4 considerations for #PR success in 2014
by Carm Lyman
A new year is the perfect time for a fresh start.
As you kick off 2014, you have a chance to consider more ways to be successful at your job, providing your company and clients with even better results. Here are four thought-starters to get you going:
Consider what the media sees as news, not what your team believes deserves coverage.
Although a major product update or an award is a huge win and great accomplishment by your team, it is seldom news. Media and bloggers are not covering every update to every product by every company—unless of course you happen to be Apple, Twitter, Facebook, or otherwise hot enough for near nonstop coverage.
Product updates haven’t been news for years in many industries; for some industries, they never were. Give the media what they want and need: trends, stats, or how a product or company is improving our lives and businesses. Something that shapes the world around us is almost always newsworthy. If you present what impact or role a product or company plays, that’s how you’ll make news and gather a faithful following of journalists.
Consider how you’re managing a situation, client, executive, or problem.
You’re the PR pro—remember that it’s your job to guide the client or your execs. Take a look at 2013. Were you consulting, guiding and providing the strategy for communications? Or were you taking orders on how PR should be done and, as a result, not fulfilling expectations? You know what works. Execute on that, and stick to your guns. You will keep your sanity, your client/exec will thank you (in the end), and the media will respect you.
Consider what you’re not considering.
We get so busy in the day to day that it’s easy to fall behind on being proactive. What should or would you be thinking about, initiating or doing today if you found free time? Have you checked in with your teammates or client? Are you measuring tangible results to uncover what’s working, or what’s not? Should you be thinking a little harder about what would really make an impact on a campaign or program? What else might you not be considering that you should?
Consider others.
It’s amazing what insight can be gathered by putting yourself in others’ shoes. Maybe start with a series of questions: How can you make today easier or more successful for your client or boss? Can you do any thinking for them? Take something off their plate? Consider the media when it comes to beat, schedule, and deadlines. Being thoughtful versus unintentionally negligent or distracting will net better relationships and ultimately a more successful venture.
