Mind Your Own Business!

And the best way to mind your own business is to insure that those audiences whose behaviors have the greatest effect on your enterprise keep thinking about you in the most positive way. Reason is, bad behaviors often follow bad perceptions, so what your external audiences think about you can mean success or failure.

It's not hard to do, but it's something you must attend to on a regular basis. How? Try this.

Nobody can do it all, so put those outside audiences in order-of-importance with the REALLY key audience at the top-of-the-list.

Once prioritized. and beginning with #1, learn more about what's on the minds of that audience. In other words, monitor their feelings and perceptions about you and your business. Ask questions. While you will appreciate positive input (and take it into account), it's absence of awareness, misconceptions, inaccuracies and hard feelings that you're really after because that's what can cause you grief. Also, stay alert for similar indicators coming from print and broadcast media, emails, and business and community speeches and pronouncements.

In public relations, we know that people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. So, when we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization, the public relations mission is accomplished.

O.K., you've now gathered a lot of information about how your key target audience feels or doesn't feel about you and/or your business. What do you do with it?

You establish your public relations goal. For example, correct this inaccuracy; straighten out that misconception; reinforce and strengthen a slightly positive perception; change a view of your business that's just plain wrong.

But now, you need a strategy to help you achieve that goal. In public relations, that means you get to choose one of three basic strategies: create opinion (perceptions) where none may exist; change existing opinion; or reinforce it.

Take another look at the public relations goal you've established and make certain that the strategy you've selected is a logical match.

Which brings you to "the message." Exactly what meaning and what remedial understanding do you want to convey to members of that key target audience? Your message must be crystal-clear about the misconception, rumor, inaccuracy or wrong-minded belief you discovered while interacting with, and gathering information from members of that audience.

The corrective message must be persuasive and believable - not aggressive or overbearing - as it outlines in plain language the simple truth of the matter.

How do you move messages from your business to the eyes and ears of members of your key target audience? You use communications tactics, or "beasts of burden" as I like to call them. There are a ton of them and their job is to carry your message directly to the attention of key audience members.

Tactics range from Internet communications, facility tours, editorial board meetings and press releases to broadcast interviews, promotional contests, brochures, face-to-face meetings and many others.

But how do you know whether the effort is succeeding or not? You remonitor members of that key target audience, watching carefully for signs that perception (opinion) is moving in your direction. In other words, do you see progress towards achieving the public relations goal you established at the beginning of the program? For example, increasing numbers of people appear to understand why the rumor was wrong, or what they believed about your business was simply inaccurate.

If your goal and strategy make sense, and if your message is persuasive and your communications tactics aggressive and well-targeted, signs of public understanding and acceptance will steadily increase.

In which case minding one's business in this manner will prove especially rewarding as the public relations program achieves success.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com; bobkelly@TNI.net

---

P.R. Strategies for Professional Service Providers

Promotion for Professional Services Providers requires a different approach than... Read More

The Medias Muscle: Make it Work for You

The least expensive, most effective way for you to promote... Read More

Publicity - How to Write a Headline That Will Garner Free Publicity

Taking your ad and turning it into paragraph-style prose is... Read More

The Truth About Public Relations

The truth is, you CAN attract the support of those... Read More

Foolproof Publicity for Marketing-Minded Financial Planners

They'd hate to admit it, but the media is pretty... Read More

Media Relations: When Google Got Googled

Before meeting my soon-to-be-wife for the first time, I "Googled"... Read More

7 Simple Steps To A PR Launch

A PR product or service launching is a perfect way... Read More

Building Community Support for Project Permitting, Construction, and Marketing

Redevelopment is replacing new construction throughout the Greater Boston area,... Read More

What I Do

I believe this about public relations.People act on their own... Read More

Inoculate Yourself Against Bad PR

What is bad PR?Well, if you're a business, non-profit or... Read More

Getting Free Publicity with Radio Interviews

Imagine that you are a radio producer. You have to... Read More

Publicity - Tips on Dealing With the Media

You thought of it, you researched it, you wrote it.... Read More

A Winning Public Relations Game Plan

You want to sell your products or services, and that... Read More

Are You a PR Chowderhead?

You are if you stand by while your public relations... Read More

Boost Your Business by Partnering with a Non Profit Organization

Is your business looking for new and creative ways to... Read More

HELP: I Need a Press Kit!

A press kit is an essential press relations tool. While... Read More

What Many PR Users Ignore

Simply that the behaviors of their most important outside audiences... Read More

Add Some Firepower to your PR

Sure, as tactics usually presented to business, non-profit and association... Read More

33 Reasons To Do A News Release

News releases are not the best way to get major... Read More

PR: Whats the Point?

Here's the point: people act on their own perception of... Read More

Are There Secrets to Gaining Media Coverage?

Are there secrets to gaining media coverage or is it... Read More

Media Relations - Ten Essential Tips to Use The Media to Market Your Business

In the 'Age of Scepticism' gaining media coverage is one... Read More

Is This Any Way to Run Your PR?

You bet!Especially for business, non-profit and association managers who REALLY... Read More

Top 10 Tips for Successful TV Interviews

1. Appearing in other types of media is the best... Read More

Dont Need No Stinking PR?

Almost assuredly you do, especially when your most important external... Read More

Why Managers Need the PR Advantage

Where is there a business, non-profit or association manager who... Read More

How To Get Radio-Active PR For Your Non-Profit Cause: Part Two of Three

FIVE WAYS TO GET ON THE RADIOHere are five basic... Read More

She Who Has the Gold...

?makes the rules, of course.But when the gold takes the... Read More

Transparency in Online Transactions

In these days of every increasing demand and competition, there... Read More

Do You Have A Press Package?

How do you make a friend of the media? A... Read More

Public Relations: Understanding Educated Gambling

As an entry level position to PR, I found myself... Read More

Why News Releases Fail

Sorry about my otaku with this issue (otaku = more... Read More

Publicity Wont Thrive on Press Releases Alone

Press releases are a useful tool for announcing news and... Read More