So it’s the start of the New Year and perhaps you have resolutions for your business too. Whether you’re an entrepreneur of a small business or the head of a division that has ambitious plans this year.
PR (if used correctly) is your friend.
Here are a few quick dos and don’ts that you might want to pay attention to when working with your existing (or finding your next) PR agency.
- Do an assessment of your internal and external audiences and share the key messages you are working on. Make sure your team understands what you are trying to do and get them on board. Too often, we falter when the rest of the company has no buy in.
- Make sure that these messages are NOT sales pitches but how you would like your division/company to be perceived by your customers and by your own team. You may have a vision as the head but you need to assess how well this has translated not only in what you are doing but also in what your team is doing and what you stand for.
- Have you been meeting and providing your PR team (whether external or internal) with the right tools to help them do a good job for you? This means have you waited till the last minute to give them information and expected them to create a miracle? Or have you involved them right from the beginning, treating them as an extension of your team to ensure that you get the best results?
- Be creative. I know that thinking outside the box is a cliché that has been overused but sometimes it helps to try something new and different. It may not always work but be prepared to try something different to see what the results would be.
- Do not believe that public relations represents just publicity – it is the act of building and maintaining relationships with each of your constituents – this means not just the media but your existing and potential customers, your management, your team, your partners including your bankers, and other stakeholders.
- Thanks to social media – do not ignore the citizen journalist or the blogger. You have to make sure that you understand what they are looking for and some of them can help with community outreach. Very important. You don’t have to work on something spectacular (not all of us can have superlatives attached to our brand) to share but be honest, relevant and newsworthy.
Of course, if you want a helping hand – we’re happy to help. Talk to us.
