7 steps to a peerless PR strategy

What differentiates a powerful PR program from one that’s just OK?

The key is to formulate a robust blueprint for how you’ll achieve your PR goals. Here are seven steps to set a strategy that achieves meaningful results:

1. Start at the end.

What are your goals?

Avoid vague objectives such as “increased visibility” or “enhanced reputation.” Instead, focus on specific benchmarks for visibility, such as increasing awareness within a target audience by 10 percent, or conveying specific product attributes that differentiate it from the competition’s offerings. Strategic PR programs build relationships and convey attributes that lead to measurable business performance and growth.

2. Test it with research.

In public relations, we rely on a blend of experience, storytelling instinct and imagination to inform our programs and our work. However, those elements aren’t enough.

To make the investment worthwhile, your PR strategy should rest on research that defines the value proposition and confirms the customer and media targets. The best plans also start with a thorough brand communication audit that includes insights into target customers, channel partners and employee perceptions of the business or its products.