Hey there,
It’s another week to discuss all things PR and this week, we will be focusing on Public Relations (PR) objectives. How relevant is an objective to a business or a campaign we may ask? Well, PR objectives are like the target, the aim of any plan in achieving set goals. It is the focus of the PR campaign and it helps in giving guidance and direction to the PR plan. In our last post, we mentioned PR goals and how they can be broad and vision-based, however, objectives are like a more refined, narrower version that are based on certain criteria which helps to direct the PR practitioner on what to do and how to measure.
Ever heard about objectives being SMART? It means that the objectives are Specific, Measurable, Achievable/Actionable, Relevant and Time-bound (SMART). What do we mean by these? Let’s piece them one after the other.
Specific: The PR objective has to be precise! You have to properly outline who or what your plan is about and what it is targeted at. It has to contain details about what you hope to achieve using clear, concise words.
Measurable: The objective should be measurable in the sense that you should be able to set metrics on how you hope to measure success after you must have completed the plan. You have to match the objectives to strong KPIs that can show progress towards a target. It could be measured in numbers, percentages etc. it is very important to know what metrics would give your plan or campaign.
Achievable: Is the objective realistic and achievable? That’s one question that is very important to ask. Can this project be done and achieved within the specific time frame? In answering these questions, you are better able to ascertain if your plan is indeed achievable or actionable. If it can be done within the resources that you have.
Relevant: In writing a PR objective, it is imperative that the objective and indeed the entire plan is relevant to the individual or organization that it is being written for, and more importantly that it is relevant to their target audience. This will aid in identifying if it is important to go with the line of thought or not.
Time-bound: In terms of time, it is imperative that the objectives are within a certain time frame. Meaning that you hope to achieve these objectives within a particular time frame, this will aid in planning and in directing the strategic process. It helps to know when the objectives can be measured for success and what the success time frame looks like.
By explaining what SMART objectives are, we have also briefly explained how they can benefit a company. SMART objectives can help a business reach a wider audience, gain more affinity and establish brand presence which will in turn lead to increased brand equity.
I hope you enjoyed reading up to this point, thank you! Join me bi-weekly in my journey into the PR world where I discuss challenges, tips, pointers, and wins in the PR career space. See you soon!
Warm regards,
The PR Chic
