Are you wondering if you need a strategic public relations plan? I’ll save you the suspense and give you this hint…
YES!
Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”
These words are especially true with your public relations efforts, which is why I can’t stress this enough.
If you’re engaged in any sort of communications efforts – social media, media relations, digital content, website messaging, employee communications…
You always need a plan!
You may also ask, who need a plan when we can just “get after it” and start creating content?
Too often, we see this approach. And while sometimes people get lucky, or just create really cool content, it’s done without direction, without clarity, and without purpose.
You may get lucky and achieve some results, but you’re more likely to get down the road and wonder if your efforts were successful. And this is the problem.
An effective strategic communications plan is not only a roadmap for your efforts, it sets the stage for the value you’re bringing to your team, your organization and your stakeholders.
The Return
Public Relations campaigns are one of those things that all businesses know they need, but many delay in activating, especially during fiscally uncertain times.
So, let’s take this moment to dispel a myth about public relations – there is an ROI (return on investment) from your strategic public relations efforts.
You heard me right! PR can, and should, drive business results, revenue and sales.
Public relations can also drive favorability for a brand, create awareness of a product, and introduce a new service to audiences who need it. All of these elements can drive results for an organization.
So for anyone looking at 2020 and wondering how you drive more results, create more awareness and favorability for your brand, or just take your business to the next level, start investing in strategic communications planning now.
I’ll leave you with one more quote from French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery:
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
So, create a roadmap to success through a strategic public relations plan. Find new audiences and deliver your messaging to them. But have a plan and do it with purpose and meaning.
Here’s a previous post on the strategic communications process as you start your planning:
5 Crucial Elements of the Strategic Communications Process You Need to Have
Here are some additional posts to help guide your planning:
– Let’s Ditch The “Do you do…” Approach
– Don’t Let Perfect Be The Enemy Of Effective
– Wake Up. Kick Ass. Repeat.
– How to Create Content That Engages Audiences and Builds Brand Trust – Quickly
– 7 Tips to Measure Your Strategic Communications Campaigns
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