When public relations goals are not achieved, it’s usually because the PR objectives were not strategically aligned with the company’s overall business goals. When departments are working independently in silos, it becomes obvious that objectives are not only mismatched but often counterproductive. Communication and cooperation between public relations professionals and business executives, then, is the key to creating a successful PR program. Here are some ideas from us at GYC, a Las Vegas public relations agency.
Clarify Business and PR Goals
Top management must clearly define its business goals and then share them with its marketing, sales and public relations team members. Business goals are naturally broad but measurable including things like increasing market share by a certain percentage or increasing the company’s presence and recognition in a particular geographic area.
PR goals, then, need to fall under the general business goal to provide the support and framework for setting particular objectives within a specific time frame. PR goals generally focus on increasing awareness, building exposure, increasing market share, changing a company’s reputation, improving relationships with stakeholders, or driving sales.
Follow the SMART Rules
The best PR goals are written in a single sentence and are specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic and timed. Incorporating all of these elements in a succinct way will ensure that all team members can measure their work and progress against these goals over time. If business direction or objectives change, PR goals can quickly be modified to accommodate.
Create Your PR Campaign Around Objectives
Once you understand your company’s business goals and have come up with supporting PR goals, the next step is putting together an action plan. To ensure that the plan stays aligned with overall goals, create this plan by designing it around objectives focused on process or results.
Each objective should again be written in a measurable and specific manner so all team members can see progress and contribution to the overall business goal. Objectives should define budget and timing as well as activity and outcome.
For example, if the business goal is to increase market share by 10 percent over the next fiscal year and the sales team has identified Las Vegas as the best geographic location to target, a PR goal might to increase visibility within that target market.
Measurable objectives might include executing a media relations campaign to garner at least five news stories on the company in local publications and on television programs, attracting at least 200 prospective customers to sign up for more information at an industry trade show, or securing at least 500 new sales leads from a social media campaign.
Keep Lines of Communication Open
Business moves quickly these days, and it’s important that goals and objectives are reviewed regularly to ensure that all teams are on the same page throughout the life of a project. If executives or the sales team makes modifications to their goals and objectives due to new information mid-stream, it’s important that the PR team is notified and can make adjustments to the supporting objectives as well. By working closely together, overall business goals can be achieved successfully.
If you’re ready to learn more about aligning public relations objectives with business strategies, contact us at GYC, an agency delivering PR in Las Vegas.