Your first campaign plan, step by step

A campaign plan answers a few plain questions in a set order. Work through the seven steps below and your answers will be ready when your supervisor, or your client, reads the plan. They suit anyone planning a campaign, and they're a good place to start if you're newer to PR.

1. 1Goal
2. 2Audience
3. 3Key message
4. 4Story angle
5. 5Channels
6. 6Timeline
7. 7Measures

Steps 1 and 2: the goal and the audience

Start with what the client needs from the campaign, such as more sales or a successful launch, and get it down to one sentence. If you can't, check with your supervisor before you go any further. Then pick one main audience and be as specific as you can. "First-time home buyers in Melbourne" gives you far more to work with than "the general public".

Steps 3 and 4: the message and the story

Write the key message, which is what you want your audience to think or do once they've heard about this. Keep it to one sentence that a journalist could repeat back to you.

Then find the story. Journalists need a reason to cover your client right now, so look at what has changed, who it affects, and whether you have numbers to back it up. Pick the angle you think an editor would care about most.

Steps 5 and 6: the channels and the timeline

Think about where your audience already gets its news and information, and choose channels to match. Two channels done properly will get you further than six spread thin.

For the timeline, start from launch day and work backwards. Mark when materials are due and when pitching starts, and note who needs to sign off on each piece. Leave extra time for approvals.

Step 7: how you'll measure it

Agree this with your supervisor before the campaign starts. Choose measures that link back to the goal in Step 1, such as coverage in the outlets you're targeting or sign-ups on the client's website.

If you'd like help working through a plan, The PR Assistant takes you through a campaign plan one step at a time and carries your answers forward, so you finish with a plan you can hand to your supervisor or client. You can start a free trial here. It is free for 30 days, and you don't need a credit card to start.