1. 23 experts reveal their best PR tips to
improve audience relationships
Ryan • Nov 23, 2016
| Posted by |
At its core, public relations (PR) is about developing positive relationships
with your key audiences, whoever you define them to be. So we wanted to
provide business owners and communications practitioners with PR tips that
address just that.
We reached out to some of the industryʼs leading public relations experts to
learn their thoughts on relationship development. Below are 23 PR tips in
response to our question:
What is your best tip for improving a businessʼs relationship with a key
audience?
We spoke with corporate communications executives, CEOs, and industry
thought leaders in a variety of fields.
Hereʼs what they had to say (sorted alphabetically by first name)

2. Alexia Grevious
Corporate Communications, Washington Redskins
Twitter
“Ask them what they want and are looking for.”
Bernadette Coleman
CEO, Advice Local
Website | Twitter
“There are many approaches. Most importantly would be identifying an
unmet need and meeting it. Solve their pain point and win.”
David Meerman Scott
Marketing and Leadership Speaker, Author
Website | Twitter
“Educate and inform instead of interrupt and sell.”
Deirdre Breakenridge
CEO, Pure Performance Communications
Website | Twitter

3. “Start with some important questions: How can my business help my
audience? What are their pain points? What can my business do to make
their lives, work or world a better place? If a business wants to build a
relationship, then it needs to listen closely to find these answers, long before
it starts to share messages.
When you listen to your audience, itʼs a chance to learn from then, and to get
closer to what they care about and what they need from you. With all of the
talking, and the idea and opinion sharing, it should be easy for a business to
tune into its customers. When businesses listen and act on information,
they begin to build relationships based on value, meaning and the kind of
interactions that make a difference to the people they serve.”
Dorothy Crenshaw
Founder/CEO, Crenshaw Communications
Website | Twitter
“1) Listen to/study their needs
2) Liaise with community
3) Recruit if possible
4) Consider sponsoring an event/organization”
Frank Strong
Founder & President, Sword and the Script Media, LLC
Website | Twitter
“Business can improve its relationship with a key audience with one simple
action: listening. Customers and prospective customers will telegraph their

4. wants and needs and the smart business collects that, analyzes it,
productizes it and communicates.”
Gini Dietrich
CEO of Arment Dietrich and author of Spin Sucks
Website | Twitter
“Human beings simply want to be recognized. If they are brand
ambassadors, they want to know you know theyʼre helping you spread the
message. If theyʼre unhappy, they just want someone to respond to them.
Inaction or lack of attention is what fuels the fire of the disgruntled.So itʼs
really simple: Pay attention. Talk to your customers and prospects. Talk to
your brand ambassadors. Talk to your detractors. And find ways to bring
those in the middle out to have conversation. Always remember youʼre
dealing with human beings and youʼre in communications. Communicate
with the humans.”
So itʼs really simple: Pay attention. Talk to your customers and prospects.
Talk to your brand ambassadors. Talk to your detractors. And find ways to
bring those in the middle out to have conversation. Always remember youʼre
dealing with human beings and youʼre in communications. Communicate
with the humans.”
Gordon K. McIvor, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor, Jesson + Company Communications
Website | Twitter
“It is old advice, but engaging them in social media is the way to go. Be

5. aware as well of what sites they use.”
Jeff Domansky
Founder, Peak Communicators
Website | Twitter
“Give before you ask! In the 24-7, crowded message universe, business
needs to learn how to give before they ask an audience for something such
as a sale, a subscription or a special favor. There are many ways to give:
sharing a free report (without demanding an email), offering a checklist of
solutions (not just your product) or providing a visual (again, ideas first).”
Jock Breitwieser
Director, Corporate Communications, TriNet
Website | Twitter
“Be laser-focused on the area that you know best and be an expert for that
specific aspect of business. With that, put yourself in the shoes of your
audience. Truly understand their situation and make an effort to know
how they can benefit from your knowledge and how you can help them. Itʼs
your job to offer your business partners what they need – not
what you have.”
Julie Hall
Managing Director, Havas PR

6. Website | Twitter
“It depends on the business. Sampling is always good and works”
Kami Huyse
CEO, Zoetica Media
Website | Twitter
“Find out the key challenges of that audience and use your resources to help
solve it. Then continue to communicate.”
Kevin Dugan
Senior Global Communications Executive, Apex Supply Chain Technologies
Website | Twitter
“Engage them directly, without bugging them, to listen and to get their
feedback.”
Mary Lower
President & Chief Storyteller, Sterling Cross Communications
Website | Twitter
[Paraphrased] Youʼll need to first understand if there is an existing
relationship with your audience or if you are starting a brand new one. Also,
be sure content is engaging and that you have a conversation instead of a
monologue. No one likes a “bullhorn one-way promotional hype.

7. Michael McHale
Director, Corporate Communications, Subaru of America
Website | Twitter
“Itʼs a bit easier for us than some brands because we have a tangible
product we can experience together with our media. In other words,
driving!”
Pam Perry
Award-winning Social Media Marketing Strategist, PR Coach, Author
Website | Twitter
“Best way to improve your relationship with a key audience is to speak with
them continually through email over a period of months. Capturing emails via
an auto responder system is critical in todayʼs busy business environment.
Crafting a series of authentic and educational emails is what will connect
with their hearts and heads of the target audience. You have to get people to
know, like and trust you. Have a PR professional craft your messages, set
them up and watch it work.”
Patrick Bet-David
Entrepreneur, CEO & Founder, PHP Agency Inc., Valuetainment Media Group
Website | Twitter
“Be authentic and true to your philosophy whether your business is making

8. only $3,000 a month or $30,000,000 a month. You canʼt be everything to
everyone but you can be the best thing to a loyal audience whoʼs a true
believer.”
Paul Capelli
Vice President, Communications, Bayer Corporation
Website | Twitter
Peter Shankman
Founder, HARO
Website | Twitter
“Just listen. Ask how your audience likes to get their information, and give it
to them.”
Tiffany LaBanca
Vice President, Communications, Culture & Transformation, IBM
Website | Twitter
“Let the data tell you what to act upon. Dig deep into what the data shows
you and then customize from there.”
Todd Defren

9. CEO, SHIFT Communications
Website | Twitter
“Figure out where your customers live online, and engage in a helpful way
that is reflective of how you treat them in real life.”
Valerie Simon
VP, Marketing, Communications and Public Relations, Atlantic Health System
Website | Twitter
“Listen. The first step in developing a relationship is to listen. There are many
different ways to listen and social is a great opportunity. When you begin by
listening you are more likely to take an educated path.”
Will Armstrong
Founder, Armstrong Public Relations
Website | Twitter
“My best tip for improving relationships with a key audience is to be
SOCIAL! Get out and meet people face to face. Events are a great way to
show off your personality and enthusiasm! People want to work with people
who excite and inspire them. If you are truly passionate about something, let
it show. It will get other people excited too!
Also, be receptive. Whenever possible, ANSWER THE PHONE! We live in a
world of text messages and voicemails. Nothing assures someone that they
are being heard and understood more than verbal confirmation. The phone
is a lost art, but clients, contacts and associates appreciate someone willing

10. to stop everything for a moment and communicate.”
What can your business learn from these PR tips?
Remember, PR is about improving the relationships we have with our various
audiences – and our experts provided PR tips that can help us achieve
exactly that.
Here are a few key messages based on our expertsʼ advice:
Listen carefully to what your audience has to say
Itʼs a common mistake that businesses think they know what their audience
is interested in. The key learning here is to listen carefully to what theyʼre
actually saying, and respond accordingly.
Always put your audienceʼs interests before your own
Yes, businesses are about making money. But the money you earn should be
an outcome of the value created for your audience – donʼt forget this. Always
make sure your audienceʼs best interests are your priority. Financial success
will follow.
Know what youʼre good at and own that space
Identify your niche and pursue it relentlessly. Itʼs often more effective to have
a narrower focus than to “be everything to everyone.” This means
addressing a specific pain point.
26 methods, tips and tools for audience feedback
What advice would you give?
Leave a comment and let us know what you think of these PR tips, and offer
some advice of your own.

11. What steps does your business take to build audience relationships? As a
consumer, what do you appreciate when engaging with your favorite
brands?