Are cuts in public relations budgets a good idea? This actually can do more harm than good and result in loss of brand position, market share, customer inquiries and so forth. Competitors — particularly those that have maintained spending on public relations — may actually gain position at your expense.

When the economy is on the downturn, it is prudent and perhaps even necessary to reorganize and cut various budgets and even staff. However, it is wise to take a good long look at what the company's priorities are before making potentially rash and harmful decisions.

PR is no longer a luxury and has become essential. Particularly as many industries, most notably the financial services industry, seek to restore trust with the American public. Public relations continues to be one of the most efficient ways of reaching customers, old and new. Far more so than advertising, which many people distrust.

What firms on the Public Relations New York scene have learned is how to do more with less for their clients. One way to stretch those budgets is through the use of social media. The world of social media is exploding at an exponential rate. Social media not only gives people the chance to air their opinions and share commentary with others, it also gives companies, politicians, celebrities, and others a way to communicate directly with the public.

Public Relations New York firms and others are advised to look at a recent Deloitte & Touche survey. The study reveals that 36 percent of Internet users read personal content created by other people. MySpace is widely held to be a haven for teenagers, but in reality, more than 67 percent of the people using MySpace are age 26 or older. The average blogger is about 37 years old, and 38 percent of Facebook users are older than 35. Clearly the phenomenon that is social media is never going to go away.

A trend for Public Relations New York firms and others is that the growing popularity of social media will most likely continue once the recession is over, perhaps reducing the importance of other elements in the marketing arsenal such as advertising. Redeploying portions of a reduced public relations budget to incorporate a solid social media strategy now is essential for companies who want to be able to leverage that strategy onward into the future as the global community continues to expand.

For more information visit to Public Relations New York,PR New York,New York city public relations and investor relations New York visit to http://www.makovsky.com

Kevin Waddel is a free lance writer. To get more information about Public relations, PR New York, New York city public relations, Investor relations New York, PR, Public Relations New York, Financial Services Public Relations in New York visit http://www.makovsky.com

Kevin Waddel is a free lance writer. To get more information about Public relations, PR New York, New York city public relations, Investor relations New York, PR, Health PR in New York, Financial Services Public Relations in New York visit http://www.makovsky.com

As a small businessperson, entrepreneur, or Internet marketer , why would you want to position yourself as an expert?

The answer is very simple. Everybody trusts an expert. And, as every salesperson will tell you, individuals want to do business with people they know, like, and trust.

It doesn't matter whether you are a doctor, lawyer, accountant, auto mechanic , business owner , or consultant. Being seen as an expert in your niche will help your business and your career.

I have found that the best way to brand yourself as an expert is by using a 10-step strategy that leverages Social Media. This includes LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube , and blogs .

The prerequisite to using this technique, of course, is to first become an expert in your field,like internet network marketing . This can be done through education (by getting a degree or getting certified), through experience, or by doing research.

Having a degree or certification is the most powerful approbation you can present to the world. (Just think of how many doctors sell health advice in books and newsletters.) But your personal experience and any studying you've done on your own is also effective in positioning you as an expert — sometimes more so. Have you gone through bankruptcy? You're an expert in that field. Have you dedicated your off hours to learning search engine optimization ? You're an expert.

However you "become" an expert, it gives you with the necessary proof to position yourself as such to your potential customers. And once you have this proof, the fun begins. Because the quickest and easiest way to build your reputation is by using the power of the Internet and social networking . Connections can be made instantly and thousands of people can be reached at one time.

Here's the 10-step process :

Step 1. Determine how you are going to brand yourself or your company. How do you want people to see or perceive you?

Step 2. Create a profile that will match your brand. It can include your degrees or certifications, your experience, your knowledge, and any material you've written or created.

Step 3. Create accounts at all of the major sites where you can brand yourself — LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, SelfGrowth, and href="http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/WarrenLittle"> Squidoo . Then post consistent information on each of these sites with proof of your expertise.

Step 4. Get your knowledge out there by participating online. Many social media websites — including LinkedIn and Facebook — provide a place for you to answer questions posted by other users. All you need to do is review the questions, post a detailed, informed, and succinct answer, and include a way for people to contact you.

Step 5. Get published on the Internet. The easiest and fastest way to get published is by creating a blog . There are many free tools out there for blogging, including Wordpress and Blogger . The more quality information you publish in your area of expertise, the more you are perceived as an expert.

Step 6. To increase the impact of your social media presence, interlink between the social media sites and have them all crosslink to your website or blog. For example, have LinkedIn link to your blog, have Facebook link to your blog, and have your blog link back to LinkedIn and Facebook.

Step 7. Develop a strategy for enhancing your credibility with simple, informational videos highlighting your area of expertise. They can be as short as 3-4 minutes. Record them with a flip camera or a video cam on your computer and upload them to YouTube.

Step 8. Leverage the power of these sites for search engine optimization. If you follow the steps above, you'll find that your name will come up high in the search engines. Google loves social media websites.

Step 9. Be active on these sites. You need to become part of the community. Social media websites are not just places to post information and broadcast your ideas. They are designed to be interactive. The more you interact, the more people will get to know, like, and trust you — and respect you as an expert.

Step 10. Finally, become a voice of your industry. You can do this by researching relevant news stories and reporting on them to your followers. You will soon be recognized as a source of great information in your area of expertise.

As you go through each of the above steps, your reputation as an expert will grow exponentially, especially in your particular niche. And as I said at the beginning of this article, that will lead to trust… which will lead to more business for you.

[ About the Author] Warren Little is a  successful Internet Network Marketing Consultant/Trainer and motivational speaker. He is an expert at empowering internet marketers to achieve high levels of success quickly. His " Network Marketing Solutions Newsletter " has become one of most highly subscribed to internet marketing resources .

The marketers I mean are noticeable chiefly for their tendency to complain bitterly over every obstacle that sits in their path. Google doesn't rank them high enough. Visitors aren't buying. It's too hard to do this. It's too hard to do that.

They find that Internet marketing isn't the no-effort pot of gold they dreamed it was when they first started their business. So they complain.

Those indignant yowls, though, remind me a lot of my cat. Yep, good old Rusty lives his life wandering from one comfortable nap spot to another. What does he contribute? He contributes nothing, unless you have a weird fondness for hairballs.

And when something doesn't go exactly as he thinks it should, you definitely hear about it. YOWL! (feed me). YOWL! (pick me up). YOWL! (play with me). YOWL! (scratch my ears).

In Rusty's eyes, the world owes him everything he wants whenever he wants it. At least he's cute. And he purrs. That means he provides some kind of value for what he gets.

Many new business owners aren't even willing to provide that much. Too many go into business with the same, me-first philosophy. They think the world owes them everything they want. They think the world should require nothing from them in return. They think the world is stacked against them when it doesn't behave exactly as they want it to.

People like that will always exist. Some of them will mistakenly wander into Internet marketing. After all, the hype about Internet marketing would lead you to believe that it's a place that's obligated to reward you handsomely just for showing up there.

Are you a better marketer than my cat? I certainly hope so. You don't have to fall into the same trap of self-absorption.

Business is and always has been about solving others' problems. No, business is not totally altruistic. You are allowed to make a profit. You absolutely need to make a profit in order to stay in business.

A good business finds ways to solve people's problems, though. It simply finds a way to do so in way that leads people to reward you for your solutions.

Ultimately, running a business is about solving other people's problems. If you're not solving somebody's problem, nobody has any reason to pay you for the solution.

Next time you're ready to yowl over how things aren't going the way you expected them, think instead, "How can I enrich others? And how can I do it so well that they're happy to reward me for my efforts?"

You'll get much better results than a yowling cat would.

About The Author:
Most new business owners fail because they don't understand the way a business owner needs to think. Set yourself up for success. Get a free report on making the jump from employee to entrepreneur.
http://www.OneStopWebSupport.com/ebooks/E2E.htm

1. Make sure you use your money wisely. Business owners routinely spend money to advertise on web sites that generate a lot of unique hits but did not attract paying customers to their businesses. Track the effectiveness of your ad campaigns, and stop the ads on any site that does not provide quality leads that convert into sales.

2. Avoiding the pop-up ads that are generally not effective. So far these ads makes them turn away and do not attract your prospects. The growing popularity and effectiveness of pop-up utility to make pop-ups that bought a losing proposition.

3. Avoid spamming. If you send unsolicited emails, you can send SPAM, which can ultimately hurt your business. Email marketing is probably the most effective tool in the shed, but must be used correctly. You should generally only market to people who have been included in your letter.

4. Using appropriate copywriter. Web copywriting is not rocket science. A smart, creative young copywriter with fresh ideas can often do jobs of comparable or better than a veteran writer. There is no shortage of young writers who want to build a portfolio of their work. If you work with a copywriter and not getting the results you want, try another writer.

5. Using force in accordance with the substance. Hollywood puts forward the substance of the ads, but internet advertising is an extreme case. Flash animation and other high-tech "glitter" is no substitute to say something significant about your product or service.

6. There was a call to action. For effective advertising, you should tell people what to do. Putting your name in front of your target audience on a regular basis is half the battle, the next step is to let them know what you want them to do. A call to action can be as simple "Click here to learn more," but each ad must have one.

7. Ads fresh and new. The same boring ad does not improve your brand, and may even damage your brand equity. While well-established brand, slogan or logo can be your brand for years, you still need to remain active and continue to include creative variations on the theme.

8. Utilize all online and offline opportunities. Although you do not want to "junk up" on the site or your newsletter with too many ads, you need to strategically place advertisements and promotions in the right place for best results. Too often, the page headers and footers, and other important locations underutilized. Ad your own products, both on-and offline, is very important.

9. Having a friendly appearance. Just like your website must be user friendly, it also should be easy on the eyes. Readers should be able to get the message is clear without being interrupted by blinking ads, text blocks enforce, or another design faux-pas.

10. Perfect placement. If you do not know where your ad will be placed, do not spend a dime on it. When you buy ads on your website or in the newsletter, find out where and when your ad will appear. Make sure your ads appear as it should, appear where you want, and when you are expected to run. Follow-up and tracking is very important for all advertising campaigns.

By considering the above points, you can start to check the current
use and make the appropriate changes.

Coman Goodson is the owner of
marketing.com” title=”http://www.balinetmarketing.com”>http://www.balinetmarketing.com which provides Free internet marketing reports, news, and tips. Click here to read latest advice on
marketing.com/advertising-internet-marketing-online” title=”advertising internet marketing online”>Advertising Internet Marketing Online.

Truth is, your PR budget can deliver results far beyond such limited publicity placements.

For example by embracing the kind of PR plan that persuades those important outside audiences to your way of thinking, and moving them to take actions that help your department, division or subsidiary succeed.

Then by using the high-impact, fundamental premise of public relations to deliver external stakeholder behavior change the kind that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives.

And finally by revving up the creative potential of your assigned PR team or agency and involving them in a way that positively impacts the behaviors of the very outside audiences that MOST affect your unit.

Perhaps then you will find yourself with a basketful of results such as prospects starting to do business with you; community leaders beginning to seek you out; newly arrived proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; customers starting to make repeat purchases; membership applications on the rise; politicians and legislators beginning to think of you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities; welcome bounces in show room visits; and even capital givers or specifying sources starting to look your way.

Spend a moment here and read that fundamental public relations blueprint referred to above: People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

This lets you broaden your public relations field of fire, putting its primary focus where it belongs, on your units key external stakeholder behaviors.

A caveat here: be sure that the public relations personnel assigned to your unit really believe deep down — why its SO important to know how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Be certain they accept the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.

Review with them your blueprint for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions like these: How much do you know about our services or products and employees? How much do you know about our chief executive? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

When you think of it, youre fortunate that your PR folks already are in the perception and behavior business so they can jump right on the perception monitoring assignment. If your budget can handle it, you can always use a professional survey firm, but they can be very expensive. Nevertheless, whether its your people or a survey firm asking the questions, your objective is to identify untruths if not outright lies, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, and misconceptions .

Now you must carefully select which of the above aberrations qualifies as your corrective public relations goal for example, clarify the misconception, spike that rumor, correct the false assumption or fix certain other inaccuracies.

Now, if you pick the wrong strategy to show you how to reach your goal, it will feel like youre eating Roast Turkey without the stuffing. Fact is, you can only achieve your PR goal by picking the right strategy from the three choices available to you, change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. And take care that your new strategy is a natural fit with that new public relations goal.

Sooner or later you will have to address your key stakeholder audience in a way that will help persuade them to your way of thinking. So assign the task to your very best writer because s/he must put together some very special, corrective language. Words, by the way, that are not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if they are to shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the behaviors you have targeted.

Here you take an easy step select the communications tactics needed to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. Checking, of course, that the tactics you select are known to reach folks like your audience members. Dozens are available from speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others.

Because HOW one communicates often affects the believability of the message, you may wish to deliver it in smaller meetings or presentations rather than high-profile media such as a news release..

Questions will arise as to indications of progress. That will be your signal to schedule a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. You will use many of the same questions as in the first benchmark session. But you will now be watching carefully for signs that the offending perception is actually moving in your direction.

A fortunate reality in the public relations business is that these matters usually can be accelerated by adding more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.

Yes, as a manager, it may surprise you that a workable public relations blueprint like this one will help you persuade your most important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to behave in a way that leads to the success of your department, division or subsidiary.

But its no surprise that the people you deal with behave like everyone else they act upon their perceptions of the facts they hear about you and your operation. Leaving you little choice but to deal promptly and effectively with those perceptions by doing what is necessary to reach and move those key external audiences to action.

end

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. Word count is 1110 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly 2004.

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 communi- cations, 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. bobkelly@TNI.net. Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

How? By staying in touch with their most important external audiences and by carefully monitoring their perceptions about the company, audience member feelings about hot topics at issue, and the behaviors that inevitably follow.

Could there be an angle here for your business?

What I mean is, once you interact with, then learn what that key target audience of yours believes about you and your organization, a corrective public relations goal a specific behavior change — can be established.

Which then requires that you identify a strategy. There are just three choices here, create opinion where none exists, change existing opinion, or reinforce it.

Its a logical sequence. With your goal and strategy now set, you need persuasive messages with a good chance of moving perceptions (and thus behaviors) in your organizations direction. But you must make sure the messages talk not only to the current topic at issue, but to any misconceptions or inaccuracies encountered during your information gathering, and to any problems that might be brewing.

What will you do with your new message? You will carry it to the attention of your priority audience. Youll use communications tactics that are credible in the eyes of the receiver, and effective in reaching him or her. Youll also want tactics that stand a good chance of moving opinion in that target audience, on the topic at issue, in your direction.

Fortunately, there are many communications tactics to choose from: newsworthy announcements, letters-to-the-editor, news releases, radio and newspaper interviews, brochures, speeches and on and on.

Now, youre back to the monitoring mode as you interact once again with members of the key target audience. With your communications tactics hammering away, you keep one eye peeled for signs of target audience opinion shifts in your direction. The other eye, (and ears) stay alert for any references by print and broadcast media, or other local thoughtleaders to your carefully prepared message.

The bottom line is, are perceptions and behaviors within the target audience being modified? If not, adjustments to your communications tactics often a big increase in, and wider selection — must be made. Your message may also need to be sharpened and its factual basis strengthened.

Gradually, youll begin to notice changes in opinion starting to appear along with a growing receptiveness to those messages of yours. This is real progress.

Should you still need encouragement to hang in there with your brand new public relations program, consider this. A single issue for example, a potentially dangerous, unattended perception among a key audience — can spread like wildfire nudging any business closer to failure than success.

That statistic alone should make you feel pretty good about public relations.

end

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks about the fundamental premise of public relations. 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. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

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. Net word count is 565 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly 2003.

When thinking of public relations, many things may come to mind, like: Sweaty palms as you pick up the phone to try and convince a reporter how great your business is; getting writers block while trying to write a press release about your company; countless hours of faxing your story to hundreds editors just to find out that your piece did not make it to print.

However, public relations does not have to be such a daunting effort. If done right, public relations can also bring rewarding thoughts to your mind, like: The constant ringing of phones in your office of people interested in your products or services; gaining credibility and becoming a leading expert in your industry; or thousands of people learning about your company in a matter of days without costing you a dime!

This is the type of public relations that every business owner should strive for. First of all, lets analyze the true meaning of public relations. The Webster dictionary defines public relations as "Communication with various sectors of the public to influence their attitudes and opinions in the interest of promoting a person, product, or idea." Sounds easy enough, right? Well, if thats the case then why do so many companies struggle with implementing effective PR campaigns?

Most small business owners think that public relations is too time consuming of an effort. This may be true in cases where small businesses have very limited resources (i.e. staff, budget), but this should not discourage you from doing it. It is just a matter of prioritizing your goals and leveraging the resources that you do have available to take advantage of what is an invaluable marketing tactic. Now that we have established the importance of PR for your business, here are a few tips to get you started in the right direction:

1. Create several creative story pitches. The way to get into the hearts and minds of the media is through a great story pitch. Shamelessly promoting your business or its products is not going to do you much good. Not only that, but editors may classify you as that annoying self-promoter that wont stop pitching their product line, and then refer you to the advertising department. When developing story pitches you should ask yourself the following questions:

What makes this story different from the hundreds of other stories being submitted? Will this benefit readers financially, professionally, emotionally, or even spiritually in any way? Is this really entertaining or fun to read? If the answer to any of these questions is "No", then it is time to adjust your story until the answer is "Yes".

2. Match your target audience with the right media channels. If your companys main customer base is women in their 30s, then you probably dont want to focus on media channels that target a demographic of men in their 50s. Really understanding your target audience will help you in the next step of your PR plan – targeting the right media channels.

Even if you were to get exposure in these "A List" publications, it doesnt necessarily mean that you will get the same results than if you had a write-up in a more targeted publication that focuses specifically on Human Resource issues.

After getting your initial list of potential media targets together, rate each one on how good it fits with your target markets, and go after the ones that fit best first, regardless of the circulation or popularity of the source.

3. Have a spokesperson or PR firm represent your company. So lets assume that you have executed your calling campaign and have sparked interest with an editor or reporter looking to secure an interview with someone at your firm. They contact your office but no one is available to take their call. One thing that journalists and editors lack is patience, and rightfully so – they have deadlines to fulfill! The last thing you want is to be unavailable when an editor or reporter wants more information about your company or products.

4. Take advantage of your opportunities when they present themselves. PR results do not happen overnight. You must be patient and persistent. However, when activity comes up, you must ensure that the company is rewarded for the hard work put in! So do not forget to include your company information including a 1-3 line sentence describing your company, author byline (if applicable), and a URL of your web site. Media professionals will sometimes forget to include this information so it is your job to include it in your press release, articles, or interview. If you have a welcoming relationship with your media contact, see if you can check the article before it goes to print. If you are doing a talk show, make sure they mention your company name and/or web site on the bottom of the television screen.

5. Follow up with your contacts. Now that you have received press, do not forget to thank the reporter or editor who wrote it. Maintaining solid relationships is essential to the success of your PR campaign. Taking a reporter out to lunch or dropping them a kind note every now and then doesnt hurt either.

In sum, PR is a wildcard marketing strategy that can yield tremendous results if implemented correctly. Companies need to have either an in-house or third party person dedicated to PR, at least on a part-time basis. This person needs to be the champion of the company, products or services, in a tireless fashion. Dont forget that your number one goal is to get in front of your target audience. In your next marketing plan review or initial development of one, make sure to give PR serious attention and the resources necessary to implement a long-term PR strategy.

Dali Singh is the Managing Director for Blueliner Marketing, a full-service marketing and communications firm based in New York City. Visit her website at www.bluelinermarketing.com or contact her dali@bluelinermarketing.com.

Especially when managers order a communications tactic here, another there, but fail to base them on a realistic public relations goal and strategy. One that could increase the chances theyll get the results they want.

Why waste resources this way when a little more effort can bring public relations success?

I mean, firing off communications tactics without knowing precisely how that target audience perceives your organization, and who your tactics should be aimed at, then failing to decide what changes in perception, and thus behavior you need and want, is like pouring resources down the you-know-what.

How much better to do it this way.

Whos the real public relations target? Is it not that external audience whose behaviors have the most important impacts on your organization? Shouldnt you eagerly court such people and focus your public relations efforts directly on them because your enterprise may be at stake?

Of course.

One way to approach the challenge is to decide up front which groups of people which external audiences really DO affect you the most.

Could it be those residents in a certain geography? Or those folks you know regularly use your services or those of your competitors? Or those who are members of trade unions? Or those between the ages of 21 and 35.

Doesnt really matter which, as long as you have solid reasons for targeting that #1 target audience. Namely, that their behaviors, good or bad, really DO have the most serious impacts on your organization.

What now? Take nothing for granted. Get out there as soon as possible and interact with members of that key audience. Monitor their perceptions by asking questions. What do you think of our organization? How about our products and services or, if you are an association or non-profit, our programs? Do you sense an undercurrent of negativity? Probe deeper to see if some basic misconceptions are at work. Or inaccurate perceptions or damaging rumors that may be at fault.

The answers to such questions should be studied carefully and a public relations goal created that, when achieved, corrects the problem you uncovered. It might be as simple as knocking down that trouble-making rumor once and for all. Or, you may want a goal that clarifies an unfortunate misconception, or an inaccurate belief about your organization. Even a confused feeling about your people will need attention.

Your brand new public relations goal leads directly to your next step a strategy that shows clearly how to reach that goal. Will you attempt to create opinion (perceptions) where none may exist? Or will you strive to change existing opinion? Occasionally, youll even decide to reinforce a slightly positive perception so that it grows to a strongly positive belief about your organization.

Thats right! Theres just three strategic choices create, change or reinforce perceptions. That simplifies things.

Now, with your chosen strategy in hand, what will the corrective message you wish to convey look like? It must be persuasive, and that requires candor, clarity and directness, if there is such a word. Be brief, to the point and, of course, completely straightforward so that further misunderstanding is just not possible.

At last in their proper role, we come to the beasts of burden, the communications tactics that will carry your crystal-clear message to the attention of members of your key target audience.

The list of such tactics is, literally, endless. You could start with letters-to-the-editor, press releases and broadcast interviews, then proceed to making speeches as well as arranging community briefings and open houses. You might even decide to ratchet up the tactics effort with special events, a series of targeted emails or face-to- face meetings with a thoughtleader segment of that key target audience.

Now up to this point, after two or three months of vigorous communications, what do you really know? Not much, until you determine whether youve actually impacted those target audience perceptions.

Sorry, but that means monitoring opinion all over again. So fan out again among key audience members and ask lots of questions one more time.

What are you hearing? Playback or feedback suggesting that a misconception has been clarified? That a damaging inaccuracy no longer dominates? That a rumor has been disarmed?

Remember, your public relations goal implies that perceptions and, thus, behaviors among your #1 external audience must be altered before you can declare victory.

So, when your remonitoring activity clearly reflects perceptual and behavioral movement in your direction, you have achieved your public relations goal.

If remonitoring reflects otherwise, you must consider increasing the mix and frequency of your communications tactics. And your message must be reanalyzed again for believability and impact.

Either way, you are no longer wasting your public relations resources because you have a proper plan with a proper strategy, message and communications tactics.

And that suggests you will not fail because you are no longer shooting from the hip. So last step? Bag the anxiety!

end

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks about the fundamental premise of public relations. 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. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

How? By staying in touch with their most important external audiences and by carefully monitoring their perceptions about the company, audience member feelings about hot topics at issue, and the behaviors that inevitably follow.

Could there be an angle here for your business?

What I mean is, once you interact with, then learn what that key target audience of yours believes about you and your organization, a corrective public relations goal a specific behavior change — can be established.

Which then requires that you identify a strategy. There are just three choices here, create opinion where none exists, change existing opinion, or reinforce it.

Its a logical sequence. With your goal and strategy now set, you need persuasive messages with a good chance of moving perceptions (and thus behaviors) in your organizations direction. But you must make sure the messages talk not only to the current topic at issue, but to any misconceptions or inaccuracies encountered during your information gathering, and to any problems that might be brewing.

What will you do with your new message? You will carry it to the attention of your priority audience. Youll use communications tactics that are credible in the eyes of the receiver, and effective in reaching him or her. Youll also want tactics that stand a good chance of moving opinion in that target audience, on the topic at issue, in your direction.

Fortunately, there are many communications tactics to choose from: newsworthy announcements, letters-to-the-editor, news releases, radio and newspaper interviews, brochures, speeches and on and on.

Now, youre back to the monitoring mode as you interact once again with members of the key target audience. With your communications tactics hammering away, you keep one eye peeled for signs of target audience opinion shifts in your direction. The other eye, (and ears) stay alert for any references by print and broadcast media, or other local thoughtleaders to your carefully prepared message.

The bottom line is, are perceptions and behaviors within the target audience being modified? If not, adjustments to your communications tactics often a big increase in, and wider selection — must be made. Your message may also need to be sharpened and its factual basis strengthened.

Gradually, youll begin to notice changes in opinion starting to appear along with a growing receptiveness to those messages of yours. This is real progress.

Should you still need encouragement to hang in there with your brand new public relations program, consider this. A single issue for example, a potentially dangerous, unattended perception among a key audience — can spread like wildfire nudging any business closer to failure than success.

That statistic alone should make you feel pretty good about public relations.

end

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks about the fundamental premise of public relations. 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. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

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. Net word count is 565 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly 2003.

1) Define who you are wanting to communicate with

2) Define key words those people would most likely use when looking for your information

3) Use those keywords on the title of the page, on the headline and twice in the first paragraph if possible.

4) If the communication is through a web page obtain as many links to that page as you can.

Thomas Rowley is the founder of the Online Marketer Blog