• Sample pages
  • Page 1

    Defining Public Relations

    There is often some confusion about what the term public relations actually means. There are also many different definitions. PRSA (the Public Relations Society of America), for example, uses the following definition: “Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other.” Another definition commonly used is: “PR is the means by which your organization becomes known and stays known among your target audiences” (source unknown). Essentially, PR is getting noticed by your key influencers and building relationships with them!

    Although every business is different and their needs can vary when it comes to promoting their organization, the products and/or services the organization offers, or the individuals within the company, this ebook will provide you with a basic foundation for developing a public relations program to help your organization reach its goals. It primarily focuses on the strategies and tactics used for business-to-business versus business-to-consumer organizations as there are different techniques that can be used when promoting products or services to consumers versus other businesses.

  • Page 2

    Public Relations vs. Advertising

    Much of the confusion around PR is understanding how it differs from other forms of marketing, such as advertising. There are numerous differences between these two marketing strategies; including the following:

    1. Cost – The financial investment for PR is significantly less than with advertising where you must pay for the time it takes to create ads, as well as pay for the media outlets to deliver your messages. A full-page color ad in Fortune, for example, is $140,000. That doesn‟t take into consideration the cost of creating the ad. The cost for PR is primarily for the time required to do it.
    2. Control – With ads, the company can control the message. With PR, the media controls the message and the method and timing of the delivery – you never know what will ultimately appear or when it will appear.
    3. Repetition – Ads can be run multiple times. News stories typically run once (unless syndicated).
    4. Credibility – Consumers are skeptical of ads, but tend to take what they hear in the news at face value.
    5. Attractiveness – Ads need to appeal to their target audience. Publicity must have an angle or hook that grabs the editor‟s attention.

    PR is just one strategy in the marketing arsenal, but an important one that can lend significant credibility to an organization. PR should not be used alone, but should be tightly integrated with the rest of the organization‟s marketing program.

  • About the Author

    Karen Higgins founded A & E Communications, Inc. in 2003. As a PR consultant, Karen provides her clients with high quality public relations programs that produce significant return on investment. She works with small and mid-sized companies, helping them to build market awareness and credibility and take their business to the next level.

    Karen has significant experience working in a wide range of industries, with specific expertise in the construction, information technology and life sciences industries.

    Previously, as Vice-President of PR at TMP Worldwide (formerly Stackig Advertising & PR), Karen was responsible for providing strategic counsel, writing and publicity services, and account management for a wide range of organizations.

    Currently, Karen is Immediate Past-President of the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) where she has held numerous board positions and is the recipient of the 2006 President‟s Award, 2009 Board Member of the Year Award and 2010 Special President‟s Award. Karen is Marketing Chair on the United Way Southeastern Pennsylvania‟s Women‟s Initiative Leadership Committee and serves on the board of the TriCounty Community Network.

    A graduate of Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA, she holds a Bachelors of Science degree in business/marketing.

    Connect with Karen:
    Phone: 610-831-5723
    Email: khiggins@aandecomm.com
    Website: www.aandecomm.com
    LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karenhiggins1

$4.95  buy now

Getting Noticed

Posted on October 12, 2012 by SkillBites

For businesses of all sizes and types, a key driver of growth is Getting Noticed by your target audiences and influencing their decisions. With the growth of the Internet and social media, as well as with other delivery channels, there are numerous marketing tactics to help organizations Get Noticed; however, the options are often overwhelming and can be outside the budgets of many organizations. Implementing a cost-effective public relations program can lay a strong foundation to build awareness for an organization. This SkillBite will walk you through some of the PR strategies that can be used to Get Noticed and grow your business. You will learn:

  • To set your goals and develop a PR plan to Get Noticed.
  • To identify your target audience(s) and develop messages to reach those key influencers.
  • Various PR strategies and tactics that can be leveraged to Get Noticed.

“Ms. Higgins has broken through the shrouds of ‘mystery’ surrounding PR by laying out good, step-by-step instructions on how Public Relations can be more accessible for mere mortals. You too, can do it! Using layman’s terms, and including suggestions which any size organization can execute, ‘Getting Noticed’ will allow you to formulate, implement and measure your Public Relations plan. From tips on public speaking to ‘putting on your reporter’s hat’, each section gives some nuggets of wisdom which should allow you to improve your PR approach from ‘haphazard at best’ to ‘planned and successful’.”
– Sandra Clitter
Founder and President of Your Tech Tamer, LLC.

“Sometimes good things come in small packages, and that is certainly the case with the SkillBites publication, ‘Getting Noticed.’ Author Karen Higgins, a respected public relations professional, covers enough content to fill the syllabus of a graduate level course in PR, yet she deftly delivers the salient information in less than 20 pages. It’s an essential briefing document for any business owner who could benefit from positive media attention. And couldn’t we all?”
– Kim Landry
President, Hollister Creative

“Karen Higgins is a consummate PR professional. She eats and breathes Public Relations because it’s her passion, not just her expertise. Committed to the discipline and the practice, she juggles B2B clients, participates in industry associations, and is a leader others look to for media and branding advice. With decades of experience among her accomplishments, it’s inspiring to see that she doesn’t rest on her laurels and the standard way of doing thing…she adapts to trends, learns new techniques, and makes sure that the way she sees public relations is ever-changing. Her authority and insights can help the PR novice as much as the PR veteran.”
– Andrea Frassoni
Marketing Writer & PR Manager Maxwell Systems, Inc.

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