How's your PR program working?

When dealing with the media and the public, businesses sometimes forget the most important PR component: relations. The very core of public relations is establishing and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships between your organization and the public.

Ideally, you should not only let the public and the media know your good news — say a new service or company change — but also inform them when something goes wrong. This establishes trust with the people that matter most and lets YOU be in the driver's seat on how the news is communicated.

Community Relations
Any good marketing campaign should include community relations programs to keep your company at the top of mind in a positive, meaningful light. Ask yourself — what can my company do to impact the community? Is my product or service related to a community cause? Over the past few years, the Campbell's Soup Labels for Education™ program has donated $100 million of equipment to schools in exchange for proofs of purchase. The more people buy, the more money goes to schools. It's a win/win for the company and the public — and as a bonus has garnered lots of positive publicity.

You can write a great news release

Are you sending out media releases that just aren't getting in the news? Are you settling for business “briefs” and missing opportunities for feature articles? There are several things you can do to help increase the odds of your news getting covered in the media. Put your news to work by following these five easy steps.

• Do the research — Find the right media contact person and be familiar with the topics they cover. Review the publication's editorial calendar to see if it is covering a topic relevant to your business.
• Make it personal — Do not send out mass e-mail releases; instead include a personal note with your release to briefly highlight the news and why you think the reporter will be interested in your story.
• Follow up — Don't stop at the send button; call the reporter to gauge their interest and establish a relationship for the future. *But don't make multiple calls and be a nuisance!
• Don't over communicate— If your company frequently has news to share, consider a quarterly announcement highlighting newsworthy events. Make sure your releases aren't stale and find fresh ways to tell the media about your annual event.
• Become a resource — Think about how you can help the reporter write a great story. Provide helpful facts and background information and become an expert on the topic. How does your business relate to an overall trend? Providing this information can help lead to a bigger story that covers your business in more detail and gets noticed by the public.

To release or not to release.

Not sure if your story is newsworthy? Before sending your release, read these questions to gauge its relevance as news.

• Does this release have mass appeal and interest?
• Is there something fresh or new to announce?
• What is unique about this story?
• Is there a human interest angle that's compelling?
• How will the public benefit from the news?
• What sets your company apart from others? How are you different?
• If you read a similar release about another company, would you care?