A tried, tested and proven means of generating compelling content, securing consistent quality media coverage and enhancing organisational reputation is creating a research-based index – featuring headline grabbing statistics and insights – then providing expert insight on the findings.

As thought leadership is a central plank of many public relations strategies it, like PR in general, frequently has the challenge thrown at it of ‘can it make us money?’ The answer, it seem, is a very tangible and measurable yes. But let’s not forget the difficult to monetise value of an excellent reputation, either, which is a currency no organisation wants to do without.

Public Relations practice in Africa has come of age, occupying the core of relationship management between public departments and the general public they cater to. Whether the PR ‘face’ is up to the task is an entirely different issue altogether. Different, pertinent and somewhat worrying, public relations at the heart of Africa’s public sector is still saddled with peculiarities, most of which are neither complimentary nor flattering.

The benefits of thought leadership manifested as opinion pieces published in the media include that it is opinion and not news reporting (so the necessity for factual accuracy is not a focus); it gives the writer greater control over how their thoughts are represented; it provides an increasingly resource-challenged media with valuable content; and its generally exclusive offering helps foster an enhanced relationship with a strategically valuable media outlet.

LinkedIn boasts a range of sophisticated tactical tools to help achieve strategic communication objectives. The tools include market research, LinkedIn groups, direct marketing e-campaigns to your range of contacts, Company pages and leveraging off organisational employee LinkedIn profiles.

The capability of LinkedIn to be an effective platform for strategic communication is both constrained and advanced by its unique properties. Make no mistake, however. When operating in a B2B and/or services-oriented environment, organisations can leverage LinkedIn via a number of potent means – e.g. market research, differentiation, positioning, viral marketing – to deliver business results.

Thought leadership is a strategic approach to business communication which helps organisations positively position and differentiate themselves, in the process creating and enhancing relationships with key stakeholders. It contributes to excellent organisational reputation and the achieving of organisational objectives, including selling products and services.

Excellent public relations is nothing more than the application of common sense, creativity and kindness, with the latter characteristic relevant both to those an organisation is seeking to have a positive relationship with, as well as those people a PR professional interacts with and/or utlislies to help achieve the best possible result.

Best practice public relations is consistently characterised by three crucial elements – strategy, rigour and creativity. Rigour ensures intellect, muscle and consistency; creativity is where it starts, with solutions to challenges and answers for opportunities; whilst strategy is both the roadmap and the puppeteer, ensuring cute thinking and tactical skills are applied in a manner which optimises the capabilities of both.

Many people fail to perceive the seriousness of public relations; how it provides balance to discussions and often contributes insights into complex, multi-layered issues that, otherwise, would not have been generated. This takes place just as much in issues and crisis management, which might be the immediate domain that comes to mind, as it does it reputation building, positioning and differentiation which are, generally speaking, more proactive kinds of strategic communication.