Internal and External Public Relations of a Company

3180
Charles McCarthy

The internal and external public relations of a company They are in charge of offering communication support to a company to project it in the national and international market. Its objective is to manage, promote and maintain excellent communication inside and outside the organization, to guarantee a high-level public image.

Good communication between employees and the company creates a favorable organizational climate, where working will be pleasant. This will be reflected directly or indirectly in the image of the company in a positive way. Communications with the external public are the life line of the organization in terms of identity, image, reputation and credibility.

Based on these relationships, the company will obtain a profile that will open the doors to new negotiations. In both cases it is important to develop an excellent relationship between people. 

If someone feels respected and taken into account, they will demonstrate loyalty and commitment, which will contribute to the organization in achieving its objectives.. 

Taking into consideration the principles of communication, integration and teamwork, the internal and external public relations of a company build the foundations that will allow the organization to strengthen, grow and expand commercially..

However, in order to make the most of the relationships and foster positive ties between the two groups, it is necessary to delimit the role of each one very well. If these roles are not clear, serious problems could arise, even competition among its members..

Article index

  • 1 Internal public relations
    • 1.1 Main functions
  • 2 Basic principles of internal public relations
    • 2.1 Listen
    • 2.2 Share
    • 2.3 Integrate
    • 2.4 Learn
    • 2.5 Be consistent
  • 3 External public relations
    • 3.1 Main functions
  • 4 Important aspects of external public relations
    • 4.1 Persuasive
    • 4.2 Customer focused
    • 4.3 Know how to listen
  • 5 References

Internal public relations

Internal public relations are those that focus on strengthening the bonds between the company and its employees, facilitating a good communication environment and reinforcing the values ​​in each of the activities carried out..

Its objective is to form a business work team, where all company personnel - from the director to the lowest-ranking employee - form a consolidated group. In a company the priority is its workers.

Principal functions

- Structure a massive and effective communication network. The Intranet is a good option, since it creates an internal network of easy and fast access. It is also appropriate to use video-conferencing in the case of requiring contact with people from distant branches.

- Organize and run discussion groups, where people meet voluntarily to talk about issues related to the operation of the company or the needs of the group. It also includes raising what is raised to the corresponding department and monitoring the solution thereof..

- Plan leisure activities with the integration of several departments: birthday celebrations, sporting events, etc..

- Organize workshops or motivational talks on personal growth.

- Implement a mailbox for opinions or suggestions, which must be reviewed periodically in order to receive the information, corroborate it and channel it to the department related to it..

- Prepare and distribute informational material such as magazines, brochures or billboards. Keep a detailed record of the activities carried out.

Basic principles of internal public relations

Hear

All communication flies a flag: listen. This is key so that the public relations programs are fulfilled with the expected success..

Part of the task is to be attentive to what the people who work in the company say. They are the ones who are in charge of their jobs every day; therefore, listening to them is listening to the company itself.

This should also extend to what is not said, to what is not expressed out of shyness or fear. That is why in internal public relations it is important to inquire, ask and seek suggestions, in order to fully understand the situations and the staff..

Share

It is important to keep everyone informed of upcoming plans, launches and events, as well as the successes achieved in the activities carried out..

Employees must receive the information directly from the company. Internal public relations must ensure that all personnel are aware of what is happening within the company; This way, possible erroneous interpretations of any fact will be avoided.

Reporting is not sending a flood of emails; this will create an effect contrary to what is intended. People will not read them and they will be misinformed. It is advisable to issue a periodic newsletter with links, offering the opportunity not to participate..

To integrate

The success of public relations in the internal sphere is directly linked to the degree of integration that is achieved with all those who are linked to the activity.

When people are integrated, they feel that they are part of the whole and are ready to participate when asked. To achieve this, various activities must be included, where the successes of the company, but also of the employees, are recognized..

Part of the work of internal public relations is to project the company as a united front, working in accordance with a defined direction. This can only be achieved if a work team is created where there is a cooperative environment between the departments..

Learn

All experience is an apprenticeship. Those that gave positive results should be used to consolidate the strengths of the group and the company. Those that did not meet expectations must be reoriented to be converted into future strengths.

Internal public relations must take into account that innovating and being creative is the key to always keeping everyone's expectation for the next step to take. Here the fear of failure may arise, because any novelty may not be very well accepted or does not meet the expectations that were had.

However, those who learn to see a failure from a learning perspective do not see it as an inconvenience, but as a challenge to overcome. If something fails, the idea is to recognize it quickly and learn from experience.

Be consistent

In internal public relations, one project ends and another is born, it is like a cycle that never ends. The actions may not be very sporadic, but neither may they be overwhelming. They must be planned in order to create relationships within the company that are profitable, making their objectives match.

To consolidate the achievements it is necessary that the actions be maintained over time, that they be consistent. This will build confidence in the staff, they will know that it is a well-orchestrated job and not an eventual nature.

External public relations

External public relations are responsible for taking actions related to the positions, values, guidelines and actions of the company towards various entities and human groups that make life in society.

Its objective is to promote the company and increase its income. That is why it seeks to develop effective communication between the company and the different entities with which it is related: clients, media, industries, community, government, financial entities, suppliers and the general public..

It focuses on the dissemination of news about new products, marketing strategies, charity events, sponsorships, promotions and all that information about the corporation that can be used to promote it..

Principal functions

-Build a database with updated information from local, regional, national and international media.

-Edit and produce POP material and catalogs of the products or services provided by the company.

-Write the information that will be sent to the media for dissemination: press releases, event reviews, etc..

-Keep a photographic and audiovisual record of the events held.

-Monitoring of compliance with advertising guidelines or agreements made with the mass media.

-Organization of promotional events of the company: congresses, exhibitions, entertainments.

-Edit and produce institutional magazines for advertising purposes.

-Organize guided tours of the company.

Important aspects of external public relations

Persuasive

Communicating is an art and creating need where there is none is a greater art. Persuading a client, government agency, or media outlet to take an action that was not initially considered is a very important function of successful external public relations..

Currently the market has become very competitive. Many companies do not have the availability to invest large sums of money in large-scale advertising campaigns.

Thus, the action of external public relations to influence the public in an effective and direct way becomes more relevant, making the corporation better position its products and brand..

Customer focused

Maintaining direct communication with customers will allow the business to always be present in the commercial environment. Carrying out periodic visits to organizations will not only strengthen ties, but also learn about their concerns..

For this reason, it is advisable to answer the questions or problems that are raised in the shortest possible time, and channel them efficiently..

The better the communication with current customers, the less strategies and time will be required to win new mutually advantageous business relationships.

Know how to listen

External public relations should not only focus on cultivating tools to spread well the message that you want to reach others, but should also consider knowing how to listen.

Communication is two-way, both parties are important in the process and both have relevant aspects to say. Appreciating feedback and letting it be known that you care what others think is a sign of successful public relations.

References

  1. Julie Miller (2016). What is internal public relations? Axia Public Relations. Taken from: axiapr.com
  2. Sylvia Park (2009). Internal vs. External PR Roles. Communiquépr. Taken from: com.
  3. Casey Anderson (2018). Importance of external business communication. Small Business Chron. Taken from: smallbusiness.chron.com.
  4. Joseph Chris (2018). Important Aspects of External Business Communication. Chron. Taken from: smallbusiness.chron.com.
  5. Denise Brandenberg (2017). Internal & External Business Communication. Bizfluent. Taken from: bizfluent.com.
  6. Meltwater (2013). 5 Simple Steps to Better Internal PR. Taken from: meltwater.com.
  7. Shaining Star (2014). Internal and External Public of Public Relations. Taken from: shaining.blogspot.com.

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