Launching a new public relations campaign is an exciting time for a business. Whether you’re looking to start your PR efforts from the ground up or revamp existing communications, a strong PR campaign has the potential to take your organization to the next level. But before jumping right in, it is critical to develop a thoughtful strategy to guide the campaign.
What is a PR strategy?
A PR strategy is a tool that not only outlines your upcoming campaign, but identifies target audiences, goals, desired outcomes and much more. Think of your strategy as an organizational tool – it’s a one stop shop for all things related to your PR efforts. Depending on the breadth of your campaign, a strategy can encompass various channels, such as media relations, social media and content marketing, among others.
Why is it important?
In many cases, a thorough strategy is undervalued, given the time it takes to develop and the potential to delay campaign execution. That said, taking the time to develop a detailed PR strategy will set you up for success. Without a strategy, how will you even know what a successful campaign looks like?
Having a solid PR strategy in place allows you to see the “bigger picture” of your campaign. What stories are you trying to tell? How many ways are there to tell these stories? From there, you can measure campaign progress against your strategy to determine whether your campaign is successful, or if you need to adjust priorities and goals.
Where do I start?
The two most important elements of a PR strategy are the goals and target audiences. It’s likely you already know what your goals are, as they are what drove your business to launch a campaign in the first place. Take the time to really sit with those goals and determine how this campaign can help your business achieve these goals.
In tandem, identifying your target audiences is crucial. You may have multiple audiences that you want to reach, which means you’ll want to identify the different channels in which you are reaching them. By outlining your goals and audiences, you are building a base that will influence every detail of your campaign.
If you’re excited about getting your PR campaign started, that’s great. But don’t forget to take the time to build a strong strategy that will help you execute and measure your campaign every step of the way. In the end, you’ll be glad you did.
Looking to launch a campaign or engage a PR agency? Check out our recent insight on “Best Practices for Working with a PR Agency” or get in touch with Maven.
Posted In Public Relations