2. Course outline and objectives
• Define public relations and its role;
• understand how PR supports marketing;
• create content relevant to your audience;
• write and format media releases;
• drive traffic to your content;
• and manage the media and the public.
3. Course outline and objectives
Definitions PR Tactics Media materials Media kits
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6. The “Public”
• External Publics
• Media, bloggers and influencers
• Community leaders
• Governments
• Financial community
• Special-interest groups
• Prospective customers / shareholders
7. What does PR do?
• Public Relations will help and organization
to:
• Adapt to external and internal changes;
• maintain the status quo;
• create and foster two-way communication;
• change attitudes and behaviour.
8. What does PR do?
• Educate
• Inform
• Engage
• Manage
• Adapt
9. How do we define Public Relations?
• Public Relations comprises the following
elements:
• Unpaid media
• Internal and external communications
• Channel marketing
• No guarantees
• It often supports other marketing initiatives
• Not always positive
• Can create a favourable environment
11. Target Market
A defined segment of the market that is the strategic focus of a
business or a marketing plan. The members of this segment (or
segments) possess common characteristics and a relative high
propensity to purchase a particular product or service.
Because of this, the members of this segment represent the greatest
potential for sales volume and frequency.
Target market is often defined in terms of geographic,
demographic, and psychographic characteristics.
12. Target Market
• Geographic
physical location
• Demographic
age, gender, sexual orientation, income
bracket, and/or education
• Psychographic
psychological traits, characteristics, or
lifestyle
13. Completing the audience profile
• Imagine the world through the audience’s
eyes
• Understand their pain points / priorities
• What do they need to learn?
• How might they react to the message?
14. Where is the audience?
• Forums / discussion boards
• Social media and Buzzsumo
• Quora
• Editorial calendar (blog posts, guest posts,
articles, interviews)
• Create a pitch – don’t forget bloggers
• Develop a strong key message
15. How to extract true benefits
• Make a list of every feature of your
product
• Ask yourself why each feature is included
in the first place
• Take the “why” and ask “how” does this
connect with the prospect’s desires?
• Get to the absolute root of what’s in it for
the prospect at an emotional level.
16. Goal-oriented content
• Tips for improving processes/strategies
• How to solve specific pain points
• New insights on relevant data
• Case studies showcasing your past
experience
• Research that illustrates an interesting
concept
• Failure/success stories
17. Integration of marketing, advertising and pr
“The consumer owns the brand”
So stop sending mixed messages
19. Applying MPR to the Communication Process
OrganizationOrganization MessageMessage ConnectorConnector
Revised
Message
Revised
Message
Customer/PublicCustomer/Public
Media feedback
Public feedback
20. Media Releases
Media Release Defined
• A media release is a formal one- or two-
page document that tells a newsworthy
story to the media.
• If your story is of interest, the release may
be run in whole or in part. If your story is
seen as particularly newsworthy, an editor
or reporter may call you for an interview
for more information.
21. Where did everyone go?
Competing against the mass marketers
• Target appropriate editors, reporters and
influencers at the appropriate publications
• Build relationships
• Produce well-crafted media releases
• Make personal contact with selected
reporters and bloggers
22. The Credibility of News
• Public relations can drive traffic and
generate sales inquiries
• Nearly 30% of sales inquiries come from
PR - second only to advertising (38%)
• In this environment can media releases
still be relevant?
23. Focus Is Key
• Focus on one aspect of your business
• Focus on creating something newsworthy
• Focus on your contacts
• Focus of your message to reach your
target audience
• Then write what you have to say in one or
two pages
24. Where does my message go?
• Major media
• Community newspapers
• Consumer Magazines
• Trade magazines
• Electronic Media
• Social Media
• Company website / blogs
25. Social Media
Examples of Social Media:
• Twitter
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Technorati (blog index)
• Digg (news sharing)
• Flickr (photo sharing)
26. Content creation and PR
Some of the common ground opportunities for digital marketing
and public relations include:
•Messaging & Story
•Planning Content
•Coordinating Social and Media Relations with Amplification
•Using Social to Listen for Buying Signals
•Placing Content
•Optimizing Messaging Based on Marketing Performance Data
27. Content creation and PR
PR is responsible for driving
messaging and it’s messaging that
helps drive brand.
28. Content creation and PR
So in the PR world, how does this
happen?
Media relations
29. Content creation and PR
From a purely content
perspective, PR determines what
is ‘promotable’ or newsworthy
This process helps extend the life
and reach of marketing materials
30. Content creation and PR
Consider that created content can
be repurposed:
• Publicity
• Targeted advertising
• Email promotion
• Social
42. Most Newsworthy Information:
Who? What? Where? When? Why or How?
Important details +
quote
Other
general
information
Tip: Answer the 5 Ws
in the 1st
paragraph if
possible
Tip: Use a testimonial
instead of a quote in
the 2nd
paragraph
Tip: Include company
background information
The Inverted Pyramid: Write like a news article
43. Elements of a media
release
• Headline
• Sub-headline
• Place/date/carrier
• Lead
• Quote / testimonial
• Backgrounder
• Attachments
44. You’re 7 seconds away…
1. Attention-grabbing headline
2. 1st
paragraph with 2 or 3 newsworthy
items
3. Multimedia
4. Contact info
5. Great quote
6. Statistics
7. A compelling story
45. Who is a press release for?
Not just for journalists
anymore…
46. Where does a media release go?
How are they sent out?
Who do they go to?
48. Headline writing
• 8 to 10 words. Briefer is better
• Use a subheadline
• Edit. Edit. Edit
• Use a strong news hook
• Include a keyword where appropriate
55. Content creation and PR
• Blog posts
• Press releases
• Case studies
• Social media content
• Newsletters
• Articles
• White papers
• Events and webinars
56. Content creation and PR
At the intersection of marketing and PR:
Brand awareness
Acquisition goals
57. Content creation and PR
Some PR-focused goals:
• Boosting awareness and exposure
• Influence and positioning
• Educate audiences
• Thought leadership
• Reputation
• Growing networks and engagement
58. Be useful
• Know what I want, and show me you do
• Help me accomplish something
• Deliver on your promises
• Answer my questions - before I have them
59. Marketing objectives
• Overcome resistance
• Create a connection
• Motivate or inspire
• Mobilize or reinvigorate
• Use real world events
• Introduce new directions
• Show value proposition
60. Marketing objectives
• Increase customer spend
• Educate about an aspect of offer
• Break into a new market
• Create leads or keep feeding them
• Enhance loyalty
• Communicate USP
• Increase market share
61. What types of story do you want to
tell?
Mystery, romance, comedy, drama or
adventure?
62. Connect
• Emotional
• Paint a picture (experiences)
• Tell a story
• Get the reader involved
• Build (and maintain) the relationship
65. Content creation and PR
From a purely content
perspective, PR determines what
is ‘promotable’ or newsworthy
This process helps extend the life
and reach of marketing materials
66. Digital content: best practices
Make the information:
• easy to access
• concise
•like a story
• consistent
• new / fresh
• “standalone”
67. Content creation and PR
Consider that created content can
be repurposed:
• Publicity
• Targeted advertising
• Email promotion
• Social
68. PR and Social
More listening, less talking.
Read your target audience’s online
content and join discussions to learn
what’s important to them. Only then can
you create content and spark
conversations that add value rather than
clutter to their lives.
69. PR and Social
Better to specialize than be a jack-of-all-
trades.
A highly-focused content marketing
strategy intended to build a strong brand
has a better chance for success than a
broad strategy that attempts to be all
things to all people.
70. Social and PR
Quality trumps quantity. Every time.
It’s better to have 1,000 online
connections who read, share and talk
about your content with their own
audiences than 10,000 connections who
disappear after connecting with you the
first time.
71. Social and PR
PR success doesn’t happen overnight.
While it’s possible to catch lightning in a
bottle, it’s far more likely that you’ll need to
commit to the long haul to achieve results.
72. Social and PR
Publish amazing, quality, shareable content
This sharing and discussing of your
content opens new entry points for search
engines like to find it in keyword searches.
73. Social and PR
Find the online influencers in your market.
Their audiences are more likely to be
interested in your products, services and
business. Connect with those people and
work to build relationships with them.
74. Social and PR
Focus less on conversions and more on
creating amazing, lasting content
Don’t spend all your time directly
promoting your products and services -
people will stop listening. Instead add
value to the conversation and develop
relationships.
75. Social and PR
Don’t ignore someone who reaches out to
you online
Building relationships is one of the most
important parts of social media marketing
success, so always acknowledge every
person who reaches out to you.
76. Social and PR
Don’t publish your content and then
disappear.
Be available to your audience by
consistently publishing content and
participate in conversations.
77. Social and PR
Share and share alike.
You can’t expect others to share your
content and talk about you if you don’t do
the same for them. So, a portion of the
time you spend should be focused on
sharing and talking about content
published by others.
79. Pitching a story
What is newsworthy?
• One of a kind
• First ever
• Atypical
• Trend
• Unusual application of product or service
• Celebrity participation
• Tale of the underdog
• Money, sex or health
80. Selling the story
What is a pitch letter?
• Credibility
• Relationships
• Beliefs and values
• Interests
• Communication
81. Selling the story
What does a pitch letter sound like?
• Attention getting 1st
paragraph (question)
• Info connecting medium and its audience
• Background info
• Support materials
82. Selling the story
Ask the expert or how to position a ‘thought
leader’:
• Be authentic
• Be yourself (tell the story your way)
• Keep pounding away
• Look to the future
83. The interview
• “That’s a great question, but what you
really need to focus on is…”
• “I can’t speak to that, but what I can say
is…”
85. Elements of a press release
• Establish a newsworthy topic
• Label (for immediate release)
• Headline and sub-headline
• Body
• Quote
• Boilerplate (shortened version of
background)
• End ( - 30 -)
86. Backgrounders
Also know as Fact sheets or FAQs
• They use different formats and depend on
the publication (or media outlet) as well as
the subject matter covered
– Prose
– Bulleted list
– Question and answer
87. Backgrounders, fact sheets and
FAQs
• Fact-oriented (stay away from opinion)
• Chronological
• Follow 5w format
88. Sample FAQs (Q + A)
• What does the product do?
• What are the company’s goals?
• Who is the product intended for?
• How much does it cost?