The PR plan is the foundation to any public relations campaign. It outlines, over a certain time frame, what the agency intends to do for the client. It ensures that client is clear on what is being promised and the PR agency can use the plan to hold itself accountable and stay on track. Oftentimes, however, PR pros get caught up in the to-do list and focus the PR plan too much on tactics, and not enough on the bigger picture – how PR can help a company or brand reach its objectives and goals. As David Davidoff mentioned on Spin Sucks, PR needs to focus on results not process, and I couldn’t agree more. Below are a few steps every PR pro should think about while drafting a PR plan:

1. What are the company’s objectives? Before you can begin to put a PR plan together, think about what the company’s goals and objectives are and include these in your PR plan. A goal, by definition, is a broad plan with a generic action. An objective is a narrow plan with a specific, measurable action. Does the client want to increase sales by 10%? Increase traffic to the website? Get more brand awareness in a certain demographic? Before you can start pitching and discussing initiatives, you have to figure out how you can help the bottom line. It may not necessarily mean that PR alone will increase sales by a certain percentage, but it can certainly help.

2. Who is the audience? This is another important thing to consider before putting pen to paper on a PR plan. Is the client trying to reach the Hispanic community, for example? If a client only wants to reach a niche audience with a specific interest, say boat owners in San Diego for example, it may be more effective to target specific blogs that cater to this niche audience rather than the New York Times.

3. Now that you know the objectives and audience, what is your strategy? This is the plan or method to achieve your goal. Perhaps if your goal for a client is the build awareness and drive traffic to a new restaurant, your strategy is to target local and regional media and blogs to build buzz around the launch. This will help guide the rest of your plan.

4. What are the tactics that support your strategy? This is when you can finally break down your plan month by month with the specific actions you will use to fulfill the strategy. You can get into the nitty gritty of the plan, like which publications you will contact when and with what story.

If you follow these steps you will have a more well-rounded PR plan that is focused on RESULTS not tactics. If you do not know the answer to the questions above, it is a good idea to meet with the client and ask. Not only will the client be clear that you understand their situation and needs, but the PR agency and client will be working together towards the same goals and hopefully the client will get the results they are looking for.