how public relations works

Introduction to Public Relations

Course outline and objectives

• Define public relations and its role;

• understand how PR supports marketing;

• write and format media releases;

• get media release information published;

• and manage the media and the public.

Course outline and objectives

Definitions PR Tactics Media releases Media kits

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Introduction to Public Relations

• What is Public relations?

• Who are these “publics”?

The “Public”

• Internal Publics

• Employees

• Shareholders

• Suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, dealers

• Regular customers

• Unions

The “Public”

• External Publics

• Media and bloggers

• Community leaders

• Governments

• Financial community

• Special-interest groups

• Prospective customers / shareholders

What does PR do?

• Public Relations will help and organization to:

• Adapt to external and internal changes;

• maintain the status quo;

• create and foster two-way communication;

• change attitudes and behaviour.

What does PR do?

• Educate

• Inform

• Engage

• Manage

• Adapt

How do we define Public Relations?

• Public Relations comprises the following elements:

• Unpaid media

• Internal and external communications

• Channel marketing

• No guarantees

• It often supports other marketing initiatives

• Not always positive

• Can create a favourable environment

How do we define PR?

Target Market

A defined segment of the market that is the strategic focus of a business or a marketing plan. The members of this segment (or

segments) possess common characteristics and a relative high propensity to purchase a particular product or service.

Because of this, the members of this segment represent the greatest potential for sales volume and frequency.

Target market is often defined in terms of geographic,

demographic, and psychographic characteristics.

Target Market

• Geographic

physical location

• Demographic

age, gender, sexual orientation, income bracket, and/or education

• Psychographic

psychological traits, characteristics, or lifestyle

Completing the audience profile

• Imagine the world through the audience’s eyes

• Understand their priorities

• How might they react to the message?

Integration of marketing, advertising and pr

“The consumer owns the brand”

So stop sending mixed messages

The Traditional Communication Process

SenderSender MessageMessage ChannelChannel ReceiverReceiver

Applying MPR to the Communication Process

OrganizationOrganization MessageMessage ConnectorConnector

Revised MessageRevised Message

Customer/Public

Customer/Public

Media feedback

Public feedback

Media Releases

Media Release Defined

• A media release is a formal one- or two-page document that tells a newsworthy story to the media.

• If your story is of interest, the release may be run in whole or in part. If your story is seen as particularly newsworthy, an editor or reporter may call you for an interview for more information.

Where did everyone go?

Can you compete against the mass marketers?

• Target appropriate editors and reporters at the right publications

• Build relationships

• Produce well-crafted media releases

• Make personal contact with selected reporters and bloggers

The Credibility of News

• Public relations generates 28% of sales inquiries, second only to advertising (38%)

• But are media releases effective?

Focus Is Key

• Focus on one aspect of your business

• Focus on creating something newsworthy

• Focus on your contacts

• Focus of your message to reach your target audience.

• Then write what you have to say in one or two pages

Where does my message go?

• Major media

• Community newspapers

• Consumer Magazines

• Trade magazines

• Electronic Media

• Social Media

• Company website

Social Media

Examples of Social Media:

• Twitter

• Facebook

• YouTube

• Technorati (blog index)

• Digg (news sharing)

• Flickr (photo sharing)

Content creation and PR

Some of the common ground opportunities for digital marketing and public relations include:

•Messaging & Story

•Planning Content

•Coordinating Social and Media Relations with Amplification

•Using Social to Listen for Buying Signals

•Placing Content

•Optimizing Messaging Based on Marketing Performance Data


PR is responsible for driving messaging and it’s messaging that helps drive brand.


So in the PR world, how does this happen?

Media relations


From a purely content perspective, PR determines what is ‘promotable’ or newsworthy

This process helps extend the life and reach of marketing materials


Consider that created content can be repurposed:

• Publicity

• Targeted advertising

• Email promotion

• Social

Writing for PR

Press releases, Boilerplates and FAQs

Public relations writing

Journalism Marketing+

PR WritingAims to be:

•clear

•direct

•deliberate

Demographics

Are you kidding me?

Developing the message(s)

• Press release

• Boilerplate

• Key messages

• FAQs

ToneThe attitude the writer has towards the audience and the subject matter

formalrespectful

intimate

humorousfamiliar

The Media Kit

• Media release

• Media advisory

• Photos

• Backgrounder / biography

• Fact sheet

News Values• Timeliness

• Proximity

• Importance

• Human interest

• Conflict

• Unusualness

• Celebrity

What is a press release?

The 5 Ws

• Who?

• What?

• Where?

• When?

• Why/How?

Most Newsworthy Information:Who? What? Where? When? Why or How?

Important details + quote

Other general information

Tip: Answer the 5 Ws in the 1st paragraph if possible

Tip: Use a testimonial instead of a quote in the 2nd paragraph

Tip: Include companybackground information

The Inverted Pyramid: Write like a news article

Elements of a media release

• Headline

• Sub-headline

• Place/date/carrier

• Lead

• Quote / testimonial

• Backgrounder

• Attachments

You’re 7 seconds away…

1. Attention-grabbing headline

2. 1st paragraph with 2 or 3 newsworthy items

3. Multimedia

4. Contact info

5. Great quote

6. Statistics

7. A compelling story

Who is a press release for?

Not just for journalists anymore…

Where does a media release go?

How are they sent out?

Who do they go to?

Would you open an email from you?

Headline writing

• 8 to 10 words. Briefer is better

• Use a subheadline

• Edit. Edit. Edit

• Use a strong news hook

• Include a keyword where appropriate

Content Development Public

Relations and the Media

Corporate Communications

Social MediaSEO

PR Brand

Content

Corporate Communications

CRMNews DMSEO

PRProduct Visibility

Brand

Sales


“The goal is to expand our digital footprint and use content to drive initiatives.”


PR is responsible for driving messaging and it’s messaging that helps drive brand.


http://vimeo.com/61904047

http://vimeo.com/61904047


• Blog posts

• Press releases

• Case studies

• Social media content

• Newsletters

• Articles

• White papers

• Events and webinars


At the intersection of marketing and PR:

Brand awareness

Acquisition goals

Content creation and PRSome PR-focused goals:

• Boosting awareness and exposure

• Influence and positioning

• Educate audiences

• Thought leadership

• Reputation

• Growing networks and engagement

Be useful

• Know what I want, and show me you do

• Help me accomplish something

• Deliver on your promises

• Answer my questions - before I have them

Marketing objectives• Overcome resistance

• Create a connection

• Motivate or inspire

• Mobilize or reinvigorate

• Use real world events

• Introduce new directions

• Show value proposition

Marketing objectives• Increase customer spend

• Educate about an aspect of offer

• Break into a new market

• Create leads or keep feeding them

• Enhance loyalty

• Communicate USP

• Increase market share

What types of story do you want to tell?

Mystery, romance, comedy, drama or adventure?

Connect• Emotional

• Paint a picture (experiences)

• Tell a story

• Get the reader involved

• Build (and maintain) the relationship

So where do we end up?

Branded journalism


So how does this happen?

Media relations


From a purely content perspective, PR determines what is ‘promotable’ or newsworthy

This process helps extend the life and reach of marketing materials

Digital content: best practices

Make the information:• easy to access• concise

•like a story• consistent• new / fresh• “standalone”


Consider that created content can be repurposed:

• Publicity

• Targeted advertising

• Email promotion

• Social

PR and Social

More listening, less talking.

Read your target audience’s online content and join discussions to learn what’s important to them. Only then can you create content and spark conversations that add value rather than clutter to their lives.

PR and SocialBetter to specialize than be a jack-of-all-trades.

A highly-focused content marketing strategy intended to build a strong brand has a better chance for success than a broad strategy that attempts to be all things to all people.

Social and PR

Quality trumps quantity. Every time.

It’s better to have 1,000 online connections who read, share and talk about your content with their own audiences than 10,000 connections who disappear after connecting with you the first time.

Social and PR

PR success doesn’t happen overnight.

While it’s possible to catch lightning in a bottle, it’s far more likely that you’ll need to commit to the long haul to achieve results.

Social and PR

Publish amazing, quality, shareable content

This sharing and discussing of your content opens new entry points for search engines like to find it in keyword searches.

Social and PR

Find the online influencers in your market.

Their audiences are more likely to be interested in your products, services and business. Connect with those people and work to build relationships with them.

Social and PR

Focus less on conversions and more on creating amazing, lasting content

Don’t spend all your time directly promoting your products and services - people will stop listening. Instead add value to the conversation and develop relationships.

Social and PR

Don’t ignore someone who reaches out to you online

Building relationships is one of the most important parts of social media marketing success, so always acknowledge every person who reaches out to you.

Social and PR

Don’t publish your content and then disappear.

Be available to your audience by consistently publishing content and participate in conversations.

Social and PR

Share and share alike.

You can’t expect others to share your content and talk about you if you don’t do the same for them. So, a portion of the time you spend should be focused on sharing and talking about content published by others.

Media interviews

Media relationships should be:

• Consistent

• Long-term

• Valuable (creating value for the reporter and the audience)

Pitching a story

What is newsworthy?• One of a kind• First ever• Atypical• Trend• Unusual application of product or service• Celebrity participation• Tale of the underdog• Money, sex or health

Selling the story

What is a pitch letter?

• Credibility

• Relationships

• Beliefs and values

• Interests

• Communication

Selling the story

What does a pitch letter sound like?

• Attention getting 1st paragraph (question)

• Info connecting medium and its audience

• Background info

• Support materials

Selling the story

Ask the expert or how to position a ‘thought leader’:

• Be authentic

• Be yourself (tell the story your way)

• Keep pounding away

• Look to the future

The interview

• “That’s a great question, but what you really need to focus on is…”

• “I can’t speak to that, but what I can say is…”

Press kits

• Press release

• Backgrounder

• Supporting materials (stats, studies)

• Graphics (photos, video)

• Bios

• Brochures, sell sheets

• Clippings

Elements of a press release

• Establish a newsworthy topic

• Label (for immediate release)

• Headline and sub-headline

• Body

• Quote

• Boilerplate (shortened version of background)

• End ( - 30 -)

Backgrounders

Also know as Fact sheets or FAQs

• They use different formats and depend on the publication (or media outlet) as well as the subject matter covered– Prose– Bulleted list– Question and answer

Backgrounders, fact sheets and FAQs

• Fact-oriented (stay away from opinion)

• Chronological

• Follow 5w format

Sample FAQs (Q + A)

• What does the product do?

• What are the company’s goals?

• Who is the product intended for?

• How much does it cost?