If you’re like me, 2015 has gotten away from you already in terms of your own public relations and social media. However, it’s never too late to update your accounts and blogs. Here is some terrific advice from Diana Ennen, the President of Virtual Word Publishing Diane specializes in PR and marketing and helps her clients frequently overcome what she calls “desperation marketing.” Enjoy!
PR Checklist for 2015 – Get Back Into the Swing of Things with These Tips to Maximize Business Success
By Diane Ennen
Hard to believe January is in full swing and the holidays are a distant memory. By now, some resolutions are probably already broken and everyone is back into the “same ole’ same ole’” of 2014. But it doesn’t have to be that way! There is still time to take action to make 2015 the year that your business sees the success it deserves. Still time to get re-energized and passionate about your business once again, and still time to remember why you started in the first place. Make 2015 the year you love your business back to success.
Here are some tips to help along the way:
Website – Change Your Copyright Date. Check and make sure the copyright date is changed. When someone visits your site and they see an old copyright, they don’t initially run away screaming it’s so last year, but they do lose just a tad bit of confidence in you. Don’t let that happen. Change the copyright date ASAP or have your trusty web designer do it for you.
Add New Clients & Testimonials to Your Website. The first of the year is a great time to look at your website’s client page and see just how up-to-date it is. Take the time to add in the clients you’ve worked with over the past year and see about getting new testimonials. Remember, many look to that page to see if they “fit” with the clients you work with, so show them that they do. Also, now that you’ve done this review, take a few minutes to consider the services you did for these clients. It might be time to update your services page with those new things and, while you are at it, be sure to add any marketing you need to land more of those clients.
Review your social media accounts. Of course you want to have a social media plan that includes how you can best engage with your audience. However, before you begin posting, review your page itself. Can you update your Facebook timeline and make it more 2015? Can you change up the buttons on the page? Does the sign-up for your newsletter from your Facebook Page still work? Once again, take the time to review the “guts” of the page itself and then go full-steam ahead into the postings.
Publish a new blog post. Don’t just post to post. Really write a great piece you can be proud of. It’s more important to write quality postings, than to have a bunch of posts that are so-so. Many bloggers say their secret to successful blogging is to write several posts at once while they are in the swing of things. So next time you write a blog post, instead of stopping and celebrating with a glass of bubbly, write a couple more. You’ll be so glad you did once the time comes to schedule more.
Update your newsletter template. Now is a good time to really get back to business. Take a few minutes before you send out your newsletter and update the template. Even if you’ve already sent some this year (bravo to you!), update the template. People LOVE seeing changes in the new year and a simple template revision can achieve that. Just like your blog, really put your heart and soul into your next newsletter. Let people remember the reason they initially signed up for your newsletter. Maybe over the past year or so you got tired and bored with it, and it became more of a chore to do than the excitement you experienced with you began. That happens. So try this technique—take a minute to review the contacts who signed up. Really look at those names and the business they represent. These are the people who want to hear what you have to say. Now, go get writing!
See how easy it is to jumpstart your PR for the upcoming year? Also, see what we did here? Instead of the usual sending out of your marketing, we reviewed all the basics, added to it and improved upon them. Think back and ask yourself: when was the last time you really did that? You’ll be amazed just how good it feels. And, as always, know that you don’t have to do it alone. Seek the assistance of a professional where you lack the skills or time. No matter how you do it, the main key is to Just Do it!
