Over the past 25 years, I’ve had the privilege of doing PR in Maine for a wide variety of clients and organizations. It’s been a great experience, despite the many ups and downs of a sometimes stressful career. I’m starting this blog now in order to share what I’ve learned with others who are trying to communicate their messages. Communications methods have changed, however many things have stayed the same. Even though I used an electric Smith Corona typewriter when I started my first job in Maine public broadcasting, I still had to know what my message was and what audience I was targeting. When I got a new electric typewriter with an erase key, I was on the top of the world! It wasn’t until the late 1980s that I started working with a PC, and we started using the fax machine to get press releases to the media. But I still had to know my messages and my target audiences. So here’s my thought for today. There are three things to think about when planning a communications strategy.

1. What is the key message and the peripheral messages you are trying to communicate?
2. What tools are you going to use to get the message out?
3. Who is your target audience and what tools will work best for that particular audience?

Check back here regularly. I am going to continue to ponder these questions and others as I continue building my career as Maine’s PR Maven. Please chime in with your comments, too. It will be fun to hear what you are thinking about communicating in today’s 24/7 world.