Become a Pro at Developing a PR Plan

In our industry, it can be easy to get caught up in the immediacy of a project. The desire for fast results may overshadow the benefits of the strategic planning process.

Planning sometimes sounds expensive to clients. Yet time spent on research and goal-setting literally pays dividends in the end. How can we measure ROI if we didn’t benchmark? Exactly.

A PR plan will not only help identify objectives and determine if they’ll help you reach your goals, but it will also keep strategy on track and provide a method to measuring success. At CGPR, we often take a design-build approach as we address immediate needs while establishing long-term strategy and identifying opportunities to match.

How do you get started? First, identify the situation or opportunity. Are you working to overcome a problem or negative situation? Are you launching a brand or service? Is public support required?

Next is the research phase, then identifying your publics – how do they help you achieve your objectives? Consider both internal and external publics, including the media platforms to reach them. Careful identification of audiences, influencers, early adopters and detractors is crucial.

From there, establish a measurable goal. We can’t prove a campaign is working if the goal isn’t set in a meaningful way.

Now, the meat of a PR plan: the objectives. Objectives are measurable outcomes, and the most important thing to remember is that they must always be S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely). PR pros know it’s hard to quantify PR outcomes, but if you don’t set objectives, you are setting yourself up for failure and will ultimately be unable to prove your worth to management or a client.

Next up: developing key messages. What are you striving to communicate and why should anyone care?

Now confirm your strategies which essentially help you stay the course. Without them, random ideas work their way in and lead teams down random rabbit holes.

Then comes the fun: tactics and activities! Hayden Maskell says it best: “Tactics are the map; activities are the actual steps you take.” And finally, no plan is complete without a timetable and a budget.

With a PR plan in place, you’re on the way to creating incredible projects that deliver. Now, go get started!

For more information about the strategic planning process, check out Public Relations: Strategies & Tactics, available to purchase on Amazon or wherever textbooks are sold.