If you are like most, you are probably in disbelief that we are already in Q2 2021. While April is when we start seriously tidying up on the home front, it’s also an excellent time to apply a Spring cleaning mindset to your public relations program.
Maybe you started the year with big business and PR goals but have lost steam. Perhaps you exceeded what you wished to accomplish at the start of 2021. Either way—spring is an excellent time to analyze your PR objectives and refresh accordingly so that you are set up for success for the rest of the year.
Let’s talk about goals
Let’s start with goal setting overall. At Kite Hill PR, we live by agility. Our team implements The PR Sprint™ Workflow to measure and track goals for our clients. Part of the process is identifying “S.M.A.R.T.” goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Based. Business leaders should also be associating S.M.A.R.T. goals with larger business objectives.
When setting goals, ask yourself these three questions:
Are my goals trackable?
Can data help measure progress and track success? If you are not moving the needle, or making any demonstrable progress, it might suggest that the strategy is not working and should be changed to allow for measurement. For example, if you are looking to raise brand awareness but want measurable results, you might want to consider pairing your campaign with paid advertising options like social or native advertising in order to track cost-per-actions.
Are my goals up-to-date?
You don’t need a PR team to tell you this past year has been full of communication minefields. Undoubtedly, most businesses had to adjust 2020 goals, and limitations caused by current circumstances may have impacted 2021 goal planning. For example, as strictly virtual events adopt hybrid models allowing in-person attendance to return as soon as this summer, leaders may want to assess events as they are known to be great for networking, brand awareness, and speaking opportunities. If taking on the annual industry trade show seems like too much, consider starting smaller with roundtables or internal corporate events (and be sure to build in plenty of contingency plans). While things are slowly returning to normalcy, brands should still ensure agility in all business goals.
Am I leading the way?
The need for more flexibility in the workplace has been heightened by the pandemic allowing employees to have more control in their daily schedule. Business leaders need to listen to their employees and the market needs. As our Founder and CEO, Tiffany Guarnaccia pointed out in a recent interview with PRWeek, “We’re adjusting our headquarters to meet the demands of tomorrow, which we refer to as the ‘three C’s of the modern office': concentration, collaboration and celebration.” Not only will this create stronger employee retention but it will also open the door to thought leadership opportunities as a leader paving the way for others.
It is never too late to set your business up for success. Having trackable goals allows you to easily increase budgets when strategies are proving to be successful. Staying on top of the latest developments impacting the industry will help you ensure your goals are achievable. Be a true thought leader in all things impacting businesses in the coming years. Use this spring to ensure your 2021 goals have all the light they need to blossom throughout the rest of the year.
Kyle Murray, Account Manager