What's the best way to plan your PR content?

The best way to plan PR content is by adopting a strategic approach that aligns with your goals and resonates with your target audience. April this year, I was handling the PR of a certain summit, I began by identifying the key themes and takeaways that would benefit attendees and interest the media. Things like speaker profiles, recognising sponsors etc. I then structured a content plan, including press releases, social media teasers, and blog posts, strategically timed to build anticipation leading up to the event. In all this, acknowledging my stakeholders was key as they drove a lot of influence and traffic to the event. So three things to take away; - Goals - Target audience - Content - Stakeholder engagement.

Strategy is important in making sure that the PR and marketing activities of a company align with organisational goals. With the right strategy, you can set the right target audience, get the right language and tone for the audience and to make sure that measurement and optimisation for future campaigns will be done effectively.

Know your target audience and create messaging that speaks to them. - Consider the experience your PR offers your target audience. - Be consistent in your PR across all touchpoints. - Keep your PR relevant and up-to-date. - Identify what sets your PR apart from competitors and use it to differentiate yourself. - Make sure your PR can adapt and evolve over time. - Purposefully position your PR in the ecosystem to maximize impact. - Remember that getting "freaky" with your PR can be a fun and effective way to make a memorable impact!

In my experience, a content calendar is a great tool to ensure sales, marketing and PR messages are aligned. While there are several software solutions available that can help you build your content calendar, an Excel file or Google Sheet can be just as effective.

I couldn't agree more to this. Based on my experience, a well-structured content calendar is critical. It allows you to not only organize your schedule, but also monitor and analyze the results. Using a basic Excel spreadsheet is a simple way to accomplish this. Furthermore, it’s also equally important to consider developing contingency content strategies. These contingency plans serve as a safety net in the event that unanticipated events force you to reschedule or adjust your material. This ensures that your brand is always up to date and relevant to current events. Preparing for the unexpected is just as important as sticking to your original content calendar.

The meta behind PR says: "If I can't measure it, I don't need it." Measuring PR is more complicated than measuring email open rates or sales. But there are ways. Solution: Follow these 5 KPIs to measure what others see as un-measurable: Sales timeline: If prospects are familiar with your brand, your sales cycle gets shorter. Exchange rates: As more people like and trust your brand, selling your products gets simpler. Organic social mentions: Lean mean brand awareness machine. CTR: If your CTR rises, consumers already recognize your brand and click on your ads. Branded term search volume: the higher the number, the better your results.

Build Your Brand with PR Brand building in a crowded industry requires a strong PR and communications plan. But why? PR generates good press mentions and earned media placements for your business Good PR protects your brand from uncontrolled events PR boosts brand reputation and attracts top talent PR establishes networks by putting your brand in front of critical audiences and creating enduring ties, essential for smooth branding PR positions founders and entrepreneurs as industry thought leaders with unique, original content PR boosts credibility, reach, and competitiveness PR is essential for long-term development and success

Timeline: If your content plan is not taking into consideration a certain timeline, it's as good as nothing. Having a timeline will ensure that you come up with a relevant, executable and effective content plan.