PrintTo determine the types of public relations programs that are right for your business, there are several considerations to keep in mind.
Your company’s goals and budget will determine which public relations programs most suited to your company. Do your homework first:
- Evaluate your business goals: Are you a local, regional, national, or international business?
- Determine a timetable: How fast do you need to build awareness?
- Make a budget that's in line with your working capital and your goals.
- Create an action plan of programs and personnel to reach your goals — whether in-house or outsourced.
Then take a look at what your industry is doing and see what works for your competitors. Look to other industries for some innovative schemes.
To build national recognition on a shoestring budget, invest in some of the excellent books on guerrilla marketing. These books give you many ways to promote your company without paying a fortune. Keep your PR function in-house and even do it yourself. Media types love entrepreneurs' energy and enthusiasm for a new business. Learn how to write effective press releases. Create reportable events and excitement about your business so that the press wants to give you publicity.
If you have national ambitions and sufficient capital to fund a powerful PR campaign, hire the experts. This is what they do for a living, so they are focused, knowledgeable, and results-driven. On the other hand, your business presents you with constant challenges — product development, building a work force, securing funding for expansion, etc. Without a dedicated team of experts, public relations are often left out, mismanaged, or forgotten.