Anxious About Your Public Relations?

Know your customer -- that could increase the chances they'll get the results they want. Why waste resources this way when a little more effort can bring public relations success? I mean, firing off communications tactics without knowing precisely how that target audience perceives your organization, and who your tactics should be aimed at, then failing to decide what changes in perception, and thus behavior you need and want, is like pouring resources down the you-know-what. How much better to do it this way.

Who's the real public relations target? Is it not that external audience whose behaviors have the most important impacts on your organization? Shouldn't you eagerly court such people and focus your public relations efforts directly on them because your enterprise may be at stake? Of course. One way to approach the challenge is to decide up front which groups of people - which external audiences - really DO affect you the most. Could it be those residents in a certain geography? Or those folks you know regularly use your services or those of your competitors? Or those who are members of trade unions? Or those between the ages of 21 and 35.

Doesn't really matter which, as long as you have solid reasons for targeting that #1 target audience.

Namely, that their behaviors, good or bad, really DO have the most serious impacts on your organization. What now? Take nothing for granted. Get out there as soon as possible and interact with members of that key audience.

Monitor their perceptions by asking questions:

What do you think of our organization? How about our products and services or, if you are an association or non-profit, our programs? Do you sense an undercurrent of negativity? Probe deeper to see if some basic misconceptions are at work. Or inaccurate perceptions or damaging rumors that may be at fault.

The answers to such questions should be studied carefully and a public relations goal created that, when achieved, corrects the problem you uncovered. It might be as simple as knocking down that trouble-making rumor once and for all.

Or, you may want a goal that clarifies an unfortunate misconception, or an inaccurate belief about your organization. Even a "confused feeling" about your people will need attention. Your brand new public relations goal leads directly to your next step - a strategy that shows clearly how to reach that goal. Will you attempt to create opinion (perceptions) where none may exist? Or will you strive to control your reputation through persuasive messages??.

I can never lose with the Powerful strategies used for my online business.