HOW CAN A CLIENT BENEFIT FROM A PUBLIC RELATIONS PROGRAM?

By Jimmy Booth

Effective public relations is a key element in any marketing and communications program. Working in a complementary role with advertising and promotions, public relations helps create a synergy where all parts of the program reinforce and enhance one another.

Public relations is a highly effective means of communicating to a given market or target audience the message you and your client are wanting to deliver. Since press releases are published or broadcast as news stories, they have the advantage of being considered a “third party endorsement”. Thus, news stories have a credibility edge over traditional paid advertising since the authority becomes the medium in which the story appears.

What Should A Public Relations Program Accomplish?

Continuing public relations programs are designed to achieve the following:
* improve awareness by informing the general public and the business community about the client’s background, achievements, and services. This includes new products and services as they are introduced by your company.
* create and expand on the client’s market presence.
* better position the client in its marketplace.
* inform the public about your company representatives who are providing services to your particular market and community.
* position the client as the authority in its particular field and market.

What Can Be Included in A Public Relations Program?

An effective public relations program can include these elements:
* News releases written in journalistic style.
* Feature stories which bring into focus a particular aspect of the client’s operations.
* Quality photographs or artwork which accompany a news release or feature story to help tell the story being conveyed.
* A consistent and continuing schedule of news releases and/or feature stories sent to the media to help present the client’s message. Any public relations campaign utilizing news releases and/or feature stories is more effective if coordinated with advertising and promotional efforts and can incorporate print, broadcast, outdoor media, direct mail, newsletters, press kits, and the exciting new opportunities offered by the worldwide web and use of email.

In considering the results of such a campaign, it is often true that news releases and feature stories have the ability to reach more people, since editorial material generally has higher readership than advertisements. Also, the material presented in a news release or feature story is frequently picked up and published or broadcast by other media outlets. However, there’s a trade-off in that a particular news story or feature article is generally read only once by each reader, whereas ads are often repeated and can gain repeat readership with each insertion.

Effective Media Relations Is Vital

Another important aspect of a public relations program is a continuing program of media relations. Since every story must go through various editors and reporters, an editor or reporter must be able to trust the public relations person and know that the information in press releases is accurate and will not require extensive editing and fact-checking. Also, when an editor or reporter is producing a story and needs a good quote or information about a particular subject, they frequently turn to the public relations consultants they know and trust to provide them with story sources and contact information.

(Jimmy Booth, who was a journalist for more than 20 years prior to going into public relations, recently moved both his home and his business to Dahlonega in the North Georgia mountains. His current company, Jimmy Booth PR, was founded in 1989 and operated from Peachtree City until the recent move. Jimmy Booth PR has specialized in working with real estate companies, developers and builders, but its client list has also included remodelers, resort properties, trade associations, industries, retail businesses, medical and dental practices, banks, mortgage banking firms, CPA firms, and a hotel management group. More information about Jimmy Booth PR is available at www.jimmybooth.com, and Jimmy can be contacted at jimmy@jimmybooth.com).

Add comment January 2nd, 2007