What's the point of a public relations strategies class?

*written for PR 3315: Online & Digital PR

I took PR 3311: Strategies at Texas Tech in the spring of 2014.

It’s been a little over a year, but looking over my notes, briefs, and reports from that class, I was struck by how important that class really was in preparing me to enter the field of public relations.

You may think that public relations is all about spinning stories to make companies or entities look good.  I’m here to tell you that’s just not the case.

-> First of all, just like the majority of other fields and focuses, public relations has many different forms, methods, and kinds of practitioners. 

Don't judge an entire field based on a few bad examples you've seen in movies or on TV. 

-> Secondly, there is generally a surprising level of strategy and planning which goes into public relations, as it has a lot to do with monitoring how people perceive brands and how to improve those perceptions. 

Things often change in an instant without warning, so having a solid crisis plan in place and knowing how to respond is essential.

Whether you’re curious about what one would learn in a public relations strategy class or you simply don’t remember much from when you did take such a class, here’s a refresher on what I think are the most important points.

Five things I learned from my PR Strategies class:

1. Always analyze an issue or crisis in depth before doing anything.  

If you don’t know what you’re dealing with, you can’t respond to situations well. Don’t choose speed over quality.

2. Pay attention to your positioning. 

Know how your organization is unique and don’t lose sight of that while engaging your internal and public audiences.

3. Make use of available tools to make your job easier. 

 For example, it’s practically impossible to catch every mention of your brand or area of focus without help, so set up Google Alerts for whatever you’re monitoring.

4. Listen to other opinions. 

Your audience(s) will have different perspectives than you, so a message crafted just for yourself may not reach very far.

5. Keep your goals and objectives obtainable. 

Impossible dreams will set you up for failure, so figure out where you want to end up and outline simple steps to get there. You’ll be better equipped to see progress and catch issues before they get too big.

A lot went into the public relations strategies class I took, and while I may not remember all of the details or guidelines, I am very glad I took it.

It helped me understand how to analyze organizations and situations, create strategies and work on crisis plans, and to be prepared while knowing that I may never know what’s going to happen next.

I highly recommend a strategy class or webinar to anyone in the public relations field, as well as any communications or business students.

Feeling a little more prepared,

The Purple Writer