Notice all the weight loss and fitness ads lately? Last night, my gym was so crowded I barely got a spot in exercise class! Even though we’ve all heard that most New Year’s resolutions are broken by the end of January, many of us still make them. It’s exciting to look at a New Year and seize upon ideas to make it better.
Many of us make personal resolutions at the beginning of each year so why not for public relations?
Public relations resolutions won’t help you lose weight but they can help your company’s reputation maintain good fitness. So, even if you stop going to the gym by February and the diet falls apart in two weeks, these PR resolutions are easy to keep for the entire year.
- Listen to your target audiences. When is the last time you did a survey? Focus group? What did you do with the results? Actions speak louder than tweets.
- Look for different ways to engage your audiences. Individualize. Personalize the experience. Plan for two-way engagement. Be creative.
- Concentrate your efforts on just a few social media channels and be really good at them. Select social based on where your audience is active. Don’t pick based on what’s fun and trendy.
- Focus on individual reporters in the traditional media. Instead of inundating hundreds of reporters with a press release (and say it’s for SEO) develop relationships with just a handful of key reporters. Pitch them with ideas that are helpful to them.
- Choose the best communications methods for your audience. Would a personal meeting or event be better than email? Don’t hide behind technology when human contact might be the most effective way to communicate your message.
If you need help, remember public relations professionals come in all shapes and sizes to help you – from the independent counselor to the mega agency.
Happy PR Year!