Public Relations Listens

by Jennifer Brough, Public Relations Strategist, The Anderson Group

Email comments to jbrough@theandersongrp.com.

When defining what public relations is, some stumble; and truthfully, it is a rather nebulous pair of words. Especially today. Most simply put, it is reputation and relationship management.

Whatever you do affords you an opportunity to engage in public relations, whether you decide to take advantage or not. Consider each activity you have completed or have planned in any given day. There is potential for each to be the impetus for a bigger conversation with public relations implications:      

Conferring with a client
Demonstrating a social media tool
Pitching an idea to management
Reviewing the latest posts on Facebook

They may seem innocuous and routine; yet, every interaction has potential to drive new content, which is a cornerstone to a successful, ongoing public relations plan:

Conferring with a client » A tweet that expresses how great your client is
Demonstrating a social media tool » A blog post on how this software works, and doesn’t
Pitching an idea to management » A pitch to the media
Reviewing the latest posts on Facebook » A response, share or like

It pays to be open to the conversations that happen around you—by listening. Companies often begin by engaging with their customers through market research, gleaning insights which provide a powerful base and set the stage for marketing efforts. Often, unfortunately, those same companies stop listening to their customers once the research studies have been delivered. Sometimes, they are stymied by who will take ownership of such a task, as these further insights will benefit many departments—marketing, sales and customer service to start. Taking this customer-centric approach, however, has potential to yield great awareness.

Enter public relations, which relies on listening skills to develop a coherent content strategy.

How well do you listen?
You have the power to discern what’s important within an industry, a demographic, a lifestyle movement: Today there are more avenues than ever to hear from multiple channels. A range of people talk about you—your competitors, media, consumers, retailers, other end users, etc. And, a number of touch points may be reached before a brand is aware that a conversation is even taking place.

Example:   

I am ensconced in the car purchasing process. My family and friends know and have provided back issues of Consumer Reports (thanks, Dad!), as well as opinions based on their history of ownership and personal aspirations. I took to Twitter and posted a note to my 830 followers requesting their insights, which yielded a number of direct messages back. I’ve done research on websites and Googled customer reviews of various brands and dealers. All completed prior to my ever stepping foot on a car lot. I am the empowered and educated consumer, who will join conversations before, during and after my first car payment is due. Sometimes what I say will be highly complimentary; and other times, dealer beware!

How, then, do you approach my journey—understanding my needs, wants and expectations? First, by
listening. My plea on Twitter initiated a dialogue with a dealer who was not initially part of my
consideration set. His online demeanor, friendly nature and serious willingness to negotiate made him a strong contender. At the very least, he has extended his stay along my customer journey.

Now what?
Given the number of conversations currently taking place online in particular, the task of monitoring and reacting to each conversation is daunting. Three steps toward easing entry and getting started:

1. Focus. This is different from saying, “start small.” It requires narrowing in on target

    audiences or topics of interest important to your customer.

2. Connect. Finding the right platform for your targeted audience enables even more focus,

    and in some cases, establishes a niche and an online company voice.

3. Listen. Regardless of where you listen, there are tools that aid in creating time efficiencies.

    It’s simply a matter of making the time to engage.

Three Resources to Try Right Now

Coming Up.
After listening, comes content creation, which has become the cornerstone for businesses searching for a meaningful way to tell their story with authenticity and purpose. Your stories illustrate your business objectives, products and points of view. Stay tuned for future TAGlines to explore content development, along with ways for it to stand out in a crowd.