Writing a public relations plan - 5 Steps

Public relations can be defined as the practice of management information exchanged between an organization and those who are interested in - or potentially affected by - that organization. Effective public relations can be carried out by an own internal PR team, or may be entrusted to an outside agency. In any case, it is wise for an organization wishing to conduct public relations to develop a solid plan before acting.

An effective PR plan is one that meets the needs of both the organization and its various "publics" (ie, those who are interested and / or are being affected by the organization and its future actions). The organization benefits from a public relations plan, because the plan can help organize his thoughts and actions on how to get the most out of their intended message. Meanwhile, the recipients of the message of the campaign - and often many unintended recipients also - will benefit from the process being better informed about something that is important in their lives.

If your organization chooses to do their PR work or be represented by a PR firm specializing in the field, it is important to start with a solid plan.

Here are 5 tips for writing an effective public relations plan:

Step # 1: Determine what message you want to convey and to whom: Every organization has its own challenges in terms of public perception. Some are trying to get more exposure, while others are trying to influence or change the pre-existing public perceptions. Still others want to highlight recently obtained in order to attract the attention of potential investors, partners or customers.

The public relations plan needs to start with a clear sense among the members of your PR team regarding the nature of the message your company wants to transmit. Then, the team must clearly define what you want to receive that message. For both items, be as specific as possible during the planning stage will set the tone for the rest of your campaign.

Step # 2: Gauge the current public opinion about your organization: It 's very important that the plan include your conducting research with formal or informal, on the nature of public awareness of your organization as it is today. Rather than make assumptions about how the stakeholders, as well as your potential investors, customers and partners - view your company, it is important to find out more about what they really think. This type of research may take the form of secondary research how to read the opinion polls and articles about your company, or may take the form of primary research such as interviews, questionnaires and focus groups. The bottom line: you need to know where you are now to know where you are going.

Step # 3: Set a budget: Effective PR can be done at low cost or even free in some cases. However, as a rule you should allow a certain level of spending on your campaign. Budget concerns are an important factor. Since the PR budget has a strong effect on the resources you can afford to leave behind your plan, be sure to carefully set an appropriate budget to include all stakeholders. Tip: If the CEO (or equivalent organizational leader) can be convinced of the potentially large financial and reputation related to the question you are trying to convey to your audience, he or she will be much more likely to allocate the appropriate funds for your PR initiative.

Step # 4: Decide how you get the word: Good PR work is a multi-faceted area of ​​practice with a multitude of options available in terms of ways to communicate your message. For example, you can find a way to entice reporters to write articles of interest written on your organization. Or, you could organize a public relations event, submit your organization for consideration for an award industrial, or hold a press conference - just to name a few. The mode of communication that ultimately chosen will depend on many factors, including the nature of the message to be transmitted, the current political climate around the issue (if applicable), the degree to which the matter is of general public interest, your PR budget, and other factors.

Step # 5: Create an implementation plan, including a detailed timeline: Every good public relations plan should include a step-by-step plan that outlines the milestones of your PR effort and fills the specific details of the implementation of Plan. An important element of the implementation plan is to assign each task to a particular person, together with a term, this creates a sense of responsibility for each task. Of course, once the run is launched and some time passes, you may find yourself needing to change tactics to meet a changing environment. Yet, this need to make changes to your current plan is not an excuse to skip the mapping of the tactical steps ahead of time. During periods of relative chaos, you'll be happy to have a plan to which reference may be made in order to keep things on track.

Every solid public relations plan should be built on the basic structure outlined above. Whether leading his own campaign or entrust your PR campaign for a company expert in public relations, the plan - and the thought goes through to formulate it - will go a long way toward helping you achieve your goals of public relations. ...