Want To Get Ahead For 2018? Do This One Thing…

In this guest post, Katie Clift – an international PR consultant, journalist and broadcaster – offers her PR nouse to ensure you’re flying into the New Year…

While the world is winding down for 2017, a great PR pro knows ’tis the season to start the wind-up!

If you want to enter the new year ahead of the pack with media cut-through, perfect public relations planning and breakthrough awareness of your brand – there’s just one thing you need to commit to.

Want to get ahead for 2018? It’s simple. Harness the holiday season.

Yes, I’m a big believer in work, life, balance. I know it’s absolutely crucial to stop the clock, relax and re-charge regularly so you can deliver your best work for your clients.

But I also know, in my 10-plus years working in public relations, radio, television and as a journalist, that your big break may not be best-placed over the next few weeks.

In my opinion, there’s no better time than the holiday season to build brand traction, maximise media opportunities and start the new year afresh, on the front foot, with a fully-fledged public relations campaign.

This doesn’t mean you have to wave goodbye to all your down-time. Work smart, and maximise the opportunities for your brand and business by harnessing the holiday season.

Pitch, pitch, pitch.

Having worked for a long time in broadcast, I know from now until about the end of January is your ‘open window’ for planning pitches. Radio and TV producers are on the hunt for quality content – and they need to fill a lot of air time! The end of the year is notorious for slower news days. This is your moment! You can’t pitch too much at holiday time!

Schedule content.

If you’ve got a family gathering to attend, want to seize some time to yourself and invest in the ones you love – keep your PR working for you by scheduling ahead. This goes for social media posts, pre-recorded radio interviews (I’ve done plenty of these over the holidays!) and even pre-prepared pitches for print journalists. You can also set up your emails to send content or press releases at scheduled intervals.

Present a silver platter.

Journalists may not be too happy about having to work during the holiday season – so make their job easier to secure your coverage. You’ll win friends, and influence the world! Present a silver platter – story idea (or even a story written for them!), photos and additional talent details if required. The media will be thankful for your thoughtfulness – and you’ll score cut-through you can’t put a price on.

I actually enjoy being on call during the holidays – it’s such a fun time to create rich, meaningful public relations opportunities for your brand. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll even carve out some quiet time to plan your media maximisation for 2018.

How do I want to start the new year? On the front pages of course! Work hard with me, and let’s harness the holiday season.

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Katie Clift