Anyone can "report" news - but real PR can inspire people to move mountains - so how is that done?

When it comes to PR there is lazy PR and then there is first-class PR. The different entities which engage in careless PR contribute to the term’s reputation for being ineffective or solely about writing press releases. This is passive PR because it lacks focus and direction and is simply reporting data plus it is something that can be accomplished by anyone. The strategy or lack thereof does not begin with the end in mind and instead is simply just ‘there’ for no real apparent reason. This type of PR does not take on true responsibility for the goals and objectives of the client. It is a no wonder that people are not sure why they should use PR and whether it is worth the investment in terms of time and money.

Despite people’s preconceived notions about PR, your business can flourish beyond your wildest dreams when you use a PR company or professional that takes initiative. Taking initiative means identifying certain aspects of your company that can create whole new and profitable avenues to an overall PR campaign.

Company Assessment

PR is highly effective when it is done correctly. A great PR professional will take the interests of your company to heart and find out what the founding principles are and what the mission statement is all about. They will also review everything that is being portrayed in writing, everything that is said and done, and every action of the company. They will also take the time to get to know who your market is and what they are searching for.

Once the PR professional has gathered the data they need their responsibility is to make sure that the company’s goals, actions, and policies are communicated to all of your different target markets. They will also consult with the key people in your company on the best way to implement specific PR approaches which will fit into the scope of the entire PR strategy that the PR professional designs.

The Art of Internal PR

When the PR professional assesses the needs of your company, a hidden source of PR lies within the company staff. Regardless if you have a large or small company, the staff can provide you with a powerful PR vehicle especially with new forms of communications where word can travel at the speed of light. This is how it works.

You have the upper echelon of the company which is the decision makers and then you have the middle echelon and the lower echelon that are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company. This can create a gap in communication for plans and goals that need to be accomplished. If things are not done correctly from the top down it can cost the company a significant amount of money as well as abominable PR.

On the other hand, the middle and lower echelon of the company can be an important PR vehicle if they are proud of the company they work for. If communications are strong from the top down, the employees of the company will be proud of where they work and they will tell everyone else. Your company could have an excellent PR strategy but if there is dissention among the troops with the middle and lower echelon or even the top for that matter, people will either bad mouth your company or be not as willing to share their work experience with others.

If you acquire great PR publicity it provides the employees with the perfect outside source to measure the credibility of the company and then they become your best ambassadors. In addition to this, the staff can be your leading ambassadors by spreading the word at lightning speed through the use of the Internet, social media, and mobile communications. This is a far cry from the older days where they cut out the newspaper clipping and put it in snail mail to forward to their relatives and friends.

Your most desirable PRs are PRs that can work at lightning speed despite the fact that people still do read hard-copy newspapers in addition to the online version. But with social media, news can break within seconds online and if your employees are proud of the company this can be a very powerful avenue for good PR.

These are only a few ways your company can flourish when a PR professional takes true responsibility for your PR campaign. Choose a distinguished PR company and you will find many more secrets that they have up their sleeve for making your company grow beyond your expectations.

About: Karla Jo Helms

CEO, JoTo Extreme PR(TM)

After managing Public Relations for an Inc 500 company for several years Karla Jo Helms was ready to launch out onto her own and bring her unique take on PR to businesses both large and small. "PR is a powerful tool that can garner wide acceptance and delve into arenas that marketing cannot touch," says Karla Jo, PR Strategist and CEO of JoTo Extreme PR(TM). Helms got her start creating and implementing PR Strategies for entrepreneurs and developed a keen eye for how to hone in on the best use of PR to increase the Return on Investment of one’s marketing dollars.