3 Top PR Challenges (And how to Overcome them)

The world of public relations can be confusing at times. For someone that is not familiar with the function of public relations they can sometimes find it impossible to understand how to measure the impact of the campaign. The first step is deciding the goal of the campaign and desired outcome you want your audience to take away. Once that is determined, a PR Professional can assist with creating a strategic plan including specific measurable tactics to achieve the attended benchmarks. If you aren’t able to hire a PR PRO just yet, don’t worry. We have you covered. Here are some of the top 3 challenges of public relations and how to overcome them.

PR’s Biggest Challenges

1. Measuring the ROI of PR campaigns
2. Connecting with relevant media and influencers
3. Listening to online conversations.

For years, in the communications industry, the worlds of public relations and marketing have remained separate. In today’s age the line between the two disciplines are far more blurred and truly work hand and hand. The departments need to and should be merged. Public relations combined with marketing efforts helps overcome the age old question of how do you measure the ROI of a PR campaign. “They are having to work together as, ultimately, what they do drives the same result, whether it be a spike in sales, stock price (in the case of a publicly traded company) or market share. And today it is possible for both parties to directly link their work to it.” Marketing has a history of tracking key metrics in several different ways to show value and impact. The next important step after deciding on your goal is research.

Research is the foundation and cornerstone of all of work in the PR world. This research includes trends, statistics, media outlets and influencers. Research is also how you connect with the correct media outlets and influencers. By doing your due diligence and finding a commonality, you can connect authentically with influencers and media outlets by sharing stories they will find relevant. Journalists and reporters may not open or respond to every email but they will notice and reward those who take the time to do their research.

Listening to online conversations can make or break your campaign – but it can be challenging if you don’t know where to start. Utilizing technology or softwares like Google Alerts, Hootsuite and Tweetdeck are just a few free tools that keep you in the know whenever your client is mentioned. Listening and observing as a thought leader and when to share those thoughts is a key skill of PR success. “Share of voice is one of the metrics that is key to determining the effectiveness of what we do in PR,” agrees Mardiks. “Clients want to drive and lead conversations that are important to their business and brands. It is a key way of determining if we’re being successful.”

There is no doubt that public relations is vital to gain awareness, sales and build trust with your audience. It can be challenging but when you get that big media hit, it makes it all worth it. For more PR and marketing tips join our newsletter by clicking here.