What are the essential factors of a PR strategy?

All PR programmes require you to undertake the following:
- Conduct a situation analysis - establish current PR, look at what competitors are doing, and the resources you have
- Set objectives - these need to be sustainable, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed
- Identify target audience(s) - who are you trying to communicate with?
- Define key messages - what do you want to say?
- Determine a strategy - what is the overall approach going to be?
- Choose tactics - what methods of communication are you going to use? For example: opinion columns, internal newsletters, forward feature placement, employee presentations, community initiatives, sponsorship
- Fix a timeline - identify priorities
- Carry out an evaluation - your objectives must be properly evaluated, which will enable the programme to be refined accordingly
- Budget accordingly.