Key messages are the bread and butter of public relations. They offer anyone representing a brand a collection of approved messages that can be confidently shared through any form of communication. Whether you’re preparing a spokesperson for an interview or developing a pitch, clearly reflecting key messages into all campaigns and written materials will ensure that your client’s brand stays consistent and on topic.
While it may not be the most glamorous project, creating key messages is an essential component to properly reach a target audience with a strong, unified message. A good set of key messages will be similar to an elevator pitch, concisely communicating what sets the brand apart in under a minute. Whether you are looking to create key messages for a new client or refresh a collection that may be outdated, below are three key takeaways I learned from an episode of The PR Pod, an essential PR podcast for budding public relations professionals, that you should always keep in mind when creating this foundational material.
Put in the time for preliminary research
Research and think about the key messages that audiences need to hear and understand. Having a firm grasp of your client’s industry is helpful and you’ll want to understand the narrative the company wants to share. One good way to do this is to develop a Q&A. This helps get all the basic information a journalist would inquire about in one location. You should also identify communication goals and target audience with the client. Finally, it’s a good idea to look at the competitor landscape to pinpoint the differentiating components the brand possesses.
Aim for three to four concise key messages
Once the preliminary research and discussions take place, devote one to three hours to crafting these messages. This can be tough and often will require more than one pass through to get the result you desire. Take time to ensure each word is impactful, supports the company’s mission, and aligns with the established expectations. Typically, public relations professionals aim to have a collection of three to four concise messages supported with proof points. The first one should be a summarizing statement describing the business that shares the most important information. Then, after you flush it out, you can go into more description illustrating what, how and why the company is different and its unique offerings. To ensure your messages are credible, you will need proof points. Proof points are concrete examples or data that support the claims that you’re making in your key messages.
Buffer in extra time for the review process
When the first draft is complete, it can still take hours to create the end product a client may desire. Buffer in extra time for the approval process both internally and externally. Before sending it off to clients, it can take several rounds of internal edits from a variety of coworkers to get it in a good place. Once it’s in your client’s hands, set aside time to address feedback and make additional edits before the key messages are finalized. This whole process can take anywhere from a week to several weeks and is crucial to avoid disparity across all written and spoken communications.
After refining, solidifying and testing the messages to ensure they resonate with the target audiences you can begin to use them for all of the company’s communications. No matter where you are in your professional career, as a public relations professional, it is crucial to create, or learn if already developed, a client’s top key messages and routinely reassess them to ensure they still meet the company’s needs and those of the target audience.