| Public relations can be defined as the practice of | | | | take the form of primary research such as via |
| managing the information exchanged between an | | | | interviews, surveys and focus groups. The bottom line: |
| organization and those who are interested in - or | | | | you need to know where you are now in order to |
| potentially affected by - that organization. Effective | | | | know where you are going. |
| public relations can be carried out by an organization's | | | | Step #3: Set a budget: |
| own internal PR team, or it can be entrusted to an | | | | Effective PR can be done cheaply or even for free in |
| external agency. In any event, it is wise for an | | | | some cases. However, as a rule you should anticipate |
| organization wishing to conduct public relations to | | | | some level of expenditure for your campaign,. Budget |
| devise a solid plan before acting. | | | | concerns are an important factor. Since your PR |
| An effective PR plan is one that satisfies the needs of | | | | budget has a strong effect on the resources you can |
| both the organization and its various "publics" (i.e., those | | | | afford to put behind your plan, be sure to carefully set |
| who are interested in and/or stand to be affected by | | | | an appropriate budget by including all of the relevant |
| the organization and its future actions). The | | | | stakeholders. Tip: if your CEO (or equivalent |
| organization itself benefits from a PR plan because the | | | | organizational leader) can be convinced of the |
| plan can help organize its thinking and actions related | | | | potentially wide-ranging financial and reputation-related |
| to how to best get their intended message out. | | | | effects of the issue you are trying to convey to your |
| Meanwhile, the intended recipients of the campaign's | | | | publics, he or she will be much more likely to earmark |
| message - and often many unintended recipients as | | | | the appropriate funds for your PR initiative. |
| well - stand to benefit from the process by being | | | | Step #4: Decide how you will get the word out: |
| better informed about something that matters to their | | | | Good public relations work is a multi-faceted area of |
| lives. | | | | practice with a multitude of options available in terms |
| Whether your organization chooses to conduct its | | | | of ways to communicate your message. For example, |
| own PR work or to be represented by a PR firm | | | | you may find ways to entice reporters to write |
| specializing in the field, it is important to start with a solid | | | | special-interest articles written about your organization. |
| plan. | | | | Or, you might hold a public relations event, submit your |
| Here are 5 tips for writing an effective public relations | | | | organization for consideration for an industry award, or |
| plan: | | | | hold a press conference - just to name a few. The |
| Step #1: Determine what message you want to | | | | mode of communication you ultimately choose will |
| convey, and to whom: | | | | depend upon many factors, including the nature of the |
| Every organization has its own challenges in terms of | | | | message you want to convey, the current political |
| public perception. Some are looking to get more | | | | climate around the issue (if applicable), the degree to |
| exposure, while others are looking to influence or | | | | which the issue is of general public interest, your PR |
| change the public's pre-existing perceptions . Still others | | | | budget, and other factors. |
| want to highlight recent achievements in order to gain | | | | Step #5: Create a plan of execution, including a |
| the attention of prospective investors, partners or | | | | detailed timeline: |
| customers. | | | | Every good public relations plan must include a |
| Your public relations plan needs to start with a clear | | | | step-by-step plan that outlines the key milestones of |
| sense among the members of your PR team as to | | | | your PR effort and fills in the specific details for |
| the nature of the message your company wants to | | | | executing the plan. An important element of your plan |
| convey. Then, your team needs to clearly define | | | | of execution is to assign each task to a particular |
| whom you would like to receive that message. For | | | | person, along with a deadline; this creates a sense of |
| both items, be as specific as possible during the | | | | accountability for each task. Of course, once the |
| planning phase: they set the tone for the rest of your | | | | execution phase is launched and some time passes, |
| campaign. | | | | you will likely find yourself needing to adjust your |
| Step #2: Gauge the current public opinion about your | | | | tactics to meet an ever-changing environment. Still, this |
| organization: | | | | need to make ongoing adjustments to your plan is no |
| It is very important that your plan include your | | | | excuse for skipping the mapping out of the tactical |
| conducting of some formal or informal research about | | | | steps ahead of time. During periods of relative chaos, |
| the nature of public opinion vis-à-vis your | | | | you will be glad to have a plan to which you can refer |
| organization as it stands today. Rather than making | | | | in order to keep things on track. |
| assumptions about how your stakeholders - as well as | | | | Every solid public relations plan should be built upon the |
| your prospective investors, customer and partners - | | | | basic framework highlighted above. Whether you |
| view your firm, it is important that you find out more | | | | conduct your own campaign or entrust your PR |
| about what they actually think. This type of research | | | | campaign to an expert PR firm, your plan - and the |
| can take the form of secondary research such as | | | | thinking you go through to formulate it - will go a long |
| reading opinion polls or articles about your firm, or it can | | | | way toward helping you reach your PR objectives. |