A Few tips...

What are the best practices in public relations? After a semester of learning about blogs and other upcoming social media trends, there is a lot to reflect on. Of course those who have been in the PR business for many years have many tips for young graduates. Here are a few tips that I feel might be helpful.

1)Research- Research pretty much sums up an intern’s job! Research is one of the most important elements in public relations. Although meticulous, research unveils key aspects about a client such as its’ relationship with the public and media and position in the marketplace.

2)Knowledge of business skills-
It is greatly beneficial to know basic business skills in the PR industry. Dan Wool comments, “If you don’t know how business works, and especially, how it makes money, you cannot success in PR”(Valley PR blog). How can you help your client if you don’t understand how their company operates?
http://valleyprblog.wordpress.com/2007/03/25/8-essential-skills-for-pr-pros/
For example, the term rate of investment or ROI, is an important concept to understand. In the corporate world companies measure the success of investments based on ROI, the ratio of money gained or lost in an investment. If a company seeks the help of a public relations firm corporate executives will most likely evaluate you and your services based on the ROI.

3)Be in the know-
I can't tell you how many PR professionals have expressed the importance of reading the newspaper. When PR legend Harold Burson spoke at SMU he repeatedly advised us to read the newspaper daily. PR professionals must always be up to date on what is going on, especially if you are involved in issues management. It would be beyond embarrassment if you had to represent a company such as Diamond Pet Foods and had no idea their product was recalled.

4)Monitor your own performance-
Besides counting how many media clips you have, it may be helpful to evaluate your own performance. Meadiatrust.org suggests developing a score system to rank the quality of media coverage and to examine how well key messages were conveyed to target audiences.
http://www.mediatrust.org/training-events/training-resources/online-guides-1/guide_top-pr-tips

5)Build a solid relationship with the media-
A solid relationship with the media is key to running successful PR campaigns. If a favorable relationship is established then there is a greater possibility that your pitch might be chosen over hundreds of others. Bytestart.co.uk highlights the importance of a relationship with the media because if you consistently provide well-written stories, then it is likely that the journalist will come back to you again and again.
http://www.bytestart.co.uk/content/marketing/articles/diy-pr-tips.shtml