January is a season of new beginnings,new year resolutions and good intentions.It is also an opportunity to start on a clean slate...or at least that is what we set out to do.
After reflecting on the year before, you know exactly what went well, what didn’t and what you want to achieve.
After the excitement of the festive season and your plans for a new diet or exercise plan, one thing you can’t put off or leave until the last minute is your PR planning.
While new year resolutions are always great, they almost inevitably fade come February. However, when it comes to your business, January is an important time to refocus, to take stock on the previous year’s successes and to renew your efforts on growing your company.
January gives you the opportunity for a fresh start, to press the reset button, and this includes strategising and formulating your PR plan for the next 6-12 months.
We have some tips to help you start planning and to reach your goals for 2022!
Review
Examine your current strategy. Does it still align with your vision, mission, and goals?
During the review process, you can identify where you are currently, as this will help you work out where you want to be by the end of the year. Consider what worked well, where good coverage was achieved or where you need to improve. Also look at the stories journalists responded to positively.
Determine which pitches and angles worked well for you and look at whether these can be repurposed or taken in a slightly different direction. Remember, you want to become a thought leader in your field.
You don’t need to go into a lot of detail
Plan for the next six months and allow, during this period, time to revise after three months, if needed as things are continually changing. Some things probably won’t change, such as significant events or important dates, but you will need to be agile in some aspects of your plan.
Remember that you will need to be able to react to the news agenda or to other unforeseen events that may create opportunities or require crisis management.
Objectives are key
What are your key messages, do your teams understand them? Understanding your key messages will help you set your objectives for the coming months. What you say and how you say it need to be ‘on brand’, always, and will need to remain in line with previous media messages.
Working out what you want to say and whom you want to communicate those messages to is important and will form the basis of your PR activity for the year ahead.
Whether you’re planning the launch of a new product, organising an event or formulating a specific media campaign, having clear, concise and achievable messages will help you keep on track.
It is all in the execution
Now that you have formulated your plan, what is next? It’s important to not only know what you want to say, but when. Timing is important and you will need to consider a calendar of activity – preferably one that can be flexible to allow you to react to events.
Look at how many press releases you want to send out across the next year and leave room to factor in any that may pop up along the way. When do you want to send them? Where will they go to achieve maximum coverage? Where you send your releases will be based on what your message is about and the audience you are wanting to reach or target.
January is also a good time to review your media lists and ensure they are up to date.
Acquiring the editorial calendars of your target media will help you formulate your plans for press releases, features and thought leadership articles.
Consider what channels you will be using to support your various PR campaigns and factor social media in as well, including organic and paid posts if needed.
Speaking engagements are another great way to get in front of your target audience.
Once you have your plan, look at it again from a journalist’s point of view. Is what you have planned newsworthy? If not, can you make it a story that journalists are interested in, this could include newsjacking.
Remember, always put your plan in writing so you have a point of reference. If in doubt, contact us and we will help you figure it all out.