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:
• 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
Content creation and PR
PR is responsible for driving messaging and it’s messaging that helps drive brand.
Content creation and PR
So in the PR world, how does this happen?
Media relations
Content creation and PR
From a purely content perspective, PR determines what is ‘promotable’ or newsworthy
This process helps extend the life and reach of marketing materials
Content creation and PR
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
Content creation and PR
“The goal is to expand our digital footprint and use content to drive initiatives.”
Content creation and PR
PR is responsible for driving messaging and it’s messaging that helps drive brand.
Content creation and PR
• Blog posts
• Press releases
• Case studies
• Social media content
• Newsletters
• Articles
• White papers
• Events and webinars
Content creation and PR
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
Content creation and PR
So how does this happen?
Media relations
Content creation and PR
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”
Content creation and PR
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?