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Just like planning, taking the time to prep and develop your PR toolkit is key to a successful PR strategy. Make sure you check off the 8 items on our prep list before you start pitching.

PR is an important tool to amplify the voice of the brand – be it a company, nonprofit, or individual. There is tremendous value in sharing stories and expertise to increase awareness, build clout, and expand the reach of a company or thought leader’s message. So, what’s our approach to PR? We call it the “7 Ps.”

In order for your PR program to move the dial in a truly meaningful way, it is vital that you spend the time to create a plan before you start so you can clearly understand what you’re trying to accomplish and what success looks like. If you don’t know where you’re going or why, how will you know if or when you get there?

As PR professionals, we often laud the value of thought leadership as an effective communication and expert positioning strategy. Amplify your voice, share your ideas, build clout for your organization in the process. In general terms, there is both opportunity and need for expert voices on a variety of topics, and sharing advice is, for the most part, beneficial for increasing visibility of your expertise and building trust with your audiences. Except when it isn’t.

As communicators, we have a responsibility to understand how our words and work can contribute to bias and be considerate of how our messages can undermine the impact we’re trying to achieve. As recent social justice movements have come to the forefront, it is critical for executives and key leaders (for-profit and nonprofit) to be conscious about how they speak to and about the work they’re doing and those they serve.

If you have news to share and want to secure feature stories in coveted media outlets, any PR person will tell you that the pitch is the single most important part of the media outreach process and often makes the difference between oodles of feature stories or no coverage at all.

For CEOs and subject matter experts who are looking for ways to increase awareness of their brand and become an authority in their field, writing and publishing articles is a fantastic way to share expertise, insights, and opinions.

When people think of PR, they often think about garnering media coverage and critical acclaim for a company or organization’s product or service. But as a company or organization grows, it is also important, if not expected, for the CEO or executive director to share the spotlight as the face of the brand. “Expert positioning” is a facet of an overall PR strategy that builds visibility, credibility, and recognition for the organization’s leadership and creates avenues to share their voice and vision within an industry.

What is the business challenge you hope PR will solve? PR can be an extremely effective tool for specific business challenges and for this reason, it should be an integral part of many brands’ marketing plans. However, being able to articulate the challenge and why you think PR can help solve that challenge is critical in order to gauge the success of the campaign.

Public relations can be a very powerful and valuable tool as part of an overall marketing strategy; however, it is important to have realistic expectations for your PR program.

The term “purpose-driven” has become a mainstream concept in the for-profit world and while these changes in corporate behavior are welcome, there is now a question of how to express brand purpose in an authentic manner. How do we continue to share stories of social impact when social impact itself has become “mainstream?”

Targeted ad campaigns and strategic placements certainly have a time and place in almost every marketing strategy and can be an effective tool to drive awareness. But with PR as part of the equation, advertising dollars can go further as ads help to reinforce PR messages.