As the year winds to a close, it’s a great time to think about PR goals and how you want to position your company in the year ahead. One of the best ways to do that is to take stock of what worked and what flopped. Do you need to stay the course or consider a new direction?
For most people, it’s hard to keep New Year’s resolutions because their goals are too pie-in-the-sky and not attainable. So, set easy, concrete ones for initial success.
In the PR world, sometimes it’s a matter of getting back to the basics, with a little out-of-the-box thinking sprinkled in. Here are 7 ideas to get you started:
- Create a Story Inventory. Take time to plan for the upcoming year’s stories. Talk to your public relations person about any new product launches, events or speaking engagements that will be a part of 2016. Ask them for their insight as to when and how to promote these activities.
- Get Social Now. Are you using social media? If not, then make 2016 the year you take your online presence to a new level. Even if you only choose a couple of the main contenders —Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn— you will be expand your reach and build stronger brand recognition. To increase engagement, make sure you use compelling images. Social media expert @JeffBullas says he gets 600 percent more traffic when he uses images in his Twitter posts. And other research shows that that using images can result in an 87 percent interaction rate on Facebook and boost retweets by 35 percent on Twitter.
- Try a PR Stunt. Do you want to get attention for your brand at a busy national meeting? Look for an out-of the-box approach. One Atlanta startup printed $2 bills stamped with “Vote Benioff for President” (Salesforce’s president) and shot them off a bridge with a money gun during a Salesforce conference in San Francisco. It caught the attention of CNBC’s Jim Cramer and a Silicon Valley media outlet, resulting in a story.
- Get Booked as a Speaker. Consider speaking at industry meetings. With a little research, you can learn when the meetings are held and who to connect with for speaking. Often times, these speaking spots are booked a year out, so now is the time to make the contact.
- Submit to Awards. Are you looking for local or national recognition? Submit to industry award opportunities or perhaps participate in industry contests. Many business awards are sponsored by local business publications that will promote the awards through their own channels that can bring you added recognition.
- Don’t Have Earth-shattering News? Consider Industry Trades. The power of the printed word is still needed; perhaps more so in a world where so many rely on blogs, social platforms, and other venues to keep up with what is going on. Consider writing a byline article for an industry magazine or being part of a radio spot to help build name/brand recognition.
- Put a Local Angle on It. One of the best ways to get PR is to look at what’s going on nationally and seeing how you can add or fit into the story. Perennial subjects like retirement, healthcare and the economy are always newsworthy, while the 2016 elections are and will continue to be a hot topic.
Setting goals (and expectations) is a must for PR success. Taking the time to project what’s ahead will help you figure out the best approach for getting the word out about your company. By planning ahead, 2016 can be your most successful year yet.
If you need fresh ideas to promote your business in 2016, the Alpine Communication team is ready to help. Contact us today.