PR Tools for External Communication

Public relations practitioners say that the ability to effectively conduct external communications is the cornerstone of professional success. The past decade has brought new tools that make external communications easier to conduct.

The Internet has vastly expanded the resources available for public relations professionals working on external communications. Twitter is one such resource. Containing 150-word blurbs capable of link transmission, "tweets," as they are called, allow public relations professionals to quickly and concisely pass along real-time information to consumers, the community and shareholders.

Email enables public relations professionals to disseminate news to customers, shareholders and other audiences--news about products, investments and ventures.

Public relations professionals can create a consistent message for external communications by developing a website. Those sites can include news, blogs and company statements. Moreover, website-affiliated services such as newsletters, message boards and contact information allow public relations departments to mine consumer information unobtrusively. To subscribe to or participate in any of those services, you often need to provide your contact information.

Although the popularity of the printed word may be on the decline, news releases can still benefit public relations professionals. Whether the information is presented online or in a magazine or a newspaper, news releases enable a company's public relations arm to reach important audiences.