Public Relations Foundations

Course details

Public relations (PR) is critical to any business that wants to create media exposure, sway consumer opinion, and maintain a good reputation. However, as technology evolves, communicating with the public has only gotten more complex. Modern PR demands an integrated, multichannel approach. In this course, PR expert Deirdre Breakenridge offers an effective eight-step workflow for today's PR practitioner. Learn how to research your audience, build a PR plan, develop your messaging, and use the right media mix. Next, see how to manage relationships with everyone from reporters to influencers, amplify awareness with the aid of internal champions, and gracefully navigate crises. Finally, explore PR writing and visual storytelling and see how to measure the impact of your PR efforts.

Learning objectives
Explain the value of developing an audience profile.
Describe the SWOT model and how it can be used to identify threats.
Name and summarize the 4Cs of developing effective messaging.
Summarize how thinking like a journalist helps an organization build media relationships.
Examine the importance of developing community before a crisis strikes.
Differentiate between an issue and a crisis.
Cite ways to stop the spread of fake news.
Define “post-mortem” and describe its value for identifying lessons learned after a crisis.

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Building your first PR program

1. From PR to PR Expanded

02 - Starting with your credibility
03 - Using an eight-step PR approach

2. Today's Consumers

04 - Developing audience profiles
05 - Using trusted research with new media
06 - Investigating PR and social media audits
07 - Applying SWOT to move forward

3. The Integrated Approach to PR Planning

08 - Developing your PR plan
09 - Setting attainable goals and objectives
10 - Developing your messaging
11 - Understanding content optimization
12 - Using a media mix to get attention

4. Relationships and Champions

13 - Building media relationships
14 - Igniting employee champions
15 - Using influencer marketing
16 - Developing community before a crisis

5. When Crisis Strikes

17 - Creating your crisis team and playbook
18 - Adding social media in a crisis plan
19 - Comparing an issue versus a crisis
20 - Building a comment response chart
21 - Engaging with media during a crisis

6. PR Writing Today

22 - Uncovering fake news
23 - Learning visual storytelling
24 - PR writing for social media

7. The Value of PR

25 - Tying PR to business goals
26 - Quantifying PR measurement
27 - Reporting to business executives
28 - Documenting lessons learned

Conclusion

29 - Why AI matters to PR
30 - Creating ethical benchmarks in PR
31 - Next steps