Whether you are making plans for the immediate future or for an event or promotion in the upcoming months, it is imperative you create an effective PR strategy to help you inform your audience and grow your brand.
Here are a few tips to help you with your PR strategy:
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1. Identify your key message and what you are trying to achieve
What message do you want to deliver?
What do you want to accomplish?
Why do you want to accomplish those things?
Identifying a key message and determining your objectives is the first step to creating a successful PR strategy. Make sure you and your administrative/media teams are on the same page and in agreement with the objectives.
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2. Identify your target audience
Who are you trying to reach and what is the best way to communicate with this group? Are you trying to connect with potential students? Journalists? Alumni? The audience you choose to target might determine which medium you use to reach that group.
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3. Do some research
If you are having trouble cultivating your PR plan, search the web and look for ideas! Research what other schools or companies have executed and what will be the most appropriate strategy for you to implement.
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4. Create a budget for your campaign
Once you have established and approved a monetary budget for your PR strategy, it will be easier to determine what tactics to employ. If you have a large budget, it may be more simple to market to your target audience, whereas if your budget it more frugal, you may have to get more creative and utilize different tactics.
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5. Determine what your goals are
Once you have decided on the direction you are headed, it is important to set goals. To help you stay on track and motivated, make sure your goals are measurable and realistic!
Examples:
We want to raise X amount by this date.
We want X attendance rate at all of our home games this season
We want X amount of likes on Facebook, etc.
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6. Set key dates
After you set your primary goals and have identified your target audience, create a schedule and make sure all members on your team are aware of these dates and feel comfortable with the timeline!
When will your plan be set in motion?
When do you want to accomplish your goals?
Any key dates/events that are pertinent to your plan.
