Public Relations. Communications. Media Relations. Content Marketing. Crisis Communications. Social Media. Branding. The list goes on and on.
In addition to being somewhat ambiguous terms in an ever-changing landscape that is often misunderstood, they have something else in common:
They are all part of the Strategic Communications process.
I was listening to a podcast recently where a business owner asked his employees to take on the task of “doing PR things for the afternoon.”
After the cringe worthiness of this request subsided, he explained that he paused the exercise after about 30 seconds and asked them what their plan was. Most responded they were going to reach out to media outlets and talk to reporters.
As usual, this got me thinking…
With so much misinformation available about an industry that evolves so quickly, it’s more important now than ever that we talk about what it is we do (or should be doing) as Communications Professionals.
And since this is the TCSC blog, well, let’s take a look at 5 key elements of our strategic communications process:
1. It’s a PROCESS, not a Press Release.
Creating and executing a strategic communications campaign is something that takes insight, planning, execution over time. It doesn’t happen in a week, month or sometimes years. This is a marathon
2. It’s about achieving goals, not media impressions.
A true strategic communications approach ties directly into your company’s goals and objectives, going beyond how many interviews you can garner. Sure, earned media (also known as traditional public relations, media relations, etc.) is important, but only as one piece to the puzzle.
3. The PESO Model
Our friends and experts at Spin Suckscame up with an amazing way to describe the integrated approach to communications, dubbed the PESO model.
And as a Spin Suckscertified agency (thanks Gini!), this integrated approach is at the core of what we provide our clients.
In short, it’s a 360 approach that uses Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned communications channels (get it, PESO) to achieve unprecedented results for your organizations.
Notice I didn’t say that it achieved impressions, or news stories, or blog posts, or Facebook Likes. The focus is much bigger than that. We help drive business results.
4. Always Innovating
Ah, the buzzword everyone has been waiting for – innovation. While I’m not typically a fan of using buzzwords, this felt appropriate. The “set it and forget it” method is great for defrosting food, but not for effective communications campaigns. We set benchmarks to evaluate key measurements (again, tied to business goals and objectives) to track our progress and adjust as necessary.
5. Just For You
There is no silver bullet. No magical cure. No single solution that will achieve your goals. We’ve created a process that identifies exactly what you need to do to reach your communications goals. Everything we do is tailored to meet the needs of your company and your business objectives. Communicating is about finding the right solutions for each scenario – not the right scenario for your solution.
Here are some additional resources as you go through your public relations planning process:
– Why Owned Media Continues To Be Vital In The Communications Mix
– 7 Tips to Measure Your Strategic Communications Campaigns
– How to Create Content That Engages Audiences and Builds Brand Trust Quickly
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