Public relations isn't about a fundraising dinner in the society pages. It's not about an occasional mention in the local newspaper about the school's open house. It's not advertising and it's not glad-handing. It's a proven marketing technique used by today's corporate world and nonprofit organizations that is highly effective in raising enrollments, sustaining current enrollees, attracting excellent instructors and encouraging alumni to reach into their pockets. Public relations results in press notice that, unlike advertising, does not cost anything other than the personnel cost to organize it.

Just as no corporation would introduce a new product, make a management change, or corporate move without public relations, many schools and institutions are turning to public relations as an integral part of the marketing mix. Today's paralegal programs must see public relations as an investment in the future. The return on this investment must: Bring awareness of your organization and position as a valuable contributor in society; Create an environment to enhance future enrollments, fundraising opportunities and attract qualified staff among target audiences; Educate and persuade your target audiences to enlist in your program.

A successful public relations program has five key points.

1. Structure a plan similar to a marketing plan. This structure should include:
   • Objectives
   • Identifying the target audience
   • Strategy
   • Tactics
   • Staffing
   • Budget
   • Timetable
   • Measurement of results
2. Adopt a proactive mindset, not a reactive one. Public relations is not an accident. It happens by design. Creating your own news and events is the way to set the agenda, frame issues and constantly build awareness of your school. After all, potential students can't find you if they don't know you're there.
3. Find an issue. One of the most important trends is called issue-oriented public relations. This involves positioning your paralegal program as part of the solution to a problem and worthy of support.

   Give this some thought: The Washington Post doesn't usually run stories about what a wonderful organization the Red Cross is. They run stories about how the Red Cross provides assistance to people in need, natural disasters and the important role they play in saving lives. Each time the Red Cross is quoted, the media are positioning that organization as an expert helping to solve an important problem.

   Tim McClellan, in his book, Schools in the Spotlight, says that it is often for the wrong reasons that schools appear in the national media... the bad reasons. Local newspapers, as community newspapers, keep people in touch with what is happening.

   Design your media relations program to get the media to cover newsworthy issues where your school can be quoted and positioned as the expert. Positioning is as important as awareness because just as people can't enroll with you if they don't know you're there, people are more prone to consider you if they know you are a prominent player in the field.

4. Consider a government relations component in your PR program. Government leaders can be a fundamental channel through which you can achieve your objectives. Your program can include lawmakers, elected officials, heads of agencies, or judges or it might just be networking. Government relations can give you a platform from which you can build awareness of your school by asserting leadership. A well-publicized meeting with your Senator or having the Governor participate in one of your symposia or special events can lend tremendous credibility to your efforts.
5. Get media-savvy. Do not let any of your spokespeople go out to do press conferences, interviews or TV appearances without being media-trained. Your school has spent considerable time, effort and dollars earning a forum to communicate your message. Don't blow it by shooting from the hip. Rarely, will you get a second chance. Teachers and staff members may be experts in their field but they need to learn how to present your institution's messages to lay media and the public. Be sure your spokesperson undergoes a formal course on how to do an interview, how to appear on TV, how to communicate the 15-second sound-bite effectively and persuasively.

It's all in the preparation...

You're out there, probably competing with one or more other paralegal schools for enrollees. While your admissions requirements may differ from your competitor, there are still plenty of potential students who can choose between several programs. Obviously, you want them to choose you. A good public relations program can be more effective than advertising if it's executed properly.

Let's say it's taken you months to build a strong relationship with the reporter from your local newspaper. You've met him for lunch, passed along leads and story ideas and e-mailed him interesting tidbits about the legal field.

Finally, it's paid off and the big day has arrived. He's visiting the campus to do a profile story on you and the school. You're in your Sunday go-to-meetin' best. Your staff has arrived and you hardly recognize them - their hair is combed, they're wearing jeans without holes in them and you realize you're seeing 12 new ear canals as there are no I-Pods jetting out of their ears. You have prepared thoroughly for the interview and you're ready for any question he could possibly ask, including the name, rank and number of children of the founders. However, nothing could have prepared you for this reporter's very first question, "Before we start, could I have your media kit?"

Breathe deeply. Ask if there's anything specific you might send him after the interview. And then promise that will never, never happen again and get right to work creating a media kit that reporters will love.

Why you need it...

A media kit is a folder of information that helps reporters write an accurate story. Contents can include a history of the school, professional profiles of the Dean, professors, key instructors, black and white or color photos, a fact sheet about the institution, a business card, a recent press release, articles written about the school, personalized letter from the Dean and a sample catalog.

These media kits help reporters because everything is there in black and white. They don't have to call you back to find out "filler" details for the story, particularly when they are on deadline.

If your school doesn't have a media kit and you're on a tight budget, don't panic. Start out small and add to it as time goes on. Eventually you will build an entire kit with items you will use depending upon how a particular reporter will use it.

Media kits also show that the school is in the "know" and understands how the news game is played. They can be used for far more than just the media. Use them as marketing materials to attract the stars in the teaching arena. Take them with you to trade shows. Give them to potential donors.

One PR agent compiles information labels for clients and attaches them to the back of a business card or a Rolodex card so the media can then put it in the "future file." Work your relationship with reporters. Tell them that you would be happy to share your expertise with them when a newsworthy need arises. Believe me; a need will arise sooner than you think.

Establishing yourself as an expert pays off - big-time...

• You can establish yourself as an expert in several areas including:
• Paralegal field, of course
• Low-cost legal services
• How to keep legal bills from becoming outrageous
• New laws
• New careers for the recently laid-off, downsized and otherwise purged victims of the corporate world
• Education for adults and more
• Transferable skills

How to get into the legal field

Once you are established as a Perfect Resource, media outlets will turn to you as an expert. For instance, recently I was interviewed by a major Boston radio show as a result of an article I wrote two years ago. Had I not written the article, there was no way this radio station would have ever found me. I had 10 minutes of airtime which frankly, I couldn't have purchased if I wanted to.

Creating an angle for stories...

Take a cue from students: Is there a class students are clamoring to get into? What makes it so special? What about courses where students do particularly well? Is it because it's a hot topic that consumers have a particular interest in? How about an innovative approach by a teacher who is having phenomenal results? Do you have a story about an instructor who is a lawyer with a unique practice? Has a recent paralegal graduate demonstrated an unusual career path? Any positive association with your school is a plus.

"Keep in mind that public relations is not product-oriented. Instead, it addresses the concepts of image and perception," says Fred Savino in "Public Relations Strategies for Communities and Schools." The more times positive items of your school appear in the media, the more the public will perceive your school in a positive light.

Your expertise doesn't have to be restricted to quips and quotes in your local paper or local airwaves. Start locally, move regionally, then nationally. Swim with the big fish. I can tell you from personal experience, a good PR campaign does work. Along with a number of articles and books I had written, I was quoted in an entrepreneurial publication. The reporter who wrote that article had a friend who was also a reporter do a story on entrepreneurs. Next thing I knew, I was in Newsweek.

To generate some immediate response, spoon-feed those hungry media mongrels! Turn breaking news into your news. If a story that pertains to your area of expertise breaks or is about to break, make a quick phone call or send an email that says, "I can help your readers/viewers/listeners understand what this means." Many reporters will interview you on the spot. I can't tell you how much value the school will get when the reporter mentions the institution along with your name.

Many of the national news programs such as CNN and MSNBC are always on the outlook for articulate interview sources for their shows but you have to make yourself presentable to them. Remember, these shows have to generate enough information to fill five shows a week, or a column a week, and making their jobs easier will only result in more PR for your program.

If you're looking for more tips and techniques, a good website to jump onto is the National School Public Relations Association at www.nspra.org. This organization has been around since 1935 and has provided school communication training and services to school leaders throughout the United States, Canada, and the U.S. Dependent Schools worldwide.

Editorial placements are looked upon much more credibly than ad placements. I can't imagine a school impressing a prospective student by saying, "Yes, we advertise in the Legal Journal, the Law Report, and the University Paper." But I certainly can imagine a student impressed with, "Your torts instructor was just written up in The New York Times."

Paying for advertising is indeed an effective way to market your program. But the fact is, a positive editorial placement, such as a story about a successful student who recently was part of a team that won a significant judgment, can be much more persuasive than a glossy, over-hyped advertisement - and a fraction of the cost. Editorial placements are an overlooked marketing vehicle for schools and program directors should understand the full benefits of these placements to make the most of their marketing efforts. Editorial placements are wonderfully reciprocal way for you and the media to work together for the betterment of your institution.