Defining Your PR Goals
By Anthony Mora
Synopsis: Launching a PR campaign can be an exciting process. In fact if it’s not an exciting process you’re approaching it the wrong way. But don’t get lost in the process. People can get so wrapped up in the launch and the campaign that they lose site of their primary goals and objectives. Getting media coverage is the avenue not the destination. For a public relations campaign to be truly effective, the media exposure needs to lead you somewhere. Once you know your business objectives and goals, you can create a PR plan and an approach tailor made to help you achieve those goals.
Launching a PR campaign can be an exciting process. In fact if it’s not an exciting process you’re approaching it the wrong way. But don’t get lost in the process. People can get so wrapped up in the launch and the campaign that they lose site of their primary goals and objectives.
You want to garner media in order to get you and your business exposure, but that’s not your ultimate objective; you want a goal and end game. Getting media coverage is the avenue not the destination. For a public relations campaign to be truly effective, the media exposure needs to lead you somewhere. Which means before you launch you want to come up with a game plan; in essence you want a PR and business roadmap that will keep you on track towards your goal and objectives.
Media relations is a unique form of marketing. Unlike advertising or direct marketing, with public relations you can’t pick and choose specific outlets and dates that your story or segment will run - that is the challenge of PR. Yet, on the other hand, when a news story does run on you or your business, you are positioned in a unique and powerful way. A feature in a magazine or newspaper or a segment on TV or radio positions you as an expert and positions your company or product or a news story. That type of coverage offers you validation and credibility that no amount of advertising can buy. With PR you reach your target market and build your brand via the media.
Still, as I mentioned before, the media coverage in and of itself is not the objective. Well, for some people it is, but you don’t want to belong to that club. Before you launch a campaign decide what your primary objectives are. Do you want to establish your brand, sell more products, land more clients, establish yourself as an expert in your field? All of those objectives are valid and important, but you need to know which objectives are of primary importance to you and your business.
Once you know your business objectives and goals, you can create a PR plan and approach tailor made to help you achieve those goals.
Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011
Anthony Mora Communications, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based public relations company that has placed clients in: Time, Newsweek, 60 Minutes, CNN, USA Today, Oprah, The New York Times, Vogue, and other media. Anthony has been featured in: USA Today, Newsweek, The New York Times, , The Wall Street Journal, The BBC, CNN, Fox News, and other media outlets.