possible.
1. Learn how to Determine what is Newsworthy
Like the boy who cried wolf, if you are constantly shouting that you have a new and exciting piece of news about your brand, the media and lay people are going to eventually stop responding. It’s in your best interest to know what is considered newsworthy and what isn’t.
2. Treat Everyone With Respect
Whether you’re talking to a reporter from a well-known publication or you’re chatting with an up-and-coming podcaster, you need to treat them like gold. Be respectful of everyone you come in contact with. Remember that you always represent your brand, so when you talk to the public, be a living version of your mission statement.
This goes for writing press releases and blog posts as well. Even something as seemingly simple as an Instagram post needs to be treated like the next big opportunity to reach your clients and grow your sphere of influence.
3. Get Comfortable with Candidness
People can smell fake from a mile away. If you try to go into a press release without using your true voice, even through written word, you’re not going to connect with your audience.
Be real. Be honest. Include anecdotes that are true to your brand story. Share real testimonials.
When you’re being authentic and truly attempting to connect with your audience, they’re going to feel that and respond more positively towards you and your message.
4. Master SEO
Make sure that everything you attempt to do online is searchable. Find out what your clients are searching for and figure out a way to make sure that your press release is optimized for those keywords.
Building your SEO and rankings in search engines is a long game, but if you want to get on top and stay on top, you need to figure it out.
5. Know Your Target Audience
It’s impossible to have a killer public relations plan without knowing who exactly your public is. Unless you know who you’re trying to reach, your attempts at telling a story will fall on too wide of an audience and won’t be nearly as effective as a more narrow approach.
Figure out exactly who your audience is. Find out their age, their profession, where they get their information, and how they like to spend their free time online. Use that information to build a profile and target your press releases to them, content, and everything you produce specifically to them.
6. Timing is Everything
You can schedule some of your PR information to release in advance. A PR professional will be able to help you determine the best time to drop your new product advertisement or your big black Friday sale.
You should also make sure that they’re prepared to release important information quickly in case of a scandal or emergency.
7. Fact Check Everything
Your information needs to be airtight. You want to make sure your clients see you as a pillar of expertise and authenticity in your area and if you’re releasing information with mistakes, you lose that credibility instantly.
Check everything from your spelling, press release format, and grammar to your bigger pieces of information. Your links need to go to the right place. Your release needs to be polished and ready for the public before you hit the go button.
8. Know When to Back Off
When dealing with reporters and people of influence in your field, your ultimate goal is to hear a “yes!” Yes, of course, they’ll run your guest post! Sure, they’ll advertise for you on their social media.
As good as that yes feels, you need to know how to handle it when you hear a no.
It does your public relations no good to get upset or to pester someone who doesn’t want to work with you. Take every closed door as an opportunity to open a new window and get creative with your PR plans.
9. Pictures Speak a Thousand Words
While amazing copy is the way to get your ideas and information across, you can really hook a person with a picture that grabs their attention. If you can add a video to your content, you’re instantly connecting with the public and forming an emotional bond.
When adding pictures, make sure they’re SEO optimized as well!
10. Conduct a PR Audit
You can think you’re doing everything right for your brand’s PR, but unless you’re making the effort to regularly check out what the public actually thinks of you, your efforts could be going to waste.
Conduct PR audits quarterly to make sure you’re on the right track with your public relations efforts!
And as an extra bonus, let me throw in one more rule to effective public relations:
11. Set Goals for Every Public Relations Activity and Strive to Reach Those Goals
The overall goal of public relations is to strategically manage the perception and reputation of an organization or individual among their target audiences. Possible goals for specific public relations activities/campaigns may include one or more of the following:- Enhance Brand Reputation: Strengthen the public’s positive perception of the brand.
- Increase Media Visibility: Gain more coverage in media outlets to raise awareness about the organization or its products.
- Manage Crisis Situations: Address and mitigate negative incidents or perceptions that could harm the organization’s reputation.
- Build Community Relations: Foster positive relationships with the local community and other key stakeholders.
- Support Marketing Efforts: Complement marketing campaigns to boost product launches or sales initiatives.
- Engage Employees: Improve internal communication and boost employee morale and loyalty.
- Influence Public Policy: Shape legislation or regulations that affect the organization by engaging with policymakers and the public.
- Drive Investor Relations: Communicate effectively with current and potential investors to maintain or increase investment levels.
- Handle Change Management: Navigate through organizational changes smoothly by maintaining open lines of communication with all stakeholders.
- Promote Corporate Social Responsibility: Highlight the organization’s efforts in sustainability and ethical practices to build a socially responsible image.
- Cultivate Industry Partnerships: Build and maintain relationships with industry peers and influencers to expand business opportunities.
- Enhance Customer Loyalty: Use targeted communication to strengthen the relationship with existing customers and enhance their loyalty to the brand.
- Manage Stakeholder Expectations: Align stakeholders’ expectations with company strategies and performance through transparent communication.
- Boost Thought Leadership: Position company leaders as experts in their fields through speaking engagements, publications, and media appearances.
- Improve Online Presence: Enhance the organization’s presence on digital platforms through content strategy and engagement with online communities.
- Facilitate Mergers and Acquisitions: Communicate effectively during mergers and acquisitions to ensure smooth transitions and maintain stakeholder trust.
- Coordinate with Legal Teams: Work alongside legal teams to communicate about regulatory issues and legal challenges affecting the organization.
- Attract Quality Talent: Position the company as an attractive place to work to attract and retain top talent in the industry.
- Expand Market Reach: Use strategic communications to enter new markets or demographic segments, increasing the organization’s footprint.
- Highlight Innovation: Communicate innovations and advancements made by the organization to position it as a leader in cutting-edge technology or practices.
Master Your Public Relations
People buy things that they feel emotional towards and the best way to build that emotion is to tell an amazing story surrounding your brand. If you want to tell that story in many ways to reach as many people as you can, nailing your public relations strategy is the way to go.
If you need help getting your press release out there, contact us today!