Home
>
Public Relations
>
Dont Waste Money on Public Relations

Dont Waste Money on Public Relations

Demand that it pull its own weight in your boat by working to create, change or reinforce how your organization is perceived by those vital, external audiences, those groups of people who REALLY affect your business the most.

This is key to your success because, like it or not, people take action based on the facts they see before them. And that can create behaviors that impact your business, sometimes negatively.

Why take any chances? What you need to do is take steps to create, change or reinforce that key audience's opinion by reaching them, persuading them and moving them to take the actions you desire

Does it work every time? No.

Is it easy? No.

Is it necessary? Yes.

I recommend working with a local public relations specialist because your work day probably leaves little time for this activity, and you may have minimal experience to bring to the party.

So, before hiring anyone, try out this notion on him or her.

What we know is that people will act on their own perception of the facts before them. And we know that those perceptions will lead to predictable behaviors, but about which something can be done. Then, when we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action those folks whose behaviors affect your business, the public relations effort is a success.

If you're met with the equivalent of a blank stare, look elsewhere.

Once you find a compatible public relations person, let's roll! For openers, you'll earn his or her enduring support when you commit to take action when your information gathering turns up troubling perceptions among those target audiences.

First, try to be a regular speaker in your marketing area, an interviewee for radio and newspapers, a sponsor of special events and an active member of local business and fraternal clubs. You put "money in the good will bank" when you do this, against the day trouble breaks out.

Start by staying in touch with groups of people whose actions help or hinder your operations. What do they believe about your products and services and your organization itself? Stay alert to potential problems. This is the fact finding, information gathering phase.

Then list your key audiences. But, at first, just the ones whose actions REALLY concern you. Begin interacting with them. They can include stakeholders like customers, employees, prospects, media, community residents, local government agencies and many others.

Make a promise to yourself to take the following actions when you discover a troubling perception.

First, set down your public relations goal. Examples: neutralize that negative rumor; pacify that activist group; restore the faith of that group of former customers, or reinforce your prospects' interest in your product or service.

In any case, left unattended, each can hurt your business.

Next, HOW will you approach the perception problem? In other words, what is your strategy?

We know there are just three ways to deal with such an opinion problem. Create new opinion, change existing opinion, or reinforce it.

Decide which it is, and proceed. But work closely with your public relations advisor by preparing persuasive messages carefully and creditably designed to counter the misconception you have uncovered. Try out the messages on a few outsiders to see just how persuasive they really are.

Now, you must select the communications tactics - "beasts of burden," I call them - to carry your persuasive message to the eyes and ears of that crucially important target audience.

You have a huge choice of such communications tactics ranging from emails, press releases, media interviews and newsletters to personal meetings, speeches, open houses and dozens of others.

But your job is still not completed. You must continue to monitor members of your target audience to measure not only awareness of your message, but how well is it being received, and even did it get there in the first place?

Then, if necessary, adjust your message content and the communications tactics.

To recap, until something better comes along, we have little choice but to track perceptions among key audiences the best way we can. Then, create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action those people whose behaviors effect the organization.

Adopting this kind of sequence puts the odds in your favor that the money you spend on public relations will not be wasted.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@tni.net.

Robert A. Kelly ? 2005.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

Visit: bobkelly@tni.net; bobkelly@tni.net

professional maid services Deerfield ..

In The News:

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.

Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.

Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.

South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.

Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Fake AI apps disguised as "ChatGPT" and "DALL·E" are flooding app stores with dangerous malware that steals data and monitors users without detection.

Fake buyers demand specific vehicle reports from unknown sites to steal credit card information from car sellers, but warning signs can help identify these scams before paying.