Implement a PR plan, the right PR plan

PR in Action

You would not take your family on a camping trip to the Rocky Mountains without thoroughly researching the trip – everything from flights, camping equipment, tents, cooking tools, sleeping gear, etc., and most importantly – your itinerary. Just the same, you should not begin any PR campaign in the financial industry without an action plan.

There can be challenges in a public relations campaign, but with careful planning, success is easy to achieve.

• First know – real news coverage cannot be bought.
• Today’s editors are overwhelmed with information coming in from so many channels. To overcome this challenge, it is imperative for your company to provide timely and relevant topics that are of interest to the editor’s readership.
• You must take your business needs and merge them with those of the media and offer information when they need it.
• Read the publications in which you want to be included and then reach out to the editors and learn what they want to cover. That way, you can ensure that you provide the type of thought leadership articles that editors want.

Determining your PR Plan

When determining what you want from a PR plan, you must ensure that your public relations, advertising and marketing efforts are in line with the vision of your company and your place in the financial industry. Without all of these elements fitting together correctly, messages become very disjointed.

• Review your company’s purpose – what is its true value proposition?
• Why would your customers want you to handle their business?
• What differentiates your company from others?

Then determine all the content (news) that your company has available to share with the media – be it new products and services or new locations.  What are “hot” topics in the financial industry where your executives could provide commentary?  Editors like controversial articles and challenges where you can provide assistance. Other powerful tools include letters to the editor and comments added to online articles or industry blog posts.

Research publications’ regular features as well as their editorial calendars. Editorial calendars lay out scheduled coverage of major issues or products in the financial industry. By providing your insight to regular features, you increase long-term exposure. Your PR team will review all the various opportunities with you and determine where you can add some additional flavor.

After you and your PR team have tackled these first three elements, together you can look at developing a six-month plan of opportunities and actions. Once you have evaluated each identified monthly opportunity, it is time to integrate the content into a workable plan of action fit just for you!