When it comes to a PR strategy, every organization should have one. Even online content creators need it. Kentice Tikolo came in handy to handle the session: Creating an organization’s communication and PR strategy, at the Digital Camp.
Kentice Tikolo is the CEO and Lead consultant at Impact Africa PR. She is an award winning communications professional who is the current chair of the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK). Ms. Tikolo has worked with campaigns like the Beyond Zero and the World Bank.
Ms. Tikolo said that Communications and Public Relations are pretty much the same thing. “They are all communication functions”, she said. “Your communication and PR strategy starts with research”, she highlighted.
She told us never to get into communication and PR without a strategy. “Think through what you want to do and have some order”, she said. She said that PR planning can be done at different levels, nationally, organizationally or even globally. “Most companies have global audiences especially now with social media”, she said.
Ms. Tikolo told us that a PR plan must follow your organizational overall strategy. She said that an organization needs a communication and PR strategy. “Don’t wait for a crisis to happen”, she said. She mentioned the negative perception that people have of PR, hiding the dirt instead of cleaning up. “As a PR and Communications professional it’s not your work to hide the bad and ugly of a company”, she said. “Rather, the company or individual you represent should maintain a good reputation”, she added.
She mentioned that strategies are not static because things change. “Monitor the progress of your PR plan and make changes along the way”, she advised. Ms. Tikolo mentioned however that you cannot measure impact if your plans are short term. “Give your strategies time to develop”, She added.
Ms. Tikolo told us as online content creators to define our strategy for starting a blog. A point that was reiterated during the two days by Manoj, Salim and Mung’ei. “A strategy will not just present itself”, she said. She said that having likes and retweets is not enough. “The important thing is knowing how whatever you do affects the achievement of your goals and objectives”, she concluded.
Connect with her on twitter @ktikolo