PROGRAM DETAILS

Introduction:

To be successful in business, whether that be in the public, private or the third sector, requires people to be highly effective communicators and strategists in matters concerned with ‘Public Relations’.  In addition, the skills and knowledge required when leading a well-focussed Social Media Communications plan is paramount to success.

Given the rapidly developing scope and potential of digital communications, it is almost unthinkable that any organization in today’s fast moving digital world can operate effectively without a personalized social media campaign. Corporate Public Relations, coupled with an integrated Social Media Communications Strategy are at the very core of successful business performance.

New technologies, methods, tools and channels have greatly increased the speed in which communications can be experienced, from local to global and it with that in mind, this 10-day Masterclass has been developed.

This masterclass will help those who wish to exploit opportunities in opening up to diverse audiences by initiating exchanges which will increase client engagement and understanding of your products and services. If your organization has identified the need to create a Social Media Communication Strategy that defines the key objectives for each of its social media platforms then this masterclass is for you.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this 10-day masterclass, participants will be able to:

• Set Corporate Affairs in its strategic pre-emptive and successful context
• Develop an understanding of stakeholder programmes for regular, focused communication activities
• Examine the development of Corporate Affairs tools, models and techniques
• Understand how to develop and coordinate strategy, plans and tactics
• Evaluate the use of research.
• Clarify and decide your social media goals
• Determine how best to create a social media vision, mission and strategy

• Establish the most effective way in which to distribute appropriate social media content to the correct audiences

• Direct social traffic to their organization’s website

• Integrate social media channels into their organization’s marketing campaigns
• Encourage ‘followers’ to act as advocates for their organization

Target Audience:

This masterclass will be of particular benefit to those who are currently working in the public relations or marketing function of the organization. Individuals who feel the need to refresh their skills, knowledge and approach in executing positive marketing or PR initiatives will also gain great benefit.  This may include, but is not limited to the following:

• Newly promoted members to the PR/Marketing team.
• Line Managers seeking to develop their public relations skills.
• Leaders interested in evaluating their current skill set.
• Public Relations professionals.
• Other key personnel in the organisation whose work involves contact and interaction with both internal and external communities.
• Multi-disciplined professionals who wish to learn how to use communication more effectively – possibly in the areas of personnel, marketing, sales, training and administration.

Training Methodology:

This practical and results-oriented program incorporates short inspiring facilitated discussions with structured lessons from the learning manual.  There is a captivating PowerPoint slide presentation with stories to enhance learning, a variety of pertinent video sequences, ongoing learning reinforcement and discussions with action planning. Ample time will be given for questions and answers.

Program Content:

Day 1:            Power of Communication

• Welcome and Introductions
• Programme overview, design and options
• Opening Exercise: goal setting
• The Big Picture: overview and PR strategy
• When Public Relations should be used
• Corporate Identity and Image: establishing a positive image and identity
• Becoming a Neighbour of Choice: external reputation management
• Leaders’ Role in Managing Communications

Day 2:            Understanding Organisation

• The expectations of employees and employers
• Understanding audiences
• Plotting the stakeholder communication journey
• Getting the message out to audiences
• Storytelling
• Empowering employees through social media
• Steps for creating clear content that has impact
• Developing trust and credibility with senior leaders

Day 3:            Corporate Communications

• Media Relations best practices
• Effective event management
• Developing a crisis management toolkit
• Hosting VIP visits
• Protocol in practice
• Financial PR activities and roles
• Multinational and global communication challenges

Day 4:            Risks and Threats

• Planning for the unexpected
• Using communication activities to manage risk to reputation
• Repairing a damaged reputation
• Identifying opinion formers and influencers
• Engaging with key decision makers
• Principles for building sustainable relationships with decision makers and influencers
• VIP and political contact programmes
• Monitoring political activities

Day 5:            Powerful and Persuasive Planning

• 10 stages of PR planning
• Using market research to plan PR activities
• Developing measurable objectives for activities
• Identifying core messages
• Developing practical communication toolkits
• Creating a schedule of PR activities
• Measuring outputs, outcomes and value

Day 6:            Social Media – Mission and Strategy

• Designing and creating your organization’s social media’s mission
• Ensuring your social media content is supported by clear strategic messages and core values and stays relevant and of a high quality
• Increasing awareness of your organization’s key strategic messages
• Cultivating partnerships to increase your online following

 Day 7:            Deciding Your Key Messages for Each Platform

• Looking at current popular social media platforms and deciding objectives for each
• Strategies for developing followers
• Deciding the number and frequency of ‘posts’
• Ensuring content is appropriate and offering something that followers can respond to or interact with:
• Increasing the number followers and levels of engagement

 Day 8:            Aligning Your Organization with Social Media Messages 

• Raising the profile of social media activities through the integration of online and offline marketing campaigns
• Develop a small number of initiatives tied to the themes of the programme that invite deep engagement and user-generated content
• Create specific streams for target audiences
• Embed social media in your current website, including the ability to easily share web content, and integrate content into online discussion platforms such as Twitter and Facebook

 Day 9:            Social Media Metrics

• Designing and communicating a social media ‘Metrics Report’
• Deciding aims that:
• Increase the number of people engaging with your social media
• Increase referral traffic to your website from social media websites
• Increase the number of people visiting your business and events as a result of social media
• Measure audience advocacy (i.e. the number of people ‘re-tweeting’, ‘liking’ or ‘sharing’ content)
• Analyse the demographics of social media users wherever possible
• Measure the effectiveness of different types of content

 Day 10:         Communications and Social Media

• Deciding your social media ‘Communication Code of Engagement’ guidelines both to support new voices on third-party social media websites and introduce guidelines on how to maintain and communicate (interact) with your online audiences
• Listen, respond and updating your social media
• Social media communication’s do’s and don’ts
• Action planning back at work