Step Four: Properly Use PR Communications to Reach Target Audiences

The fourth way to enhance a public relations program is to use every communication properly to achieve maximum impact.

Each communication should be geared toward one or more of the target audiences and include relevant message points and SEO terms. Carefully scheduling and coordinating each communication effort increases the strategic impact of your public relations program.

The most common PR communications are:

News Releases – background information prepared by the company or agency and sent to the media:

• Offer details about newsworthy events such as milestones, special events, new products and services or public recognition.
• The frequency of releases depends on the size of your company.
• Can be distributed through a news wire service for a fee to significantly magnify the impact of a release.
• Can be posted on your website since you own the copyrights to your own releases.

Feature stories – articles about your company or your customers:

• Created when either the company or agency pitches a story idea to a reporter or when a reporter reaches out to the company on a story from the editorial calendar.
• Requires interviews with a company executive and are written by a reporter.
• Often includes information from the company’s press releases.
• Copyrights must be purchased from the media outlet if you are considering posting on your website.

Bylined articles – written by the company or agency and submitted to a media outlet for publication:

• Appears under the name of a company executive and are not attributed to a reporter.
• Offer consumer-oriented tips to common technology or financial problems that can be solved with the help of your organization.
• Editors usually reserve the right to edit the bylines, and they still own the rights to any articles they publish. You can display the articles on your website if the copyrights are purchased.

Your website – acts as a platform for hosting all your releases and other news mentioned above about your company.

Additional elements to include on the website are:

• Contact information for the media contact or company spokesperson;
• Reprints of any articles after copyrights have been acquired;
• Online media kit, which includes an overview, fact sheet, executive biographies and graphics such as a logo.

In an increasingly competitive landscape, a more focused public relations effort built on top of a well defined plan and messages is one way to give you an edge. By avoiding some of the most common mistakes and following some basic communications tips, your company can improve the way you communicate with the media to reach your target audiences and be more successful at growing and serving customers.

Click here to view 4 Ways to Enhance Your Financial PR Efforts: Part 1