Mind Your Own Business!

And the best way to mind your own business is to insure that those audiences whose behaviors have the greatest effect on your enterprise keep thinking about you in the most positive way. Reason is, bad behaviors often follow bad perceptions, so what your external audiences think about you can mean success or failure.

It's not hard to do, but it's something you must attend to on a regular basis. How? Try this.

Nobody can do it all, so put those outside audiences in order-of-importance with the REALLY key audience at the top-of-the-list.

Once prioritized. and beginning with #1, learn more about what's on the minds of that audience. In other words, monitor their feelings and perceptions about you and your business. Ask questions. While you will appreciate positive input (and take it into account), it's absence of awareness, misconceptions, inaccuracies and hard feelings that you're really after because that's what can cause you grief. Also, stay alert for similar indicators coming from print and broadcast media, emails, and business and community speeches and pronouncements.

In public relations, we know that people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. So, when we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization, the public relations mission is accomplished.

O.K., you've now gathered a lot of information about how your key target audience feels or doesn't feel about you and/or your business. What do you do with it?

You establish your public relations goal. For example, correct this inaccuracy; straighten out that misconception; reinforce and strengthen a slightly positive perception; change a view of your business that's just plain wrong.

But now, you need a strategy to help you achieve that goal. In public relations, that means you get to choose one of three basic strategies: create opinion (perceptions) where none may exist; change existing opinion; or reinforce it.

Take another look at the public relations goal you've established and make certain that the strategy you've selected is a logical match.

Which brings you to "the message." Exactly what meaning and what remedial understanding do you want to convey to members of that key target audience? Your message must be crystal-clear about the misconception, rumor, inaccuracy or wrong-minded belief you discovered while interacting with, and gathering information from members of that audience.

The corrective message must be persuasive and believable - not aggressive or overbearing - as it outlines in plain language the simple truth of the matter.

How do you move messages from your business to the eyes and ears of members of your key target audience? You use communications tactics, or "beasts of burden" as I like to call them. There are a ton of them and their job is to carry your message directly to the attention of key audience members.

Tactics range from Internet communications, facility tours, editorial board meetings and press releases to broadcast interviews, promotional contests, brochures, face-to-face meetings and many others.

But how do you know whether the effort is succeeding or not? You remonitor members of that key target audience, watching carefully for signs that perception (opinion) is moving in your direction. In other words, do you see progress towards achieving the public relations goal you established at the beginning of the program? For example, increasing numbers of people appear to understand why the rumor was wrong, or what they believed about your business was simply inaccurate.

If your goal and strategy make sense, and if your message is persuasive and your communications tactics aggressive and well-targeted, signs of public understanding and acceptance will steadily increase.

In which case minding one's business in this manner will prove especially rewarding as the public relations program achieves success.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@tni.net.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

Visit: bobkelly@tni.net; bobkelly@tni.net

move in cleaning service Mundelein ..

In The News:

Quick iPhone and Android battery optimization techniques help your device stay powered all day by turning off hidden features that secretly drain power in the background.

Kodiak Driver autonomous truck achieves perfect 98 safety score, matching top human fleets in groundbreaking AI evaluation by Nauto's VERA system.

New 401k catch-up contribution rules in 2026 will change taxes for high earners over 50. Learn how scammers exploit these changes and protect your retirement savings.

Kurt Knutsson's guide covers social media privacy protection through location settings, account privacy controls and two-factor authentication to prevent scams and data breaches.

Revolutionary retinal implant restores central vision in 80% of patients with advanced macular degeneration, offering hope where treatments once only slowed blindness.

Learn how to use passkeys on Windows and Mac computers without cameras or fingerprint readers. Discover secure authentication methods that replace passwords.

Tesla's FSD v14.1.2 update reintroduces Mad Max mode, enabling higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than the standard Hurry profile setting.

A phishing email scam targeting American Express customers shows how cybercriminals use fake urgent messages to steal personal and financial information.

Facebook's new Meta AI feature analyzes your camera roll photos to create polished collages automatically, but requires cloud processing and raises privacy concerns.

A New Jersey teenager filed a major lawsuit against AI/Robotics Venture Strategy 3 Ltd. over ClothOff, an AI tool that created fake nude images from her social media photos.

Microsoft reports Storm-2657 cybercriminals sent phishing emails to 6,000 addresses at 25 universities to steal payroll credentials and redirect funds.

Astronomers have discovered asteroid 2025 SC79, a skyscraper-sized space rock orbiting the sun in just 128 days. the second-fastest known.

The Fox News AI Newsletter delivers the latest developments form the world of artificial intelligence, including the technology's challenges and opportunities.

A cyberattack on SimonMed Imaging exposed personal information of 1.2 million patients, including medical records, financial details and identity papers.

Spotify's managed accounts for kids under 13 now available in at least seven countries, allowing parents to filter and block explicit content and songs.

Friendly text conversations about BBQs and social events can lead to WEEX gold trading scams that target older adults with fake investment opportunities.

California company Skyeports creates self-healing glass spheres from Moon regolith that generate solar power and support plant growth for sustainable lunar living.

Cleafy researchers discover fake VPN streaming app Mobdro Pro that installs Klopatra banking Trojan, giving attackers full control over Android devices.

Police departments across the U.S. and Canada are adopting virtual reality training to better prepare officers for high-pressure, real-world situations.

House Bill 469 would prevent AI systems from owning property, serving as executives, or gaining legal personhood in Ohio under Representative Thaddeus Claggett's proposal.

Public voter records expose retirees' personal details to election scammers who create targeted cons using names, addresses, and voting history data.

Instead of fearing what comes next with artificial intelligence, think outside the box. Here are high-earning AI jobs that don't require a computer science degree.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says polite words like "please" and "thank you" cost millions annually, while direct prompts may improve ChatGPT accuracy by several points.

Chattee Chat and GiMe Chat exposed intimate conversations and photos, revealing users spent up to $18,000 on AI companions before the breach.

New Instagram parental controls allow families to manage teen screen time and content limits through the Family Center with stricter safety settings.

Mind Your Own Business!

Public Relations