Drew Schadegg, a public relations specialist at Thomas Ciesielka Public Relations, is an avid fisherman. By avid, I don't mean a "drop a bobber in the water once or twice a year" kind of fisherman, I mean he REALLY likes to fish. He has thousands of dollars worth of fishing rods and reels, lures and equipment. Before a trip to the lake, he meticulously prepares his tackle, taking each reel apart and cleaning it, putting on new fishing line and marking out his strategy on a lake map. He even spends time practicing his casts in the backyard! But does all this preparation pay off? Absolutely! He consistently catches tons of fish (and he would be glad to show them to you on his camera phone).

Similarly, to "catch" the media's attention, you must prepare a plan and have a strategy. You need to put time and energy into the key elements that will make your company stand out to a journalist who gets hundreds of pitches a day.
Have you started working on a public relations plan for your company?

Breaking news is great. If there is a major disaster, it gets terrific coverage without much effort. If a musical group sets a record for CD sales that beats Elvis, the news media can't wait to report it. However, a long-term plan is required for authors who are dealing with image management and book announcements, or for a new author who wants to make a grand entrance.
While how to draft a public relations plan is better left to a good book on the topic, here are a few ideas that are important to keep in mind when you are preparing your next public relations campaign:

• Think months in advance: Monthly magazines often have a deadline of at least three months prior to publication date. Therefore, if you add at least another month to draft a public relations plan, you will need to begin the process at least four months prior to the date the company will open or the product will be available for sale.
  
  
• PR support materials: Major public relations plans require media-friendly product descriptions, biographies of key personnel, photos of people and products, development of a Web-based press kit, and so on. Collecting, producing, and writing all this information takes time. It's important that you start creating your support materials shortly after the plan is created.
  
  
• Unified message: Many companies face the challenge of getting their marketing people in agreement with their salespeople. Often upper management needs to help the sales and marketing departments see the major objectives for the business to move forward. Now add in the public relations function. What is stated in the public relations information must match product specifications, delivery dates, and other information. Other-wise the public relations person may tell the reporter that a story can run on Oct. 1 to tie in with the product release. However, the public relations person may not know that the release date will be delayed for three months. You can imagine what the negative impact could be for the company.
  

Any good PR plan is going to take time, planning and strategy. If you keep these three tips in mind, your next PR campaign is sure to be your best.