PR does not stand for Press Release

We all know Public Relations (PR) is a powerful and cost-effective way to reach potential customers and increase exposure. Done well, it influences decisions, differentiates organisations from their competitors, and helps to generate new business. Much in the same way resellers balance the needs of customers and companies, so too must PR professionals accommodate the needs of different stakeholders be they customers, vendors or the media.

PR encompasses a broad range of activities and audiences with the goal of engaging and communicating with the community as a whole. It includes providing insight and relevant information to support this audience by describing business trends, technology and thought leadership ideas and in doing so aims to generate a trusted relationship between a company and its audience. When all this is done properly, PR can help companies communicate, raising their profile and highlighting business successes.

In order to be successful, any PR initiative needs to be bespoke – there are no one size fits all solutions when it comes to communication because every business is different and so is every audience. There are however, general guidelines to think about when considering a PR campaign:
- PR does not stand for Press Release – the press release is an important part of the PR toolkit but there is nothing worse than a press release that contains no news or relevant information. Press releases are appropriate only when there is a significant strategic announcement or win. More importantly, press releases need to be targeted and should highlight the benefits of the news to that audience – after all, it isn’t news if it is not reaching the right people.

- Ask the experts – media enquiries are a great way for resellers to share their knowledge and expertise with the broader community, potential customers and influencers. The key here is balancing relevance and timeliness – the news business is constantly changing, so a speedy response can mean the difference between seeing your business or your competitors’ making headlines.

- The role of the interview – for a journalist, getting the news straight from the source gives them an opportunity to flush out the picture they want to paint with the story. Your role is to provide facts and examples, not speculation. If you don’t know, say so! Following up after the fact is not a crime.

- Press? What press? – know who you are speaking to. The media landscape is changing and there are many outlets out there today (online, print, trade, business, IT), and journalists themselves wear many hats (writer, blogger, reviewer). Keep this in mind and know that the convergence of information is an opportunity to tell richer stories. The more you can provide in terms of information and support, the more holistic the story will be and the more likely the journalist is to come back to you for information in the future.

PR can help your company communicate its value to the broader industry, your customers and new business prospects – and that is always good news.
 
Taken from 'How to implement successful PR initiatives' published by Avaya and available as part of the Avaya (NYSE: AV) MarketLeaders programme.