"Publicity is absolutely critical. A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front-page ad."
- Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group

Good PR takes time and effort. Public relations, defined as "the professional maintenance of a favorable public image by a company or other organization or a famous person," is not something that appears out of thin air. Quality publicity is planned, well-thought-out, and strategic in telling the story of a person, place, or thing.

Storytelling

Storytelling is a vital part of public relations, as it allows companies to better connect with their audience and ultimately stimulate the audience's feelings, ideas and attitudes. As one of the most effective ways to communicate, storytelling takes careful planning and strategic execution.

Planning is Key

One of the key phases of public relations is developing a plan, or strategy, for how to manage the public's perception of a person, place, or thing. This phase typically begins with determining a target audience, and is completed by measuring the success of a message or campaign. During the planning phase, it is important to communicate with clients to define the key message that you're aiming to communicate, and to decide whether your goal is to inform and educate, change the public's perception, or persuade people to act. Messages can be misconstrued or lost in translation if communication is not clear and concise, and opportunities can be missed when planning is not strategic.

Pitching Relevant and Timely Information

Equally as necessary as taking time and effort to plan a message or campaign, is the process of executing and disseminating that message. PR professionals strive to provide timely and accurate information based off several factors, including current events and trends. Trends come and go, and current events quickly become over-shadowed by more pressing news stories, which is why pitching quality information and content in a timely manner is crucial. While your client may have a great message or story, if the information is not pitched far enough in advance, it could be unusable. If you've ever pitched an idea or story, and received a response along the lines of, "This is great, but I'm no longer working on this topic. If you had sent this to me three months earlier, this would have been perfect!" then you understand this unfortunate, avoidable mistake. Not only is pitching out relevant and well-timed information essential, it is also important to be respectful of a client's time, as well as the person you're working with to share the message or story.

This loops right back to the importance of planning, as developing a well-thought-out plan will help ensure you're pitching out relevant information far enough in advance.