In these difficult economic
times, companies desperately need the tools to stand out from the crowd. Public
relations is probably one of the most cost-effective ways to increase your
company’s brand identity and build your sales pipeline. Woman entrepreneurs are
particularly well suited to public relations, because women are inherently good
at communicating. With the right guidelines you can be off and running on a
highly effective PR campaign.
But PR is not just sending
out press releases. To be really effective, a public relations campaign should
consist of a variety of activities that all work in concert to promote
visibility. A successful PR strategy should include these eight key steps:
- Define Your Goals, Your Target Market and
Your Messages
- Present a Strong Visual Image with Collateral
Materials
- Use Direct Mail to Stand Out
- Publish a Newsletter Give Your Clients
Valuable Information
- Host Client Events
- Get Active in Professional and Business
Organizations
- Maximize Your Website
- And finally… Gain Media Exposure
Here is a real-life case
study that illustrates how all the elements of an integrated PR campaign can
work together.
An
article I ghost-authored for a client was published in a prominent industry
magazine. We then emailed the article to their clients (Now it’s a direct mail
piece!). One of the organizers of a major industry conference read the article
and asked my client to host a panel on the topic. City officials who were
attending the conference were looking for expertise in just that subject and
contacted my client for consulting work. And finally, we took the same topic
and turned it into a client seminar!
And that, in a nutshell, is
the power of a fully integrated PR campaign!
About the Author
Christine Henry Woodward is the founder of Henry
Woodward Communications. She can be reached at info@myprtools.com and offers a full range of do-it-yourself PR guides on her website: www.MyPRtools.com.
Chris Woodward
My PR Tools
Bringing the Power of PR to Small Business