Are you engaging employees in your PR plans? Today’s tips from Kelly Misevich, PR pro turned employee/executive communications specialist, show how integrating PR and internal communications can impact your company’s bottom line:
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Post by: @KellyMisevich
It has been a few years since I hung up my hat as a PR practitioner. I remember fondly the days of coming up with PR plans and (not so fondly) pitching to reporters. It was only when I transitioned in my career toward a focus on internal and executive communications that I came to fully appreciate that the central pieces of any PR strategy are the people within our companies. Together, employees and the communications they receive make up a vital part of any plan to market a new product, service or initiative.
Here are some easy tips on how you can engage your organization with a PR plan:
- Create your own in-house digital brand ambassadors by providing people within the organization with easy content they can share via social media.
- Host an internal launch event that introduces what you are looking to pitch externally.
- Leverage existing internal communications, including your company intranet, newsletters or executive communications to share talking points, press releases and other relevant content.
- Make sure employees know how to handle media inquiries, what they should do when someone from the local media reaches out to them and whom they should notify on the PR team.
- Follow up and share any media hits via internal communications and be sure to spotlight any employees who supported your PR efforts.
Sharing your PR plan internally is not only a great way to enhance your efforts to mobilize the company around your strategy; getting employees involved also helps to foster employee engagement internally, which is integral to driving growth for the organization. Developing strong partnerships between PR and internal communications optimizes the efforts of both teams and greatly benefits the company’s bottom line.
Kelly Misevich is the Northeast Editor and Communications Specialist at EY, a leading professional services firm, where she develops employee and executive communications strategies. Kelly’s previous experience includes PR and brand/reputation management for American Express and Coca-Cola. Connect with her on Twitter @KellyMisevich or check out her website at KellyMisevich.com.
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