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Ithaca Public Relations
Press releases are great tools for making announcements… a business
expansion, a fundraising campaign, an important meeting, a milestone or
accomplishment. Beyond that, when you’re looking to influence or
persuade opinions, behaviors and actions, you need to look beyond just
sending out a press release.
WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH?
This should be the first question you ask yourself. If your answer goes
beyond simply making an announcement, your p.r. efforts should, too.
A press release may tell the world that your business has expanded, or
your organization is offering a new service, but it won’t necessarily
change people’s actions and bring them through the door. It will tell
people that you’re raising funds, but may not persuade them to donate to
the cause. We also need to consider that not everyone will see or hear
the story when it’s published or broadcast.
Some good press coverage can certainly give a business or organization
a quick bump in activity, but as the news cycle changes and other stories
come into prominence, the bump or jump tapers off. To influence
perceptions or get people to take action, you may need to do more, so let’
s take a quick look at the larger picture.
MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
Marketing and public relations are how people’s opinions and perceptions
are changed, and they’re persuaded to take action. If that’s your goal,
you’ll need a marketing strategy that convinces them to do so. Every
organization has several publics that it must have good relations with, if it
wants to accomplish its goals. Clients and customers, investors and
stockholders, members, employees, other industry or market-sector
contemporaries, and more, all make up your publics, depending on your
specific situation.
How you present your message, and how often you present it, are the
keys to good relations with your different publics. This is where paid
advertising and other one-way communications such as newsletters,
annual reports, brochures, flyers, and many other marketing efforts can
help.
A good example of this is the federal government, which wanted more
people to wear their seat belts more often. Laws were passed, but it was
the long-term marketing strategy of getting word out about how seat belts
save lives, that got more people to start wearing them.
Two-way communication also had a role in the government’s efforts, just
as it will in your efforts. One-on-one interaction with your different publics,
such as events, promotions and other activities can also help persuade
your intended audience into taking the action you would like it to take.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Media relations can and should be a part of your overall marketing and
public relations strategies, but when it comes to changing opinions or
perceptions, or persuading people to take action, you’ll need to do more.
Spend some time thinking about the different marketing and p.r. options
that are available to you. Most importantly, think outside the box in terms
of how to present your message. This is the single most critical factor that
separates effective marketing and publics relations efforts from the
unsuccessful ones. What’s important to you and your business or
organization may not be what’s most important to your intended
audience. Present the message in a way that speaks to them in their
language. Show and explain how or why changing their opinion or taking
a desired action will benefit them, solve their problem, etc.
Posted on 4/23/10
expansion, a fundraising campaign, an important meeting, a milestone or
accomplishment. Beyond that, when you’re looking to influence or
persuade opinions, behaviors and actions, you need to look beyond just
sending out a press release.
WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH?
This should be the first question you ask yourself. If your answer goes
beyond simply making an announcement, your p.r. efforts should, too.
A press release may tell the world that your business has expanded, or
your organization is offering a new service, but it won’t necessarily
change people’s actions and bring them through the door. It will tell
people that you’re raising funds, but may not persuade them to donate to
the cause. We also need to consider that not everyone will see or hear
the story when it’s published or broadcast.
Some good press coverage can certainly give a business or organization
a quick bump in activity, but as the news cycle changes and other stories
come into prominence, the bump or jump tapers off. To influence
perceptions or get people to take action, you may need to do more, so let’
s take a quick look at the larger picture.
MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
Marketing and public relations are how people’s opinions and perceptions
are changed, and they’re persuaded to take action. If that’s your goal,
you’ll need a marketing strategy that convinces them to do so. Every
organization has several publics that it must have good relations with, if it
wants to accomplish its goals. Clients and customers, investors and
stockholders, members, employees, other industry or market-sector
contemporaries, and more, all make up your publics, depending on your
specific situation.
How you present your message, and how often you present it, are the
keys to good relations with your different publics. This is where paid
advertising and other one-way communications such as newsletters,
annual reports, brochures, flyers, and many other marketing efforts can
help.
A good example of this is the federal government, which wanted more
people to wear their seat belts more often. Laws were passed, but it was
the long-term marketing strategy of getting word out about how seat belts
save lives, that got more people to start wearing them.
Two-way communication also had a role in the government’s efforts, just
as it will in your efforts. One-on-one interaction with your different publics,
such as events, promotions and other activities can also help persuade
your intended audience into taking the action you would like it to take.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Media relations can and should be a part of your overall marketing and
public relations strategies, but when it comes to changing opinions or
perceptions, or persuading people to take action, you’ll need to do more.
Spend some time thinking about the different marketing and p.r. options
that are available to you. Most importantly, think outside the box in terms
of how to present your message. This is the single most critical factor that
separates effective marketing and publics relations efforts from the
unsuccessful ones. What’s important to you and your business or
organization may not be what’s most important to your intended
audience. Present the message in a way that speaks to them in their
language. Show and explain how or why changing their opinion or taking
a desired action will benefit them, solve their problem, etc.
Posted on 4/23/10
HOW TO CHANGE OPINIONS
| Ithaca Public Relations 159 Snyder Hill Road Ithaca, NY 14850 607-280-3840 info@ithacapr.com |
| The Insider - The Key to Changing Opinions |
Ithaca, NY 607-280-3840 info@ithacapr.com
Oil spills, labor issues, government
investigations... things no one
wants to talk about. Do you have a
reputation management plan in
place? Crisis Control
investigations... things no one
wants to talk about. Do you have a
reputation management plan in
place? Crisis Control
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