Why you must define stakeholders and create personas in PR

There are several steps to take before you can create targeted communication for your audience. Creating personas and defining stakeholders is important for PR professionals so that they may target their audiences effectively.

Image: Wix

1. Research your Organization

The first step is to research your organization so that you understand their values and mission statement. When researching your organization, do not forget to check social media sites, comments, reviews and other forms of consumer engagement.

When researching the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, I found their page on TripAdvisor and read through the reviews to gain insight into the people who visited the museum. From this, I learned what type of people traveled along Route 66, as well as what was of interest to them.

Image: Oklahoma Route 66 Museum on FaceBook

2. Define Primary and Secondary Stakeholders

Primary and secondary stakeholders are the groups of people who are most affected or interested in what your organization has to offer. Furthermore, primary stakeholders have a direct interest, and secondary stakeholders have an indirect benefit. More on identifying stakeholders by PM Column here.

From my research, I learned that the primary stakeholders for the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum are road trippers and the secondary stakeholders are tourists. These stakeholders are frequent visitors of the museum and often travel as a couple or family. Road trippers mentioned RV parking and cross-country trips. Tourists mentioned memorabilia, history and the gift shop. Tourists also mentioned blogs and recommendations.

3. Creating Personas for the Stakeholders

Once you define your stakeholders, you can create personas based on your research. When creating a persona, focus on bringing the character to life through their profile. What motivates them? What are their goals? What causes them problems?

My primary stakeholder, Andrew Sal, is a road tripper. Sal is a cross-country traveler who enjoys time with his family, fun attractions and historical sites. He needs RV parking, rest after long hours on the road and budget-friendly events for families. Sal's motivations and goals tell us what our stakeholders are interested in. His pain points reveal the needs of our stakeholders.

Creating personas helps an organization provide for its stakeholders and tailor its communication to enhance engagement and experience.

Image: persona example from Lexie Oliver