Every January about one in three Americans make resolutions to eat healthier, hit the gym more and manage their stress better, among other self-improvement goals. This year, PR pros may want to consider adding a few of the following professional goals to their list of resolutions as well.
- Tap into your creative side. People remember what they see more often than what they read, so including a visual element in your pitches, press releases and blog posts will grab your audience’s attention more effectively. This year, skip the stock photos and create a unique visual element to help tell your story. Did you include data in your press release? Visualize it in a chart or graph. Does your pitch describe how your client helped one of their customers? Include photos of the customer in action, or better yet a short video clip.
- Meet new people. In the public-relations industry, maintaining professional relationships and building new ones can lead to new business leads, increase your skillset, help recruit new talent to your agency and build your reputation. Despite the numerous benefits, making time to network is often easier said than done. In 2015, ensure that you meet your networking goals by signing up for conferences in advance and joining professional groups that hold regular meetings. If you’re not sure how to find local professional groups, Meetup can be a great resource.
- Learn from last year’s campaigns. It can be easy to jump into 2015 without a second thought to what happened last year, but sometimes it’s best not to leave the past behind. This January, take some time to look back on 2014 and analyze your efforts. Which campaigns were the most successful? What made them such a hit? Which efforts didn’t garner the results you were hoping for? What could have been done differently? Make note of your successes so you can repeat those actions, and identify what didn’t work so you don’t repeat your mistakes.
- Plan strategically. As PR becomes more integrated with marketing, it’s important to consider every aspect of a campaign—measurement, target audiences, objectives and more—from a marketing perspective. In 2015, make strategic planning a priority by ensuring every campaign aligns with the company’s overall goals and marketing messages.
- Measure your progress. There are a variety of different ways to measure success in PR, and every client values different measurement methods. As you nail down your quarterly plans for 2015 with each client, be sure to identify which metrics matter the most to them. Then find a tool that effectively measures those metrics so your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.
These are just a few of the many New Year’s resolutions PR pros can make. What PR-related resolutions have you set for yourself?