1. Week 4: External public relations
    1. Corporate communication and messages
      1. Messages are instruments of or complements to action.
      2. One key to clear messages is clear thinking.
      3. Corporate communication is based on the strategic message
        1. The strategic message is an idea that is communicated in depth to achieve coordinated action leading to economic transactions.
        2. Pulls together all disciplines in an organization.
        3. Strategic messages do not have fixed meanings. Strict construction versus flexible intent.
        4. The strategic message is more a synthesis of a business environment than a concept imposed on it.
      4. Credibility and the strategic message
        1. No matter how one crafts a strategic message, a manager must have credibility with subordinates, customers and others to effect it.
        2. To be credible, a strategic message also has to fit the personalities of the sender and receiver.
    2. Basic tools and techniques
      1. Locating target audience
        1. Usenet news groups and Internet mailing lists
        2. Newsletters and e-zines
        3. Link/Supersites
        4. Commercial service forums: AOL, CompuServe, Prodigy
        5. Avoid inappropriate messages
      2. Gather information and feedback
        1. Competitive intelligence
        2. Rumor tracking
        3. Net sweeping
      3. Familiarize yourself with the territory
        1. Start by lurking and listening
          1. Commercial forums: more welcoming
          2. Usenet forums: More provincial and hostile
      4. Prepare materials for online delivery
        1. Use a multilevel approach
          1. Keep it short: Give an invitation to receive a news release.
          2. Layers
            1. Layer 1: The invitation
            2. Layer 2: All data upon request.
        2. Keep documents readable, even when not formatted
        3. Streamline the approval pipeline
      5. Publicity vehicles:
        1. News release
        2. Announcement
        3. The link
        4. The newsletter
        5. The library
        6. The public appearance:
        7. The Promotion
        8. The Event: A major online happening. Concerts online, candidate debates, Web site grand openings, etc.
      6. E-mail and communicating to journalists.
        1. Send unsolicited e-mail but don't spam. Spam is indiscriminate distribution of messages, without consideration of their appropriateness.
        2. Why e-mail releases work. E-mail is:
          1. personal
          2. instantaneous
          3. easy to answer
          4. effective if you use it well.
        3. Appropriate audience: Target audiences carefully
        4. Keep e-mail short. A paragraph is enough. One screenful at most. Paragraph one = the hook. Paragraph two = the pitch. Paragraph three = contact information.
        5. Give them a story: A good lead tied to news coverage
        6. Entice a reply: Get the journalist to request further information, then send the press kit.
        7. The subject line: Should grab attention and get person to open e-mail.
      7. Using the Usenet
        1. An extension of e-mail.
        2. Lurk first.
        3. Know when to post a follow-up versus e-mailing a reply.
        4. Cancel mistakes.
        5. Use an effective subject line.
        6. Start a new subject if appropriate.
        7. Watch subject headings.
        8. Be relevant.
        9. Avoid cross-posting/spamming.
        10. Beware of sensitive subjects.
        11. Write professionally.
        12. Keep it short.
        13. Stay humble.
        14. Control the  topic.
        15. Use a signature file.
        16. Contribute where your organization can look good.
        17. Avoid blatant plugs.
        18. Don't use the Usenet to distribute press releases.
        19. Have patience.
        20. Four factors for Usenet success.
          1. Credibility.
          2. Confidence.
          3. Professionalism.
          4. Reasoning.
      8. Announcements
        1. A way to reach the public through discussion groups.
        2. The goal: Reach your target audience in appropriate discussion groups and where your message is welcomed.
        3. Spammers v. flamers = indiscriminate message posting  versus people who object to your message and tell you.
          1. Acceptable use policies
            1. Moderated discussion groups: Terms of service you accepted when joining the service and group control exercised by forum administrators or sysops.
            2. Unmoderated: Wide-open forums. Guidelines but no rules.
        4. Writing announcements:
          1. Header identifies sender of the message.
          2. Subject line: Tells people what the message is about. The best ones are irresistible. Keep them shorter than 55 characters to avoid truncation.
          3. Body of the message:
            1. Give away something of value.
            2. Keep it short.
            3. Be creative.
            4. Signature: Your letterhead: Name address, phone numbers, URL, etc.
        5. Usenet Newsgroups: There are tens of thousands.
          1. Finding appropriate groups: Use Sunsite.unc.edu. Read the newsgroup and apply common sense.
          2. Posting to the Usenet: Cross-post carefully.  No more than five groups at a time, and usually less.
        6. Following up on the Usenet. If postings don't appear within a day or two they may have been cancelled by a vigilante or lost due to technical problems. You may have to re-post.
        7. Review: 
          1. Don't spam.
          2. Follow standards.
          3. Know your hosts.
          4. Provide value.
          5. Use a good subject line.
          6. One screenful, no more.
          7. Participate.
          8. Stay cool.
    3. Exercise: Deliver and discuss announcement about your organization's main product or service.
    4. Assignment for next week: External public relations, Part II
      1. Readings:
        1. Chapters 8 and 9 of Publicity on the Internet
        2. Chapters 9, 10 and 11 of Public Relations on the Net
      2. Exercise: Working as a team, expand an announcement into a full-blown online PR plan and present it in class. Present:
        1. Press release copy
        2. Announcements
        3. Posting messages
        4. E-mail messages
        5. Newsgroups
        6. Media targets/journalists
        7. Web sites
        8. Commercial sites: AOL groups

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