Six Steps to Developing Your Public Relations and Media Plan

Marketing experts will tell you that a well-planned public relations campaigns are often far more effective than advertising. This tutorial will assist you in developing and creating the core of your public relations campaign in six easy steps.

Step 1: Define and write down your objectives for your public relations or media plan.How will you design your public relations campaign? Will it be designed to:
- Establish your expertise among your peers, the press, or your potential clients or customers?
- Build goodwill among your customer, supplier, or your community?
- Create and reinforce your brand and professional corporate image?
- Inform and create good perceptions regarding your company and services?
- Assist you in introducing a new service or product to your market?
- Generate sales or leads?
- Mitigate the impact of negative publicity and/or corporate crisis?
You may be wondering why I am asking you these things at the beginning of a tutorial that is supposed to show you how to create and your develop a public relations plan? The answer is easy. In order for your public relations and media plan to be successful, it's first most important to determine and define your objective. With a clear objective in mind, you have laid the groundwork to the complete the remainder of this tutorial.

Step 2: Define your goals in achieving this objective. It is important that your goals be specific, measurable, results-oriented and time-bound. These goals must be in-line with your overall business, marketing, and sales objectives.

Step 3: Determine who your target audience consists of. Who is it that you want to reach with this campaign? What do you want your key message to be?

Step 4: Develop a schedule for your public relation campaigns. Create synergy by coinciding your public relations plan with other marketing and sales efforts.

Step 5: Develop your plan of attack. What communication vehicles will you use to get your message to the public? Examples may include:
- Press releases
- Articles
- Customer Success Stories
- Letters to the Editor
- Press Conferences, Interview, or Media Tours
- Radio, Television, or Press Interviews
- Seminars or Speaking Engagements
- Event Sponsorships
Select three from the list and beginning researching and developing your approach.

Step 6: Put measures in place to track the results of your public relations campaign. After each campaign sit down and review the results. Did you achieve the defined objectives and goals of this campaign? Should you consider modifying your original plan? If so, how and why?