So it is almost New Year’s Eve, and I am sitting here pitching stories to the media on Media Connections and watching marketing discussions in Business Business Business and thought it was time to share some PR and Marketing Resolution ideas for your business in 2016.
This Year I will Plan:
Planning is key to any marketing and PR Message and one of the issues that see a campaign succeed – or fail.
Because planning is the key that makes sure you have the resources you need in place, the timing right for your message and that give you that all important list to follow and tick off.
To get you started here a few to do’s to ensure your planning is underway;

  1. Write a list of key events you will attend and what you will need for each event.
  2. Take a look at the publications you would like to appear in and plan your PR Campaigns around their themes.
  3. Make time for Social Media in your week/day and stick to it. You will be surprised what 30 minutes of social networking can do for your business
  4. Define your key messages for each quarter of the year and then plan your activities around them.

One of the reasons I created the PR Media and Marketing Companion was to allow businesses to plan in a simple format with prompts and tips throughout the year.
I will not Give Up:
PR and Marketing take time, and it is important not to give up before you have given your campaign sufficient time to gain traction and deliver the result.
In an instant society, it is becoming common to want to see instant results, but marketing and PR are all about relationships, and these take time to build.
Instead of giving up tweak what you are doing, try something else but keep going. It is harder to restart the cycle than keep going.
I will network both online and offline:
Networking is one of the most powerful marketing and PR tools you can arm yourself with in 2016. There are groups like Business Business Business on Facebook and LinkedIn that make networking online easy but networking offline is important too.
Tips for networking offline:

  1. Get the diary out and look at events and networking groups that fit your niche and add them to your marketing plan.
  2. Check your business cards – do they say what you do? And can people find your contact details easily.
  3. Prepare your elevator pitch, so it comes naturally, and then practice it so you know it.
  4. Get out there and network! Everyone is there to connect and you just never know which conversation will be your next lead.
  5. Follow up! After networking follow up with what you promised to deliver and make contact with those who you would like to do business with.

I will reach out to the Media in time for them to run my story:
The media work/schedule well ahead of ‘now’, especially Print media like magazines, so allowing them enough lead time to look at running your story. Some outlets are working 120 days ahead of time.
When working on PR Campaigns I like to have releases heading out at 90, 60, 30, 7 and sometimes 3 days before an event.
I will make sure our messages all connect:
Message consistency is the key; it is important to make sure that your advertising, PR, social media and marketing messages all say the same thing and planning really helps with this.
By planning out your messages, you can make sure the message gets out via all the channels available and says what you want it to say.
So start off the year by identifying the key messages you want to share and then follow up from there by planning how and where you will promote them.
I will try something new for my business:
Marketing and PR is a fast-changing industry with new tools and tricks popping up all the time. It is an exciting world to explore, so look at including something new in your marketing.  It could be as easy as trying a new social platform, or more detailed like creating a video series for your business.
What you try is up to you – just try something new. You will learn a new skill and you just never know, it could be the key to your success in 2016.
Good luck with your 2016 Marketing plans for your business. Keep sharing your story and message as new audiences and journalists will appear throughout the year. If you are looking to kick-start 2016, I would love for you to join me at the Media and Marketing Think Tank on Jan 30th with Larissa Hill and Natasha McArdle.
Happy New Year!