3 PR lessons brought to you by ‘Sesame Street’

1. Repeat your message in different ways. Whether you’re trying to reach 3-year-olds or 30-year-olds, you should repeat yourself over and over again. Take a page out of the “Sesame Street” playbook and express your point in different ways. On the show they might have Super Grover explain what a rectangle is, followed by a song with rectangles dancing on the screen, and then a couple of kids showing viewers how they like to use rectangles when they build with their blocks. As you think about your company’s public relations strategy, think about how you can repeat your message in different ways. For example, if you want to establish yourself as a creative baker, make a video that shows how you made one of your cakes, write a blog post about the creative process and share what inspired you, and take a few professional-quality photos and share them on your Facebook and Pinterest pages. 2. Relate to your audience. Have you watched “Sesame Street” with a little kid recently? They interact with the characters. When Ernie sings a song, they sing along. When Super Grover asks a question, they answer. The folks at Sesame Workshop clearly know who their audience is and what they’ll respond to. In the same way, you should know who your target audience is and what they’ll respond to. For example, if you’re trying to reach stay-at-home moms (or dads), you’re not going to post an article on your Facebook page that shares tips for the workplace. Remember, everything in your public relations strategy should come back to your target audience. 3. Make it fun. The more fun it is, the more engaging it’s likely to be. Of course you want to stay on message, but if you can add a little humor or excitement, the more your target audience will engage. After all, the show’s iconic songs such as “Rubber Ducky” and “C is for Cookie” are all fun—even before I had kids I found myself singing them from time to time.