If you think public relations plays an understated role in today’s marketing world, overshadowed by digital advertising, websites and social media, it’s time to reconsider. Including public relations in your marketing strategy is as vital as ever. Do you have a PR plan for your business? Do you have the tools to handle a public relations crisis?
I’m Olivia Huntley, the director of PR and Strategic Communications at WRL. I believe the key to PR success is building a lasting connection through a well-crafted message and exceptional story. I enjoy doing that for clients across Ohio and beyond.
Let’s look at some PR best practices and talk about why you should have an expert PR resource on your side.
Public Relations Strategy
Many people characterize public relations as simply press releases – feeding news about an organization to an often not-so-receptive media. But a solid PR plan encompasses so much more. It needs to be proactive not just reactive.
Think of a PR plan as a foundation for your business messaging. With PR as part of your marketing plan, you’re using multiple outlets for telling your story (websites, social media and more). In case of a crisis or any event that puts your business in the spotlight, you’ve already built something solid.
It’s messaging that’s strategic, but it needs to be authentic. Good PR isn’t spin; it’s communicating in a way that builds trust.
Telling Your Story
Here’s a thought that encapsulates what PR should be: Good public relations is telling your story so compellingly that others want to tell it for you.
A successful PR plan for your business can include:
- Blogging
- Case Studies
- Message Development
- Newsletters
- Social
- Script Writing
- Press Kits
- Press Conferences
- Event Planning
- Crisis Management
- Reputation Management
When your marketing plan includes targeted messaging that aligns with your brand and core values, you will reach the right audiences regularly. Blogs about relevant topics will pull in search volume to your website. Newsletters and social posts keep those audiences engaged and in touch with what you’re doing. Earned media (media coverage gained via non-paid means) puts your business in the news in a way that builds credibility.
PR Best Practices
There are some general PR best practices. The stabilizing thread is maintaining a consistent message across all channels.
PR Best Practice #1: Thoughtful and Consistent Control of the Narrative
Resist the urge to rush to speak. Take time to listen, assess and align internally. All voices should have coordinated messaging.
PR Best Practice #2: Transparency Is More Important Than Perfection
Honest, clear updates build trust. Be open about challenges and what’s being done to address them.
PR Best Practice #3: Use Local Voices
Humanize the message by using real people, such as local leaders, first responders and business owners to deliver it.
PR Best Practice #4: Strategic Media Training
Make sure your spokespersons have 2-3 core messages and teach them to bridge tough questions, which will help them stay confident under pressure.
PR Best Practice #5: Leverage a Multichannel Storytelling Approach
Press conferences, earned media, social media and community engagement – each channel should reinforce the others.
Need an Experienced PR Agency?
WRL offers expertise in public relations, having provided a range of PR services for our clients. We provide PR for manufacturing, PR for educational institutions and PR for businesses. We have recently provided a year and a half long PR strategy for the Village of East Palestine, in the wake of a train derailment that put the small Ohio town in the center of national news.
Here are just some of the PR initiatives WRL provided for East Palestine:
- 30+ press releases and village media statements
- 10+ strategic PR initiatives
- More than five major media interviews and community channels
- 2 major press conferences, where former President Biden and current Vice President J.D. Vance attended and spoke
- 10 public statements for officials
- Weekly town hall coordination and promotions
- Countless placed articles and news coverage
- 2 local business and stakeholder engagements
- Related social media awareness campaigns
If your business needs a PR strategy, WRL is a 70-year-old agency with the experience to help. Our team is innovative and enthusiastic about the implementation of a full range of marketing services. Contact us today.