“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – This old proverb holds true in many situations, especially when it comes to the value of partnerships and coalitions in public affairs.

Coalition building is the strategic collaboration of resources and reach to advance public policy goals, amplify a common message, and influence decision-makers. Simply put, an effective coalition helps your campaign by building trust and credibility, tapping into broader networks, and sharing responsibility. 

Why Build a Coalition? 

Building partnerships through a coalition is a powerful strategy for achieving public affairs goals. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, coalitions expand influence, strengthen advocacy, and pool resources, resulting in a far greater impact than individual efforts alone. Coalition building enables organizations to reach broader audiences and align messaging to drive change more effectively.

As you consider your own public affairs objectives, think about how you can leverage strategic partnerships to enhance your impact, foster innovation, and achieve long-term success. The results will pay off when you work to build alliances that can propel your mission forward.

Who Should Be in Your Coalition? 

Successful coalitions bring together organizations, influencers, and stakeholders with shared objectives. While you may not agree on every issue, focusing on a specific common goal can still be highly valuable.

When selecting coalition partners:

• Identify organizations with complementary strengths and resources
• Recognize that diverse interests require careful alignment and communication
• Ensure transparency and trust to maintain coalition effectiveness

Flexibility and collaboration are key—a coalition thrives when partners remain aligned, communicative, and focused on the shared mission rather than individual differences.

How Do You Align a Coalition? 

To maximize a coalition’s effectiveness, start with a clear, unified strategy that outlines:

• Shared goals and how success will be measured
• Roles and responsibilities to ensure coordination
• Key messages to maintain consistency

Regular communication is critical—misalignment can derail even the most well-intentioned efforts. Strong relationships, transparency, and active conflict resolution keep a coalition moving forward, even when challenges arise.

Additionally, managing competition among partners is essential. While each organization may have its own priorities, maintaining a collaborative, mission-first mindset ensures that partnerships remain productive and beneficial for all involved.

Final Thoughts

Coalition building isn’t just about assembling a group of like-minded organizations. It’s about strategic collaboration that drives real results. By fostering trust, alignment, and clear communication, you can create partnerships that advance your organization’s mission and create lasting impact.

With proven public affairs expertise, NP Strategy helps clients navigate complex issues, influence key audiences, and drive meaningful change by building effective coalitions and managing stakeholder engagement. Click here to learn more.

Securing national media coverage is a significant achievement that can elevate a brand’s visibility and credibility, providing unmatched exposure and opening doors to new opportunities. While national coverage can be a game-changer, it’s important to approach it strategically to ensure it aligns with your goals. Here’s a breakdown of essential factors for securing national media coverage and when other options might be more effective.

Timing is Everything

Timing is critical when working with all media, but it’s especially important at the national level. It’s not just about having a great story; it’s about delivering the right materials at the right time.

• Do they have time to get what they need? Journalists, editors, and producers work on tight deadlines, so securing coverage with a quick turnaround can be challenging. If you’re hoping for coverage next week but aren’t ready to provide a full package of assets, your story is less likely to get picked up.
• Have they run a similar story recently? Journalists receive an overwhelming number of pitches. While it may seem logical to contact a journalist who has covered your topic before, if your angle is too similar, they may pass. Instead, find a fresh perspective that builds on previous coverage.

Consistency is Key

Persistence (without being overbearing) is crucial when building relationships and securing media coverage.

• Follow-up matters: Journalists receive hundreds of emails daily, so don’t expect an instant response. When following up, be polite and highlight the timeliness or relevance of your story.
• It takes time: National stories often require months of planning and coordination. Be patient—some of the best features take time to develop.
  • For example, it once took me a year to get a story on air. I first contacted the show’s producer in April after months of preparation. We didn’t start taping until January, and the story aired in March.
• Be ready to move quickly: Conversely, some opportunities arise suddenly, and you must be prepared to act fast. Having a media kit or pre-approved quotes can make all the difference.
  • Once, a national producer saw my story on a local affiliate and wanted to air it that night. They needed additional footage and sound bites. This project overwhelmed our day but we were able to provide them with the video package just in time for the evening broadcast.

Relationships Matter More Than You Think

Building strong relationships with media professionals is invaluable. A great story alone won’t guarantee coverage.

• Invite producers to your events—don’t just pitch them: Invite journalists to your events without immediately asking for coverage. This helps build trust and shows them your work firsthand.
• Be transparent about what you can deliver: If a journalist requests materials, set clear expectations. Overpromising and underdelivering can harm your credibility.
• Even strong relationships don’t guarantee coverage: A journalist must assess if your story fits their editorial and audience needs. If they say no, don’t take it personally—another opportunity may arise in the future.

When National Coverage Might Not Be the Best Fit

While national media exposure offers broad reach, it isn’t always the most effective option for every client or brand. Here’s why:

• Millions of views—but is it the right audience? National outlets like Good Morning America or NBC Nightly News reach millions, but if your brand is hyper-local or niche, a more targeted approach may yield better results.
• Local or trade publications can provide more value: Specialized or regional media outlets often engage audiences who are genuinely interested in your client’s offerings, leading to more meaningful conversions.

Looking to develop a winning media strategy? NP Strategy’s media team can help you secure the right coverage to maximize your impact. Contact us today to learn more!

What first comes to mind when you think of government relations? Building relationships. Rubbing elbows. Connecting clients to government officials or elected representatives. Achieving policy goals for clients.

What about public relations? Shaping the narrative. Managing a crisis effectively. Generating company or organization awareness. Influencing public opinion.

Some of these objectives or tactics sound similar. That is because they are. But each profession brings its unique approach and perspective to the table.

When you pair your government relations efforts with strong public relations, you dramatically increase your clients’ ability to achieve their goals and set them up for long-term success.

Here are five tips on how government relations and public relations teams can work together to achieve success for clients:

1. Align Messaging: Ensure that your government relations and public relations teams are singing from the same sheet of music. When these two teams are aligned on messaging and delivering it through their unique mediums – the message is amplified and becomes even more impactful.

2. Agree on Stakeholders: Agree on who needs to hear from your organization. Who will the government relations team connect with? Who will hear from the public relations team? Coordinating your approach to stakeholders makes sure no key audience is left out.

3. Leverage Networks: Government relations professionals know elected officials, department liaisons, and political consultants. Public relations teams know the media, social media influencers, and government communications professionals. Leverage each network to ensure the best outcomes.

4. Outline Tactics: Like messaging and stakeholder engagement, know when, where, and how you are going to communicate important messages. The theme here is coordination. If someone decides to diverge from an agreed-upon strategy, the entire plan can be put in jeopardy.

5. Trust One Another: Perhaps the most important tip- if government and public relations teams are aligned on message, tactics, and stakeholders there should be no reason not to trust one another. Everyone wants to achieve success and it’s important to build relationships with one another that instill trust

When applied correctly, there is not a more powerful one-two punch combo than a coordinated government relations team working side by side with a professional public relations team.

Building a sales funnel with organic social media is one of the most cost-effective ways for entrepreneurs, founders and business owners to attract, engage, and convert sales leads. By strategically aligning your content with the customer journey, you can transform casual social media users into loyal customers.

Here’s a guide to creating a social media content funnel that works.

The Power of a Social Media Funnel

A well-executed social media funnel guides your audience through a journey from awareness to conversion. This funnel consists of three key stages:

1. Top of Funnel (TOFU): Creating awareness and capturing attention.
2. Middle of Funnel (MOFU): Building trust and nurturing leads.
3. Bottom of Funnel (BOFU): Driving conversions and motivating action.

Each stage plays a crucial role in turning your audience into loyal customers.

The Importance of Founder-Led Content

Founder-led content has a unique ability to resonate with audiences. When founders share their expertise, personal stories, and insights, it adds a level of authenticity and credibility that’s hard to achieve with generic posts. This type of content showcases the human side of the business, building stronger connections with the audience. It also positions your business as a thought leader, helping you shift from being demand-constrained to supply-constrained.

How to Define Your Niche

One of the first steps in building a successful social media funnel is defining your niche. To do this, ask yourself:

• Why should my target audience follow me?
• What specific topic can I dominate?
• What unique insights can I provide?

Focus on a single topic that aligns with your business goals and audience needs. Avoid trying to cover too much at once; instead, establish yourself as an expert in one area before expanding your scope.

Crafting Content for Each Funnel Stage

Your content should vary depending on where your audience is in the funnel.

Top-of-Funnel (TOFU): Awareness

At this stage, the goal is to create awareness and capture attention. TOFU content should attract a broad audience by addressing industry trends, sharing personal stories, or providing broad insights on popular topics. Using strong hooks and visuals can significantly boost engagement.

Middle-of-Funnel (MOFU): Engagement

The MOFU stage focuses on building trust and positioning yourself as a thought leader. This is where tutorials, niche insights, and solutions to common problems shine. Content like FAQs and guides tailored to your audience’s needs can establish credibility without being overly promotional.

Bottom-of-Funnel (BOFU): Conversion

BOFU content is all about driving conversions. Address your audience’s pain points directly and offer solutions through case studies, product launches, or exclusive offers. Including metrics and data in your messaging reinforces the value of your products or services.

Key Takeaways for Building a Social Media Funnel

Creating a successful social media funnel requires a combination of authenticity, strategy, and consistency. Founder-led content adds a personal touch that builds trust, while a well-defined niche ensures your efforts are focused and effective. Distributing content across the right platforms and maintaining a balance between TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU stages can significantly enhance your results.

Remember to:

• Provide value over making sales pitches.
• Engage with your audience regularly.
• Adapt your strategy based on performance insights.

With the right strategy, organic social media can become a powerful tool for driving leads and sales. By defining your niche, crafting targeted content for each stage of the funnel, and engaging consistently, you can build meaningful connections and grow your business. Start today, and watch your audience transform into loyal customers.

Are you ready to take your social media to the next level? Contact NP Strategy to set up a meeting.

Content drives everything. Brands are creating thousands of assets across formats and platforms. Adobe reports that 88% of companies have seen content needs double in the last two years, with a twentyfold increase expected soon.

This surge in demand creates new challenges. Audiences want personalized, engaging content faster than ever. Traditional methods can’t keep up. To meet this, many brands are turning to artificial intelligence (AI).

AI as a Creative Ally

AI is a valuable tool for creative teams, assisting, rather than replacing. It automates tasks like adapting content or editing visuals, letting creators focus on storytelling and innovation. Tools like Canva and Adobe with AI help designers work smarter and faster, producing impactful content at scale.

AI is an extension of your team, handling time-consuming tasks so you can focus on creativity. It speeds up production but doesn’t create the soul of the content—that comes from humans.

The Magic of Human Creativity

Exceptional content stands out through emotional depth and audience connection—something only humans can provide. Ideas, emotions, and intuition are irreplaceable. AI can refine processes, but storytelling’s heart belongs to people.

Successful brands strike this balance, using AI for efficiency while keeping creativity human. This ensures content stays authentic and true to a brand’s voice.

The Path Forward

As the content landscape evolves, adaptable brands will lead. AI doesn’t replace creators; it enhances their ability to produce great work. By combining AI’s speed with human creativity, brands can meet growing demands without losing their unique edge.

Great content tells a resonant story. AI can improve delivery, but the soul of the narrative is always human. In an AI-driven world, the human touch makes content unforgettable.

At NPS, we combine the power of AI-driven tools with creative expertise to help brands craft authentic, engaging content. Our team ensures that your message resonates by blending innovation with human insight, guiding you through the evolving digital landscape with strategic storytelling and design.

One of the most powerful tools for building brand awareness is tapping into trending videos, photos, and sounds on social media. Leveraging these trends can create viral moments, helping your business reach new audiences, engage stakeholders, and attract followers invested in your brand. 

The Importance of Trending Audios

As vertical video platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok continue to dominate, trending audio has become key to creating viral content. To get started, explore popular sounds within the app and browse the videos using them. This can spark fresh ideas that align with your brand’s voice and style.

Social Listening Can Elevate Your Brand

Social listening is a powerful tool for spotting trends. By paying attention to what’s resonating with your peers, you can refine your content and spark fresh ideas for your brand. It’s a great way to stay ahead in your industry while finding unique opportunities to stand out.

Case Studies in Trend Adoption

Delta Airlines: By using the viral “Girl Dinner” audio in a TikTok video, Delta Airlines highlights their signature inflight amenities—Biscoff cookies and ginger ale. By aligning their content with a popular, lighthearted trend, Delta created a relatable and shareable video that resonated with its audience.

Samsung: Samsung joined the viral audio trend “In the Club We Are All Family,” to promote their Bespoke AI appliances in a TikTok video. By aligning with this catchy and inclusive trend, Samsung created a fun, relatable moment on social media that highlighted how their products bring convenience and connectivity to everyday life.

Danielle Guzio: The fashion designer behind Guzio NYC cleverly combines two strategies in one TikTok video. Using trending ASMR paired with the viral “office fridge re-stock” trend, she engages followers with a unique auditory experience, elevating brand awareness in an innovative way.

Aligning Trends with Your Brand Strategy

Incorporating trending content into your social media strategy can boost your brand’s online presence and unlock new opportunities. From using trending audios to thinking outside the box and drawing inspiration from peers, these strategies can help create viral moments that make a lasting impact.

If your business is ready to enhance its social media strategy, NP Strategy offers expert digital and social media services. Click here to learn more.

Marketing and public relations each serve necessary purposes in a communication department, however, the definitions of each term can somewhat overlap or get switched around. This can make things convoluted for those trying to learn more about how to leverage both areas of communication. Here’s a quick breakdown of how the two differ.

Marketing specifically focuses on promoting a brand’s qualities to target audiences. Marketing strategies have evolved from just traditional print and radio advertising to also encompassing digital and social media to reach people online strategically. Marketing is presenting something to audiences and explaining to people why and how it is so great. By crafting the right message, being on the right trends and positioning on the right platforms, an organization can benefit from a well-developed marketing strategy.

Public relations, on the other hand, focuses on building and maintaining positive, ethical relationships with target audiences. By reinforcing, defending, or rebuilding a corporation’s or product’s image, public relations professionals ensure that trust is fostered at the core of every stakeholder relationship. Instead of just communicating to target audiences, public relations also includes facilitating opportunities for audiences to have their voices amplified. This is the essence of public relations– creating and utilizing two-way communication opportunities for audiences to listen and provide invaluable feedback.

A strong public relations arm creates many benefits for marketing a product or service, because it adds the necessary trust element to conducting business effectively. Here are three key tactical ways that public relations can enhance your marketing strategy.

Media Coverage
Having professionals on your team who can build trustworthy relationships with the media significantly benefits a marketing strategy. These relationships are great advantages during the pitching process because they add a human element to a delivered press release in a journalist’s inbox. Positive media coverage that is earned exposes the organization’s message to larger audiences and adds credibility and impartiality to the brand.

Having your product or service in earned media placements can also help build awareness and drive more traffic to owned media channels, such as your website or social media platforms.

Thought Leadership
The great benefit of public relations is that it leverages an important stakeholder group to foster positive relationships with external stakeholders– employees. Employees are some of the best brand advocates an organization can have due to their subject matter expertise. Leaders within the organization, in particular, have significant influence through their unique perspectives and forward-thinking ideas.

When leaders consistently provide their insights, it helps build brand authority and drive engagement. This differentiation is crucial when seeking stakeholder buy-in in a crowded, competitive market.

Crisis Management
One of my college professors introduced me to the idea that public relations serves as the moral compass of an organization’s communications strategy, and this could not be more true. The crisis management aspect of public relations is essential in supporting a marketing strategy because it protects a brand’s reputation while preserving customer trust. Public relations prioritizes the organization’s values and goals at the forefront, maintaining a strong brand reputation to prevent or mitigate crises.

Even with the best plan in place, crises can still occur, whether accidental or not. A key strength of crisis management is its proactive nature, which helps organizations have a plan in place when inevitable trouble arises. Open and transparent communication during a crisis demonstrates that the brand is honest, responsible, and willing to take accountability, which ultimately strengthens its brand reputation.

Conclusion
Media relations, thought leadership and crisis management are vital components to support your marketing strategy. These elements of public relations work together to build credibility, expand reach, establish authority, and protect your brand, ultimately creating more thoughtful and impactful marketing efforts.

Take the next step to enhance your marketing strategy by contacting one of our experts today. Click here to learn more.

Community engagement is the foundation of a strong strategic communications plan. Actively involving the community builds trust, strengthens relationships, and earns support by demonstrating your organization’s commitment to listening.

Tailor Strategy to Your Audience
Every project and community is unique. Using tools like GIS data, connecting with local leaders, and collaborating with city or county staff can help you profile and understand your audience, ensuring your tactics reach and engage effectively. This approach signals to stakeholders—especially elected officials—that you’re committed to working with constituents to find a solution that benefits all.

Address the NIMBY Culture
For economic development projects, the “Not In My Backyard” (NIMBY) sentiment can be a hurdle. NP Strategy has developed targeted methods to engage with these passionate groups, whose concerns can impact public perception and policy. Addressing NIMBY perspectives early through transparent dialogue helps counter misinformation and build mutual understanding. This collaborative approach can be applied broadly, not just with NIMBY groups.

The Power of Community Engagement
Public relations thrives on relationships and community impact. Including engagement in your strategy fosters genuine connections, resonant messaging, and stronger stakeholder support. When we engage thoughtfully with communities, we shape positive narratives and build bridges that benefit everyone.

NP Strategy specializes in helping organizations connect meaningfully with communities. Click here to learn more about our community assessment strategies.

As a member of Generation Z, I’ve seen firsthand how we use the internet to connect, stay informed and shape culture. Gen Z isn’t just the future—it’s actively influencing the present with its values and expectations. To succeed, PR strategies must resonate with this audience.

Authenticity and Transparency
For Gen Z, authenticity and transparency are non-negotiable. Brands that communicate openly, respond to feedback, and address concerns directly are more likely to earn trust and foster stronger relationships. This approach creates a sense of community built around shared values, making audiences feel more connected.

Social Issues Matter
Social justice and environmental concerns are top priorities for Gen Z. PR campaigns that showcase diversity and demonstrate genuine corporate social responsibility (CSR) help brands forge deeper connections with this generation. It’s important to use both visuals and narratives to convey a true commitment to inclusivity and positive social impact.

Embrace Interactive Engagement
Interactive content is key to capturing Gen Z’s attention. Polls, quizzes, and stories on social media are particularly effective. By incorporating participatory elements into PR strategies, brands can boost engagement and build a more dynamic relationship with their audience.

Keep It Short and Impactful
Gen Z’s attention spans are short, so concise and impactful content is key. Quick storytelling, eye-catching visuals, and relatable themes help capture interest, especially on platforms like TikTok and Instagram where short-form content thrives.

As Gen Z reshapes the digital landscape, PR professionals must stay agile and proactive. NP Strategy offers expert guidance to help your brand connect authentically with today’s audiences. Contact us to learn more: www.npstrategy.com/contact.

As a college student, I wanted to ensure that I was pursuing a field of study that aligns with my passion and career goals. Securing a fall internship was a critical step in determining whether public relations is the right fit for me. At NP Strategy, I’ve had the chance to work on diverse projects across various areas of focus, collaborating with different people and clients. This experience has been invaluable in helping me solidify my career path.

Networking Opportunities
In public relations and marketing, building a strong network is essential. Networking plays a major role in landing jobs, especially after graduation, when many people have limited industry experience. Interning at a place where colleagues are approachable and offer opportunities to connect with others can make all the difference. NP Strategy embodies this type of workplace. The team has been open, encouraging and always ready to provide guidance, which has made me feel comfortable asking questions and building meaningful relationships.

Contributing to the Organization
One of the most rewarding aspects of my internship has been contributing to real projects that showcase my initiative and allow me to feel like a valuable part of the team. Internships can sometimes feel like you’re just a small fish in a big pond, but being trusted with meaningful work has given me a sense of purpose.. For example, I recently worked on a community outreach project that aligned with NP Strategy’s goals. Seeing the tangible impact of my contributions has been incredibly fulfilling.

Feedback and Self-Improvement
An internship is, above all, a learning experience. Receiving constructive feedback is crucial for identifying areas of improvement and tracking progress.. One of my key goals is to leave this internship feeling more confident in my public relations skills. At NP Strategy, feedback is given in a thoughtful and helpful way.. Recently, I received feedback on a press release I drafted, which helped me refine my writing and grasp the nuances of effective communication. Learning to accept and apply feedback is an important skill, and this internship has provided an excellent environment to hone that ability.

Looking Ahead
While it’s important to embrace every learning opportunity, it’s equally vital to be intentional about your growth. The variety of tasks, networking opportunities, meaningful contributions, and constructive feedback I’ve received at NP Strategy have all contributed to building a solid foundation for my future career. The goals and objectives I’ve set for myself during this internship reflect my commitment to personal and professional growth, and I am confident this experience will serve as a pivotal step in shaping my future.

At NP Strategy, we are committed to fostering talent and providing meaningful opportunities for our interns. If you’re eager to learn, collaborate, and make a real impact, we want to hear from you! Click here to explore to take the first step toward shaping your future with us.