Time for a some PR lessons from this PR enthusiast...
Lesson # 1: You do what you do because you're in it for everything - the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Lesson # 2: Whenever your audience doesn't understand what the company is doing, just KISS - Keep It Simple, Stupid.
Lesson # 3: Always admit your faults when necessary. If you want to stay a member of an organization, be sure you admit when you're wrong (even if you don't think you are).
Lesson # 4: You're married to your organization. Fight for its dignity, be your audience's crying shoulder, and lend an ear and a hand where necessary when in a crisis situation. The worst thing that could happen is you end up in a lengthy divorce lawsuit between your organization and its audience if you don't do the right thing.
Lesson # 5: Remember the 5 W's and H - Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. They're extremely important for you to keep a happy relationship between your organization and its audience.
What are the 5 W's and H in PR news releases? See below.
1. Who gives a crap?
2. What makes my story outshine the other 372 that crossed the desk of the reporter or blogger today? Hint: Pitch purple snowflakes.
3. Where would my story fit in the reporter's world! Hint: Relevance rules.
4. When is this most important? Today, tomorrow, next Tuesday? Hint: Yesterday = snore.
5. Why would anyone sitting in their den in Utah, driving on I-95 in Florida, or bowling next to my dad in New Jersey want to pay attention to this story? Hint: Connect with emotions and the human factor.
6. How can this story help other people? Hint: It's not about buying your book or hiring you to train execs.
(Source: Young, S. (2011, February 9). "Deciding What's News: Six Questions to Determine If Your Story Is Newsworthy." Retrieved from www.getinfrontcommunications.com) (pg. 120 in textbook)
The 5 W's and H are important to public relations practitioners, not only for news releases, but also for how a practitioner should handle his or her practice.
Hope you all enjoyed this post of lessons on PR!
Tune in next time for some more of those nitty gritty details everyone loves in a PR blog!
'Til Next Time,
SAV
