By: Bryan Shapiro
Incorporating governmental or public institutions within your PR strategy is an opportunity that can benefit your firm or brand. However, this can become difficult if you’re not aware of what’s going on around you. Rather than worrying about the effects of implementing civic engagement with your strategy, perhaps focus on being more aware of the actions going on in your area and around the world. Having some real-life feel can not only bring relevance to your PR strategy, but can also help you and your audience understand what is going on around them.
Reading or watching the news is one of many ways to keep up with what’s going on around you but getting involved is even better, and can be rewarding as well.
Here are 3 ways that you can include civic engagement in your PR plan:
1. Attend community meetings.
You may be surprised that many actions and decisions are being made for your area on a regular basis, without your knowledge. You can be part of this decision-making process by attending community meetings. Your input may help build your community into a better place.
If you’re not one that normally speaks up, even sitting in the meetings is a way you can incorporate civic engagement. You can learn valuable information that you may not have been aware of simply by sitting in community meetings. Many people do not have the time to attend these meetings, so you can be the messenger of this information and help educate your community.
2. Know your city officials.
Building relationships is another way that you can incorporate civic engagement in your PR plan. We all know that networking is crucial in order to be successful within the field of public relations. Gaining civic engagement by meeting and making a connection with your city officials may be more beneficial to you or your organization than you think.
Now that you attend the community meetings, your face may start becoming more familiar to city officials. This will make it much easier for them to open up to you and start a relationship. Benefits of getting to know your city officials include:
- You can get first-hand information on issues or events going on in your area.
- Share your expertise and knowledge with the community.
- Community involvement will be right at your fingertips.
3. Get involved with a cause.
The last benefit of getting to know your city officials brings us to our last way to bring civic engagement in your PR plan: get involved with a cause. Advocacy is one of many ways to get your voice heard. Get a group to protest an issue, volunteer to speak at a public meeting or even start your own blog on a subject you’re passionate about. These are some ways that you can be heard by your current audience, but you can also gain attention from new audiences that are interested in what you have to say. New audience means new opportunities.
What are ways you believe will help bring civic engagement to your PR plan?