By Cassy van Eeden

Heather Anne Ritchie-Carson, co-founder of demand marketing agency Onboardly, emphasises the value of adopting a human relations approach to PR activities. She says public relations and human relations are entirely different, but that they have the same goal: building meaningful, long-lasting relationships that will ultimately benefit all involved parties.

Heidi Cohen, actionable marketing professional, says “Public relations in its true sense is about human connections and the art of mastering human connections at a deep level."

So what is the human relations approach?

Ritchie-Carson notes that, "For a long time, the act of public relations has been thought of as a selfish one, where a publicist aims to get without giving in a vain attempt to secure media coverage for a client."

Having a human relations approach means remedying this 'selfish' situation by establishing an authentic rapport with contacts ahead of time. "Instead of waiting to engage individuals at the exact moment you need something from them, try using a more proactive approach: start building relationships early on," says Ritchie-Carson.

Make friends, not contacts

A specific example of using a human relations approach to PR is, as Ritchie-Carson recommends, by making friends rather than accumulating contacts.

She says that generic emails and cold calls leave a bad impression: "all they’re hearing is 'blah, blah, blah.' Your efforts are just like everyone else's: they lack authenticity. And they more than likely suggest that you’re really reaching to get coverage." She suggests, rather, giving the recipient the impression that you are genuinely interested in investing in a mutually beneficial relationship. In doing so, the person may be more willing to further your cause.

Specific examples

Some practical things you can include in your PR plan to make your connections more human is by following up on electronic communications with a phone call; engaging in conversation with the person about things other than the product you are trying to push; and following people on social media and retweeting them or responding to their posts

If the person you are attempting to build a relationship with is a journalist, founder and CEO of Jack Taylor PR, Jon Bier, says "Email and social media are great for making the first contact with journalists. But if you’re serious about getting press, you won’t get far unless you can get reporters on the horn."

But do not attempt to do this all at once. An initial flood of communications and an overzealous phone call may be overwhelming for the person you are trying to build a relationship with.
Instead, Ritchie-Carson recommends baby steps, "be but a blip on their radar at first".

Mark Suster, general partner of Upfront Ventures, believes the human relations approach to PR includes keeping in mind that the journalist is also a human being. He recommends fostering a relationship with the journalist by offering to assist them with stories. "Be willing to go on the record with quotes … if they want access to people in the industry that you know make sure to help broker the intro, both sides will thank you for it," he says.

What do you think about having a human relations approach to PR? Are there any other ways to make your activities more personal? Let us know in the comments below.