What is a PR plan and how do I set one up?

Best wishes for a wonderful 2024! 

In this newsletter, we share about what is a PR plan, the challenges in not having a plan before executing on a campaign or project, and what the landscape looks like when deciding to put a plan together.  

There is an explanation on how having a structured plan can empower your PR success, and 7 areas to include as you build your PR plan. 

Who am I? I provide communications and PR solutions for organisations and practitioners through community, training and consultancy. With over 20+ years in the industry, I have created frameworks, methods and content that enable you and your team to deliver growth outcomes for your organisation, brand or team. 

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Imagine standing at the helm of a ship, the vast ocean stretching out before you. The destination is clear, but the path to get there is not. This is the challenge faced by communicators and project managers tasked with delivering PR outcomes. They have a clear goal, but the journey to reach it can be fraught with uncertainty. This is where a PR plan comes into play. 

A PR plan is the compass that guides the ship. It is a strategic document that outlines the objectives, strategies, and tactics of a PR campaign. It provides a roadmap for the team, ensuring that everyone is moving in the same direction. But why is it such a challenge to put together a PR plan? And what are the common considerations that a communicator must take into account? 

Navigating the PR Planning landscape

Embarking on the PR planning journey is not a simple expedition. 

It’s not a simple stroll in the park, but a voyage that requires a deep understanding of the landscape, the destination, and the best routes to get there. 

Just as a traveller needs to understand their destination and the terrain they will cross, a communicator needs to have a clear understanding of their audience. They need to know who they are, what they care about, and how they consume information. This understanding forms the basis of the message that the PR plan will deliver. 

The message is the heart of the PR plan. It’s the reason for the journey. Just as a traveller chooses a destination that has meaning and value to them, a communicator crafts a message that will resonate with the audience and drive them to action. 

Choosing the best channels to deliver the message is like choosing the best route for the journey. It requires a keen eye for detail and an understanding of the terrain. Just as a traveller might choose a scenic route for its beauty or a direct route for its speed, a communicator chooses channels that will most effectively and efficiently deliver the message to the audience. 

Anticipating potential challenges is a crucial part of any journey. Just as a traveller might prepare for unexpected weather or road conditions, a communicator must anticipate potential obstacles that could sabotage the plan. 

But a PR plan, like a travel itinerary, is not set in stone. It must be dynamic and be adjusted and adapted as circumstances change. Just as a traveller might alter their route in response to new discoveries or unexpected experiences, a communicator must be ready to adjust the PR plan in response to changing circumstances. This flexibility is key to navigating the PR planning journey successfully. 

Unlocking PR success: A practical approach to planning

Consider a scenario where every PR campaign is a well-executed strategy. The messages, designed with precision and insight, reach the right audience at the most opportune time, generating a wave of positive sentiment. The team, functioning like a well-coordinated unit, works in harmony, each member understanding their role and its contribution to the overall goal. This is the achievable reality, the practical approach to PR success that a well-deployed PR plan can help realise. It’s a future where every campaign is a testament to effective planning, every message a clear signal, and every team a model of efficient collaboration. 

Laying the groundwork: The initial stage of PR Planning

How do you lay the groundwork for a successful PR plan? 

The initial stage is all about establishing your foundation - defining your objectives. 

What do you hope to build with your PR campaign? 

Your objectives could range from increasing brand awareness, launching a new product, or managing a crisis. 

Be as specific as possible. 

For example, instead of saying “increase brand awareness,” your objective could be “increase brand awareness among (insert a specific target audience group) in a (insert geographic or interest area). 

Once you have a solid foundation, you can start to construct the framework, that is, developing strategies to achieve your objectives. 

Sidebar: Planning as empowerment

Planning is more than a logistical step; it’s a form of empowerment. It provides a sense of control, a certainty that can quell the storm of anxiety. This control stems from the knowledge that you have a clear path mapped out, a path that you have chosen and can adjust as needed. It’s the difference between being at the mercy of the wind and being the one who sets the sails. 

When we have a plan, we’re not just reacting to events; we’re proactively shaping them. Instead of being tossed about by the waves of circumstance, we become the captains of our own ship. We decide where to go, how to get there, and what course corrections are needed along the way. This proactive approach boosts our confidence and capability, making us feel ready to tackle any challenge. 

That’s why planning is such an essential precursor to executing any PR campaign. It’s not just about having a roadmap, although that is certainly important. It’s also about the psychological edge that comes from knowing you have that roadmap. It’s about the boost in confidence that comes from knowing you’re prepared. It’s about the sense of capability that comes from knowing you have the tools and strategies needed to navigate whatever comes your way. 

In essence, planning gives us more than just a strategic advantage; it gives us a psychological one. It equips us not just with a plan, but with the mindset needed to execute that plan effectively. So, as you embark on your next PR campaign, remember the power of planning. It could be the key to your success. 

Seven essential areas to shape your PR Plan

Putting together the objectives for your PR plan is only step one. Here are the next 7 areas to understand, when building a PR plan.

With objectives in place, the next step is to develop your strategies and tactics. Tactics are the specific actions you will take to implement your strategies. They are the nuts and bolts of your PR plan, the concrete steps that will bring your strategies to life. 

Identify your audience: Once you have your objectives, identify who you need to reach to achieve these objectives. This is your target audience. Understanding your audience’s demographics, psychographics, and media consumption habits will help you craft a message that resonates with them and choose the right channels to reach them. 

Craft your message: Now that you know your objectives and your audience, you can start crafting your message. Your message should be clear, concise, and compelling. It should speak directly to your audience and align with your objectives. 

Choose your channels: Where does your audience spend their time? Which media outlets do they trust? The answers to these questions will help you choose the right channels to deliver your message. This could include traditional media, social media, events, and more. 

Develop your strategies: With your objectives, audience, message, and channels defined, you can now develop strategies to reach your goal. Your strategies should outline how you will use your chosen channels to deliver your message to your audience in a way that will achieve your objectives. 

Plan your tactics: Tactics are the specific actions you will take to implement your strategies. For instance, if one of your strategies is to use social media to improve customer engagement, a tactic could be to host a weekly ‘Any me anything’ on your organisation’s Instagram or YouTube account. This would provide a platform for your customers to ask questions, give feedback, and interact directly with your brand, thereby increasing engagement. 

Timeline management: When will each action take place? Creating a timeline helps ensure that your tactics are implemented in a logical and effective sequence. 

Evaluation and adjustment: How will you measure the success of your tactics and adjust them if necessary? This could involve tracking media coverage, social media engagement, event attendance, and other key metrics.

Remember, the key to effective tactics is flexibility. Be prepared to adjust your tactics as needed based on feedback, results, and changing circumstances. This will help ensure that your PR plan remains effective and relevant.

Here are 4 ways I support brands and communicators:

1. Community: We support marketing specialists and communicators through RYOM as well as aspiring PR agency creators with how-to and done-for-you tools, resources, workshops, and training.
2. Business matching: We match brands and agencies/contractors by acting as a middleman based on specific PR and marketing needs and outcomes.
3. Training and workshops: We train communicators using a hybrid system of in-person training and a cloud-based learning management system. Our proprietary content, and tools help communicators level up both hard and soft skill sets and competencies.
4. Consultancy and enablement: My team supports brands, consultancies and agencies with a plug-and-play strategy and execution solution. 

Set up a meeting with us if you are looking for to deliver growth outcomes for your organisation, brand, or team. 

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