Daniel Boorstin wrote, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers.” A smart man, that Daniel Boorstin! He realizes that to attain your objectives, it is often best to hire an expert.

When it comes to public relations, there are several objectives to be considered. The first is building awareness. When introducing a new product or re-launching an existing product, marketers can use PR to generate consumer attention and awareness through media placements and special events. It would be the same for building awareness about a person or organization.

Another common objective of public relations is creating interest. Whether the PR placement is a short product article or is included with other products in a “round up” article, stories in the media can help entice a target audience to try a product or service.

A third and important objective is providing information. Public relations can be used to provide customers with more in depth information about products and services. Through articles, collateral materials, newsletters and websites, PR delivers information to customers that can help them gain a better understanding of a company’s product or service.

A fourth objective is stimulating demand. A positive article in a newspaper, on a radio or TV news show, or mentioned on the Internet, can often result in an increase in sales.

It is important to outline your objectives when creating and launching a PR plan so that you can match your strategy to your objectives and be able to measure the results of your efforts.