Spring-Cleaning with a PR Twist

This is the time of year where I typically look around my house and think of all the spring-cleaning tasks I want to tackle. Unfortunately, I usually put it all off until the following year when the cycle repeats – leading to some pretty cluttered closets. Who wants to spend a weekend cleaning the garage when there’s sunshine outside to enjoy?

But, when it comes to spring-cleaning PR style, the last thing you want is a cluttered to-do list. Here are my top three projects to consider tackling this spring:

1. Media List Refresh

Newsroom staff is changing all the time, so updating your media lists on almost a daily basis is important. Luckily there are resources, like the Cision Blog, that provide daily updates on some of the latest changes in the media landscape.

Spring is the perfect time to do a complete media list overhaul. Make sure all contact and coverage information is up to date, identify new contacts you want to establish a relationship with, and connect with old contacts to ensure the relationship is still beneficial for both you and the reporter.

2. News Audit

At the beginning of the year, our newsfeeds are filled with updates on what companies set out to accomplish in the year ahead. When springtime hits, it’s a great opportunity to check in to see if these plans are beginning to take shape. Read up on companies within your industry of focus and consider how their latest news announcements may impact your client and/or business.

For example, I do a lot of work on behalf of clients in the food industry. I always use spring break as a time to check out the latest food trends and see how much they’ve changed since the start of the year.

Understanding how other companies are moving forward on their yearly plans will help inform what trends to anticipate for the next year. It also provides a sense of where your client or company fits among them, and where there may be opportunities to better tell your client or company’s story.

3. Next Year Planning

It’s hard to think of 2015 when we aren’t even halfway through 2014. But, if you can set aside some time this spring to map out your goals for next year, you’ll be that much closer to achieving them by the time December roles around.

I’d recommend doing this homework from both a client-account perspective and a personal-growth prospective. Take a look back at what plans you set at the beginning of the year and assess whether or not you’re still on track to meet those objectives. If the answer is “no,” what roadblocks are you facing that are preventing you from meeting your goals? Reflecting on this will help you plan for the year ahead to map out realistic objectives and a clear plan on how to achieve them.

Happy spring-cleaning (both the household and PR kind)!