Resolutions of a PR Pro
Eat right, work out, stop doing something that you really like to do but that’s probably bad for you… blah, blah, blah. Been there, done that. It’s time to talk professional resolutions. To kick off the New Year right, I’ve taken a look at what I do and don’t do well as a marketer, and have come up with my list of 2012 Marketing Resolutions. Feel free to add your own and/or comment on mine.
In 2012, I resolve:
1. To teach my boss to actually use Instagram and not simply be content with having the app on his phone. Your photos will love you for it…and so will all of us who have to edit the photos before posting them.
2. To make sure that our campaigns that include QR codes actually tell people how to use them. There’s been some coverage lately about how the general public has no idea what to do with them. HOW TO: Download an app like ATTScanner and use it to view and scan that funky looking barcode-ish thing below. Point it at the screen and try it out. Voila!
3. To give Google+ an honest shot. I do see the benefits of using the Circles feature to share information about clients with journalists and, if there’s enough consumer interest, I can see clients needing to have a presence on Google+ to both monitor and share information about their brand, as well as engage directly with consumers, but I’m not fully sold yet on it as a place for a personal profile. It seems like just one more thing to do. I’m keeping an open mind and am experimenting with it, though. More to come.
4. To host a media briefing via Skype. I find face-to-face communication the best possible way to conduct an interview, but with technology making “face-to-face” and “in-person” two different things, I’m going to opt for Skype when appropriate.
5. To make time to write case studies right after a project is complete; “right” being the operable word. I still have case studies to write from my previous job.
6. To attend at least one industry event per quarter…and to bring one of my coworkers with me. PRSA already has my attention as part of the mentor program, but I want to branch out. I think the Social Media Club Seattle is next.
I have a lot of things I want to do, but I can’t have a list of 100 resolutions or else I’ll never actually do any of them. I think the six above are doable and realistic and I have plans in place to get to three of them starting in January.
What are your resolutions for 2012? (And nothing about hitting the gym more often; you and I both know that’s not going to happen).